By Keith Tomasek, Sept.10, 2024

If you’re a creator of any kind, you don’t want to miss the “Artists in the Auburn” series of events at the Grand Theatre in London.

This mind-expanding series invites artists from London and the area to dive deeper into their craft by connecting in real life (YAY), with leading theatre professionals from across Canada.

“We are thrilled to be focusing our efforts on connecting with theatre artists living in London, and the surrounding area,” says Rachel Peake, Grand Theatre artistic director.

“This series was designed for those people who engage tirelessly and creatively within this artistic community, and who wish to deepen their skills at the Grand Theatre.”

 

The Grand Theatre’s Artist Development Series is For You

Whether you are a professional artist, an emerging artist, or simply curious about getting started, this program is for you!

The series, divided into three pillars, will offer a season-long playwrights’ lab (application-based), a series of pay-what-you-can workshops led by nationally renowned theatre artists, and a speaker series.

CASCADE PLAYWRIGHTS’ LAB:

The CASCADE Playwrights’ Lab will bring together a cohort of local playwrights for a series of bi-monthly meetings, led by artistic director Rachel Peake, and will include skills-building exercises, time to share excerpts of writing, and goal-setting for work at home between sessions.

The lab will culminate in a public reading of excerpts of some of the works in progress. Interested applicants should review the application process at: www.grandtheatre.com/artists-auburn

Rachel Peake has a long history of new play development having worked as a dramaturge of plays, musicals, and opera for over fifteen years. For five years, she led Solo Collective Theatre, a Vancouver-based company that, at the time, produced exclusively new Canadian work. She led new play initiatives at the Citadel Theatre from 2017 to 2020 and developed the Citadel’s first Collider Festival of New Works. For Gros Morne Summer Music Rachel oversaw the creation of twelve new pieces over four years.

WORKSHOPS
“Artists in the Auburn” will also feature a series of workshops, subsidized by the Grand Theatre’s Community Outreach program and available at pay-what-you-can pricing of increments of $20, $35, and $50.

Playwriting with Mark Crawford
October 19, 2024 – 10 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
This workshop will explore some building blocks of playwriting: developing characters and crafting dialogue. Through a series of short writing exercises, participants can put words on the page and share them with the group.

Mark Crawford is one of Canada’s most-produced playwrights. His plays include “Bed and Breakfast,” “The Birds and the Bees,” “The New Canadian Curling Club,” and “The Golden Anniversaries,” which debuted at the Blyth Festival in 2024. Companies across Canada, including the Aquarius, Arts Club, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Western Canada Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Neptune Theatre, and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre have produced his plays.

Raised near Glencoe, On., Mark currently resides in Stratford, Ontario.

The Art of the Audition with Rachel Peake
November 24, 2024 – 6:00-10:00 p.m.
This workshop will focus on the processes of both a general audition and an audition for a play. This work aims to create ease and confidence in the actor and allow artists to show themselves and their work to their fullest potential.
Rachel Peake is the artistic director of the Grand Theatre and a London-based award-winning director who has directed plays, musical theatre, and opera across the country. Companies include the Arts Club, the Gateway, Caravan Farm, Citadel Theatre, Pacific Opera Victoria, Calgary Opera, Vancouver Opera, Persephone Theatre, Gros Morne Summer Music, and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.

Expanding your Vocal Toolkit with Alexandra Kane
Sunday, January 19, 2025 from 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Your voice is your instrument, and with this session, we will explore new methods to augment your vocal toolkit. Storytelling within a song can be achieved by utilizing vowel shapes, breathing techniques, and different vocal placements.

Alexandra Kane is a music director, producer, actor, singer, equity transformation coach, and activist. She has worked extensively as a Music Director at the Grand Theatre on shows such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Elf,” and this season’s upcoming production of “The Sound of Music.” A London-based artist, Alex is also creative director of the outstanding London Gospel Collective.

Spontaneity and Script Work with Rebecca Northan
Sunday, March 30, 2025 – 1:00-5:00 p.m.
In this four-hour professional development workshop, participants will be given an introduction to basic improvisation skills and how they can be applied to scripted work to build character, collaboration, and immediacy in the work.

Rebecca Northan is an actor/improviser/creator/director best known for her hit-shows “Blind Date” and “Goblin:Macbeth.” She is a Canadian Comedy Award winner and has spent much of her career attempting to sneak improvisation through the side-door of Canada’s mainstream theatres.

As an actor, Rebecca has appeared on stages across the country, most recently as an Ensemble Member at the Shaw Festival. As a director Rebecca recently directed “The Comedy of Errors “(Bard on the Beach) and will be directing “Pride and Prejudice,” featuring Kate Hennig, Beck Lloyd and Andrew Moodie, at the Grand this season. Rebecca lives in Stratford, Ontario.

Speaker Series

The third pillar of the “Artists in the Auburn” series will be a speaker series, featuring a collection of local and national theatre artists engaging with special topics pertaining to those who choose theatre as a career, including The Business of Theatre and Theatre Tech 101. More information about this speaker series will be announced as available at www.grandtheatre.com/artists-auburn

DETAILS DETAILS
Artists in the Auburn
The Grand Theatre
471 Richmond St, London, ON N6A 3E4
Get Details Online: www.grandtheatre.com/artists-auburn
Call the box office: (519) 672-8800