Linnea Swan is candid: her Re-View Project is not going as planned. This ambitious attempt to launch a critical conversation about criticism and its impact upon theatre artists, theatre festivals and theatre audiences is gasping for attention, swamped out by a million and one other SummerWorks projects. (On the night I stepped into her Re-View Booth, I was one of only three names on her four-hour appointment list.)
As she expressed it to me, her project is as much about conversations as about criticism: we already have plenty of forums for artists to talk to and about other artists, but how often do we hear laypeople talking about theatre? When we talk about “audience development”, are we talking about engaging these people in conversation, or just treating them as potential butts for our seats? Continue reading The Re-View Project (Linnea Swan) 2014 SummerWorks Feature→
For many theatre-makers, SummerWorks is a place to experiment and innovate, eventually taking the experience they gain at the festival to create bigger and better productions. This year SummerWorks’ role as a hothouse for new Canadian theatre has grown beyond individual shows to catalyze a whole new festival: the Musical Works in Concert program is taking flight.
We Liked 100% Presale. This was the most financially-successful Toronto Fringe Festival in recent memory, with artist revenues skyrocketing and a record number of sellout performances. Every festival has their winners and losers: for every company who raked in a few thousand bucks, someone else lost their shirt. But that’s the nature of the beast — and never before have there been so many winners.
We Disliked 100% Presale. The presale policy was fantastic for the artists, but angry Tweets and indignant queue-chatter both suggest that the resultant parade of SOLD OUT signs has left plenty of theatregoers with 10-packs burning holes in their pockets and beefs to pick with the festival. Maybe there’s a sweet spot between 50% and 100%; maybe Fringe should sell rush tickets next year (10 names on the comp list, but only 2 showed up? Why aren’t you selling those 8 seats? [editorial clarification: If someone is on a comp list the spot can be released and ticket sold. However, if they have been issued a *physical* comp ticket – for instance a member of the media – their spot can *not* be released unless they have been able to notify ticketing in advance. The feeling seems to be their empty seat, visible by a final check before closing the doors, should be up for grabs by waiting list folks. – Megan Mooney]); maybe Fringe just needs to do a better job communicating which shows are sold out. But however they repair this damage, Fringe has to get on it soon. Continue reading 4 Things We Liked (And 3 Things We Didn’t) At The 2014 Toronto Fringe→
A Summer Marriage on Queen West: Unit 102 and Sterling Theatre to Merge
This summer, two of Toronto’s west-end indie theatre companies are joining forces. This is great news for artists and audiences alike. Sterling Theatre Company and Unit 102 Acting Company will share a roof at the corner of Queen and Dufferin, and the venue will be renamed and announced at their upcoming inaugural event, scheduled for mid-August.
When I sat down with them to discuss the merger, I expected the core members of Unit 102 and Sterling to be energetic and enthusiastic. What I didn’t expect was the immense trust and admiration these artists have for one another. Each is fiercely dedicated to their craft and, as members of a creative team, they are steadfast in their support of one another. Continue reading Summer Marriage: Sterling and Unit 102→
The Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival gives Toronto playwrights a forum to try out new works.
The screaming at the old firehall can be a little distracting. I’m sitting with Pat McCarthy and Carolyn Zapf, co-artistic directors of the Alumnae Theatre Company’s New Ideas Festival (March 12-30), and the whole building reverberates with banging and yelling from the rehearsal studio below. No one seems to notice and I don’t question it. The bedlam in the background is just part of the furniture; you might as well wonder why a chair has legs.
Linnea Swan is candid: her Re-View Project is not going as planned. This ambitious attempt to launch a critical conversation about criticism and its impact upon theatre artists, theatre festivals and theatre audiences is gasping for attention, swamped out by a million and one other SummerWorks projects. (On the night I stepped into her Re-View Booth, I was one of only three names on her four-hour appointment list.)
