Stage Door News
Stage Door News
A collaborative program hosted by on-stage and behind-the-scenes theatre organizations is coming to Stratford this summer.
Off The Wall Stratford Artists Alliance, a charity focused on backstage production, has teamed up with Toronto-based Theatre Ontario, an onstage entity with an emphasis on acting, directing and play writing. The two sides are teaming up to provide a series of intensive courses over a two-week period in August.
“We just thought this sounds like a natural fit,” Bruce Pitkin, executive director of Theatre Ontario, said over the phone from Toronto.
Off The Wall hosts one-week courses from July 3 to Aug. 18 – scene painting, artistic welding, costume design and stage carpentry will be covered this year – while Theatre Ontario students will show up Aug. 6 for the first of a two-week crossover at Factory163.
Some of the ways they plan to integrate the two programs are fairly seamless. For example, a mask-building course will create props for a mask performance instructional led by actress Peggy Coffey.
“That's one way we're trying to think of how can the two programs work together,” Pitkin said. “There's all kinds of things like that to do with such great potential for it. We think it's great for both our audiences as well.”
It's the first time they've embarked on this project together. Having a collaboration between the two sides is beneficial for the students and increases awareness on study topics, he said.
Michele Boniface, Off The Wall chairperson, said in a press release the non-profit organization is excited the initiative is taking place in Stratford.
“Which has earned its reputation as a cultural and theatre hub,” she said. “Stratford is well-known for its important place in Canadian theatre and is increasingly recognized for the diversity of arts and artists in the community. Our students really will be working in a creative incubator.”
Pitkin met Off The Wall representatives last summer through an international children's theatre festival and toured an open house of its King Street facility.
“I was just blown away by the work, it's a great centre,” he said.
Theatre Ontario, meanwhile, has been around for over 40 years. It moves its summer program to different locations throughout the province – last August it was in Peterborough and has also been held at university campuses in Waterloo, Sudbury and St. Catharines.
“We've moved around trying to make sure we're located so our members could access,” Pitkin said.
But this will be the first time it's been in Stratford.
The summer courses are meant to provide professional development for people who aren't necessarily pursuing a career in the theatre industry. Students, community theatre participants and teachers – reassigned drama teachers, for example – are the ones that tend to sign up for these programs.
“We really have a wide span of people who come to the courses,” he said.
Instructors include Philip Akin, who will teach students how to build their directing process. The Canadian actor and director doesn't teach many courses, Pitkin said.
“He's very busy directing,” he said. “So this is an opportunity for people who look at courses like that, they go, wait, this is someone who I want to work with who I wouldn't necessarily get a chance to work with.”
Each week is about 30 hours long, building towards a project or presentation.
“Basically they're eating, sleeping and thinking theatre the whole time they're there,” he said.
Week one of the crossover is Aug. 6 to 11 and the second session is Aug. 13 to 18. Capacity is about 30 per week – between 10 and 14 per course – and registration opened earlier this month.
For more information, visit stratfordoffthewall.com and theatreontario.org.
By Terry Bridge for www.stratfordbeaconherald.com.
Photo: Off The Wall’s Deb Erb points out faux food created by students at Factory 163. ©2016 Scott Wishart.
2017-04-19
Stratford: Off The Wall and Theatre Ontario join forces for theatre education in Stratford