April 2015

Theatre Ontario Presents...

In This Issue

Staff Changes

Summer Theatre Intensive

Michael Spence Award

Festival

Annual General Meeting

PTTP Project Profiles

PASO Pre-Budget Submission

Upcoming Workshops and Webinars

PACTCON 2015

Social Enterprise Survey

Ontario Off Stage

Catch up with News on Our Blog

ONstage

Find out about current productions ONstage across Ontario.

Check out ONstage Openings on our blog for weekly announcements.

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers from theatres across Ontario

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.

Training

Read more about:

Theatre Ontario's courses and workshops

Workshops from theatres and Talent Bank members
Theatre Ontario's Bulletin Board

Classes for adults and youth offered by Theatre Ontario member studios
Training programs by members of Theatre Ontario

The Bulletin Board

Check out our members and partners workshops, funding opportunities, calls for submissions, award and recognition opportunities, conferences, and more

Visit The Bulletin Board

We highlight the new and upcoming items in our weekly blog post Browsing Our Bulletin Board

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

Quick Links

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Learn about what we do at Theatre Ontario

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Welcome Rebecca Ballarin as Interim Program Coordinator

We are pleased to welcome Rebecca Ballarin as Interim Program Coordinator through to the end of August 2015. Rebecca is a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Toronto where she is currently completing a drama specialist with the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies. She has worked at Theatre Ontario in the past as the Education Assistant, and served one term on the Youth Advisory Committee. Find out more about Rebecca

We also welcome Mohsin Bhujwalla, who is joining us for one year as our new Fundraising Coordinator. Having worked at Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, LGBT Youth Line, and Environmental Defence Canada, Mohsin is excited to come back home to the performing arts community. Fun fact: Mohsin is Arabic for charitable. Coincidence? We think not!

Join Us at Our Summer Theatre Intensive

Theatre Ontario is offering five exciting courses at this year's Summer Theatre Intensive, running August 9 to 15 in Waterloo at Wilfrid Laurier University. Experience a week away from all distractions and immerse yourself in a unique theatrical learning experience. You will learn new skills, meet passionate theatre people, enrich your theatre capacity, and flex your creative muscle!

This year we are offering:

For Performers

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Acting...and Then Some!, with Tom Diamond
Physical Theatre and Text, with Jim Warren

For Directors

Directions on Directing: From Page to Stage, with Andrew Lamb
Advanced Directing: Uncovering Hidden Treasures Within the Play, with Virginia Reh

For Playwrights

There's No Such Thing as Writer's Block, with Maja Ardal

Join us at Theatre Ontario's Summer Theatre Intensive

John Storey to Receive Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to announce that the 2015 Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre will be presented to John Storey of Markham.

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.

John will receive his award on May 17 at the Theatre Ontario Festival Awards Brunch in Oshawa.

Meet John Storey

Welcoming Our First Two Productions to Theatre Ontario Festival in Oshawa

Festival 2015 is taking shape as two of our four productions have been chosen from regional festivals.

We also welcome Norm Foster as our Festival Honourary Chair, and we invite you to check out some of the fun things to do in Oshawa while you're attending Festival. Festival opens May 13.

Join Us at Theatre Ontario Festival 2015

Notice of Annual General Meeting - With New Procedures

Theatre Ontario invites all members to join us at our Annual General Meeting on May 16 at 1:30pm at the Quality Hotel and Conference Centre, 1011 Bloor Street East, Oshawa.

With the approval of our new By-Law at last year's Annual Meeting, there are several procedural changes this year, including:

A membership must be paid one month prior to the Annual Meeting in order to be an eligible voter;
Organizations and families need to designate representatives in writing;
Proxyholders no longer need to be members of Theatre Ontario.

We also invite nominations for our 2015-2016 Board of Directors.

Find out more about our Theatre Ontario Annual General Meeting

Profiling PTTP Projects

PTTP Project with Julia Hune-Brown

Eight individuals were chosen as recipients of our Professional Theatre Training Program grants during our Fall 2014 application round.

This month we check in with three of the projects: Sarah Kitz (training in directing with Amiel Gladstone), Julia Hune-Brown (training in artistic directing with Ruth Howard at Jumblies Theatre [pictured]), and Mariel Marshall (training in directing with Ross Manson).

Find out more about these Theatre Ontario Professional Theatre Training Program projects

Pre-Budget Submission from Ontario's Arts Service Organizations

Theatre Ontario is a member of PASO - the Coalition of Provincial Arts Service Organizations. PASO has made a pre-budget submission for 2015 to the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

Find out about PASO's recommended priorities for the 2015 provincial budget

Upcoming Training from Theatre Ontario

RECORDED WEBINAR: Launching Your Career, with Erin Keating and guest actor Daniel Roberts - Answers to your FAQs about the business of acting - Join us April 15 at 2pm

WORKSHOP: Grant Writing Information Session in Sudbury, with Pat Bradley - Looking for tips and must-dos for preparing an application to the Ontario Arts Council - Join us April 21 at 5pm (free)

RECORDED WEBINAR: Unleashing Your Inner Entrepreneur, with Erin Keating and guest producer Scott Dermody - Thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company? - Join us April 29 at 2pm

RECORDED WEBINAR: Grant Writing Information Session, with Pat Bradley - Looking for tips and must-dos for preparing an application to the Ontario Arts Council - Join us May 4 at 6pm (free)

PACTCON 2015 - Outside Looking In

Registrations are now open for PACTCON 2015, the annual conference from the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, running May 20 to 23 in Toronto. PACTCON 2015 "breaks with tradition and actively encourages participation from the entire professional theatre community" and discount rates are available for Theatre Ontario members.

Find out more about PACTCON 2015 - Outside Looking In

Social Enterprise Survey for Ontario

The Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet), Simon Fraser University, and Mount Royal University invite non-profit theatres to participate in the 2015 Social Enterprise Survey for Ontario.

This initiative builds on the results of the previous 2012 survey. Although non-profit theatres would not necessarily see themselves as social enterprises, a large percentage of them earn revenue while providing a cultural service to the community. This makes them social enterprises and important contributors within Canada's social economy.

Participate in the 2015 Social Enterprise Survey for Ontario.

Ontario Off Stage

In "Ontario Off Stage" on our blog, we curate theatre conversations and news from around the province and beyond. Highlights from last month include:

From March 27

Lies we tell about audience engagement
Gender parity and its impact on your theatre being the hub in your community
A major increase in arts funding in Hamilton
A new Executive Director for ArtsBuild Ontario

From March 20

How theatres are handling harassment
Theatres are trying to become "parent-friendly" for audiences, but what about for their artists?
"Why I always want the playwright in the room" - beyond the first production
Has crowdfunding become so co-opted that it has reached its tipping point?

From March 13

In defense of clowning
Exploring the responsibilities of playwrights and the performance of characters with disabilities
Provoking a powerful audience response and "storming the court"
How to manage audition anxiety
In praise of bias in arts criticism

From March 6

Equity in Theatre's initiatives for International Women's Day on March 8
Joseph Recinos - a past Professional Theatre Training Program grant recipient - wondered where are the minority voices in theatre?
Remembering Terry Judd
The Gina Wilkinson Prize and the Western Ontario Drama League Pre-Festival Awards

Read past issues of "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

Missed an issue of Theatre Ontario Presents... ? Catch up in our archives.

Questions? Please contact
Brandon Moore

Communications Coordinator, Theatre Ontario

news@theatreontario.org

416.408.4556 x.13

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.