Newsletter
February / March 2008

by Cornelia Persich
Education Coordinator

For busy parents, attending a play can often be impossible.  Getting that audience into the theatre is a challenge for many of today's companies.  Andrew Lamb, the Director of Education and Outreach at Tarragon Theatre, has introduced a new program for families with that goal in mind.  Cornelia Persich, our Education Coordinator, and her 9-year-old daughter Emily were dispatched to check it out.

Tarragon Theatre now offers a new program for families called "Child's Play": a drama workshop for your children, while you go to a Saturday matinee of a Mainspace show.  In December, my daughter participated in the first workshop, while I watched How It Works by Daniel MacIvor.

Arriving early to drop-off my daughter, I was able to relax into my seat and enjoy the show completely with no thoughts of running out afterwards to pick her up, since she was just upstairs.  In the workshop, the children (8-12 years old) worked on improvisations, all based on the theme of family.  Tableaux were used to illustrate family scenes, and then they created six-line improvisations around family moments.

Afterwards, while waiting outside the room to pick up our children, I overheard one parent say to another "This is better than a babysitter!"  The door opened and we were invited to sit down, and watch as a chorus line of children began addressing the audience with their word for family.  "Family is awesome, family is wonderful, family is caring..."

After the ten-minute scenes were presented, parents were invited to get involved, walk around the room with the children and greet each other using the word "Hello" in many different ways.

My daughter's opinion?  "It was fun!  I loved doing that workshop because I love acting and moving around!"

Upcoming dates: Wild Mouth (February 2), Democracy (March 29) and Alias Godot (May 24).  Please call the Tarragon box office at 416.531.1827 to reserve a place.  $15 per child or $20 for two children.

by Tim Chapman
Professional Theatre Coordinator

Happy New Year everyone!  In Toronto this past fall, another major theatre producer arrived on the scene.  Aubrey Dan's Dancap Productions brought in a superb production of The Drowsy Chaperone starring our own Bob Martin in the role written for him.  Dancap has already announced many more shows in 2008.  Since Garth Drabinsky stopped producing theatre, there really has been only one major commercial producer in town—Mirvish Productions.  So welcome Aubrey Dan and congratulations on The Drowsy Chaperone.

Dancap's arrival got me thinking about theatre producing and I remembered a comment I read in a letter from Toronto producer Derrick Chua.  Derrick mentioned "the distinct lack of young theatre producers" in the city.  That comment sparked a similar opinion I have long held about producers in general in Ontario.  When I look at professional theatre in Ontario, there are always many challenges to our continued growth, many needs to be satisfied before we can achieve the level of professional theatre in the United Kingdom, Europe and New York City.  Of course it is unfair to compare the state of theatre in Ontario with those examples.  Our professional theatre is much younger.  We do not have the centuries of theatrical history that England has, or even the 120 to 150 years in New York.  Still, if I had to identify the one area of theatre holding us back from rapid growth, it would be our shortage of producers especially in the commercial theatre sector.  In the non-profit sector, more and more shows are produced each year but there remains an ongoing need for extending the production life of successful shows.  As well, we have a lack of qualified theatre producers to work with emerging artists and companies to help them realize the box office potential of their work.

So I would like to spotlight Derrick Chua and also Chris McHarge, another successful producer who is based in Southwestern Ontario.  Chris is Artistic Director of Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover and also has his own production company, C2 Entertainment.  Both Derrick and Chris work in not-for-profit theatre and also in commercial theatre.  The line between these sectors can be a thin one.  Theatre is sometimes called show business.  In either sector there is a tricky balance between creating the 'show' and the 'business' of attracting enough people to see the show.  Even in theatre that is subsidized to whatever degree, the importance of substantial paid attendance never really recedes.

Derrick Chua has been producing theatre primarily in Toronto (and to some extent in New York) for over ten years.  He is a co-founder and producer for Studio 180 Theatre (The Laramie Project, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook and the upcoming Stuff Happens by David Hare, from February 28 to March 29.)  He has produced theatre for a variety of companies including Woody Harrelson's production of This is Our Youth for macIDeas, 36 Views for Actors Repertory Company, Little Dragon at Theatre Passe Muraille for K’Now Theatre, and the upcoming Theatre PANIK production of My Name is Rachel Corrie.  He has also been involved as producer for numerous independent productions such as Boygroove, the first show at the Diesel Playhouse, Poochwater at TPM, Top Gun! The Musical at Factory Theatre and off-Broadway, and Job The Hip-Hopera off-Broadway.  These productions have earned over thirty Dora nominations among them.  I might add that Derrick is a lawyer too, with his own law practice in Toronto.

In talking to Derrick it soon becomes obvious that he loves theatre.  For example, in the twelve months prior to our meeting in December, he estimates that he has seen 250 productions including the Toronto Fringe Festival, SummerWorks and similar events.  That is a lot of theatre and Derrick obviously stays on top of the local theatre scene and its talent.  His producing work comes both from approaching shows he likes and, more and more, from other companies or artists approaching him.  Theatre PANIK asked Derrick to produce their upcoming production of the controversial My Name is Rachel Corrie, about the 23-year-old American woman who was crushed to death in Gaza under a bulldozer operated by the Israeli army.  Prior to that, Derrick is producing the large-cast Stuff Happens with Studio 180 Theatre, a company he co-founded with Joel Greenberg (and others) after originally meeting during his undergraduate days in the Drama Department of the University of Waterloo.  They have been very successful producing socially-relevant theatre.  Both The Laramie Project and The Arab-Israeli Cookbook did over 90% attendance.  With its cast of more than fourteen actors, it is a major undertaking, but Studio 180 has already secured a major foundation contributor, and John Karastamatis from Mirvish Productions is working with them to promote the show.

With his law practice, Derrick only takes on shows he wants to, and he is always clear on what he will do.  When he is approached to produce, he will often make it clear that he will not be responsible for raising the money, though he is happy to advise on the means to do so.  For the most part he will only fund-raise for his own companies, saying somewhat cryptically that he is saving a few potential major investors for the right show.  Derrick loves new work and enjoys having input in the way a new show is further developed for subsequent productions.  We both lament the shortage of freelance producers in Toronto.  Good young independent producers often take jobs with theatre companies: "Jim LeFrancois is at Buddies, Monica Esteves is at Nightwood, Claire Sakaki is at Soulpepper, and Naomi Campbell keeps increasingly busy with Nightswimming, and Mammalian Diving Reflex."

Along with Drayton Entertainment, Chris McHarge has become a producing force in Southwestern Ontario.  Lighthouse Festival Theatre has been breaking box office attendance records every year for the past several years.  Part of that success is due to the success of Chris's production company, C2 Entertainment, which he runs with his partner Colin Stewart.  Chris and Colin decided to develop shows with a targeted audience of baby boomers and older.  They realized this age group constituted the vast majority of the theatre-going audience.  The shows were largely tribute shows taking the form of musical revues: Memories of the Rat Pack, Summer of Love, Vegas Knights, Cowboys and Outlaws.  They started with the two-hander, Memories of Hank Williams & Patsy Cline.  It was hugely successful and they knew they were on the right track.  All of their shows feature live music and are performed as tributes not attempting to be imitators.

In 2007 and 2008 shows from C2 Entertainment will play–or will have played–at Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Red Barn Theatre, Port Stanley Festival Theatre, Showboat Theatre in Port Colborne, Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia, Gryphon Theatre in Barrie, Bluewater Summer Playhouse in Kincardine, Dallas Convention Centre, and casinos in Ontario, in Germany and in Austria.  Chris says the singers and musicians are well-paid so there is a lot of loyalty for the extended life of all of these productions.  He goes on to say "we are at the point where we no longer have to beat the bushes.  Presenters and other theatre companies are coming to us."  Not only is there an audience demand for these shows but the touring capacity of C2 Entertainment takes into account the limited seating capacity of many Ontario summer theatres, extending their audience reach and allowing them to amortize their initial start-up and rehearsal costs.

Derrick Chua and Chris McHarge are both successful producers who are increasingly busy.  Both the Toronto and Ontario theatre scenes could use more skilled producers of their ilk if our theatre is to continue to grow and prosper.

by John Goddard
Executive Director

Theatre education, educators and students have always been a central part of Theatre Ontario's mandate—and remain so.

Theatre Ontario, as many of you know, grew out of a conference held at Geneva Park at Lake Couchiching back in 1971.  That conference was sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Education, with support of the Ontario Arts Council.  From the beginning it was determined that Theatre Ontario would be a unique service organization with membership, programs and services for all the sectors that make up the theatre experience in the province—community, educational, youth and professional.

To that end we have for many years offered our summer courses, most recently housed at Brock University in St. Catharines.  Here we present week-long residential adult and youth (14-18) courses for all interested parties—teachers, students, professional and amateur, adult and youth.  These courses provide an excellent opportunity for theatre lovers to become immersed in their passion with a group of like-minded people.  We know from the feedback we have received over many years that the knowledge gained and the friendships formed last for a long time.

But not everyone has the luxury of devoting a complete week, especially during the summer months, to escape to their passion.  And so this year we tried to launch our Weekend Retreat.  The idea is to duplicate the high-intensity learning in a vacation-like setting with like-minded "lovers" but in a condensed time frame: Friday evening to Sunday afternoon in an amenable and somewhat luxurious environment.  We are re-tooling the idea now and you will be seeing it offered again soon.

There are other areas of "Theatre Education" that also require our attention.  Many years ago, and for many years, we were able to offer the Community Theatre Training Program (CTTP).  This program allowed theatre groups to employ theatre professionals to work with them to develop and expand the quality of production and the experience of practitioners; in addition to allowing the professional to gain leadership/mentoring experience and career development.  This program was part of the package that included our YTTP (Youth Theatre Training Program) and PTTP (Professional Theatre Training Program).  All three of these were funded generously by the Ontario Arts Council.  However, in the period of shrinking government budgets and cut-backs, we unfortunately lost the CTTP.  One of my challenges in this position is to try and find a new source of funding for this valuable program.

We also have a responsibility to work with our Ontario educators to help them present a meaningful drama experience within the curriculum.  To this end we are currently working on a partnership that will give us the opportunity to teach elementary school teachers in Ontario the ideas, techniques and strategies to achieve the Outcomes required of the Drama Component of the Ministry and Board Curriculum Guidelines.  We are very excited about re-establishing a connection between Ontario teachers and students and ourselves.  I expect news on this front to be forthcoming in the next newsletter.

In addition, we have another program in development.  We are looking into ways of involving secondary school students (and their teachers) in live performances with specific relevant educational programming.  We are trying to find ways of working with the PAONE group in Toronto and the Eye Go To The Arts program across Ontario to help coordinate and enhance their existing work.  Funding here is the issue, but we are working on that with fingers crossed.

It is very important for us all to remember the philosophy that was espoused at the formation of Theatre Ontario.  The concept behind our existence is that theatre in society, not just ours but anywhere, is a continuum.  Our professional theatre in Ontario is a direct result of our amateur theatre; not to support the classroom instruction of drama nor the health and excellence of our community theatre producers directly and adversely affects the health and excellence not only of our professional theatre but as well our theatre audiences.  It is through school and community that we learn the value and the essence of the theatre experience and it is our responsibility to do all we can to make that learning possible—at all levels.