Toronto Regional Showcase 2017 April 6, 7 and 8 Hart House Theatre University of Toronto Page 1 Welcomes you to the Regional Showcase of the 71st Annual Sears Ontario Drama Festival! Sears Canada is proud to sponsor this exceptional event and to celebrate remarkable achievements in the arts by talented students, such as those you will see on the stage this evening. These performances are a reflection of the dedicated and talented students and teachers in the drama programs of our Ontario high schools. The Sears Charitable Foundation is a registered Canadian charity focused on the development of children and youth in areas of both health and education. The health component is centered on raising awareness and providing funds for research and treatment for the fight against childhood cancer. The education component is centered on after-school programs and initiatives such as the Sears Ontario Drama Festival, which enrich young people’s lives and allow them to reach their full potential. Please consider making a donation and help us continue to provide meaningful experiences. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of young people. Visit www.searsfoundation.ca Page 2 Welcome... to the 71st Toronto Regional Showcase of the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. The nine productions that you will see during the three evenings of the Showcase represent outstanding achievement in high school theatre from the three Toronto District Festivals. The presentations are accompanied by public and private adjudications that expand the participating students’ development and enjoyment of the Festival. PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE Wayne Fairhead, Executive Director Gail Sajo, Promotions Adrian Black, Webmaster Our Regional Adjudicator, Autumn Smith, will select productions and individuals for the following awards: Regional Awards of Merit and Awards of Excellence The John Glossop Adjudicator’s Award and Two Outstanding Productions Ken Gas will select the winner of The BJ Castleman New Play Award The Janet Bessey Stage Management Award will be selected by the Hart House Technical Director, Doug Floyd An original production may be invited to the SummerWorks Festival In addition, our District Adjudicators (Liza Balkan – South, Geoffrey Armour – North, Matt White - Central) selected Awards of Merit, Awards of Excellence, Outstanding Original Scripts and Spirit of the Festival Awards during the Toronto District Festival. These awards were presented at special events earlier in March at Monarch Park, North Toronto and Earl Haig and are listed at the back of this program. TORONTO REGIONAL COMMITTEE Jen Burak, Co-ordinator Cate Boutilier, Assistant Coordinator/Webmaster Toronto North Coordinator Andrew Muia Toronto Central Coordinator Jenn Worsnop Toronto South Coordinator Liz Burnip Sue Daniel (Program Layout) Toronto Regional Festival Website: sodftoronto.info Special Thanks to: Doug Floyd, Brian Campbell, participating students, incredible staff advisors, school administrators, friends, family and our fantastic audiences throughout the festival! Page 3 The Sears Ontario Drama Festival Sears Canada proudly supports the work of the Ontario Drama Festival because it believes that involvement in the Arts challenges young people to problem solve in many different ways as it encourages them to think, feel and find practical solutions. Through the Festival students develop team building and leadership skills which can help them to face the future with confidence. What began as a little “Drama Fiesta” with three plays in 1946 has evolved into one of the longest running cultural traditions in Canada and one of the largest student festivals in the world. From February to May each year, students take centre stage. Annually the Sears Ontario Drama Festival attracts the participation of approximately 12,000 students and their teachers, representing approximately 300 schools throughout Ontario. The Festival moves through three stages – District and Regional Festivals, and the gala Ontario Showcase: • From February to early April, local schools participate in District Festivals where they receive professional adjudication of their productions and often participate in workshops that encourage teamwork and skills development. • During the month of April, six (6) Regional Showcases are held around Ontario at which Outstanding Productions from the District Festivals are performed. At each Regional Festival two (2) Outstanding Productions are selected by professional adjudicators to form a twelve (12) play Ontario Showcase. • The 2017, 71st Anniversary Provincial Showcase will be held at the th Chatham Cultural Centre in Chatham from May 10-13 . Awards with bursaries and scholarships ranging from $250 to $3000 are awarded to students over the course of the Festival. These assist them to continue their studies in the performing arts. Past alumni of the Festival are now contributing members of the Canadian workforce in many professions. Some of the former “grads” in the performing arts include David Cronenberg, Franco Boni, Sky Gilbert, Margot Kidder, Rachel McAdams, Helen Shaver, Yanna McIntosh, Jacob James, Sonja Smits and R.H.Thomson. www.searsdramafestival.com Page 4 Our Adjudicator................................... Autumn Smith …is a Toronto based theatre director and artist educator. She recently completed her MFA at York University in Theatre Direction with an Emphasis on Teaching. She is also a conservatory trained actor from the Oxford School of Drama, specializing in Shakespearean text. This fall, she returned to York as a member of the faculty. In conjunction with her work as a director, Autumn is also a sought after Artist Educator, having worked with The Ontario Arts Council, The Toronto and Durham District School Boards, The National Ballet/ Stratford Project, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Shakespeare School, Theatre Passe Muraille, The Tarragon Theatre, George Brown Theatre School, and Equity Showcase Theatre. She is the former Artistic Director of the Dora Award Winning MacKenzieRo, the Irish Repertory Theatre of Canada. Other credits include working as Communications and Outreach Manager for the Toronto Fringe Festival and adjudicating for the SODF Central Regional. Autumn is also currently in her 7th year as an adjudicator for The Sears Ontario Drama Festival, and has taken on adjudicating other festivals such as the ACTCO Festival, Studentwrights Festival and the Paprika Festival. **** BJ Castleman, who taught at Cedarbrae Collegiate, entered productions at all three levels of the Festival for 30 years, almost all of which were original scripts by himself, by his students or both. Though retired, BJ is still an ardent supporter of original work at the Festival. Ken Gass will select the recipient of this year’s BJ Castleman New Play Award. He is the Artistic Director of the Canadian Repertory Theatre and Founder of Factory Theatre. He has brought the work of such important Canadian playwrights as Wajdi Mouawad, Judith Thompson and George F. Walker to the stage. Page 5 2017 Spirit Of The Festival Award The purpose of this award is to recognize contributions that best exemplify the essential qualities of the Festival. Recipients (one school from each of the three Toronto Districts) were selected by adjudicators from among those that went beyond the call of duty in hosting a night of the Festival by demonstrating the selflessness, cooperation and celebratory “spirit” that is embodied in the philosophy of the SODF. These schools created settings in which all participants were encouraged to share interesting and dynamic theatre. The staff advisors and students from the following schools are being honoured this year: Toronto North: Madonna C.S.S. Toronto Central: Richview C.I. Toronto South: Central Toronto Academy Nominees for BJ Castleman New Play Award The adjudicators of the three Toronto Districts each selected one original student script to nominate for this award; the winner will be selected by playwright Ken Gas and announced on the final night of the Regional Showcase; he or she receives a $250 award. Any studnt written script performed at any district in Ontario can also be entered for the Wayne Fairhead New Play Award ($500) which is awarded annually at the Provincial Showcase. Toronto North… Be all my sins rememb’red; Ensemble Creation, Northview Heights S.S. Toronto Central… O Nosso Fodo (Our Song) By Kathy Martinez, Loretto College School Toronto South … As Impossible as Eating Noodles out of a Jug By Grace Walton, Monarch Park C.I. Page 6 TORONTO REGIONAL SHOWCASE 2017 SCHEDULE THURSDAY, APRIL 6 How I Let You Down..........................................Don Mills C.I., Toronto North My Mother’s Secret................................. St. Clements School, Toronto Central Be all my sins remember’d …………..Northview Heights S.S., Toronto North FRIDAY, APRIL 7 As Impossible as Eating Noodles Out of a Jug…………..Monarch Park C.I. Toronto South Ghost Bird…………………………….Father Redmond C.S.S., Toronto South Mãe .................................................. Dante Alighieri Academy, Toronto North SATURDAY, APRIL 8 Still.. ............................................................. …. Richview C.I., Toronto Central The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet………………... SirWilfrid Laurier C.I. Toronto South O Nosso Fado (Our Song)…………………….Loretto College School, Central All performances begin at 7 pm No entry or exit during a performance Please do not use cameras or recording devices Page 7 Thursday, April 6: Don Mills CI presents… How I Let You Down A Collective