Barrie Theatre Lab |
Submission InformationTo have your script workshopped, just send it to create@theatrebythebay.com Important InformationDate & Time Admission is free! Next Lab DayMonday, June 6th | What will you create?Are you a budding playwright living in Simcoe County? The Barrie Theatre Lab is a once-a-month get-together for playwrights seeking to have new scenes and plays read out loud. No piece is too small, rough, or new! To date, the Barrie Theatre Lab has workshopped more than 100 plays by more than 40 playwrights from as far away as Toronto and Haliburton! Even if you’re not a playwright, come on out! The Barrie Theatre Lab is open to the local theatre community as a place where we can come together, talk about new work, and network. Actors are especially welcome as we will need lots of readers! For actors, reading new scenes and plays is an important way to practice your craft. Being able to read a scene you haven’t had much time to rehearse is a very important part of getting work as an actor.
Generously supported by: Anna Small, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the City of Barrie’s Cultural Grant Program Mailing ListSign up for our free exclusive Barrie Theatre Lab mailing list to ‘keep in the know’ about upcoming BTLs, as well as local theatrical events, training opportunities, audition notices, and much more! Join the Theatre Lab Newsletter |
Professional Workshop Series |
Next WorkshopActing Workshop: Animal TransformationsWith Rob Feetham Saturday, May 7th IN-PERSON at Studio House Barrie In this physical theatre workshop, actors will explore character through the mimicry and embodiment of animals. This workshop is suitable for all performers and directors, and no experience in physical theatre is necessary. By using observation, introducing a physical vocabulary, and exploring evolution, this workshop seeks to answer: How can the observation of animals inform us physically and vocally to create characters - even human ones? How can we think with our lizard brains (fight or flight) vs. our monkey brains (empathy, reflection and understanding)? Can animals inform us how to play freely? We will explore the evolution of a character from its quadrupedal beginnings to its bipedal end. Let's bring out our wild side and have fun! Please note that COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place, such as physical distancing and masking where appropriate. REGISTER HEREAbout the Instructor Rob Feetham is a Dora Nominated (What Dream It Was, Ahuri Theatre) actor, comedian and podcaster. He is one half of the comedy duo, Tasty Sandwich, the creators of such gems as Rob and Edwin Go To Space, Go To The Bottom Of The Sea, Go Through Time, Rox Showe and Backyard Funtime Friendship Thing. Rob has been writing and performing sketch comedy with Suitcase in Point since 2014. He is co-host and co-creator of The R.I.P. Podcast, a horror comedy podcast. Rob has also been performing and touring with Corpus Dance Projects (Les Moutons) since 2013. He has now toured with the company to six continents. Currently he is adapting Jules Verne's, Journey to the Centre of the Earth into a one man show. | It all starts here!Are you looking to learn how to write, or create, a play? Wanting to expand your skill set as a theatre creator? Theatre by the Bay’s professional workshop series is the place for you! With the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Theatre by the Bay will host celebrated professional theatre artists as they provide workshops on different areas of theatre creation, for a nominal fee. Workshops will be held once a month and will run for between 2-4 hours - at the discretion of the instructor. To ensure a high level of quality training, only a certain number of spots will be available. The number of spots may differ depending on the approach/subject matter. To secure your spot, purchase a ticket through the Eventbrite link to the left. Please note: Theatre by the Bay is committed to the development of the local theatre community. To ensure accessibility to this unparalleled level of training, we are charging a nominal fee for participation in our workshops. However, we recognize that times are difficult and that fees can be a barrier to some. If your circumstances make participation difficult, but you are eager to learn, we ask that you reach out to us and we will look to accommodate you as much as possible at: create@theatrebythebay.com. The Professional Workshop Series is presented with support from
Past Workshops Include
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Indie Producer’s Co-Op |
May - June 2021The Indie Producer’s Co-op provides two students from a professional theatre school training program with a ground-level education in producing theatre. Participants receive a two-week intensive that investigated the vital role of the producer. They learn what it took to run a professional theatre company, when to say yes or no to projects, how to develop a realistic budget, how to make sure your project stands out for grants, what factors lead to a well-attended production, and much more. This intensive is followed by four weeks of unparalleled job training. Participants work on Theatre by the Bay’s season in a variety of capacities. In the past, these have included marketing, audience development, fundraiser development, sponsorship accrual, and production management. The Indie Producer’s Co-op is run by Artistic Director (and inaugural Indie Producer) Iain Moggach, overseen by Leah Holder, and with assistance from Patricia Hammond. Guest instructors are also brought in to provide expertise in all aspects of theatre producing. |
Our 2022 Indie Producers are:Chloë Rose Flowers & Ece Aydin |
Chloë Rose Flowers (she/her) Chloë Rose Flowers is a producer, actor, director, and playwright. She is currently finishing her Drama, Theatre, and Performance Specialist at the University of Toronto. Chloë has a passion for bringing classical, historical, and mythological stories into the realm of the present and placing them in conversation with contemporary issues. This past year, she has been Executive Producing for the St. Michael’s College Troubadours. She successfully produced their largest season ever whilst navigating ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines. Chloë is also an elected member of the University of Toronto Drama Coalition as communications coordinator and is a recent winner of the Pia Kleber Scholarship for excellence in theatrical performance at U of T. Previous experience also includes being an Assistant Producer for the Victoria College Drama Society, and an Assistant Artistic Director for the Art Project Collective. Chloë is extremely excited to work with Theatre by the Bay, and eager to learn and grow as an emerging producer. |
Ece Aydin (she/her) Ece Aydin is a theatre maker originally from Turkey. Her experience as an artist spans over disciplines and borders. She is an award-winning dance choreographer, performer with experience on stage and screen, and a visual artist who has received public recognition for her work. She is an aspiring producer, director and playwright and is currently in her final year of the Humber Theatre Performance program. After graduating, she plans on combining her training and experience in the contemporary and devised theatre disciplines with her lifelong interest in producing new works. She is honoured to be taking part in the Indie Producer’s Co-op this year and looks forward to learning from industry leaders. |
Past Participants
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Emerging Director Project |
Presented by the RBC Emerging Artist Project
March - August 2021
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Alexandra Gaudet Alex's passion for theatre started in high school. Her interest in directing was sparked with her participation in the National Theatre School Drama Festival with her own written work, Dear Adam. After high school she partnered with the Barrie Native Friendship Centre to write and direct Stage Three: The Wandering which was presented at the Five Points Theatre in 2018. The following year, Stage Three: The Wandering toured throughout Simcoe County high schools. Recently, Alex is an aspiring playwright and director studying at York University. She is going into her fourth year of the Performance Creation stream with a focus on playwriting. She has begun to tackle pandemic theatre with online resources. This can be seen in the performance of The Ashley Plays in the fourth year Playwriting and New Play Dramaturgy class (available on YouTube!), and through stage managing Falling In, Walking Out in the student run playGround Festival. She is excited to see what comes next, and is forever grateful for opportunities like the Emerging Director Project to further her growth and education. | Keara Voo Keara Voo is a showtune-singing, book-loving, trash-TV-binging thespian who grew up in Barrie. Theatre stole her heart at the ripe age of 8 when she starred in her first elementary school production of Mighty Minds: The Musical, and she hasn’t looked back. Since then, she has worked both on stage and backstage for a variety of productions, most recently directing a live-streamed performance of the original 10-minute play Sometimes I Feel Like I'm Not Even Me for the OR Festival in Vancouver, BC and performing as Daphne Stillington in Knockout Theatre Company's Zoom Performance of Present Laughter. She also has taken an interest in film, studying screenwriting at Vancouver Film School and producing “Talk It Out” – an official selection of the Montreal Independent Film Festival. She is excited to come back home to work with TBTB and is grateful to her friends and family for their support as she chases this crazy dream of finally one day creating a show-stopping show. |
Past Emerging Director Participants2020 - Korol Pikulik and Valeria Bravo Past RBC Emerging Artists2019 - Delphine Guet-McCreight 2018 - Brandon Nicoletti 2017 - Abigail Kennedy 2016 - Leah Holder 2015 - James Wallis |
The 24 Hour Playwriting Contest |
Contest Date and TimeContest Started: October 15th, 2021 at 6pm Our 2021 Judges were:
Submissions are now | The perfect opportunity to dive into playwriting!Are you a budding playwright from the Simcoe County region? As part of the City of Barrie’s Culture Days festivities, Theatre by the Bay is back with its 24 hour playwriting contest for the second year in a row! You will have 24 hours to write a one act script (ie. no more than 45 minutes to read) that must incorporate three secret requirements. Those requirements will be published here on our website, as well as through our social media channels at the start of the contest. 24 hour contests are a fantastic way to dive into playwriting, or to push yourself to create something in a condensed amount of time. No procrastination allowed with this one! This initiative is generously supported by the City of Barrie and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Mailing ListTo find out about more events like these, sign up for our free exclusive Barrie Theatre Lab mailing list to ‘keep in the know’ about upcoming opportunities, as well as local theatrical events, training, audition notices, and much more!
Supported By |
