Newsletter
December 2006 / January 2007
by John Watson
Issues in solid waste management have come to the forefront. The impending closure of the Michigan border to Ontario’s residential waste, Toronto’s purchase of a landfill in St. Thomas, municipalities exploring energy from waste (EFW) facilities, implementation of separate food waste collection, the LCBO introducing a deposit return system—not a day goes by where some aspect of waste management isn’t in the news.
Many theatres view themselves as being socially responsible organizations, offering programming for at-risk youth, reaching under-served areas and connecting with diverse communities. But in environmental stewardship, how do theatres fare?
One only has to see a dumpster at the conclusion of a strike to see that, for all our efforts, theatre can be particularly wasteful. Landfill operators regale with stories of collection trucks depositing whole sets for burying. This is a distressing realization, particularly as landfill space is disappearing, not to mention the economic and environmental consequences of such actions.
Waste (which includes garbage, recycling, organics, and composting) is handled differently for individuals and organizations. In most Ontario municipalities, residential waste is collected by the municipality at the curb or at a deposit centre. Many theatres fall within the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sector. This means the organization hires a private contractor to collect waste. It is important for theatres to understand their collection contract. What exactly is being collected? Is the contractor’s recycling program multi-stream (separating containers and papers) or single-stream (mixing items)? Do Blue Boxes in the office reflect the appropriate collection method?
Many offices are switching to compact fluorescent lights. These bulbs conserve energy and money, and are also long-lasting. But they cannot be disposed of with regular garbage—they contain a gas that can explode in the garbage bag or collection truck. They need to be processed as hazardous waste materials! Are arts managers purchasing or leasing printers and photocopiers that are durable? Can this equipment easily print double-sided documents, and conserve paper? Are marketing materials printed on recycled paper?
At the end of a production, instead of demolishing and landfilling a set, why not offer the set (or segments of it) to a local high school or another theatre? Perhaps a backdrop or set piece would make an interesting art installation at the local community centre or town hall. Many theatres are now hosting annual garage sales of their surplus props, furnishings and costumes. Theatre has a long tradition of taking items and using them in ways that hadn’t been intended by the manufacturer—this is often how designers create the most innovative and memorable sets. Remember that paints, solvents, stains and other chemical products contain hazardous materials. They need to be handled with care, using appropriate personal protective equipment and disposal systems. Theatre Ontario’s To Act In Safety program provides tremendous free resources on these aspects of hazardous waste handling (www.theatresafety.ca)
Did you know many municipal waste management sites offer paint reuse programs? At these sites, residents can claim unused residential paint and stains for household projects. Members of community theatres could also access these types of programs too; this free paint will save groups money.
Recycling programs differ among municipalities; audience members will have pre-conceived notions of how to recycle in the front-of-house. Ensure all Blue Boxes or disposal systems are properly labelled—if the contractor accepts mixed glass and plastic, do bins still say to separate those materials? Is there recycling in your front-of-house? Can concessions only provide recyclable or reusable items, reminding audience members "the empty water bottle can go in our Blue Box."
Waste is a fact of life; every person generates it. In fact, every Canadian creates an average of 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs) of solid waste a day! This makes Canada one of the most wasteful countries in the world! It is important that theatre practitioners and theatre companies explore ways to reduce their waste. Through enhanced recycling, better purchasing practices, and proper handling of hazardous materials, the theatre community can play a part in conserving resources and protecting the environment.
John Watson is the Waste Diversion Education Coordinator for Halton Region. He is President of the Mississauga Theatre Alliance.
by Brandon Moore
Catherine (Kay) McKie, a life member of Theatre Ontario, and a member of the Talent Bank as an adjudicator and director, passed away on September 29, 2006.
Kay was a member of Guelph Little Theatre in the early 1950s, working as an actor and director. She became a teacher at John F. Ross Collegiate and Vocational Institute, establishing the drama program at that school and becoming very active in the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. Often described as "modest" or "unassuming", she still made an extraordinary impact on aspiring theatre artists, students, teachers, and community leaders over five decades, and there are many professional artists who credit Kay’s influence in their early development. She directed the official opening production of Guelph’s River Run Centre.
In 1999, she was presented with Theatre Ontario’s Maggie Bassett Award for a sustained and significant contribution to the development of theatre in Ontario.
by Tim Chapman
I worked with Mallory Gilbert for 23 seasons at the Tarragon Theatre. She hired me in the fall of 1979. She soon impressed me with her unpretentious straight-ahead management skills combined with her infectious joy to be working with a theatre company. For me, any successful theatre company has to find the balance between the art created by its artists, and the business structure necessary to both sustain and encourage those artists. Often with the skill of an acrobat, Mallory walked that tightrope for 34 seasons as the Tarragon grew from a budget of a few hundred thousand dollars to its current $2.3 million. I’d like to add that that growth happened in a theatre which intentionally kept its seating capacity to the 205-seat Mainspace and, starting in 1984, the 100-seat Extra Space.
Mallory inspired me, and for years I think I subconsciously tried to keep up with Mallory. I can’t remember when I realized that, though I was over a decade younger, I would never be able to match her incredible energy for the work and the play that come together with a career in the theatre. However Mallory has left her full-time job as General Manager at the Tarragon and I wanted to—I was going to say "catch up"—talk to Mallory about the next stage in her life.
We meet late one afternoon for tea in her third-storey kitchen. "I knew that what I was going to miss the most was the daily interaction between people, the casual camaraderie of the many different people that would come through the Tarragon. We were lucky to work in a theatre that became such a focal point for the theatre community. So I knew I did not want to sit on my own and be a consultant in an office. Now you do end up doing some consulting by default, but I try to do it in a more informal way." This past summer, through a Canada Council Flying Squad grant, she worked with the acclaimed Toronto dancer Peggy Baker.
"I also knew I wanted to be involved with young people. So it was a conscious and deliberate choice when I joined the boards of Theatre Smash (co-produced by Sarah Baumann and Ashlie Corcoran) and Acting Up Stage (under the leadership of Mitchell Marcus.) I find it invigorating to be around them." I asked her what she thought were some of the differences starting a theatre today versus the early 70’s. "There are a lot of myths about that period. Certainly, we had an advantage in that there was much less competition. But we were all learning the ropes. We were working together to create a theatre scene. Now there are many more models, more examples of different kinds of theatres. There is much more advice to offer." In the past week, she was delighted when Franco Boni asked her to join the Theatre Centre’s board of directors. This will keep her in touch with a company who nurtures and produces many new performing arts groups and young artists.
"Then there are my ongoing commitments. I am on the board of directors of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival and Creative Trust. I am on the Toronto Arts Council Theatre Committee." This past summer she joined the search committee for a new Artistic Director in 2007 at Theatre Passe Muraille. Recently she worked in an administrative capacity with her friends Kate Lynch and Tom Walmsley on the production of Tom’s new play Descent at Passe Muraille. She just completed some work for the Barrie Arts Council, and frequently writes letters of support for the many artists she has admired or worked with in her career. Whew! I am starting to get tired just contemplating this plethora of activity. But she is obviously thriving, happy with the way her 'new' life is going. "The things I am doing are all things I want to be doing. I love being active, getting out to see people I would not ordinarily run into. I have my Silver Ticket so I can see all the theatre I want. I love the different rhythm of my life now. And I like the fact that I can stop when I need to and not feel guilty." Four days later, she was off to England for three weeks to visit her daughter and granddaughter.
All right. I have to ask. Is she missing Tarragon? "I will always, always care deeply about the Tarragon but I must say, thus far, I have been impressed with my ability to walk away from it. I am pleasantly surprised that I have not had an active longing to be still there. Although I did suffer a few pangs at the final performance of Generous (the most recent play by Michael Healey.)
"The one thing I have not quite figured out yet is how to introduce myself. At the same time I don’t want a full-time job with a title." Frankly, at least within Canada’s arts community, Mallory is someone who needs no introduction. "I’m Mallory." That says it all.
We head off to a fabulous new Cuban restaurant she has discovered, on our way to seeing Apple at Factory Theatre. Tonight I will not think about keeping up with Mallory. I will just enjoy her company. Just as our theatre community can continue to do for many years to come.
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