Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Muskoka is a designated ARTS COMMUNITY. And rightly so. It boasts a vibrant year-round music, literary, artisanal and performing arts scene. If you think Muskoka or the District of Parry Sound only come alive in the summer, we invite you to think again.
Dot the T Productions , a new professional theatre company, proudly announce our intention to become an active contributor to the Muskoka/Parry sound arts community. Under the artistic direction of Jan Jacklin, we are committed to bringing live theatre to communities throughout Muskoka/ Parry Sound and providing employment for an impressive array of resident theatre artists during those months of the year that don’t spell their names July or August. Drawing from the deep well of International theatre, with an emphasis on Canadian works, our company will tour each of our productions in the fall and spring . One-night performances, in a ‘pop-up’ theatre format, presented mostly in venues not usually associated with theatre (ie. a church, a museum, various Legion halls, a bar & grill, a golf course clubhouse, a craft brewery). We see this as a win/win proposition. For audiences, this affords them the opportunity to experience theatre in a more intimate setting. For the theatre company, it will expand our audience base.
Dot the T’s inaugural production is the award winning musical play ‘Billy Bishop Goes To War’, written by John MacLachlan Gray in collaboration with Eric Petersen. It dramatizes the life of Canadian World War 1 fighter pilot Billy Bishop and is one of the most famous and widely produced plays in Canadian theatre history. The play won the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Award in 1981, the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award in 1982 and the Governor General's Award for English Drama in 1982.
‘Billy Bishop Goes To War’ is directed by Joan Bendon and features William Colgate as Billy Bishop (as well as 18 other characters!). Joan and William (‘Bill’) are members of both Canadian Actor’s Equity Association and ACTRA. The talents of Cameron Gibson will also be featured on piano. The tour, running from November 3 – 18, 2017, will include Muskoka performances in Dwight, Baysville, Port Sydney, Gravenhurst, Port Carling and Bala. In the District of Parry Sound, shows will be performed in Rosseau, Burk’s Falls and South River. Also, on November 11th there will be a one-night performance at the Charles Stockey Centre in Parry Sound. A select few of the show locations will include dinner. The remainder will be show only.
To launch our new enterprise, Dot the T Productions, on Monday, July 31st, will present ‘Norm Foster In Conversation’ at Peter’s Players in Gravenhurst. Mr. Foster is Canada’s most performed playwright and an Officer of The Order of Canada. In addition to a formal interview segment, Mr. Foster will field questions from the audience, talk about his latest play and read selections from his vast body of work. The event will include a snack table, a cash bar and a musical performance by local favourite The Might Lopez. The evening promises to be filled with insights and laughter and is an event not to be missed by anyone who loves the theatre.
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Speaking of loving the theatre, on September 9th, Dot The T will present Gemini and Dora Mavor Moore award winning actor Brooke Johnson in her brilliant one woman show “Trudeau Stories” at Huntsville’s Algonquin Theatre. Critics have had this to say about Trudeau Stories:
“Engaging…vital…rich…Intimate," Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine; "A lush and intricate script--a remarkable theatre experience." Lennie MacPherson, The Guardian; "Beautifully written, poignant...and very funny." Lynn Slotkin, CBC Radio.
This show will be a hit with those who remember Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
So, it’s finally here: professional theatre in Muskoka and the District of Parry Sound. And this is only the beginning. Coming down the pipe is Alison Lawrence’s “The Thing Between Us”, to be directed by Maja Ardal. Then, rounding out Dot the T Productions’ premiere season, will be Norm Foster’s hilarious ‘Old Love’, directed by Jeff Braunstein.
So, if you’d like a good excuse for keeping the cottage open a little bit longer in the fall or for coming up a little bit earlier in the spring, you can be assured you will find a vibrant performing arts scene, yours for the partaking. One that just might entice you to extend your stay in this beautiful region of Ontario, only 2 hours north of Toronto.
Information on all events and shows can be found on our website: www.DotTheTPro.ca or you can follow us on FACEBOOK, TWITTER or through behind-the-scenes photos on INSTAGRAM.
Photo: Richard Armitage as John Proctor. ©2014 Tristram Kenton.
2017-07-04
Huntsville: Dot The T Productions announces its inaugural season