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Newsletter What Will You Do on Your Summer Vacation? Theatre Ontario is a great source of information on theatre and drama camps and courses for youth and adults all over Ontario. Each summer thousands of parents look for overnight or day camps for youth that offer a learning environment where they can flourish. Theatre Ontario provides specialized information on reliable arts camps or theatre programs and serves as a central resource to match students of every age with theatre training experiences. Other resources include the Ontario Camping Guide published by the Ontario Camping Association (www.ontcamp.on.ca) and Our Kids Go to Camp (www.ourkids.net) with information on Ontario and Quebec overnight camps. Many acting studios who are members of TAAS (Toronto Association of Acting Studios – www.torontoactingstudios.com) also offer summer theatre training or weekend programs in Toronto. Stage Directions (www.stage-directions.com) has an annual summer issue that highlights training programs in the United States for students. Some Ontario colleges and universities also offer continuing education or summer theatre programs for adults and youth. Theatre Ontario also keeps an inventory of summer theatres that offer enrichment or educational programs for adults and students. For over twenty years, Theatre Ontario has earned a solid reputation for its summer courses and provided a training ground for theatre people of all ages in directing, acting, musical theatre and scene study. This summer, Theatre Ontario’s summer courses will be held in St. Catharines from August 12-19, 2001 at Brock University. The campus overlooks the beautiful Niagara escarpment and is situated close to the Niagara region’s lush vineyards, exceptional Shaw Festival and nearby Showboat Festival Theatre. Our instructors are leading professional theatre artists whose workshop philosophy is "learning by doing". You can choose from five exciting courses for adults taught by exceptional theatre professionals who deliver hands-on training designed to challenge your skills, expand your creativity and open up new possibilities. We’re offering two directing courses (an introduction to directing plays with instructor Duncan McIntosh and advanced level directing course with instructor David Savoy), an introductory acting course in Shakespeare led by Karen Rickers, an advanced scene study course with Sue Miner and back by popular demand our musical theatre course with David Gale and Randy Vancourt. The all-inclusive course fee includes superior classroom instruction, comfortable single accommodation on campus, three buffet-style meals daily (including vegetarian fare) and social events. Adult classes are limited to 16 or 18 participants. If you have members or colleagues who would like to attend summer courses, we’ll send them a free brochure. In the last few summers, there’s been a creative explosion of communities producing Shakespeare’s plays. Not everyone feels comfortable tackling the Bard of Avon and that’s why Theatre Ontario is offering this summer a unique introductory acting course called Getting Into Shakespeare with instructor Karen Rickers. She’s received rave reviews from students she’s taught at our Youth Courses for the past few years and we’re eager to let adults explore the fun of Shakespeare through games, scenes, and innovative theatre techniques. Details on our popular Summer Courses for Youth for students aged 14 -18 years are available on Theatre Ontario’s website (www.theatreontario.org). Only 40 students will be accepted into the youth program. For over 20 years, our successful youth workshops have earned praise from drama teachers, community theatres, agents, professionals, theatre schools and actors getting started in the business. Our youth theatre instructors: David Craig, Catherine McNally, Glenys McQueen-Fuentes and Ralph Small are experienced Talent Bank members and directors, adjudicators and workshop leaders who have experience in working with community theatres and schools around Ontario. Deadline for summer course registration: June 15, 2001. Theatre Ontario summer courses information is also available on our website at www.theatreontario.org. MEMBER PROFILE The Glenvale Players have been entertaining Toronto audiences since 1945. A unique group made up of sighted, visually impaired and blind actors, they got their start in the early 1940’s when the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind sponsored the formation of a theatrical group. About fifteen years later, they won Best Production at the Central Ontario Drama League Festival. Members of Theatre Ontario since 1983, this company has been nominated for and received many awards in the ACT-CO Festival. Playwright Gregory Heyn wrote and directed scripts for this group including A House Called Pride, and Juno is Missing which toured Metro Toronto area schools. In the 1980’s they continued to produce many plays, among them Wait Until Dark and Butterflies Are Free. Greg Heyn then moved to Nova Scotia and the late Maurice Harty filled the directing void, tackling Two For The Show, The Late Edwin Black, and Ladies in Retirement among others. The Glenvale Players celebrated their 50 th Anniversary in 1995 with a production of Barefoot In The Park, directed by David C. Phillips. They moved on to produce Let’s Murder Marsha, Belles, and Love and Anger. During all of their 56 years, they have continued to learn by hosting workshops for their members. This year, they are producing George Bernard Shaw’s one act play, Overruled. The group performs out of the C.N.I.B. auditorium on Bayview Avenue north of Eglinton. They produce one show per year, and work their rehearsal schedules around other activities booked for the C.N.I.B. auditorium. Sound familiar? They do not receive any financial assistance from the C.N.I.B. so they have to be creative when it comes to fundraising. The new millennium has brought many challenges to this group of dedicated people. Recently, President Debbie Guertin shared her concerns with me that their membership has declined and like many other theatre companies, they are struggling financially. This is a dynamic, energetic group of people who just want to be a part of the theatre community So, if any directors or actors in the community are looking for a new group to join. This could be the one for you. If you are interested in becoming a member, please call Debbie Guertin at 416-699-5785. If you are interested in buying tickets for Overruled, the play runs May 2-5, 2001. Call the box office at 905-660-1899. |