Western Ontario Drama League
WODL
Newsletter June 2021
In this issue:

  • Update from the President of WODL
  • Free Presentations from Off the Wall for WODL Members
  • GST/HST Workshops for Community Theatres
  • You can help WODL
  • Community Theatre in the WODL Region
  • News from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MOLTSD) Advisory Committee for Live Performance
  • Off the Wall - Space Available in Summer Courses
  • New Plays from the Playwrights Canada Press
  • Inspiration
  • Playwrights Guild of Canada - Canadian Play Outlet
  • If you are producing Canadian Plays this Season - Check This Out
  • Is your WODL Membership Information Up-to-date?
  • Dates for your Diary
Quick Links:
Update from the President of WODL
By Mona Brennan Coles, WODL President, president@wodl.on.ca
I am pleased to highlight the ongoing relationship with Off the Wall Stratford Artists Alliance. With the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, they are offering WODL members two workshops at no cost to WODL. The workshops will run on Saturday, September 11 and Saturday, September 18.  Since the presenters are currently working on the upcoming Stratford season, the time for each workshop is yet to be determined – we’ll let you know as soon as we can.

I am encouraged by regional professional theatre companies planning for 2021-2022 seasons and hope that this means we all will be able to do so too!
Free Presentations from Off the Wall for WODL Members
GST/HST Workshops for Community Theatres
ACT-CO have invited the members of WODL to join them in a free, online GST/HST information for community theatres presentation.
 
This session is given by the CRA – GST/HST Outreach Program. This presentation is tailored to the needs of community theatres. It will explain:

  • How your theatre group can meet its GST/HST obligations.
  • How your theatre group can claim all the GST/HST refunds that it is entitled to.
 
There are two one-hour sessions:
  • Wednesday 16 June 2021 at 7:00 pm – for charities.
  • Wednesday 23 June 2021 at 7:00 pm – for not-for-profits.
 

Charities presentation:

This is a Zoom meeting on Wednesday 16 June 2021 at 7:00 pm

Register in advance at;

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.


Not-for-profits presentation:

This is a Zoom meeting on Wednesday 23 June 2021 at 7:00 pm

Register in advance at;

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
You can help WODL
WODL communicates with our member groups through the group presidents and the group WODL delegates--two delegates from each group. These people can then pass the information on to the rest of their group membership. Presidents and delegates also receive personal invitations to the WODL general meetings and to the AGM.

So, presidents and delegates, if you are hiding out there, we need to hear from you!

So if you are the president, or you have been appointed a delegate for your group, please do the following:
Contact the WODL Membership Chair, Tim Dawdy, at membership@wodl.on.ca with this information:
  • Your name
  • The name of the theatre that you represent
  • Your position: president or delegate.
  • Your email address
  • Your phone number
  • Your postal address
Your contact information will only be used for official WODL purposes.
Community Theatre in the WODL Region
Several WODL member groups are keeping active during this time. A good place to find out about these activities is on the WODL Facebook page, WODL | Facebook. Most of the announcements are at fairly short notice, so check in often!

If your group is putting on an event that you would like included in the June newsletter, please send the information to communications@wodl.on.ca.
News from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MOLTSD) Advisory Committee for Live Performance
By Brandon Moore
On May 20, the Province of Ontario introduced their “Roadmap to Reopen.” The current Stay-at-Home order expires on June 2, and the announcement stated that the expectation is that Ontario will enter Step 1 of the Roadmap on June 14.

The Roadmap is based on vaccination rates, epidemiology and health system capacity. Unfortunately, this announcement has brought little clarity so far for those of us in live performance who were planning Summer 2021 performances.

Performing arts will be eligible to open in Step 2, with “Indoor closed, permitted only for the purpose of rehearsing or performing a recorded or broadcasted event” and “Outdoor open, including live music, with capacity and other restrictions.” The capacity for outdoor rehearsal prior to Step 2 is not addressed yet, nor have any of the “capacity and other restrictions” been specified. Step 3 is when indoor performance opens.

With the colour-coded response system no longer in effect, it is unclear what prevention measures theatres will be required to have in place including face coverings and personal protective equipment, physical distancing, cleaning and disinfecting, patron screening or vaccine passports, use of plexiglass or other impermeable barriers, and documented safety plans.
Off the Wall - Space Available in Summer Courses
By Michele Boniface, Chair, Off the Wall Stratford Artists Alliance, mboniface@cyg.net
Class sizes are very limited – 5 to 8 students.

Space is available on the following dates:

  • Costume Design (Virtual) - July 5-9
  • Artistic Welding - July 12-16 or July 19-23
  • Makeup Intensive - July 26-30
  • Set Design - July 26-30
  • Scenic Art Drops - August 16-20

Facebook @offthewallstrat
Hashtags: #stratfordoffthewall #theatreproduction #backstage
New Plays from the Playwrights Canada Press
By Jessica Lewis, Sales & Marketing Manager, Playwrights Canada Press, jessica@playwrightscanada.com 
Check out these new releases from Playwrights Canada Press:

Bare Bear Bones by Michael Grant
In an effort to rekindle their spark, empty nesters Norm and Ruth book a trip to a familiar family campground, only to realize that it’s now a nudist camp. 

Halfway There by Norm Foster
A heartbroken doctor meets four gregarious women in a small Maritime town in this feel-good comedy about the true bonds of friendship.
 
The Bridge by Shauntay Grant
Set in a rural Black Nova Scotian community, this gospel-infused tale explores the complex relationship between two brothers strained over twenty years of secrecy, deception, and dishonour.


Pre-orders these coming soon:

When Words Sing turns the spotlight on everything that goes into writing for opera, featuring seven contemporary Canadian libretti.
  
The archetypal student-teacher romance is cleverly turned on its head for the post-#MeToo era.
 
WROL (Without Rule of Law) by Michaela Jeffery
A darkly comic coming-of-age story about eighth-grade survivalists. 

We also just announced our fall slate, and everything is available for pre-order!

 You can find more new releases, books coming soon, and a blog full of interviews and excerpts on playwrightscanada.com!
Inspiration
A television sports commentator who lost his job at the start of the pandemic has created a series of videos on how his dogs, Olive and Mabel, are spending lockdown. Try these:




Playwrights Guild of Canada - Canadian Play Outlet
The Canadian Play Outlet has 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.
Is your WODL Membership 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, Tim Dawdy, know at membership@wodl.on.ca
Dates for your Diary:
30 June 2021
Deadline for submissions for the June newsletter
8 August 2021
WODL Annual General Meeting, Zoom
13 March to 18 March 2023
WODL Festival 2023
11 March to 16 March 2024
WODL Festival 2024, Leamington
This newsletter was prepared by:
Tricia Ward
Communications coordinator
WODL

Western Ontario Drama League  | communications@wodl.on.ca | www.wodl.on.ca

Copyright © Western Ontario Drama League 2021. All Rights Reserved.