Western Ontario Drama League
WODL
Newsletter November 2018
In this issue:
  • News from Festival 2019 - Guelph - 11 to 16 March 2019
  • How to Get the Most from Your Adjudication
  • News From Around the WODL Region
  • Theatre Ontario - Workshop - Intimacy for the Stage for Directors - 24 November 2018
  • Playwrights Guild of Canada - Canadian Play Outlet
  • If you are producing Canadian Plays this Season - Check This Out
  • ONstage Theatre Listings
  • Is your WODL Membership Information Up-to-date?
  • Dates for your Diary
Quick Links:
News from Festival 2019 - Guelph - 11 to 16 March 2019
By Rosemary Ens, WODL Festival 2019 Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator, president@elmiratheatre.com
In this months Festival 2019 update, the committee is excited to share the selection of workshops that have been arranged for you during Festival week. Take a look at what we have in store:

  • Our Opening Reception on Monday will feature our guest speaker and honourary chair, Alex Mustakas. Alex is very honoured to have been asked to participate in our festival and you will have a chance to hear from him again on Friday afternoon afternoon on the subject of “The Drayton Entertainment Story and the Business of Theatre”.

  • On Tuesday we have two workshops, one for voice with Amanda Brunk and another for body with Lisa MacNeil. Amanda will be sharing how to ensure your voice is used to its full potential and Lisa will be getting us moving ... no dancing talent or experience necessary.

  • Wednesday is a script reading workshop by the ever popular Michael Grant and Liz Best; sure to be entertaining and interactive.

  • Thursday you’ll have a chance to “Bring Your Character to Life” with Alexandra Lent. Alex is a joy to work with and you’ll find lots of great tips to take with you from this workshop.

And of course there will be our morning adjudications with Maja Ardal from Tuesday morning to Saturday morning, always a great learning experience.

We have lots of opportunities to get involved with some of the tasks throughout the festival week. If you would like to share your time and skills during the week of March 11 – 16, please contact Volunteer Co-ordinator and Co-chair, Chris Grose.  chris@wodl.on.ca or call 519-575-1071.

Click here to see the latest developments for Festival 2019 and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
How to Get the Most from your Adjudication
By Ken Menzies, WODL Adjudications chair, adjudications@wodl.on.ca
Your adjudication is a learning opportunity. It can help you be a better actor or techie and your group produce better plays. Adjudications should provide constructive criticism of your performance. They cover good points and bad; feedback to cast and crew that goes beyond “Wow, I am impressed with how many lines you learnt.” In order that adjudications help you become a better actor, lighting designer or whatever, it is helpful to observe the following:

  • Remember that while the adjudicator is theatrically sophisticated, his or her opinion is one person’s opinion. While it is an informed opinion and worth considering, you may conclude that it is wrong.

  • Ask questions. If you disagree with what an adjudicator says, then ask the adjudicator to explain his or her position further. An answer will be forthcoming. Think about what you have been doing before the adjudication. Bring your questions.

  • Listen to the adjudicator’s public adjudication from back stage. If the adjudicator has to repeat his or her public comments during the detailed adjudication, then you get less feedback than if this has been heard already.

  • When your group learns the date of your adjudication, a copy of the adjudication guidelines is attached to the email. These guidelines should be shared with everybody.

  • Do not change your play based on what the adjudicator has said. If you think that what has been said should be implemented, then ask your stage manager or director before making any changes. They are in charge of the show, not the adjudicator.
News from Around the WODL Region
By Janice Lundy, member WODL Communications Committee,   janice@wodl.on.ca 
November always means lots of theatre to choose from, across the entire region!
Nov 1-11:  St Marys Community Players The Game’s Afoot
Theatre Tillsonburg A Midsummer Night’s Dream
London Community Players   The Memory of Water
Nov 1-17:  Elmira Theatre Company Murder Most Fouled Up


Nov 8-24:   Owen Sound Little Theatre Noises Off
Nov 9-18:   Peninsula Players The Long Weekend


Nov 15- Dec 1: Kincardine Theatre Guild   Aladdin
Nov 15-Dec 2: Simcoe Little Theatre The Christmas Express
Nov 16&17:     Theatre Kent The Sounds of TK
Nov 16-25:       Paris Performers Theatre On a First-Name Basis
                         Windsor Light Music Theatre Elf the Musical
Nov 18-Dec 1: Theatre Burlington Rumpelstiltskin


Nov 22- Dec 1: Ghost Light Players   Hamlet
Nov 22-Dec 2: Guelph Little Theatre Firebird
Nov 22- Dec 8: Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre Paper Bag Princess
Nov 23-Dec 1: Theatre Sarnia Miracle on 34 th Street
Theatre Woodstock Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)
Nov 23-Dec 8: Players Guild of Hamilton The Marvellous Wonderettes
  Cambridge Community Players   Absolutely Fred


Nov 29-Dec 9: Elgin Theatre Guild Cinderella
                  Thistle Theatre Brigadoon
  London Community Players Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Nov 30- Dec 9: ITOPA Heidi

If your theatre group has a special event coming up, please let me k now so that I can include it here!
Theatre Ontario - Workshop - Intimacy for the Stage for Directors - 24 November 2018
By Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager, Theatre Ontario, brandon@theatreontario.org
Saturday November 24, 2018
12:00pm to 4:00pm
Theatre Ontario Boardroom

Learn the techniques and the language to stage human sexuality in a way that is professional, dynamic and focused on storytelling.

Whether you're a director or stage manager, you've probably been confronted with an intimate scene and you know how difficult they can be to stage comfortably. This 4 hour workshop is designed to give you the tools you need to handle these moments respectfully, safely, and with confidence. Learn the language and standards for staging intimacy that should be followed from rehearsal into performances, just like fight choreography.

The focus is on subtle and specific details in choreography for the purpose of telling the story of the scene. Contact improvisation is used as well as breath and eye contact to keep partners connected physically and emotionally.

Siobhan Richardson's Workshops on Intimacy for the Stage have been enthusiastically received as a practice which empowers actors to respect their own boundaries, while improving the quality and clarity of scenes of intimacy.  Intimacy For The Stage workshops and the assistance of an Intimacy Director/Choreographer creates better storytelling, and is an important step forwards in supporting actors’ safety and rights.

For information, on the instructor, how to register, and fees click here .
Playwrights Guild of Canada - Canadian Play Outlet
The  Canadian Play Outlet  has launched its new site with over 2000 Canadian Plays right at your fingertips. Looking for something specific? Check out the curated  Collections .

Every month you can take a look at the newest unpublished and published plays available!
If you are Producing Canadian Plays this Season - Check This Out
The Playwrights Guild of Canada publicises productions of Canadian-written plays through its website,  www.playwrightsguild.ca .

If you want to perform a Canadian play but cannot figure out where to obtain the amateur performance rights,  view this presentation from PGC .
ONstage Theatre Listings
Theatre Ontario publishes an online list of current and upcoming productions by its member groups. To see what is on  click here .
Is your WODL Menbership Information Up-to-date?
Are you on the board of a theatre group that belongs to WODL? If your group has:

  • A new President
  • New WODL delegates
  • A new Treasurer

Please let our membership chair, Gina Paradis, know at  membership@wodl.on.ca
Dates for your Diary:
17 February 2019
WODL General Meeting, Guelph
11 to 16 March 2019
WODL Festival 2019, Guelph
15 to 19 May 2019
Theatre Ontario Festival 2019, Richmond Hill
21 July 2019
WODL Annual General meeting, Tillsonburg