annual report 2016 - theatre ontario · theatre ontario annual report for 2016 7 organizational...

Annual Report 2016

Theatre Ontario Annual Report for 2016

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Contents PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE .......................................................................................................................................... 4

STAFF REPORTS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5

THEATRE ONTARIO MANDATE ................................................................................................................................................ 6

Vision & Mission .................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Our Core Values .................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Our Goals ............................................................................................................................................................................ 6

ORGANIZATIONAL SCORECARD 2016 ..................................................................................................................................... 7

1. Program Relevancy ......................................................................................................................................................... 7

2. Stakeholder Awareness & Engagement .......................................................................................................................... 9

3. Revenue through Diversification .................................................................................................................................. 10

4. Human Resource Effectiveness ..................................................................................................................................... 10

5. Board Effectiveness ....................................................................................................................................................... 10

REPORT FROM THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................. 11

THANK YOU’S ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12

To Our Valued Donors ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

To Our Valued Funders ..................................................................................................................................................... 13

To Our Valued Sponsors .................................................................................................................................................... 13

To Our Board, Volunteers & Staff ..................................................................................................................................... 13


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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The ongoing work of Theatre Ontario fosters and promotes a vibrant and sustainable

theatre community throughout the province. For over 45 years, the organization

has cultivated theatre resources, provided educational opportunities, fostered

collaboration and built innovation into programmes and services for theatre artists.

The year that has just passed was one of change and growth for Theatre Ontario as

an organization, allowing us to look forward to 2017 with anticipation and optimism.

Building on the goals of the 2015 strategic plan, we continued to offer progressive

training for all the sectors we serve – professional and community theatre

practitioners and young peoples programmes. Enrollment numbers increased

across all sectors in 2016, realizing our goal of providing the right information at the right time.

In times when allocation of government grant funding is increasingly competitive, Theatre Ontario found new funding

sources and initiated strategies with the guidance of board member Neil Wiancko, former Development & Partnerships

Manager at Factory Theatre. Successful 2016 campaigns included the board matching campaign, silent auction and the

first annual Bowl-a-Thon in Toronto. Fundraising revenues are at a record high and continue to grow.

Nothing would be possible without the dedication of the full and part time staff who have performed exceptionally this

past year. They have made great strides in advocacy and collaboration, taking leadership roles in related organizations

and creating partnerships to communicate our mandate further than ever.

The diversity of skills on our board of directors is greater than ever and the advice and guidance they have provided has

been invaluable.

Finally, member driven organizations exist and succeed at the will of their membership. I encourage you to continue to

support excellence in theatre by renewing your commitment to Theatre Ontario every year. Please consider making

Theatre Ontario one of your supported charities. Our memberships pay for only a portion of the programming and support

that we give to theatre in Ontario. Financial support is only part of what we need from you. We need your input to our

programs and support. Please do not hesitate to call the office, or reach out to a board member to let us know how we

can help you make great theatre.

On behalf of the entire board and staff, thank you for your membership and your support.

Mary Jane Boon

President, Board of Directors


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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Theatre Ontario’s core programs are comprised of the Professional Theatre Training

Program (PTTP), Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP), the Next Generation

Showcase and Theatre Ontario Festival. We continued to enrich these highly sought-

after programs in 2016 by promoting their success stories online and through social

media, resulting in increased program visibility, interest and participation.

These programs have served to propel theatre artists and creators forward into

successful careers; many of whom we have previously nurtured and now nurture the

next generation. Almost 800 theatre artists have benefited from the mentorship and

training opportunities through the PTTP alone. The collective work of past program

recipients plays a significant role in fostering the appreciation and accessibility of the arts across the province and the

country. The impact of their contribution to Canadian culture is evident in the communities that have come alive through

their projects, as well as the organizations that have benefitted from their influence. Program participants have gone on

to work in regional communities providing training and work opportunities in the arts that had not previously existed.

Others have taken on roles that encourage other artists to grow in their practice and present their work across the country.

A top priority is to develop stronger relationships with the youth, independent and emerging professional sectors. This

will help us meet the changing needs of our membership by evaluating and revitalizing our programs and services in order

to increase our outreach within the indie, emerging and university communities.

The success of our outreach initiatives in 2016, has been the result of strengthening existing partnerships with Native

Earth, Generator and Work-In-Culture, and building new collaborations with arts and theatre organizations such as

CPAMO, ArtsBuild-Ontario, CAEA, PACT, PGC, TAPA, RE:Sound, and SOCAN. With PACT and TAPA, we continued

initiatives for our professional members that address equity, inclusion, diversity and accessibility. A major achievement

has been the nurturing and growth of our volunteer Youth Advisory Committee, increasing the diversity of our youth

programming. The committee created three initiatives in 2016, building strong engagement through social media. Theatre

Ontario continued to facilitate the marketing collaboration with the Ontario Summer Theatres (OST), resulting in a

stronger social media focus, leading to a more integrated networking and promotional strategy in driving awareness for

each company’s season.

As the co-chair of the Provincial Arts Service Organization Coalition PASO-OPSA, we lead the unified advocacy activities of

26 multi-disciplinary arts service organizations. We also sit on the Advisory Committees of ArtsBuild Ontario (currently

serving as Chair), Work-in-Culture and Cultural Pluralism in Performing Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO).

The allocation of people, resources, time and money to our program activities align with our research, analysis and

strategic plan. This allows us to determine the organizational priorities needed to deliver and achieve our mandate: Staging

Our Future – building a stronger tomorrow for theatre in Ontario. The greatest challenge to Theatre Ontario in the past

year was the delivery of our programs and services at the same high levels despite experiencing funding cuts. An ongoing

challenge for the organization is delivering programs and services that are continually relevant, geographically accessible

and timely for the theatre community.

Bruce Pitkin

Executive Director


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STAFF REPORTS Claudia Araya, Community Outreach & Training Coordinator

2016 was a great year for growth with our Training Programmes. Theatre Ontario offered 52 workshops and 11 webinars.

Our webinars have been particularly successful; a record 55 participants attended one grant writing webinar in January!

We provided free grant writing help to theatre makers from across Ontario. Participants were from communities such as,

Ajax, Aurora, Balderson, Barrie, Bowmanville, Bradford, Burlington, Cambridge, Combermere, Delhi, Etobicoke,

Goodwood, Guelph, Hamilton, Harrow, Kanata, Keene, Kingston, Kingsville, London, Markham, Mississauga, Newmarket,

Niagara-on-the-Lake, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Richmond Hill, St. Marys, Stratford,

Sudbury, Thornhill, Toronto, Whitby, Windsor, as well as someone from Saskatoon, SK!

The number of participants this year grew 26%. Of participants who attended workshops, our members have benefited

the most with a growth of 82%! Non-members attending workshops grew by 66% over last year and we offered association

discounts that grew by 67%.

Carola Jaque, Fundraising Coordinator

As the fundraising coordinator, I have joined Theatre Ontario armed with fresh enthusiasm to make a difference in a new

industry. My approach is to focus in the existing programs, and work closely with Bruce to develop new initiatives and

processes where necessary to accomplish this year’s goals. In the first quarter, we have updated and professionally printed

our Case of Support. With this tool at hand, I have started to target prospective corporations in preparation for possible

sponsorship opportunities in conjunction with the approved funds matching program with artsVest Toronto. I have been

working on facilitating our 2017 fundraising plan and calendar of quarterly campaigns. We successfully completed our 3rd

annual online auction, and are in preparations for the remainder fundraising events for this year. I look forward to growing

our network of supporters, and keeping our current members and donors engaged.

Rachel Kennedy, Professional Theatre & Education Manager

2016 was another strong year. Highlights include:

The PTTP funded 42% of its applications in playwriting, production management, producing, directing, sound design,

scenography, choral conducting and music direction, artistic direction and theatrical digital media mentorships. Voluntary

statistical information pages were added to gauge relevancy in OAC priority groups and where further outreach is needed.

The YTTP was able to support 50% of its applicants with programs in Toronto, Kitchener, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, St.

Catharines and Newmarket. We will create a video outlining the application process and eligibility in hopes of expanding

and diversifying the applicant pool.

The Summer Theatre Intensive took place August 7-13 at Peterborough’s Trent University. Christine Rankin was able to

attend as our Summer Education Assistant and aided in the smooth operation of the program. Feedback was very positive.

The Next Generation Showcase was held at Artscape’s Daniels Spectrum and allowed us to build upon our relationship

with Native Earth. A panel discussion on the Sunday night focused on the actor’s career and was moderated by Cole Alvis

(Indigenous Performing Artists Alliance), featuring panelists Ted Dykstra (Coal Mine Theatre), Kevin Hanchard (Orphan

Black), Grace Lynn Kung (InSecurity), and Rebecca Perry (Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl).


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Brandon Moore, Community Theatre & Communications Manager

Gateway Theatre Guild in North Bay hosted Festival 2016, with performances from the host theatre, Northumberland

Players, Theatre Sarnia, and The Curtain Club. Mimi Mekler was our adjudicator, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard was our

Playwright-in-Person, and we hosted workshops in Comedy Scene Study and Stage Combat.

I attended regional festivals in Woodstock (WODL), Sudbury (QUONTA), Peterborough (EODL Full-Length) and Perth (EODL

One-Act), festival performances in Toronto and Richmond Hill (ACT-CO), and regional meetings (Guelph, Sudbury, Perth,

and Aurora) with community theatre artists across Ontario. I also hosted our annual Adjudicators Symposium bringing

adjudicators together for networking and professional development. I continue to work with our community theatre

members and our Community Theatre Committee to provide support for their needs in day-to-day work as volunteer

administrators.

In Communications, our social media statistics continue to demonstrate above-industry-average impressions and

engagement. Auditions and show listings continue to be our most popular website content; our weekly openings and

Professional Theatre Training Program stories continue to be our most popular blog content.

As always, it is delightful to connect with so many artists across Ontario, helping creators to thrive in a vibrant and

sustainable theatre community.

THEATRE ONTARIO MANDATE

Vision & Mission Our Vision A vibrant and sustainable theatre community for all Ontarians.

Our Mission To be the champion of theatre in Ontario through education and advocacy.

Our Core Values Connectivity We build an inclusive theatre network.

Diversity We represent, respect and support the diverse needs of our stakeholders.

Opportunity We create valued training and development experiences.

Our Goals 1. Increase program relevancy through assessment and innovation.

2. Increase stakeholder awareness and engagement through communication and advocacy.

3. Increase revenue through diversification of grants, sponsorships, donations and earnings.

4. Increase human resource effectiveness through allocation and compensation.

5. Increase board effectiveness through recruitment, orientation, engagement and evaluation.


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ORGANIZATIONAL SCORECARD 2016 The Organizational Scorecard shows metrics on the outputs of Theatre Ontario funding. Each table examines the goals

laid out in Theatre Ontario’s Strategic Plan 2015-18: Program Relevancy, Stakeholder Awareness and Engagement,

Revenue through Diversification, Human Resource Effectiveness, and Board Effectiveness.

1. Program Relevancy

2016 2015

PROFESSIONAL THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAM applications 49 54

funded 21 23

amount requested $245,986 $252,894

amount granted $72,149 $89,005

2016 PTTP RECIPIENTS

Thom Allison, directing with Allen McInnis at the Grand Theatre, London Donna Marie Baratta, artistic producing and curation with Laura Nanni at Summerworks, Toronto Deanna Choi, sound design with Thomas Ryder Payne at Soulpepper and the Stratford Festival Alessandro Costantini, directing with Caleb Marshall at the Sudbury Theatre Centre Dana Fradkin, directing with Joel Ivany at Against the Grain Theatre, Toronto Rose Hopkins, Education Coordination and Associate Producing with Claire Calnan at the Hamilton Fringe

Festival Deborah Lim, production management with Sandra Henderson at the Toronto Fringe Festival Sebastian Marziali, Scenography with Trevor Schwellnus at Aluna Theatre, Toronto Gilda Monreal, playwriting with Rosa Laborde at Criminal Theatre, Toronto Jane Spence, Artistic Directing with David Nairn at Theatre Orangeville Michelle Suzanne, choral conducting and music direction with Hilary Donaldson in Toronto Elizabeth Thomas, directing with Tanja Jacobs at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, Toronto Matthew Walker, directing with Kim Collier at Bard on the Beach and Electric Company, Vancouver, BC Heather Davies, artistic directing with Gil Garrett at the Blyth Festival Erin Gerofsky, set and costume design with Judith Bowden at the Shaw Festival, NOTL Valerie Hawkins, directing with Jillian Keiley at the Stratford Festival Michael O'Brien, theatrical digital media and directing with Sarah Garton Stanley at SpiderWebShow

Performance in both Kingston and Toronto Norah Paton, production management with Kevin Waghorn at the Ottawa Fringe Festival Michela Sisti, artistic direction with Ross Manson at Volcano Theatre Jennifer Stewart, directing classical theatre with Jeanette Lambermont-Morey at Talk is Free Theatre, Barrie Lisa Van Oorscot, lighting design with Kimberly Purtell at Crows Theatre, Studio 180 and Why Not Theatre,

Toronto Kevin Wong, artistic directing with Marjorie Chan at Cahoots Theatre, Toronto

Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/search/label/PTTP%20Profiles

http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/search/label/PTTP%20Profiles


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2016 2015

YOUTH THEATRE TRAINING PROGRAM

applications 20 28

funded 10 11

amount requested $107,397 $158,087

amount granted $42,575 $44,388

2016 YTTP RECIPIENTS

MT Space (Kitchener) – Young Company Training Program Superior Theatre Festival (Thunder Bay) – Youth Summer Theatre Program Acting Up Stage (Toronto) – One Song Glory Odyssey Theatre (Ottawa) – Professionally Led Apprenticeships for Youth (PLAY) CultureLink (Toronto) – Newcomer Youth Summer Theatre The AMY Project (Toronto) – Spring Creation Program Essential Collective (St. Catherines) – Playwriting for Youth 2017 Jumblies (Toronto) – Fortifications for Self-Actualization Shadowpath Theatre (Newmarket) – Conversations with my Younger Self Paprika Theatre Festival (Toronto) – Core Education Programs

Stories from the Youth Theatre Training Program http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/search/label/YTTP%20Profiles

NEXT GENERATION SHOWCASE

Performing Arts Graduates 251 279

Industry guests 133 189

THEATRE ONTARIO FESTIVAL North Bay Oshawa

Participants 180 150

Audience 653 896

2016 YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Annie MacKay Jocelyn MacNeil

Photos & Bios: http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/meet-our-youth-

advisory-committee-2016.aspx

2016 YAC Events

May 9, 2016 NOW WHAT: AN EMERGING ARTIST'S GUIDE TO THE THEATRE UNIVERSE http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/2016/05/the-yacs-first-event-of-2016-now-what.html

May 9, 2016 NOW WHAT? THE CARE PACKAGE http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/emerging-artist-care-package.aspx

September 12, 2016 PLAY DATE! http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/2016/10/the-yacs-2nd-event-of-2016-play-date.html

http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/search/label/YTTP%20Profiles

http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/meet-our-youth-advisory-committee-2016.aspx

http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/meet-our-youth-advisory-committee-2016.aspx

http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/2016/05/the-yacs-first-event-of-2016-now-what.html

http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/emerging-artist-care-package.aspx

http://www.theatreontario.org/programs/youth-advisory-committee-initiatives/emerging-artist-care-package.aspx

http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/2016/10/the-yacs-2nd-event-of-2016-play-date.html

http://theatreontario.blogspot.ca/2016/10/the-yacs-2nd-event-of-2016-play-date.html


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2016 2015

WORKSHOP SERIES

Workshops Scheduled 63 55

Workshops Completed 48 38

Total Number of Attendees 559 342

Members Attended 246 135

Non Members 314 189

Association Discounts 30 18

SUMMER THEATRE INTENSIVE Peterborough Waterloo

Courses 4 5

Participants 39 41

2. Stakeholder Awareness & Engagement

MEMBERS

professional individual artists 446 475

community individual artists 200 179

professional arts organizations 84 98

community arts organizations 92 88

Total individual artists & arts organizations 822 840

REGIONS

Central 63 59

East 86 84

Far North 0 0

Northeast 21 23

Northwest 3 3

South Central 130 142

Southwest 132 131

Toronto 386 387

COMMUNICATIONS

Web Site: Sessions Monthly 6,800 6,500

Online Audition Listings: unique page views monthly 825 1,000

ONstage Show Listing: unique page views monthly 1,500 1,500

Bulletin Board Listings: unique page views monthly 240 165

Theatre Ontario Presents e-newsletter: Recipients 5,752 6,557

Blog: views per month 1,250 1,200

Twitter: followers 9,500 8,700

Twitter: engagement 1.50% 2.00%

Facebook: likes 4200 3,800

Facebook: engagement 7.00% 1.50%


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3. Revenue through Diversification

2016 2015

REVENUES

Government grants $261,288 $ 288,932

Memberships $72,582 $ 77,089

Summer courses & other training $43,976 $ 41,386

Showcase, Festival & other programming $23,618 $ 28,366

Donations & sponsorships $18,559 $ 24,123

Other $11,513 $ 7,701

Total Revenues $431,536 $ 467,597

EXPENSES

Salaries, contract fees & benefits $194,120 $ 221,887

Professional & Youth theatre training grants $114,092 $ 117,087

Summer courses & other training $31,177 $ 44,630

Showcase, Festival & other programming $21,291 $ 22,330

Marketing & Communications $8,866 $ 12,377

Board of Directors & Committees $2,322 $ 3,933

General & Administration $69,022 $ 67,689

Total Expenses $440,890 $ 489,933

4. Human Resource Effectiveness

STAFFING

Full Time positions 3 3

Part Time positions 7 7

5. Board Effectiveness

CAPACITY

Volunteer Members 14 14


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REPORT FROM THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE The 2016-2017 Board of Directors

Board President

Mary Jane Boon (Ammeraal Beltech)

Board Vice-President

Leah Dietrich (CIBC)

Secretary

Betsy Chaly (Indspire)

Member-At-Large

Neil Wiancko (Factory Theatre)

Lily Baird (EODL Rep)

Bodene Corbitt (ACT-CO Rep)

Vera N. Held (Consultant)

Elley-Ray (Actor)

Ray Jacildo (Actor)

Eyal Katz (Giant Step)

Gil Katz (Giant Step)

Helen Landry (QUONTA Rep)

Linda Lloyd-McKenzie (WODL Rep)

George Randolph (Randolph Academy)

NOMINATED CANDIDATES FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017/2018

There are up to fifteen elected positions on the Theatre Ontario Board of Directors. Board members serve two-year

terms for a maximum of three terms (six years).

As Nominations Chair, I would like to nominate the following individuals as members of the Theatre Ontario Board of

Directors for the 2017/18 Season:

For their first two‐year term:

Bodene Corbitt (Toronto)

Vera N. Held (Toronto)

Carri Johnson (North Bay)

For their second two‐year term:

Lily Baird (Kingston)

Leah Dietrich (Toronto)

Eyal Katz (Toronto)

Gil Katz (Toronto)

Ray Jacildo (Toronto)

Continuing Members of the Board:

Mary Jane Boon (Newmarket)

Betsy Chaly (Toronto)

Elley-Ray (Toronto)

Linda Lloyd-McKenzie (Brantford)

George Randolph (Toronto)

Neil Wiancko (Toronto)

Retiring from the Board is Helen Landry (Sudbury) who has served three consecutive terms on the Board of Directors.

Respectfully submitted,

Leah Dietrich,

Nominations Chair


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THANK YOU’S

To Our Valued Donors

Benefactors ($500+)

Elley-Ray Hennessy

Helen Landry

Randolph Academy for the

Performing Arts

Michael V. Spence

Kenneth Stephen

Patrons ($200-$499)

Leah Dietrich

Andrew Jourard

Mark Mooney

Bruce Pitkin

Virginia Reh

Heidi Stock

Ross Stuart

Kenneth Taylor

Don Watts & Joyce Watts

Lily Yin

Supporters ($100-$199)

Lily Baird & Robert Baird

Mary Jane Boon

Michael Burgess

Deborah Burrett

Joan Burrows

Ron Cameron-Lewis

Betsy Chaly

The Curtain Club

Jeremy Dietrich

Nicholas Dietrich

Ellen Flowers

Sue Foster

David Gardner

Doreen Halpert

Ken Harkes

Brian Howden

Elizabeth Howson

Rita Huschka

Alicia Jeffery

Gerry Jordan

Shawn Kerwin

Cam Lund &

Wayne Milliner

Walter Maskel

Beth McMaster

Mandy McNeil

Sandra Newton

Susan M. Perkins

Ian Provis

Flora Robertson

Ted Sellers

Deb Sholdice

Jerry Smith

Sharon Sproule

Andrew Trasuk

Sandra Tulloch

David Whiteley

Friends ($50-$99)

ACT-CO

Anonymous

Guy Bannerman

Karen Bergstrom Mackey

Michael Allen Bronstorph

Grant Buckler

Jane Carnwath

Bev Dietrich

Paul Eck

Andrea Emmerton

Timothy W. Fort

Shirley J. Gibson

Linda Glover

Sally Han

Rebecca Holt

Ray Jacildo

Carri Johnson

Barbara Kobolak

Tom Kobolak

Frankie Lee

Maggie Lee

Harvey Levkoe

Linda Lloyd-McKenzie

Jack Manarolis

Susan McQueen

Bill Meaden

Anna Migliarisi

Darcy Montin

Erminio G. Neglia

Cornelia Persich

David C. Phillips

George Randolph

Halina Sandig

Theresa Sears

Janet Sellery

Margaret Shearman

Laurel Smith

Krista Storey

David Switzer

Jo Ann Warren

Wendy Weinberg

Peggy Wrightson

Patrick Young


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To Our Valued Funders Ontario Arts Council

Business for the Arts

Toronto Arts Council

Ontario Ministry for Culture, Sport and Tourism

To Our Valued Sponsors Marinucci & Company (Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture)

Sheridan College (Next Generation Showcase)

Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts (Next Generation Showcase)

artsVest Toronto, run by Business for the Arts with the support of Canadian Heritage and the Toronto Arts Council

Thanks also to the many theatre companies that provide ticket discounts to members of Theatre Ontario.

To Our Board, Volunteers & Staff To our Board of Directors, I would like to thank Board President Mary Jane Boon for going beyond the call of duty,

as well as show my profound gratitude to every member of the Board, including: Lily Baird, Betsy Chaly, Bodene

Corbitt, Leah Dietrich, Vera N. Held, Elley-Ray, Ray Jacildo, Linda Lloyd-McKenzie, Eyal Katz, Gil Katz, Helen Landry,

George Randolph, and Neil Wiancko.

To our volunteer Youth Advisory Committee Co-chairs Annie MacKay and Jocelyn MacNeil.

To our countless volunteers who give freely of their time at our many events, as well as our in-house regular Lev

Levner.

Lastly, I would like to express my appreciation to the staff of Theatre Ontario for their dedication, humour and

inspiration. Special thanks to Brandon Moore, Rachel Kennedy, Rebecca Ballarin, Claudia Araya, Alexandra Guppy,

Pelin Gulver, Christine Rankin and Sagan MacIsaac.


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