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May 2013
Theatre Ontario Presents...
In This Issue
Job Posting: Professional Theatre Coordinator
Festival
Michael Spence Award
Annual Meeting
Shaw Directors Project
Financial Literacy
Getting Started and Self-Start
Community Theatre Forums
Not-for-Profit Corporations Act
PTTP Recipients
Certificates of Excellence
Business Basics
Summer Courses
Ontario Off Stage
From Our Blog
ONstage
Find out about current productions ONstage across Ontario.

Check out
ONstage Openings on our blog for weekly announcements.
Auditions
FOR ACTORS
Auditions are available for individual members of Theatre Ontario on the Auditions page of our website.

FOR PRODUCERS
Theatres can submit audition notices for posting on our website.
Upcoming Workshops and Training
The Bulletin Board
Like in the early days of the Theatre Ontario office, The Bulletin Board is a place where the public can browse notices from our theatre members

Check out workshops and seminars, funding opportunities, free community events, submission deadlines, award and recognition opportunities, and more

Visit The Bulletin Board

We highlight the new and upcoming items in our weekly blog post Browsing The Bulletin Board
Festivals
Theatre Ontario Festival
May 15 to 19
Kingston

rock.paper.sistahz
b current
May 24 to 31
Toronto

Uth Daze 2013
May 25 to 26
Toronto

InspiraTO Theatre Festival
Theatre Inspirato
May 30 to June 8
Toronto

Magnetic North Festival
June 7 to 15
Ottawa

Pot Luck Festival
fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company
June 15
Toronto

Visit our Festivals directory
Fringe
Conferences
Professional Association of Canadian Theatres
May 22 to 25
Victoria, BC

Playwrights Guild of Canada
June 1 to 2
Toronto

Directing In The
Performing Arts

June 15 to 18
Toronto
(Registration discount for Theatre Ontario members)
How You Can Get Involved In Theatre Ontario
Become a member of Theatre Ontario

Make a donation to Theatre Ontario

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Thank you to our donors and our supporters
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Theatre Ontario is hiring

Tim Chapman, our Professional Theatre Coordinator for the past seven years, will be retiring from Theatre Ontario in July 2013.  We are now beginning the challenging task of finding his successor.

 

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Program Coordinator oversees the daily operation of Theatre Ontario's programs and services and serves as the organization's key liaison with the professional theatre and post-secondary theatre education communities in Ontario, as well as providing career counselling, the development and provision of workshops and seminars to support the professional community, developing and implementing special projects, and contributing to news and stories of interest for and about the theatre community.


Read more about the position on the Theatre Ontario website 

Why We Celebrate

There's nothing like the first day of Theatre Ontario Festival.  There's energy everywhere: at the hotel front desk as we're checking in and spotting a friend we haven't seen in a year, or in the hospitality suite as we pick up our workshop itinerary for the week, or in the auditorium as we settle into our seats.

There's a feeling of promise that we'll make that connection -- a connection with someone who knows the solution to the problem challenging our theatre company, a connection with an idea at an adjudication that will make our own work richer, or a connection with a play that will change us forever.

Brandon Moore writes on our blog about Theatre Ontario Festival, our hosts, and the participants on our blog

As we've done in recent years, we will be blogging from the Festival with highlights from the adjudications and workshops, and we will be live-blogging the awards ceremony.  Festival tweeters can connect with each other using the #tofest hashtag
Joe O'Brien awarded 2013 Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre

Joe O'BrienTheatre Ontario is thrilled to announce that the 2013 Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre will be presented to Joe O'Brien of Ottawa.  This award is presented by Theatre Ontario from the nomination by Ottawa Little Theatre, and on the recommendation of the Eastern Ontario Drama League.

The award honours individuals for sustained contribution to community theatre, generosity of spirit, involvement, and commitment to community theatre that is legendary within his/her region, helping community theatre flourish.

Joe will receive his award on May 19 at the Theatre Ontario Festival Awards Brunch in Kingston.  Read more about Joe O'Brien on the Theatre Ontario website
Diversity, Engagement, and Inclusion in Theatre

You are cordially invited to Theatre Ontario's 2013 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, May 25 at 10:30am at the Robert Gill Theatre in Toronto, followed by refreshments and the panel discussion.

charles c. smith will be moderating an engaging dialogue with four dynamic and innovative theatre panelists: Ravi Jain, Yvette Nolan, Soheil Parsa, and Trevor Schwellnus. Our panelists will share their success in nurturing inclusiveness to engage communities, foster collaboration, and develop audiences. Following the forum, there will be an opportunity to address the panelists with specific questions and issues.  Read more about Theatre Ontario's Forum and Panel Discussion on Diversity, Engagement, and Inclusion in Theatre

 

charles c smith Ravi Jain Yvette Nolan Soheil Parsa Trevor Schwellnus  

Information about the Annual Meeting, including the Notice of Meeting, proxy forms, proposed amendment to the by-laws, and candidates for election is available on the Theatre Ontario website.  The Annual Report for 2012 will be posted on May 17.   Read more about Theatre Ontario's Annual Meeting  

Apply to be an Intern Director at Shaw

Applications are now open for the 2014 Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival.  Each season, the Shaw Festival hires two Intern Directors.  They look for promising professional directors at a point in their career where an extended residency with a company like the Shaw Festival will be of benefit to their professional development.  Applicants should have a good amount of professional experience but will not have had an opportunity to work on the scale of production that is characteristic of the Shaw Festival.

Since its inception in 1988, the project has been sponsored annually by Sun Life Financial and Theatre Ontario.

The application deadline is June 28 at 5pm.

Read more about the Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival on the Theatre Ontario website
Improve your financial literacy at our free workshop

Artists play an essential role in our communities, yet according to StatsCan, artists are among the lowest income earners in Canada.  Learning some basic skills will enable you to take control of your finances and make the best possible money decisions.

Tessa Marie Schillingford Join us on May 13 at 10:30am for a free session with Tessa-Marie Shillingford, author of Controlling the Debt Monster, to discuss setting financial goals, managing on a low & erratic income, making a spending plan, dealing with debt, all about credit including credit cards, smart banking, and planning for retirement.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Financial Literary: What Self-Employed Artists Should Know workshop
Workshops for emerging professional theatre artists

We're pleased to announce the upcoming dates of our popular professional theatre sessions, led by Tim Chapman, our Professional Theatre Coordinator.

Getting Started For Actors is on Wednesday, May 15 at 2pm.  This session is for actors beginning their professional careers to get the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting.  Read more about Theatre Ontario's Getting Started For Actors workshop

Self-Start: The Basics of Producing is on June 5 at 2pm.  If you want to do a show but have never produced professionally before, and if you want to know what questions to ask first, this session is for you!  Self-Start is a practical seminar facilitated by Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator.  Read more about Theatre Ontario's Self-Start: The Basics of Producing workshop
Conversations on Community Theatre

Nearly forty people came together in Aurora for our first Community Theatre Discussion Forum.  The goal was to identify challenges that we can collectively address to work towards a successful future.  As facilitator Lucy White, Executive Director of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, later remarked: "I guess it's not surprising that all theatres share common challenges."  Read more about Theatre Ontario's Community Theatre Discussion Forums on our blog

Our next session will be at Festival on May 18 in Kingston at 2pm.  Future sessions in southwestern, eastern, and northern Ontario are also planned.
Legal Workshops for Theatres

Sarah FarrellDo you know how the new not-for-profit corporation acts are going to affect your theatre company?  With new laws for both provincially-incorporated and federally-incorporated not-for-profits, theatres may find they need new letters patent, supplementary letters patent, and by-laws, and may have other significant administrative requirements to meet.  Join us on May 28 at 2pm for our workshop with Sarah Farrell "Under New Management: Transitioning to the New Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and Ontario's Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, 2010."  Read more about Theatre Ontario's Under New Management workshop

Confused by the Accessibility Standards set out in the Ontarians with Disabilities Act?  Want to know what this means to your organization?  Do you need some practical tips that could help you comply with the Act and avoid costly penalties?  Join us on June 27 at 6pm for "Ontarians With Disabilities Act: Are You Meeting Accessibility Standards?" with Sarah Farrell.  Read more about Theatre Ontario's Ontarians With Disabilities Act workshop
Congrats Spring 2013 PTTP recipients

We are pleased to announce the latest recipients of training grants through Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP). $45,000 was awarded in total to 13 recipients.

Read more about the Spring 2013 Professional Theatre Training Program recipients

This program is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

 
Honouring excellence by secondary school drama students

Do you know an outstanding student who has made a commitment to the drama/theatre community in his or her school?  Teachers and schools can honour those students with Theatre Ontario's Certificate of Excellence -- with commencement season approaching, now is a terrific time for recognition.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Certificate of Excellence
Planning your work and working your plan

Diane Davy Your plan is your future, and whether you are a theatre company or an individual artist-entrepreneur, you will benefit by developing a clear business plan for your organization or your career.

Join us for "Business Basics: An Introduction to Planning for Artists" with Diane Davy on June 11 in Toronto.

This workshop covers the basics of creating a plan, including practical insights into goal setting, marketing and promotion, management, measuring outcomes, and more.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Business Basics workshop on our website
Indulge your passion for theatre

Experience a week away from all distractions and immerse yourself in a unique theatrical learning experience at Theatre Ontario's Summer Theatre Intensive.

Running August 11 to 17 in Waterloo, you will learn new skills, meet passionate theatre people, enrich your theatre capacity, and flex your creative muscle!

For 2013, we are offering the following courses to choose from:
  • Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Acting, with Tom Diamond
  • Staging the Story: The Why and How of Directing, with Maja Ardal
  • Instant Theatre: The Art of Improvisation, with Herbie Barnes
  • You Got the Part!  Audition and Rehearsal Techniques for the Actor, with Thom Currie
  • Where There's a WILL, There's a WAY- A Path to Acting with Shakespeare, Text Study, and Performance, with Jack Wetherall
Read more about Theatre Ontario's Summer Theatre Intensive
Ontario Off Stage

Our biweekly column Ontario Off Stage curates online theatre news and conversations from around the province and beyond.  Highlights from the past month include:
  • Andy McKim writes about engaging with audiences and "apologizing for your art"
  • A valuable case study on audience building from an organization that has built and re-built new audiences numerous times: World Wrestling Entertainment
  • Do theatre companies have a natural lifespan, and how do you make way for new blood without killing off the old guard 
  • Highlights from the Praxis Theatre / Theatre Centre debates on the rights and responsibilities of arts boards
  • Is your community a "theatre town" or a "maker town"?
  • Toasts to the recipients of the Prix Rideau Awards, the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design, and the John Hobday Award in Arts Management 

Read more about all these items in "Ontario Off Stage" on the Theatre Ontario Blog 

Catch up with news on our Blog

The Theatre Ontario Blog is our home for news, announcements, analysis, and opinion curated and written by Theatre Ontario.

You can sign up to receive blog posts via your favourite RSS reader, or follow by email, at www.theatreontario.blogspot.com
E-Learning for Theatre Ontario members

Theatre Ontario is excited to partner with  ArtsBuild Ontario on their new program offerings.  Theatre Ontario has contributed to the development of these programs through our role on the ArtsBuild Advisory Committee.

This special e-learning training offer is available to Theatre Ontario Members for a limited time: Online Learning for Arts Organizations with lynda.com.  The deadline for registration is May 15.  At pres time, there were about 50 spots left.  Learn software, creative and business skills at your pace and to your schedule.  Read more from ArtsBuild Ontario
Missed an issue of Theatre Ontario Presents... ?  Catch up in our archives.

 

Brandon MooreQuestions?  Please contact
Brandon Moore
Communications Coordinator, Theatre Ontario
416.408.4556 x.15





We acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the Government of Ontario, which last year funded 1,681 individual artists and 1,125 organizations in 216 communities across Ontario for a total of $52.8 million.

 

Toronto Arts Council