Praxis Theatre Co-Artistic Director Michael Wheeler leaps out of the comments section of his company's blog and onto the front page with a lacerating and in-depth exposé of the Ontario government's biased financial support of the brand-spanking-new Luminato 'Arts and Creativity' Festival in Toronto. As if being an independent artist wasn't hard enough without bureaucrats… Continue reading Nepotism Alive and Well in Ontario Public Arts Funding
Month: June 2008
What do You Want From Your Critics?
There's been a lot of discussion about critics and their place in our theatre scene around here lately. Established critics are reaching out, new critics are popping up, and so I think the time is ripe to hear from you about what exactly it is that you expect when you take in a review. I'll… Continue reading What do You Want From Your Critics?
The Punks of the Industry
Resolved: In the interest of its proliferation and popularization, Canadian theatre needs more creative marketing solutions. Magnetic North kicks off its Industry Series tomorrow at 1 pm with a keynote address delivered by - wait for it - a real, live marketer! Richard Laermer is CEO of the New York marketing firm RLM PR and… Continue reading The Punks of the Industry
d’bi.young on Theatre and Service
As of today there are three more chances to catch d'bi.young.anitafrika's 'one-womban' play blood.claat at Mag North. Here's what's so great about d'bi: she works the way an artist should work (a lot), and she talks the way an artist should talk... I am becoming less pre-occupied with being served by the former definition of… Continue reading d’bi.young on Theatre and Service
Listen to Your Elders
Rebecca over at GreyZelda Land unearthed this story about the unearthing of a code for being a healthy member of a theatre company, a code inscribed on yellowing paper buried in the personal papers of a deceased actor and found by the executrix of her estate in 2001. You may recognize the actor in question.… Continue reading Listen to Your Elders
The Buzz is Back: HIVE 2 Sweetens Mag North
In November of 2006, 11 of our most progressive indie theatre companies joined forces to present Vancouver with the maiden version of HIVE in a retrofitted chapel in the downtown Eastside. And something in our theatre world shifted. Hailed by Colin Thomas as "the stuff of legend", and by me as the very future of… Continue reading The Buzz is Back: HIVE 2 Sweetens Mag North
This One Goes to Eleven: Britt Small
vaudeville (n) [vawd-vil]: a theatrical piece of light or amusing character, interspersed with songs and dances. Atomic Vaudeville: Vaudeville reconceived for the present age attempting to reach out to an audience that is ready for a live, entertaining and relevant theatrical art form. (From the company web site.) In 2004 Victoria-based actor/director Britt Small, together… Continue reading This One Goes to Eleven: Britt Small
Female Playwrights Wanted
Is the Canadian theatre industry sexist? For your consideration: The [report's] statistics reveal that sexist theatre practice is alive and well in the new century, as men still run the majority of the “big business” theatres, taking full advantage of a large portion of public funds. Women are clearly not well represented in the triumvirate… Continue reading Female Playwrights Wanted
On a Budget? Magnetic North Offers Pay-What-You-Can Shows!
Two more sleeps until (*deep breath*) "Canada's National Festival of Contemporary Canadian Theatre in English" opens, Vancouver! Can I get a woo-hoo! And the timing couldn't be better, you've all seen Iron Man by now, Indiana Jones is an embarrassment to its once-proud heritage and the only other thing in the multiplex you're considering is… Continue reading On a Budget? Magnetic North Offers Pay-What-You-Can Shows!
The Art of the Business, Part 5: Staking out your Spot on the Web
For a downloadable or streaming audio podcast of this article, click here. Over the last few months, I’ve been exploring, through the column, ways to market yourself in more detail. This month’s column focuses on what is probably the most essential, the most indispensable marketing tool: the website. I’m pretty sure I don’t need to… Continue reading The Art of the Business, Part 5: Staking out your Spot on the Web
Simon Ogden 