WODL

  
   Newsletter January 2018

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WODL Festival 2018  Theatre Ontario Festival 2018
 

Get the Latest News on Festival 2018
Festival 2018 - Workshops

By Charmaine Jacklin, Chair WODL Festival 2018 Committee, charmaine@wodl.on.ca 
Fun opportunity to be part of a play reading by Caroline Smith
Playwright Caroline Smith will be reading the first act from her newly published play  To Die For on Tuesday March 13th. This will take up to an hour.

Caroline will read the stage directions and set up the scenes. Then we'll need 4 readers for these characters:
 
Janet: 20 something junior clerk who is terrified and can run quickly. (small role)
 
Carla: Best selling author who is a well preserved 40-something, elegant and attractive.
 
Grace: Nervous timid sort, business woman in early thirties.
 
The Man: Tall handsome ideal dreamboat, charismatic and somewhat dangerous.

Another fun opportunity: Be part of a play reading by Peter Fenton and Scott White
Photo: Neil Muscott
Playwrights Peter Fenton and Scott White will be reading an excerpt from their 'work in progress' Some Kind Of Happy on Thursday March 15th.
 
This will not involve any music.
 
This will take about 15 minutes
 
Pete and Scott will read stage directions and set up the scene excerpts. We'll need 4 readers for these characters:
 
A GOOD SENSE OF COMEDIC TIMING IS USEFUL FOR ALL ROLES
 
Carrie: Early 30s, art critic for a major metropolitan newspaper who is worried about her father's withdrawal from society.
 
Everett: Early 60s, father of Carrie, and a recently unemployed watchmaker who has been a widower for 2 years.
 
Jackson: Early 30s, an animal talent agent concerned about his mother's art-buying habit.
 
Louise: Late 50s, recently divorced art collector and mother of Jackson.

Special thanks to the Playwrights Guild of Canada for sponsoring these events.
Check our Festival Facebook page regularly to find out how you can be a part of the fun! We will be drawing names for those interested in actively taking part in these workshops.
More Who's Who at Festival 2018 - Sarnia - March 12 to 17 2018

By Henri Canino, WODL Area VP Essex-Lampton-Kent, henri@wodl.on.ca 
Meet our WODL Festival 2018 Coordinators
John L'Heureux - After Glow Host
John got involved with a Sarnia Little Theatre production Inherit The Wind in 1979. The director, Edmund Taylor, was scouring the streets trying to get enough men to fill the roles; desperation was setting in when he asked John (his son in law) if he would like to try his hand on stage, and John accepted.

He has been with the theatre long enough to see the name change to Theatre Sarnia, and become a Life Member. He has been involved in a number of capacities with the theatre, acting, directing, SM, crew, etc. He is presently working with one of our youth groups.

He has been most fortunate to have had a number of wonderfully talented artists as workshop instructors over the years; one that stands out is Richard Howard.

John is looking forward to seeing all his ¨festival friends¨ in March. We are grateful to have John be our ¨After, After Glow" host again this year as he always does a good job keeping us entertained as well as keeping us in line!
Catherine Soulliere - Production Manager, Imperial Theatre
Meet our production manager for Festival this year!

Catherine Soulliere is the Production Manager for the Imperial Theatre.

Having caught the theatre bug at a young age, Catherine is excited to have a career in the industry.  She previously worked for the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia and Drayton Entertainment. She couldn't be more pleased to be back in the theatre she grew up performing in.

Don't hesitate to ask her any questions.

She is looking forward to working with groups from around the province! 
Theatre Ontario Festival 2018 - London, Ontario - May 16 to May 20 2018

By Anne Mooney, Chair Theatre Ontario Festival 2018, anne@wodl.on.ca

Hosted by
London Community Players, Western Ontario Drama League
and Theatre Ontario.

May 16 - 20, 2018 at the Palace Theatre.



Tickets on Sale Now!

Special Ticket Prices until February 1!

Tickets for the Theatre Ontario Festival hosted by London Community Players and WODL are on sale now.

Call the Box Office at 519 432 1029. Box office hours are Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 7pm.

Special Pricing - until February 1 the 4-play package will be $88. After February 1 the price increases to $96.

Festival Brunch Tickets are $35 each . All Brunch tickets must be purchased by calling, or visiting, the Box Office during regular Box Office hours. You may pick up your tickets at the Box Office or the tickets can be mailed to you ($2 charge for mailing).

For your convenience, you may order and print your theatre tickets online. Go to www.palacetheatre.ca and click Get your TICKETS to upcoming shows here! at the top of the page. Please note you must call the Box Office at 519 432 1029 to order Brunch tickets.

See you at the Festival!

P.S Check the Festival website at  www.theatreontariofestival.ca for the Festival schedule and hotel information.
New WODL Board Member - Alex Graham - Area VP Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk

After emigrating to Canada in 1998, Alex soon found herself on stage with Paris Performers' Theatre rekindling a passion she found in the village she grew up in in the England. That first show had profound repercussions. She met her husband Greig who was playing the cheating husband...Hmm!

Nearly 20 years later Alex is still passionate about the theatre. She was on the Board and is a past President of PPT and is very happy now to be part of the WODL family. Alex was introduced to WODL in 1995 when working with Caledonia Theatre where she learned all about the organization, adjudication and of course Festival!

Alex has worked with theatres in the area: Caledonia, Paris, Dundas, Tillsonburg and Simcoe in various capacities - acting, producing, props, costume, SM and front of house, enjoying each new challenge. For Alex the best part of theatre are the people - like-minded passionate individuals who come together to produce wonderful productions in all sorts of settings.

Recently Alex has branched out into film work and found a whole new set of skills she needs to develop. Pity the poor sound guy as she filed her lungs to project in her first scene!

Alex is proud to part of the WODL team and looks forward to working with everyone in her capacity as Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Area VP. 
News from Around the WODL Region

By Janice Lundy, member WODL Communications Committee, janice@wodl.on.ca 
There are not a lot of shows going on across the region in January, as most groups are gearing up for the onslaught of February shows! However, you can brave the cold and visit the following theatres:
London Community Players presents Nurse Jane Goes to Hawaii from January 19-28. The following week, three shows open. Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre's Venus in Fur runs from January 25 - February 10, and The Player's Guild of Hamilton 's Steel Magnolias and Guelph Little Theatre's Gloria's Guy can be seen from January 26 - February 10.

If you have a special event coming up, please let me know so that I can include it in future newsletters!
Theatre Ontario - Introduction to Adjudication Course

By Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager at Theatre Ontario, brandon@theatreontario.org
Join us at our "Introduction to Adjudication" course in London.

"Introduction to Adjudication" is a course for emerging and potential adjudicators.

Participants will receive training in the principles of adjudication, attend community theatre performances at Theatre Ontario Festival 2018, and practice adjudicating presentation skills in a private setting.

We are now accepting registrations for this year's course, running May 16 to 20 in London.

Learn more about Theatre Ontario's "Introduction to Adjudication" course. 
Theatre Ontario - Summer Theatre Intensive 2018

By Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager at Theatre Ontario, brandon@theatreontario.org
Are you an actor, director, creator or designer craving an opportunity to immerse yourself in your craft?

Look no further--our Summer Theatre Intensive is coming back to Stratford and will take place August 5th to 10th, and August 12th to 17th.

Learn more about Theatre Ontario's Summer Theatre Intensive.
Off the Wall Stratford Artists Alliance

By Ron Dodson, Outreach Manager at Off the Wall Stratford Artists Alliance, dodson59@rogers.com
Do your group's basic production skills need improvement? Does your upcoming production need special props to be built, or flats that need a special texture or paint?

Consider organizing a workshop led by artists from Off the Wall Stratford Artists Alliance (www.stratfordoffthewall.com). The leaders are theatre professionals who love to share their talents and skills in a wide variety of "backstage" skills, such as prop-building, scenic painting, artistic welding, stage carpentry, mask making, faux food, millinery and costume design. Their work has been seen on many of Canada's stages, especially the Stratford Festival.
 
A full day or weekend workshop can be tailored to meet your group's needs and can be the next step to a more "professional" look for your group's productions. Maybe your group would like to co-sponsor a regional workshop, to be more cost-effective. Let us know how we can help you!

Contact us at info@stratfordoffthewall.com or call Ron, Outreach Manager, at 519.271.5302 for more information.
 
And if you are in the Stratford area on Friday, February 16, and want to have a rockin' great time, come to Off the Wall's Winter Dance Party. The music will be made by "Sloppy Joe and the Dust Bunnies", featuring Lucinda Jones. There will be lots of fun, food and surprises! Tickets are a bargain $30, and are available on our website. This is a fundraiser to help keep Off the Wall's programs affordable to individuals and groups. We hope to see you there!
WODL now on Twitter

WODL now has a Twitter account, @WODLtheatre.

If you do not have a twitter account, you can view the WODL tweets by clicking the Twitter button on the main page of the WODL website, or by clicking here.
If you are Producing Canadian Plays this Season - Check This Out

The Playwrights Guild of Canada publicises productions of Canadian-written plays through its website, www.playwrightsguild.ca.

PGC also publishes a list of theatre companies that have an all-Canadian season. Click here to obtain a nomination form for this list.

If you want to perform a Canadian play but cannot figure out where to obtain the amateur performance rights, view this presentation from PGC.
ONstage Theatre Listings

Theatre Ontario publishes an online list of current and upcoming productions by its member groups. To see what is on  click here.
Is your WODL Membership Information Up-to-date?

Are you on the board of a theatre group that belongs to WODL? If your group has:
  • A new President
  • New WODL delegates
  • A new Treasurer
Please let our membership chair, Sue Perkins, know at  membership@wodl.on.ca
Dates for your Diary


18 February 2018 WODL general meeting, Sarnia, in-Festival finalists announced
12 to 17 March 2018 WODL Festival 2018, Sarnia
16  to 20 May 2018 Theatre Ontario Festival 2018, London
This newsletter was prepared by:  

Tricia Ward
Communications Coordinator
WODL

Western Ontario Drama League | communications@wodl.on.ca | http://www.wodl.on.ca