Cutting Corners at Camp Shakespeare
The summer of 2010 has been kind to Canandian Stage’s TD Dream in High Park; the hot, dry weather has ensured fewer lost performances — there were 14 cancelled shows last year and 16 blow-outs in 2008 — which means that the current production of Romeo and Juliet is on track to re-coupe its costs.
“CanStage is the country’s largest not-for-profit theatre company,” says Director of Production, Alistair Hepburn, “so for us success is breaking even. Sure it would be glorious if we could end up with a record-breaking profit but success means making sure everyone gets paid and we don’t end up costing anyone else money.”
Now in its 28th year, the Dream in the Park is one of the city’s longest running theatrical traditions. The elaborate, multi-tiered set may not look like shoe-string theatre but it definitely is says Hepburn, whose job it is to make sure that the show’s small budget stretches as far as humanly possible.
“We take the everyday and the mundane and turn it into stuff that people don’t recognize,” he explains. “The background of the entire set is scrimmed with tack cloth, the material used to cover the undersides of box spring mattresses. We shop at Value Village and use other people’s cast offs, rehemmed or reinvented to turn them into something new.” READ MORE
BMR Makes Theatre More Affordable
The basement shown left did not exist when Young People’s Theatre (now Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People) moved into a City-owned heritage building on Front Street East in 1977. Built in the 1870s, the property originally housed horses that pulled Toronto’s earliest streetcars; when electric power put the animals out to pasture the building was converted into a generating station. By the time YPT was invited to take over the space, the derelict building had stood empty for 30 years.
The basement was dug out and paid for by YPT, which, like several other local theatre companies, benefits from a long-standing City policy that provides below market rent (BMR) to qualifying not for profit arts groups. The City foregoes rent (in most cases the spaces are let for $2 per year) but the theatre company is responsible for upgrades and regular maintenance. It’s a win/win that in the case of Lorraine Kimsa Theatre provides theatrical and educational opportunities for as many as 80,000 youngsters each year, in addition to about 1,200 participants in year-round drama school.
“We were one of the first below market rent beneficiaries,” says LKTYP Artistic Director Allen MacInnis. “In fact, the City wouldn’t let us install permanent seats initially because they weren’t sure it was going to work. They wanted the space to be flexible in case they had to turn it into a community centre if the theatre didn’t fly. But within five years it was clear this was going to work and the city allowed us to pour concrete and install permanent seating.” READ MORE
A SummerWalk on the Existential Side
If actor Lindy Zucker wasn’t nervous in the run-up to her first public SummerWalk (part of the SummerWorks theatre festival) she surely was after checking the comp list and discovering that Globe and Mail theatre critic J. Kelly Nestruck would be among the attendees. I hope Zucker’s not holding her breath for a great review; I kept my eye on Nestruck throughout the performance, observing his crossed arms and blasé demeanour. Then again, maybe he just likes to keep his cards close to his chest.
The audience certainly enjoyed the show, laughing loudly and frequently, even when “Uncle Lindy” was “digressing” into existential conundrums. A philosophical walking tour? Actually, yes. Lindy’s one hour “Quit Your Snivelin’ Tour of Life” was inspired by a sticker that suggested, “We do little to improve our situation.”
And so, with false mustache and a vaguely British accent firmly in place, Zucker proceeded to show us around the darkened neighbourhood surrounding the Factory Theatre, pontificating thoughtfully and humourously about what makes us humans tick.
Box Office Attraction
When I asked TO Tix attendant Ken MacAlpine, below, whether he considers himself a culture worker he pressed me to define “culture worker”.
“Someone who works in the cultural realm,” I responded. “Someone who facilitates the cultural life of the city.”
“Then I guess I am,” he affirmed.
Ken has been punching the clock at TO Tix for the past four months. He works six and a half hours per day, five days per week, selling tickets on behalf of Mirvish Productions, Ticketmaster and the Toronto Blue Jays. Unlike New York City’s famous TKTS booth in Times Square, which sells half-price passes to same day shows, TO Tix sells full price advance tickets in addition to a small selection of reduced price same day events. This morning, for instance, the Yonge-Dundas Square booth was selling cut-rate tickets to Jersey Boys, Yuk Yuk’s and Second City.
The question of whether or not manning a box office qualifies one as a culture worker is sort of moot in MacAlpine’s case since he’s a ticket seller by day and an actor by night: he moved to Toronto last summer from Halifax to further his career. So far, he’s landed parts with Alumnae Theatre and dinner theatre company, Big Time Murder, where he performs regularly.
Big Plans for New Theatre Centre
The Theatre Centre threw open the doors of its stately new home Sunday, inviting media to tour what was originally a Carnegie Library and is currently a Toronto Public Health building (since 1964). With condo developments cutting a swath across this section of West Queen West, the Theatre Centre — with the support of local community groups like Active 18 — has rallied to establish deeper roots in this changing neighbourhood, which includes the soon-to-be-completed Artscape Triangle Lofts just down the block.
Theatre Centre Chair Gail Packwood (left with Artistic Director Franco Boni) gave me a tour of what promises to be a very impressive new facility when it’s completed in three to four years. Renowned heritage architect Phil Goldsmith has re-imagined the building at 1115 Queen Street West and proposed moving the main entrance and box office around the corner onto Lisgar Street, where an accessibility ramp can be installed; a glassed-in café will be added to the existing structure.
Best of all is the main theatre space, a double height room with a beautifully coffered ceiling. Goldsmith’s plans provide for four different seating configurations accommodating up to 229 seats: “We want the space to be as useable and multi-purpose as possible,” says Packwood. A lobby/gallery and public event space is also part of the plan.
“Adam Giambrone is the Councillor in this ward and he’s been really instrumental in helping us work with the City,” says Packwood.” The Metcalf Foundation funded the initial development work with Phil Goldsmith and the feasibility study. We’ve also received money from the Trillium Foundation and from Canadian Heritage. We need to raise about $5.2 million of which we’ve already secured $1.3 million. We have a ways to go but there are other government agencies we’re in talks with so we’re hopeful.”
Photos by Christopher Jones
