Festival 2001
In-Festival Awards
Some
excerpts from Allan Stratton’s report to the Board of WODL
***
The Elsie Thompson Memorial Award
The Gift of Anne Wilson for Outstanding
Performance by a Juvenile
(A Juvenile is anyone who has not
reached his/her 18th birthday by March 1 of the current year.)
Nominees:
Robyn Carrick (Julie), Cosi, Owen
Sound Little Theatre
Greg Dunham (Nick), Cosi, Owen Sound
Little Theatre
Katie Stewart (Alyson Potts), Heart's
Desire, St. Mary's Community Players
Natasha Frid (Robin), Me & My
Friend, Burlington Little Theatre
Winner:
Natasha Frid, as Robin in Me & My Friend,
Burlington
Little Theatre
***
The Calder Award
The Gift of Woodstock Little Theatre
for Outstanding Performance
by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Yvonne Korince (Cherry), Cosi, Owen
Sound Little Theatre
Dawn Schut (Ruth), Cosi, Owen Sound
Little Theatre
Winner:
Dawn Schut, as Ruth in Cosi,
Owen
Sound Little Theatre
***
The Players Guild Award
The Gift of Players Guild of Hamilton
for Outstanding Performance
by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner:
Chet Greason, as Jake Potts in Heart's Desire,
St.
Mary's Community Players
***
The Ruben Cardinell Memorial Award
The Gift of Guelph Little Theatre
for Best Co-ordinated Production
(The winner of this award is selected
by the Host Group Festival Stage Manager.)
Winner:
I Won't Tell a Soul,
Galt
Little Theatre
***
The Dolly Nunan Award
The Gift of Guelph Little Theatre
for Most Promising New Actor or Actress
(First speaking role on stage outside
of a High School production.)
Winner:
Katie Stewart as Alyson Potts in Heart's Desire,
St.
Mary's Community Players
***
The Ledingham Award
The Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Bob Ledingham
for Best Visual Production
Winner:
Burlington Little Theatre, Me & My Friend,
Burlington
Little Theatre
***
The Harold P. Sellers Memorial Award
The Gift of Burlington Little Theatre
for Outstanding Technical Achievement
Nominees:
Burlington
Little Theatre for Sound and Lights, Me & My Friend, Burlington Little
Theatre
Galt Little
Theatre for Sound and Lights, I Won't Tell a Soul, Galt Little Theatre
Winner:
Galt Little Theatre for Sound and Lights, I Won't Tell a Soul,
Galt
Little Theatre
***
The CKCO-TV Award
The Gift of CKCO-TV for Outstanding
Direction
Nominees:
Tom Mackan,
Me & My Friend, Burlington Little Theatre
Jonathan Harrison,
I Won't Tell a Soul, Galt Little Theatre
Winner:
Tom Mackan, Me & My Friend,
Burlington
Little Theatre
***
The Bonanno Award
The Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence
Bonnano for
Outstanding Performance by an Actress
in a Major Role
Nominees:
Annie Alexander
Greater Tuna, Kincardine Theatre Guild
Dia Frid (Julia),
Me & My Friend, Burlington Little Theatre
Winner:
Annie Alexander, in Greater Tuna,
Kincardine
Theatre Guild
***
The Terry Doyle Award
The Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Terry
Doyle for
Outstanding Performance by an Actor
in a Major Role
Nominees:
Matt Evans (Lewis), Cosi, Owen Sound
Little Theatre
David Leslie (Roy), Cosi, Owen Sound
Little Theatre
Graham Clements
(Bunny), Me & My Friend, Burlington Little Theatre
Peter Churey
(Oz), Me & My Friend, Burlington Little Theatre
Winner:
Matt Evans as Lewis in Cosi,
Owen
Sound Little Theatre
***
The Mathewson Award
The Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Vincent
Mathewson for Outstanding Ensemble Work
Winner:
Galt Little Theatre, I Won't Tell a Soul,
Galt
Little Theatre
***
Special Adjudicator Awards
The Gift of Mr. Ed Procunier for
Special Awards of Merit as selected by the Festival Adjudicator
Acting
Excellence: David Leslie (Roy), Cosi,
Owen
Sound Little Theatre
Fight
Choreography: Bryan Carver, Cosi,
Owen
Sound Little Theatre
Acting
Tag Team: Graham Clements (Bunny) and Peter Churey (Oz),
Me
& My Friend, Burlington Little Theatre
***
The D. Park Jamieson Memorial Award
The Gift of Sarnia Little Theatre
for Best Production in Festival
Winner:
Me & My Friend
Burlington
Little Theatre
***
WODL Regional Trophy
Presented by WODL to the Winner
of the Best Production
(To be presented annually and kept
by the winning group for one year.)
Winner:
Burlington
Little Theatre
Some excerpts from Allan Stratton’s report to the Board of WODL
Thank
you very much for the opportunity to adjudicate this year’s W.O.D.L.
Festival
in Owen Sound. I had a wonderful time. The event was well planned
and
executed; The Roxy Theatre was a terrific venue for both performers and
spectators,
and the Days Inn featured comfortable accommodation and an
extremely
courteous staff. For organizing such a welcoming event, special
thanks
should go to W.O.D.L. President Jim Peddie, Festival Chair Armand
Lapointe,
the Owen Sound Little Theatre, and the City of Owen Sound. On a
personal
note, I would like to thank Steve and Liz Repuski and Anne Wilson
for
their generosity and companionship.
Each
play received two adjudications, one public, one “private”. These
were
different
in form and function. (I put the word “private” in quotes, as the
“private”
adjudications were open to all who wished to stay for them.)
The
public adjudication was delivered in front of the full house the moment
the
play was over. Its function was to honour and celebrate the production
in
question. The object was to ensure that all participants could leave
the
Festival
with fond memories of having had their hard work and effort praised
and
validated. As such, it was entirely positive in nature.
Public
adjudications began with a brief educational word on a range of
topics,
followed by a comment on the play’s themes, the challenges faced by
the
production, and the special and particular successes of the evening.
(Topics
covered in the opening remarks included the nature of “Festival” --
the
importance of emphasizing celebration and sharing rather than
competition;
the role of the audience in performance; the differing natures
of
public and private adjudications; the role of arts education; and the
relationship
of community and theatre.)
The
“private” adjudication which followed was relaxed and collegial in
nature;
cast and crew sat in the first two rows of the theatre, with the
adjudicator
sitting on the lip of the stage, and interested audience members
seated
at the back in the house. The purpose was to provide suggestions
for
improvement.
Comments and discussions concerned both broad areas for
exploration,
as well as detailed line and unit notes. There were frequent
practical
demonstrations, especially related to acting and blocking -- i.e.:
showing
the importance and use of “diagonals”. Participating groups were
keen
to learn and open to suggestions. Laughter was frequent.
Initially,
the private adjudications followed the strike; as a result, they
tended
to begin after midnight. This was an untenable situation, given that
the
adjudicator was also providing daily workshops beginning at ten in the
morning.
By the time the private adjudication was finished, it meant a
fifteen
hour, split-shift day. Mid-week, the board of the W.O.D.L.
rectified
the situation, and the private adjudications began as soon as the
actors
were changed and out of makeup.
This
change of procedure had four happy consequences: significantly more
participants
stayed and learned from the private adjudications; the cast and
crews
were fresher, making their adjudication experience more valuable; the
set
could be used for demonstrations, making the adjudicator’s points more
concrete;
and nobody dropped dead of exhaustion. It is hoped that this new
procedure
will be followed in the future.
There
were four morning workshops, complementing the educational nature of
the
private adjudications. Each workshop followed a question and answer
format,
and included demonstrations and exercises. The schedule was:
Tuesday,
Acting; Wednesday, Playwriting; Thursday, Directing; Friday,
Open-ended.
There were usually about fifty people in attendance. Questions
were
solid
and interesting, and participants keen, friendly and generous.
The
gala was great fun. The entertainment hosts were hilarious in their
good-natured
ribbing of the shows and adjudicator, and the food was good, as
was
the band which followed the presentations. The adjudicator stressed
that
the awards were a recognition of the ideal of high standards, but that
given
the apples-and-oranges nature of the range of productions and
performances,
different adjudicators could easily have come up with
different
decisions. Winners were urged to accept their awards on behalf of
all
members of their category. The adjudicator provided his rationale
for
each
decision. (Awards are listed elsewhere.)
OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1)
Blocking and set design were the principal areas of weakness in the shows
I
saw. Too often, set designs and the blocking which flowed from those
designs,
forced actors into situations in which they were either in lines,
or
upstaging each other. Directors and designers need to work together
to
create
spaces which provide for dynamic positioning; they need to create
acting
areas both downstage and upstage which provide for the use of
diagonals,
and visually charged stage pictures. There are some terrific
books
on directing which focus on the technical aspects of stage blocking.
Consult
Toronto’s Theatrebooks (416-922-7175), or some other bookstore
specializing
in theatre, for the latest and best texts. (These books will
also
show you how to use backs, distance, and height to create comic and
dramatic
tension.)
2)
While each show featured fine moments and performances, the week also saw
a
good deal of “acting”. Actors need to remember to play the situation,
not
the
emotion. (Analogy: when running a race, focus on your finish line,
not
your
sweat.) They need to learn how to break down their scenes into small
units,
identifying each tactic their characters use to achieve their
objectives/
goals/ intentions; this will provide range and texture to their
performances,
and avoid a sameness of tone. Each actor should create a
G.O.T.E.
sheet for each of their characters’ scenes. (Goal, Obstacle,
Tactics,
Expectations)
3)
A real strength of this Festival was the exciting mix of new and
nearly-new
plays on display. While most worked, play reading committees
need
to be diligent to ensure that the material they choose is ‘playable’.
I
strongly support the use of new material. But before committing to
new
texts,
have them read aloud. Flaws the eye can overlook will be picked up
by
the ear. By the way, if the material is absolutely new, see if the
author
is available and interested in working with you on the script’s
development.
A FINAL WORD
Once
again, let me say how much I enjoyed my time with you. So much hard
work!
So much care! So much devotion! I came away inspired!
This page was last updated on August 5, 2001, by Web Master,Trevor Bonanno
© Copyright 2000 Western Ontario Drama League
Email: wodl1@home.com