Back for their 2023-2024 season, Hamilton Theatre Inc. is putting on several popular Broadway musicals for the community to enjoy
Hamilton Theatre Inc. was founded in 1956 by a group of individuals passionate about musicals and the dramatic arts. The purpose of the theatre was to bring beloved Broadway musicals to the community, both to entertain theatre-goers and as an opportunity to help actors hone their skills.
McMaster University alumnus Riane Leonard has been a consistent member at HTI. Leonard has also been involved with Board of Directors, has worked as a secretary for HTI, and has worked with HTI social media.
The theatre is an outlet for those who have a passion for arts and performance and a training ground for those who are looking to pursue theatre professionally. There opportunities for everyone to get involved, depending on their interests, whether working on behind-the-scenes aspects, performing or just attending the show.
The theatre is an outlet for those who have a passion for arts and performance and a training ground for those who are looking to pursue theatre professionally. There opportunities for everyone to get involved, depending on their interests, whether working on behind-the-scenes aspects, performing or just attending the show.
HTI is also unique not only because it is completely volunteer-run, but also because it focuses on highlighting shows that are not usually put into the spotlight, with an emphasis on inclusive and diverse performances so that all groups are represented in theatre.
HTI has just come off a sold out season in 2022-2023. Leonard has said that people are very excited to see what the theatre has to offer this year, even buying tickets in advance for the spring shows.
Leonard explained the process for organizing performances at HTI has a lot of steps. First is assembling a show selection committee; this committee chooses the plays for the season. From here, HTI builds the production team applications and then, later, hosts cast auditions. Then, rehearsals and promotions for the show can begin to get the show ready to be performed.
Leonard hoped that everyone who comes to visit the theatre walks away with a desire to see more community-based theatre.
“I hope that they themselves want to become interested in the theatre, either volunteering, auditioning or supporting by coming out to shows. Also, [they can see] just what else Hamilton has to offer because there's just a lot of rich arts and theatre going on in the city at any given time,” said Leonard.
I hope that they themselves want to become interested in the theatre, either volunteering, auditioning or supporting by coming out to shows. Also, [they can see] just what else Hamilton has to offer because there's just a lot of rich arts and theatre going on in the city at any given time.
Riane Leonard, Board of Directors member, Hamilton Theatre Inc.
There are many chances for students to become involved with HTI if they have a passion for theatre and musicals. Opportunities includes everything from auditions to perform to technical or artistic crew, production and ushering.
HTI also offers a student ticket rate for anyone who wants to go see the show.
HTI is located at 140 Macnab St. N. and during the 2023-2024 season, their sixty-fifth season, HTI will be presenting three shows: Fun Home, Seussical and The Prom. Tickets can be found here.
The Westdale Theatre will showcase various Halloween classics so you can get your dose of the spookies just down the street from campus
The Westdale Theatre screens independent films and provides a space for public performances and exhibitions. They aim to showcase diverse Canadian content as well as classic throwbacks. They also host live cultural events throughout the year.
The theatre is managed by the Westdale Cinema group, a charitable organization that hopes to provide a space for the community to gather to enjoy cinema and culture.
For Halloween this year, the Westdale plans to once again screen various Halloween classics, as they have been doing since they opened. However, this year, they will also be hosting a drag and movie mixer entitled REEL QUEENS on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m., where they will be screening The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
This event will be sponsored by the House of Adam and Steve and will feature drag queen Jessie James.
There will also be a sensory-friendly screening of The Addams Family geared towards family and kids on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. The sensory-friendly screening allows those with heightened sensitivity to light and sound to come to the theater and enjoy the show. The lights will be turned on and the audience can roam around and make noise.
Neal Miller, the Executive Director at the Westdale Theatre, hopes that everyone who comes out to the Halloween showings will have a great time.
“[I hope they] just come and have fun in the theatre. I think the great thing for Mac students to know is that not all universities in our country have access to such a cool place that’s within walking distance of their campus,” said Miller.
[I hope they] just come and have fun in the theatre. I think the great thing for Mac students to know is that not all universities in our country have access to such a cool place that’s within walking distance of their campus
Neal Miller, Executive Director, the Westdale Theatre
With the growing norm of just watching movies alone in your home, Miller hopes this event will bring the community together, as watching a movie with group of people is a completely different experience from watching one alone. It is important for students to collectively experience things with the rest of the community.
“Watching Rocky Horror Picture Show at home on your TV is not nearly as fun as watching it with 300 other people screaming and calling back to the screen and bringing props and having fun, not to mention all of the cultural value and that the health values of having culture,” explained Miller.
For The Rocky Horror Picture Show, they encourage viewers to dress up and to bring props. Miller hopes that this will provide students and adults a time to have fun and relax by dressing up.
“Dressing up, [for] adults, allows [them] to be kids, not taking life too seriously. Life [can be] pretty serious and difficult,” said Miller.
Dressing up, [for] adults, allows [them] to be kids, not taking life too seriously. Life [can be] pretty serious and difficult
Neal Miller, Executive Director, the Westdale Theatre
Over the next few weeks, they will be other Halloween-themed films as well, including The Nightmare before Christmas.
In the future, the Westdale Theatre hopes to continue educating the community through the arts and provide opportunities for the community to come together by showcasing local art and film. The Westdale Theatre also hopes to bring more of the city’s cultural works to the big screen, so more people can enjoy them.
Theatre Aquarius celebrated its fiftieth anniversary as an important theatrical and cultural space in the Hamilton community
On Sept. 27, Theatre Aquarius officially began its fiftieth season, kicking it off with a performance of Norm Foster’s Jonas and Barry in the Home.
Theatre Aquarius was founded in 1973 under the leadership of Peter Mandia, the founding artistic director of the theatre. Until 1991, Theatre Aquarius primarily performed at the Studio Theatre at Hamilton Place, and it did not have a theatre centre of its own. However, in 1991, various donors facilitated the building of the Dofasco Centre for the Arts, Theatre Aquarius’s own theatre centre.
I was lucky enough to catch a performance of Jonas and Barry in the Home during its two-and-a-half week run at Theatre Aquarius, and I could understand why it was chosen to start off such a milestone season for the theatre. A three-actor performance detailing a friendship between two men in a senior’s home, I found Jonas and Barry in the Home to be full of heart, joy and nostalgia.
While Jonas and Barry in the Home is no longer showing at Theatre Aquarius, there will be many more shows to watch throughout the 2023-2024 season. Jake Epstein’s Boy Falls from the Sky is slated to appear next at the theatre, opening on Oct. 25. Detailing Epstein’s journey in theatre, Boy Falls from the Sky is a ninety-minute solo performance by Epstein himself.
“Boy Falls from the Sky is a story for anyone who’s ever tried to go after their dreams,” says the description on Theatre Aquarius' website.
The remainder of Theatre Aquarius’s season will showcase Pollyanna: The Musical, Uncle Vanya, Shirley Valentine and Beautiful Scars.
Along with putting on theatrical productions for the community to enjoy, Theatre Aquarius has made a number of other meaningful artistic contributions over the last fifty years. For example, in 1976, Theatre Aquarius launched their theatre school. Theatre school programs, such as acting classes and musical theatre classes, are still offered by Theatre Aquarius today.
“The program has run continuously, providing thousands of young people throughout the region with a chance to participate in the theatre arts at a high level, launching many to professional careers in the arts and providing many more with new confidence that helped them reach their dreams, and helping to instill a lifelong love of theatre,” reads the Theatre Aquarius website.
Along with longstanding community contributions such as this one, Theatre Aquarius has also made newer contributions to the community, such as their recently launched National Centre for New Musicals. This program is designed to support Canadian writers who are working on new musicals, and it is currently accepting applications until Dec. 15.
Celebrate Valentine's Day with a night of theatrical shows and live music
On Feb. 10, the Gritty City Theatre Company held their first-ever fundraiser event, Gritty City Steels your Heart, at the Spice Factory in downtown Hamilton.
The Gritty City Theatre Company was founded in 2019 by Melissa Murray-Mutch and Jason Thompson. They wanted to explore race, class and all things theatrical in their productions and foster community and family through their spaces.
“We have a great group of people that are working with us and they want to do it and I started to think of our theatre company as a home – we want it to be a home for people,” said Murray-Mutch.
The purpose of the Feb. 10 fundraiser was to bring awareness to their company, thank the cast of their last Fringe digital exclusive performance and celebrate Valentine’s Day with the rest of the community.
The evening of the Gritty City Steels your Heart event was filled with live music by arttheboy, a Hamilton-based artist and filmmaker; a live band performance by Badnew, a local punk band by Lola Medina and brothers Jack & Ben Caunter performing the “Hammered 2.0” soundtrack and an art exhibit and market organized by Jessika and Natasha Reddy. There were also performances from the Canadian Slavery Project, directed by Melissa Murray-Mutch and screenings of “Hammered” and “Hammered 2.0”, directed by John-Riley O'Handley and Lucy Reddy respectively. There was also food, drinks and raffles offered at the event.
Murray-Mutch hoped attendees would learn more about the Gritty City family, their hidden talent and continue to support their work. She also hoped that this event will attract more artists to collaborate with them in future projects.
“[We] want to attract more artists as well. We want people who want to work with us, and we want to let people know that we are [a] driving force in the community as well. Even though we're small, we’re mighty,” said Murray-Mutch.
Most of all, she hopes attendees will have an enjoyable time at the event.
“We want to do quality work, but we want to make it fun for everybody. We want people to come there and just have a great time,” she said.
“We want to do quality work, but we want to make it fun for everybody. We want people to come there and just have a great time."
Melissa Murray-Mutch, Founder of Gritty City Theatre Company
Moving forward, Gritty City plans on starting a new community theatre project and collaborating more with local artists. Additionally, they hope to continue to produce more showings for larger audiences while exploring new genres.
Inclusive storytelling in theatre gives all folks an opportunity to see themselves on stage
From a young age, many of us have been inspired seeing versions of ourselves — or versions of ourselves we aspired to be — in TV shows, movies, books and theatre. However, we may have also come to realise there were no versions of ourselves in the media we had as children.
Hartley Reed Schuyler, a transmasculine queer performance artist, who attended McMaster University for history, saw an opportunity to provide this inspiration to youth audiences through theatre.
He applied to Carousel Theatre for Young People in Vancouver, B.C. and he became an outreach coordinator for the production Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls by Dave Deveau.
In LGBG nine-year-old Fin comes out as a boy and we observe his family adapt, with Dad accepting the change right away while Mom struggles. Both kids and parents in the audience watch Fin’s family move from good intentions to active support, embracing Fin’s transition and gender identity.
Schuyler was tasked with building a resource guide for teachers and students aged nine to 12 viewing the play to complement their classroom discussions.
“Our goal is to bring classrooms into the theatre,” explained Schuyler.
In adapting a new guide for LGBG, which was originally performed in 2018 at the Roseneath Theatre, Schuyler considered how the conversation around trans kids has changed even in just the past few years. Namely, beyond being a guide through the trans experience, it serves as a community-oriented invitation to parents, teachers, friends and peers alike to deeply evaluate their approach to caring for trans people in their lives.
The show weaves together the experiences of trans kids and those of their parents, allowing parents to also see themselves on stage. The audience learns what it means to be supportive and really show up for someone you love.
The show weaves together the experiences of trans kids and those of their parents, allowing parents to also see themselves on stage. The audience learns what it means to be supportive and really show up for someone you love.
Schuyler noted this duality in target audience is something we often don’t see, since we tend to target only one audience or another. LGBG strives to demonstrate everyone has a role to play in supporting trans youth, including parents, teachers and peers.
“Because it is a show that is so centralized in all facets of its storytelling that it doesn’t just target kids and it doesn’t just target the parents – there’s something in it for both communities and I think that’s really important,” said Schuyler.
"Because it is a show that is so centralized in all facets of its storytelling that it doesn’t just target kids and it doesn’t just target the parents – there’s something in it for both communities and I think that’s really important."
HARTLEY REED SCHUYLER, OUTREACH COORDINATOR FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS
For students interested in theatre, Schuyler encouraged them to seek out opportunities that feel safe in terms of their support systems and adds sometimes smaller spaces are the ones that make the most space for people. During his time at McMaster, he was closely involved with several theatre spaces on campus, including McMaster Activist Theatre, which he felt was one the most accessible ones on campus.
Schuyler also emphasized that there is always space for everyone, even if that sometimes means carving out a space for yourself, and while he notes that can be hard work, he hopes with so many working together towards this goal, as he felt working on LGBG, it will soon be less so.
C/O Will Francis (Unsplash)
Hamilton’s Red Betty Theatre is launching a new podcast for their tenth anniversary
By: Joleen Awad, contributor
The Red Betty Theatre is a non-profit and the only Indigenous, Black, Person Of Colour and women-run theatre in Hamilton. To commemorate their tenth anniversary, Red Betty Theatre is releasing a new podcast series.
The idea for the series first came about when Radha Menon, the artistic director and founder of Red Betty Theatre, saw a grant offered by the Canada Council Digital Fund and a podcast seemed like an excellent opportunity to create an archive of the work being done by Red Betty Theatre over the past decade.
The idea for the series first came about when Menon saw a grant offered by the Canada Council Digital Fund and a podcast seemed like an excellent opportunity to create an archive of the work being done by Red Betty Theatre over the past decade.
“I’m actually very excited that it gives a new lease of life to plays that were beloved by audiences, because theatre is ephemeral . . . And when it closes, it’s gone. It’s gone forever. So the podcasts give these plays a new lease of life, which is wonderful,” said Menon.
Their “10th Anniversary Podcast Series” will feature five original plays previously presented at the theatre. The plays will be split over three separate episodes and converted into radio dramas specifically for the podcast, making the production process more difficult than usual.
“When it’s a podcast, it’s totally sonic, you really have to be able to put the stories over narratives without the help of all the visual aids that we have on stage,” explained Menon.
Claire Burns, artistic producer at the theatre company, explained for each episode Menon and a dramaturge, a story editor specializing in theatre, sit down and take apart the play’s script, reworking it for the podcast. For example, each of the visual cues that would normally be found in a performance have to be substituted for an auditory cue instead.
Next, the casting is done, after which it takes around one week to produce all the episodes for a play.
The plays will be launched on a weekly basis, with each set of three episodes being released at the same time.
The best thing about the podcast is that you can experience theatre in your everyday actions. You can drive a car, take a walk, study and still become immersed in the play’s world. For students especially, this is a unique chance to explore new worlds from their own homes without having to attend a performance in person.
Both Menon and Burns hope people will walk away from each episode entertained and having experienced something new.
“It’ll broaden [students’] horizons for a start . . . if you listen to our podcast, you will be taken into worlds that you generally don’t see,” said Menon.
“It’ll broaden [students’] horizons for a start . . . if you listen to our podcast, you will be taken into worlds that you generally don’t see."
Radha Menon, the artistic director and founder of Red Betty TheatrE
“[Menon’s voice is] just so unique and there’s no voice like it, not even in Hamilton, but even in Canada. So that in and of itself stands alone. I would say, that’s another thing that kind of sets us apart from a lot of the mainstream companies in Hamilton,” added Burns.
Red Betty Theatre’s tenth anniversary podcast series captures the spirit of the company and offering audiences the opportunity to re-visit — or discover for the first time — some of their wonderful work. It’s a fitting commemoration of the company’s last ten years and a promise of more remarkable stories to be told.
C/O Dayne Topkin, Unsplash
Fables For a New World asks artists to imagine what comes next
Over the last three years, COVID-19 has reshaped the world as we know it — our usual pastimes turned into DIY hobbies, outdoor days turned into lockdowns and in-person classes turned into Zoom meetings. But what comes next? What will happen in the post-pandemic world? What would be the first story to tell? Industry, a Hamilton-based theatre and media company, tells the stories about what comes next in their new project, Fables For a New World.
Co-produced by Rose Hopkins and Matthew MacFadzean, members of Industry, the project is the sequel to the Corona Diaries in which seven artists from around the globe shared how they were coping with the pandemic and changes to their arts practice. Each artist uploaded a series of video entries over the course of eight weeks. The project wrapped up with a live event in August 2020.
The artists included: Deepti Gupta (Canada), Andile Nebulane (South Africa), Tamlyn Magee (Australia), Celine Mun (South Korea), Haruna Kondo (Japan), Harry Long (England) and Michael Rubenfeld (Poland). None of them knew each other nor had interacted with each other during the Corona Diaries project until its wrap-up event.
“We uploaded separate videos to a series of questions without any communication with each other and then when we saw the collected versions, the collective response was very interesting — in how different artists in different countries had synchronicities and connections with what they were experiencing,” said Gupta, a choreographer and performer as well as the owner of Arzoo Dance Theatre and a member of Industry.
“We uploaded separate videos to a series of questions without any communication with each other and then when we saw the collected versions, the collective response was very interesting — in how different artists in different countries had synchronicities and connections with what they were experiencing.”
Deepti Gupta, choreographer, performer, owner of Arzoo Dance Theatre and a member of Industry
The same seven artists are now all part in the Fables For a New World.
The premise for the Fables For a New World is the world as we know it has ended and the seven artists are tasked with creating fables emerging out of a narrative for the new world. The first assignment the artists did together was looking up at the sky — the only scenery commonly available to all seven artists from seven different countries — and finding a new constellation to create their own individual fables.
Hopkins and MacFadzean then reviewed the fables and artists whose had similar themes were grouped together to continue developing those stories in a collaborative effort.
For instance, Gupta collaborated with Mun, an actress and assistant production manager in Atobiz theatre company, and Kondo, a trained actress, director and owner of AHURI Theatre.
The project was unlike what Gupta had ever done before. Not only was she new to integrating technology into her practice, Gupta found working in the digital space challenging, especially away from a live audience.
“Dance is very live and theatre is also very live. These are very live art forms — you are in with your body in a space — that’s how it works but there was nothing,” said Gupta.
However, despite the challenges, the support and bond the artists developed watching and reacting to their common thoughts, experiences and feelings shared in the Corona Diaries made it a valuable and meaningful undertaking.
“Being selected to be part of this project helped me to be connected with members of Industry and a group of artists across the globe made me feel like I’m still a part of something. Each of the people [Industry] selected are incredible talented and really experienced artists, so no matter what my own age or level of experience, it was an honour,” explained Gupta.
At the moment, Fables For a New World is still in early development. Hopkins and MacFadzean are applying for additional funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to continue the project and hopefully plan for a public presentation of the final pieces.
Both the Corona Diaries and Fables For a New World are indicative of how Industry is reimagining what the theatre space could be and of the fascinating and growing art scene in Hamilton.
“Industry is really interested in international work and bringing Hamilton into the international theatre and performance community. This has been the first project where we really started to be able to do some of that and I’m very excited about the idea, what this project could mean for future collaborations or expanding our networks of international companies,” said Hopkins.
Gupta echoed the Hopkin’s sentiments about the impact of the two projects.
“Hamilton has this buzz of technology and creating new art in new ways and I think it leads to these kinds of experiments . . . The newness of this project, how innovative it is, how it took risks and the beauty of that has emerged, I think is very magical for the pandemic where so much was lost in creation and so much was lost in artistic practice,” said Gupta.
"The newness of this project, how innovative it is, how it took risks and the beauty of that has emerged, I think is very magical for the pandemic where so much was lost in creation and so much was lost in artistic practice."
Deepti Gupta, choreographer, performer, owner of Arzoo Dance Theatre and a member of Industry
Fables For a New World brings beauty and magic in a period of time which has otherwise felt sad and discouraging. Hopefully soon, the audience can join Industry and the artists and follow them along their tales for the new world and learn more about their gentle collaboration which has nevertheless been very inspiring for everyone involved.
C/O Safer Spaces
The Safer Spaces Project, a joint initiative by Industry and Hamilton Fringe, seeks to create safer theatre and art spaces
Theatres and other art spaces are often perceived as safe spaces — spaces upheld by mutual respect, trust and kindness where folks can comfortably express themselves and feel supported.
However, this view fails to completely capture the real definition of a safe space: an environment free from harassment, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination, oppression and emotional or physical harm. In reality, the view that artistic spaces are fundamentally designed to be a safe space could not be further from the truth.
The Safer Spaces Project is a research project led by two arts organizations at the forefront of change in performance and art spaces, Industry and the Hamilton Fringe. The aim of the project is to collect data on harm that exist in theatre and art culture through a survey and use the information obtained to develop an internal cultural guide on mitigating harm and setting expectations of behaviour and accountability at Industry and Hamilton Fringe.
The survey launched in July 2021 and the hope is to collect 250 responses from all folks who engage with theatre and art spaces — performers, musicians, directors, producers and patrons just to name a few. A select number of survey participants will be interviewed to expand on their lived experiences. It is open to folks from any location; participants don’t need to be from Hamilton nor have an experience in an art space in Hamilton.
Robin Lacambra, also the Founder of GOODBODYFEEL, a pilates, yoga and mindfulness studio in Hamilton, is the director of the Safer Spaces Project. She was brought onto the project because of her previous work in creating safer spaces and collective liberation. Her online courses such as Sharing Privilege focus on how folks can implement more inclusive and anti-oppressive daily practices and be more aware of their individual privilege.
Laura Welch, the project coordinator, joined the Safer Spaces team to address and open the conversation on toxic norms of creative spaces that are too often swept under the rug. As an actress, she witnessed first-hand the abuses of power and discrimination in theatre. Outside of this project, she is the Safe Spaces Coordinator for Industry and Artistic Director of Light Echo Theatre.
“This project is really near and dear to my heart because throughout my experiences of working in the professional-level theatre, there’s just been so many abuses of power, harms and a lack of care in many of the spaces and it has deeply affected the quality of my artistry and my ability to seek employment in a field I have wanted to do my whole life. This project is a way to start addressing that,” explained Welch.
Everyone on the Safer Spaces Project team contributes unique perspectives and diverse, lived experiences to the conversation about issues in theatre and art spaces.
Researchers on the team include Maddie Krusto, an artist, educator and community outreach coordinator at the Hamilton Fringe, and Kitoko Mai, a Black, non-binary, multidisciplinary performance, media and community artist.
The project’s steering committee is composed of Karen Ancheta, a Filipina theatre storyteller and theatre performer; Adrienne Crossman, queer and non-binary curator and artist; Juan Jaramillo, a Latinx, deaf performance artist; Josh Taylor, Black dancer and owner of Defining Movement Dance studio; Talli Osborne, a performance artist born missing her arms; and Cher Obediah, an Indigenous storyteller, writer and artist.
“It’s a very colourful steering committee and that’s very rare. It’s really rare to have steering committees that aren’t predominately White . . . Even though all the experiences are individual, because we have such an intersectional team, we are getting way more data from our steering committee meetings than just a boardroom of White men talking about what they think will be best,” explained Lacambra.
So far, the response to the project has been affirming. Many people have shared their appreciation about the conversations the team is promoting online, through the survey and at panels. On Nov. 25, Safer Spaces Project will have a booth at the Garden Project Party for folks to complete the survey at the event and ask questions.
Once 250 survey responses have been collected, the team is planning on hosting a public panel to share the findings. When the internal culture guide is complete, it will be available on the Industry and Hamilton Fringe websites for feedback and re-evaluated annually. On a broader scale, the team hopes the guide can serve as a blueprint for other arts organizations and places to cultivate a safe space in their own practices.
“The hope is to create this takeaway: we did all this research, we spoke to a lot of people, we have such a diverse steering committee, so many experiences are being considered in this document we are presenting, [so] take it and run with it and make your space safer for more folks,” said Lacambra.
In addition to the development of the internal cultural guide, the Safer Spaces Project facilitates discussions about oppressive and harmful practices in the entertainment and art industries through its interview series called Midday Musings. The series is conducted by the core team of Lacambra, Welch, Krusto and Mai featuring guest speakers to share their experiences and the changes they would like to see.
The series re-emphasizes the importance of the Safer Spaces Project and amplifies voices of those that have gone through challenges and are surviving and thriving. In doing so, the team also hopes it will increase engagement and encourage others to take part in the survey.
“[Collecting enough survey responses] has been a little tricky so far. I think partially because to actually name there’s an issue in an industry where you are so replaceable can feel really scary. We are trying to continue a conversation that has been happening underground for a while and spark something in artists to do the survey so we can get data and make change,” said Welch.
In an industry in which success is heavily reliant on fame, power and influence, it can be difficult to speak up. Silence is demanded. Complaints are shut down. And the squeaky wheel doesn’t get the role. However, it is more the reason why the project requires support and action.
“It’s important for all folks to recognize we are all required to intentionally contribute to creating equitable futures and just futures and liberated futures. If we aren’t intentionally contributing to such a cause, then we are unintentionally holding that reality back from manifesting. We are all required in the revolution of collective liberation,” said Lacambra.
By participating in the survey, folks can enact their leadership and power to drive tangible change in fostering safer, braver theatre and art spaces.
“And wouldn’t that be an amazing thing to do?” said Lacambra.
The Staircase Theatre’s improvisation community provides a perfect place for creative people to connect during the pandemic
By: Kate Whitesell-O'Melia, Contributor
Photo C/O Kakerr from TripAdvisor
The Staircase theatre has been an incubator for the Hamilton arts scene since it was founded in 1998. The theatre was originally a hydro building but was converted into a 67-seat theatre where Hamilton’s improvisation community has gathered for over 20 years.
Along with housing performances of improv groups such as The Understudies, Staircase theatre has fostered the Improv Staircase community, a group of individuals that are brought together by their passion for improv.
Kristi Boulton is a voice actor, podcaster and comedian who joined the Staircase Improv community in 2013 when she graduated from McMaster University. Boulton recounted her time at the Staircase theatre and her first time performing with her group The Understudies.
“There’s just nothing like it. The laugh that you get it’s so genuine and in the moment and real that it just lights your soul on fire . . . [the Staircase] is such a safe space to play and be a total goofball. It’s scary for sure, but it’s also magical,” said Boulton.
“There’s just nothing like it. The laugh that you get it’s so genuine and in the moment and real that it just lights your soul on fire . . . [the Staircase] is such a safe space to play and be a total goofball. It’s scary for sure, but it’s also magical.”
Kristi Boulton
Boulton went on to become a voice actor and podcaster with the show Civilized. Boulton said that if it wasn’t for the Staircase, she would not have had the courage to connect with other comedians.
Last year, performances and gatherings at the Staircase theatre were put on pause due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Since Staircase Improv has been teaching online improv bubbles on Monday and Wednesday nights.
Staircase Improv teacher, Bill Dunphy, joined the community in 2011 and has been teaching Zoom improv bubbles during the pandemic.
“It is very much the difference between having your seven-year-olds being able to spend two hours in the playground doing whatever they wanted to, whether it's ball or running or talking or whatever, and then having a Zoom chat. Okay yeah, they're still together, they still see each other, interact, but it's a very different thing and that's resulted in a real impact on our community members,” said Dunphy.
“Okay yeah, they're still together, they still see each other, interact, but it's a very different thing and that's resulted in a real impact on our community members.”
Bill Dunphy, Staircase Improv Teacher
Many university students can relate — classes aren’t the same online as they were in person because it lacks the component of being with your peers while learning and growing together. Dunphy hopes to see a fair number of members returning once it is possible to do safely.
During the pandemic, the Staircase theatre almost closed permanently. In August 2020, the former owners announced that there were selling the venue.
“It was such a blow to the community when we realized that the theatre space was potentially going to close because it is that home for so many people,” said Boulton.
Luckily, the theatre was bought by new owners who are continuing the Staircase’s former message. Performances will continue once it is safe to do so and in the meantime, the theatre is open virtually for anyone to try improv.
“I recommend it to everyone, anyone who wants to get creative . . . The simplest thing is just come out to one of the Monday or Wednesday drop-ins. No experience is needed. We welcome everyone,” said Dunphy.
On a personal note, I had the pleasure of attending a Wednesday night improv class myself. I had no previous experience and was nervous to put myself in a situation where others could see me react with no time to stop and think.
I felt that fear melt away as the night went on solely because the group was so welcoming and accepting of my lack of improv skills. Dunphy and Boulton recommend anyone interested in expressing creativity try improv and, after participating in Staircase Improv, I wholeheartedly agree.
New festival by Red Betty Theatre is offering a stage for BIPOC women stories
C/O @redbettytheatre
The experience of colonization is something communities around the world are familiar with. However, since no two places had identical experiences, each community has its own histories and struggles to grapple with now. At its core, decolonization is about holding space to share these diverse histories and acknowledging the hurts that hide there in order to build a better, more equitable and inclusive future.
Theatre, like all art, is an essential part of decolonization for the unique opportunities the stage offers to share stories and experiences. Though theatre has been around for centuries all across the world, it is too often regarded as a European tradition. As such, it is often difficult for marginalized and racialized individuals to showcase their work and share their stories.
“The majority of artistic directors look at things through a Eurocentric lens and the plays that I write maybe are alienated, by the titles even. For example, my one play which has won awards, it is called Rukmini’s Gold, if they don't know that Rukmini is a name, if they don't know what it is, they have no tie to it culturally. So it's the last thing that they'll read on their pile if they'll even read it. So I found that the only way to get my work produced was to start my own company,” explained Radha Menon, the founder of Hamilton’s Red Betty Theatre.
"For example, my one play which has won awards, it is called Rukmini’s Gold, if they don't know that Rukmini is a name, if they don't know what it is, they have no tie to it culturally. So it's the last thing that they'll read on their pile if they'll even read it. So I found that the only way to get my work produced was to start my own company.”
Radha Menon
The theatre recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Though it has received little support from the city of Hamilton, the theatre has offered its stage to productions including Ganga’s Ganja (2012, 2018), Cockroach (2017) and In The Shadows (2018), written by Menon and put on by Black, Indigenous and People of Colour actors, directors and designers. Its upcoming productions include Blackberry, in partnership with Hamilton Fringe, from June 4 to 13, 2021 in Carter Park and the Decolonize Your Ears Festival in June 2021.
Decolonization is at the core of the theatre’s work. It offers a stage for the stories of BIPOC women so that they may reach broader and more diverse audiences. Red Betty also encourages Canadian theatre groups to better reflect cultural diversity and the cultural practices of different communities.
“[Red Betty Theatre] is inclusive, non-competitive, friendly, equitable, for the people, by the people, of the people. We are open to women artists who are Indigenous, Black or racialized because we believe that their stories are important, our stories are important,” said Menon.
The art world is a difficult one. Theatre projects are typically funded through grants from the government or other institutions. Currently, these grants are extremely competitive and often privilege older, more established organizations but funding cuts in the arts sector have made this process increasingly challenging. Newer organizations especially struggle to receive necessary funding and it is often even harder for groups like Menon’s Red Betty Theatre.
“So put it this way, it took us 10 years to get a Canada council production grant . . . [W]e don't get much funding from the city because we're a new organization and the way the funding structures in arts bodies work is very much based on how long your institution has been around. So all the older ones which are generally male, white-led, they get funded to the teeth whereas the new organizations get the leftovers . . . It's very hard to get everything going and it takes us a lot of time to be able to plan for even one show,” explained Menon.
For example, Menon has had the idea for the Decolonize Your Ears Festival for some time, but it was only recently that the theatre was able to secure the necessary funding to make this festival reality.
“We don't see anything on stages that reflect the cultural diversity and the cultural practices of different communities. So, Decolonize Your Ears is that opportunity for artists to express their own specific cultures and communities in ways that are unrestricted and uncensored,” said Menon.
“We don't see anything on stages that reflect the cultural diversity and the cultural practices of different communities. So, Decolonize Your Ears is that opportunity for artists to express their own specific cultures and communities in ways that are unrestricted and uncensored.”
Radha Menon
The festival will feature four plays. One by Menon and three others by emerging BIPOC women playwrights: Natasha Cecily Bacchus, Melissa Murray Mutch, Gaitrie Persaud-Dhunmoon and Joanne Roberts. The festival also offers these playwrights the opportunity to consult and develop their pieces with Hamilton-based playwrights Marilo Nuñez and Donna-Michelle St. Bernard.
Offering a stage and a space to share these stories is a crucial part of not only decolonizing theatre but also the larger decolonization movement.
“Until there is the decolonization of all institutions, government and non-government, we will continue to see racism, bigotry and harassment . . . Decolonization is a massive thing that needs to happen, for there to be any equity amongst people,” said Menon.
Theatre is very personal and different people will walk away from a play with different impressions. Menon especially encourages students to check out the festival and the theatre’s other work, not only if they’re interested in or studying theatre but also if they’re curious about and interested in new stories.
“[T]his is the place where you will hear stories that you will never read in class or in the library or see on TV. These are stories that have been curated especially because of how unique they are and this is an opportunity to grow. And for students, I think the point of going to any kind of institution is to grow. Universities are very colonized places and this is an opportunity to step out of that colonized space into a decolonized space,” said Menon.
“[T]his is the place where you will hear stories that you will never read in class or in the library or see on TV. These are stories that have been curated especially because of how unique they are and this is an opportunity to grow. And for students, I think the point of going to any kind of institution is to grow."
Radha Menon
Decolonize Your Ears Festival will take place from June 22 to 26, 2021 outdoors, public health restrictions permitting. Alternatively, the event will be livestreamed. Menon hopes that the festival will become an annual event.
Organizations such as Red Betty Theatre and festivals such as Decolonize Your Ears are crucial components to sharing communities’ diverse experiences and histories with colonialism, decolonizing theatre and creating a more equitable and inclusive future.
