Western Ontario Drama League (WODL)
From Mona Brennan-Coles - President of WODL - president@wodl.on.ca

Hello!
Happy Spring! I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather.
WODL Festival 2022 and the Pre-Festival (Travelling) Adjudications

WODL will not hold a traditional Festival in 2022. The WODL Board has deferred the decision about providing local adjudications in the 2021-2022 season for now.

The WODL Board’s decision to cancel Festival 2022:

  • recognizes the amount of work involved in planning and preparing for a traditional WODL Festival,
  • reflects the uncertainty that we are still facing about when we may be able to resume in-person theatre performances safely and economically, and
  • acknowledges that different regions of the province are, and may continue to be, in different phases of re-opening.

Area Vice Presidents reported that groups in their areas are making numerous contingency plans for future productions. While some groups might have a production available for an out-of-Festival adjudication, very few groups are willing, or able, to participate in a traditional Festival in 2022.

We are able to defer the decision about providing local adjudications as a learning opportunity for WODL groups because:

  • our Adjudications Chair, Ken Menzies, has already engaged the adjudicator, Alexander Gallant, and
  • the well-established process for arranging local adjudications is easily adjusted to accommodate changes in time.
What’s Next for WODL?

When and how WODL could meet in person

Planning for when the WODL community can meet again in person, we began the conversation at our March board meeting. Some ideas include: bringing Minifest back, an in-person AGM with theatre activities and shared food, a theatre weekend of workshops, etc. We will continue the discussion at our April board meeting. Please let us know of any suggestions you have by reaching out to your Area VPs – their contact information is in the next section.


Your Area VPs Can Help You

Please reach out to your area VP if:

  • Your theatre company would like to use the WODL Zoom account. While several groups are already using our Zoom account, there are lots of open times for meetings.
  • You have questions and/or ideas of how WODL can support your theatre group.
  • You have an idea/suggestion for an in-person WODL event once we can meet again.

The contact information for the area VPs is:


Take care. Stay safe. I continue to enjoy the inventive ways we are finding to keep theatre alive in our communities and planning for turning out the Ghost Light and welcoming audiences into our theatres.

Mona
WODL