Then What?

It's funny that I should stumble over this today. I had an enjoyable conversation with one of the SLIP participants over at the Summerworks Festival and we were discussing whether or not there was actually a large enough theatre going audience to sustain all of the theatre in Toronto. This kind of noodled away at me and somehow I got into thinking how many opportunities seem to be now available and focused on emerging theatre creators.

Then this article popped up.

This is not a great cycle to be creating.

Now what?

So the Equity and PACT negotiations ended with a stunning affirmation of the status quo. Nothing changes for Year 1 and then a pay increase of 1% in Year 2 and 2% in Year 3. Nothing else changes.
How could this happen? With a host of issues that are all hanging fire nothing was resolved.

At the heart of all this is a profound difference of opinion on the way this industry should look going forward.

Now being on both sides I get the buzz from both directions and it’s always a treat to see how things are viewed differently.
I think that both sides feel that they can gain the advantage by waiting for the next negotiating round. But I do not believe that with the limited amount time available there will be room for any substantive change. Nobody is working on negotiations full time. Yes, both sides get input from their members and compile a wish list but the actual talking between the sides doesn’t happen until the last 6 months.

Obsidian abstained from ratification at the PACT AGM and I am abstaining from the Equity vote because I think that the agreement should be rejected and that negotiations should continue until there is a meeting of minds. This, however, will probably not happen with the prevailing mindsets in place.

I am reminded of a story that said that forest fires are so bad now because they have been so assiduously fought that the deadfalls and underbrush were allowed to grow without check. So now the amount of deadwood pushes the fires out of control in a nonce. The only way to get back to a healthy forest is either by ongoing controlled cutting or to let it burn.

The current approaches are not working. We need to change the way we are looking at this industry and find better ways of safeguarding the creators as well as being open to current realities.
This is not a perpetual growth industry. Ticket prices have stalled for the majority of theatres, the audience is aging and grants by and large are plateau-ing.

There will be a winnowing that’s for sure. What we have to do is find the courage to imagine and create a new vision for the future.

Neil Monroe

Neil Monroe

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, July 13, 2009…The Shaw Festival Company is deeply saddened to announce today the passing of long-time Resident Director, Neil Munro. Mr. Munro died July 13, 2009 at the age of 62 at London Ontario’s University Hospital after a lengthy illness. He is predeceased by his wife Carole Galloway and is survived by his sister Anna Munro, nephew John Munro and his mother-in-law Stella Galloway and sister-in-law Jackie Martinez.



On making this announcement, Jackie Maxwell commented: “Neil Munro created an indelible mark on the Shaw Festival. As a director he had a vision that was unique — blending extraordinarily detailed preparation with brilliant and at times outrageous ideas, always in the service of illuminating and revitalizing each play. His passion for theatre was immense, only matched by that for the artists he worked with – especially actors. As Resident Director, his commitment to and love for the Ensemble and all it stood for was clear daily as was his brilliant sceptical humour which unsuccessfully hid his true warmth and empathy. We already miss him terribly but our vivid memories of his talent and his passion will live on here at The Shaw, and I know, in the hearts of the many, many Canadians artists whose lives he touched.”

Dora Nominations

Obsidian Theatre would like to congratulate the following people on their Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominations:

Tamara Marie Kucheran: Outstanding Costume Design, Black Medea
Tamara was nominated for and won in this category last year for her stunning costumes in Intimate Apparel.

Naomi Campbell has been awarded this year's Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award recognising her outstanding career as an independent theatre producer.
Over the past 20 years she has worked everywhere from the Fringe Festival to Nightswimming to Mamailian Diving Reflex- including Obsidian producing our Mentor/Apprentice Program.

Marjorie Chan was nominated as a librettist with Abigail Richardson (composer): Outstanding New Musical/Opera, Sanctuary Song.
Marjorie also directed Obsidian's production of Late this past season.

Raven Dauda:Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Featured Role- Play, Miss Julie Freedom Summer, Doubt, a parable
This year Raven appeared in 3 CanStage shows- an unprecedented occurance.

Kevin Hanchard:Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role- Play, Miss Julie: Freedom Summer
You can catch both Raven and Kevin in the Canadian Stage presentation of the Obsidian Production of Intimate Apparel in February 2010 at the Bluma Appel Theatre.

Marcia Johnson was nominated as a librettist with Stephan Andrew Taylor (composer): Outstanding New Musical/Opera, Opera to Go: My Mother's Ring.
\Marcia is an Obsidian Playwrights Unit Alumnus and playwright of Late, which premiered as part of our 2008/09 Mainstage season.

Richard Lee: Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role- Musical, The Forbidden Phoenix.
Richard is also the General Manager of fu-gen Asian Canadian Theatre Company and was sound designer for Obsidian's Mainstage productions Late and Black Medea earlier this season.

Andrew Moodie:Outstanding New Play, Toronto the Good
Toronto the Good was directed by Artistic Driector, Philip Akin.

Alison Sealy-Smith,Obsidian's Founding Artistic Director was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role- Play, A Raisin in the Sun