Festivals
Ontario is home to a variety of theatre festivals.
Community Theatre | Fringe | New Play | Sears Ontario Drama
Theatre Ontario Festival is the annual showcase of the best productions in Ontario from regional community theatre festivals. It's also an excellent learning experience with workshops, adjudications and play readings by Canadian writers.
Theatre Ontario Festival 2008 was on May 14 to 18, 2008, co-hosted by Theatre Ontario, QUONTA and Gateway Theatre Guild. The adjudicator was John P. Kelly.
Click here for information about Theatre Ontario Festival 2008.
Association of Community Theatres - Central Ontario (ACT-CO)
actco.ca
ACT-CO is made up of community theatre companies across the Greater Toronto Area (the city of Toronto, the regions of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York, the counties of Dufferin and Simcoe, and the district of Muskoka) and has been part of the theatrical community since 1932, encouraging the development and appreciation of the performing arts.
ACT-CO Festival
ACT-CO holds an annual travelling festival for community theatres in the region. ACT-CO Festival 2007-2008 opened on October 22, 2007 and closed on March 29, 2008. The ACT-CO Thea Awards Gala was on April 5, 2008 in Vaughan. The adjudicators were Ron Cameron-Lewis (for Musicals), Laurel Smith (for Dramas) and Chris Wornsop (for Comedies).
Eastern Ontario Drama League (EODL)
eodl.org
The Eastern Ontario Drama League is an umbrella organization representing community theatres from Haliburton to Cornwall to Cobourg.
EODL Festival
EODL Festival 2009 is TBA, host is TBA. The adjudicator is TBA.
EODL One-Act Festival
EODL One-Act Festival 2008 is in November 2008, hosted by Theatre Night In Merrickville. The adjudicator is TBA.
QUONTA (Quebec-Ontario Theatre Association)
quonta.org
The QUONTA Drama Region has been presenting Festivals since 1958, first as part of the Dominion Drama Festival structure, and since 1973 as a regional qualifying round for the annual Theatre Ontario Festival. QUONTA includes community theatres from the Northeastern Ontario region.
QUONTA Festival
QUONTA hosts an annual full-length play festival. QUONTA Festival 2009 is on March 16-22, 2009, hosted by Sault Theatre Workshop in Sault Ste. Marie. The adjudicator is TBA.
QUONTA One-Act Festival Workshop
QUONTA hosts a two-day, non-competitive festival that includes a showcase of different one-act plays, with social events and special daytime workshops focused on various aspects of theatre craft. QUONTA One-Act Festival Workshop 2009 is on June 5-6, 2009 hosted by Sault Theatre Workshop. The workshop leader is Richard Howard.
Western Ontario Drama League
wodl.on.ca
Founded in 1932, WODL is a network of community theatres that promotes the continual development of theatre arts and artists in Western Ontario.
WODL Festival
WODL hosts an annual festival that starts with a travelling adjudicator who sees many productions in order to select the five theatre productions that will be showcased at WODL Festival. WODL Festival 2009 is on March 16-20, 2009 hosted by Theatre Woodstock. The adjudicator is John P. Kelly. WODL's Pre-Festival opens TBA and closes TBA. The Pre-Festival adjudicator is Sandy MacDonald.
WODL One-Act Minifest
WODL stages a One-Act Minifest Workshop. It is a non-competitive workshop weekend for six groups, usually held on the last weekend in July every year, in different locations throughout WODL. The aim of the Minifest is to give groups a chance to enter a festival without the problems of transporting a set, and to let new directors, actors and technicians try their hands at something on a smaller scale than the major competitive festival. What makes Minifest so different, challenging and fun is that every group does the same one-act play, with the same set and lights. Each group brings their own cast and whatever props, music, sound effects, and costumes that it can set up within fifteen minutes.
WODL One-Act Minifest 2008 was on July 25 to 26, 2008, hosted by Theatre Woodstock. The play was Audition by Lynda Martens. The workshop leader was David C. Phillips.
Canada enjoys more fringe festivals than any other country in the world. Fringe festivals annually draw local, regional and international performers. Their shows create a fun-filled atmosphere where affordable and accessible theatre can happen. Here's a taste of the fringe festivals taking place in Ontario.
The Fringe: Toronto's Theatre Festival
fringetoronto.com
July 2 to July 13, 2008
Hamilton Fringe Festival
hamiltonfringe.ca
August 15 to August 24, 2008
London Fringe Theatre Festival
londonfringe.ca
July 31 to August 10, 2008
Ottawa Fringe Festival
ottawafringe.com
June 19 to June 29, 2008
Windsor International Fringe Festival
windsorfringe.com
July 18 to July 27, 2008
Groundswell Festival
nightwoodtheatre.net
Annual showcase of works-in-progress by women writers, hosted by Nightwood Theatre in Toronto.
January 26 to January 31, 2009
Hysteria Festival
buddiesinbadtimestheatre.com
Annual festival in October, a multidiscplinary showcase of work by women, hosted by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto.
New Ideas Festival
alumnaetheatre.com
Annual festival featuring new scripts, hosted by Alumnae Theatre, Toronto.
March 11 to March 28, 2009
Playwrights Of Spring
www.theatreaurora.com
Annual juried festival in April, featuring Ontario playwrights, hosted by Theatre Aurora.
April 3 to April 19, 2008
Pot Luck Festival
fu-gen.org
Annual festival, dedicated to Asian-Canadian playwrights, hosted by fu-GEN Theatre Company, Toronto.
June 20 to June 29, 2008
Rhubarb! Festival
buddiesinbadtimestheatre.com
Annual festival, Canada's oldest new works Festival, hosted by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto.
February 20 to March 2, 2008
rock.paper.sistahz
bcurrent.ca
Annual festival, featuring new works, concentrating mainly on presenting performance work by black women artists.
May 2 to May 31, 2008
Seedling Festival
theatredirect.on.ca
Annual festival features public readings and performances exploring new directions in Theatre for Young Audiences, from the ground up!
June 9 to June 17, 2007
SummerWorks Festival
summerworks.ca
Annual festival in August, featuring many new plays, held in Toronto.
August 7 to August 17, 2008
Weesageechak Festival
nativeearth.ca
Annual festival showcasing and developing new works for Aboriginal theatre and dance, hosted by Native Earth Performing Arts, held in Toronto.
February 5 to February 8, 2009
Each year over 7000 high school students and teachers participate at the annual Sears Ontario Drama Festival with more than 300 productions in many centres throughout the Province. The curtain rises in February with local area schools performing at District Festivals. Those chosen as outstanding at the district level will then go on to Regional Festivals in April. Regional finalists are selected to participate in the gala Ontario Showcase held in May. Detailed information on the festival is available at searsdramafestival.com
The Sears Ontario Drama Festival gives high school students the opportunity to work as actors, directors, playwrights, technicians and publicists. Additionally, it provides students professional adjudication of their performances, the opportunity to work with professionals in special workshops, and public recognition through the more than 500 awards that are presented during the Festival.
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