Janet Kish, Adjudicator
Adjudicator
A stickler issue we have had the past few years was choosing the festival awards winners. We’ve struggled at times with not only the description of the awards – Is Best production the best play or the best playwright or…? And how do we choose the best? Using what criteria? And of course, everyone has their own opinons. And then you get thiose who ask – Well who is “judging” and are they really qualified to? The result of this dilemma brought us to conclude the best course of action was to hire a professional Adjudicator for the festival, and so that’s what we did. To that end, we welcome aboard Janet Kish! Janet retired in 2012 from a successful teaching career to become an independent theatre maker. She is the former Curriculum Leader of the Arts for the Claude Watson Arts School in Toronto and was also the Head of Drama for many years at Sir Oliver Mowat in Scarborough. She is an accomplished playwright, director and dramaturg. She co-wrote Rattling the Stage – a textbook designed for high school theatre students. Janet is also a proud alumna of the Directors Labs of Toronto and Chicago. Janet has been an adjudicator for many years for the National Theatre School Drama Festival (formerly Sears) and for ACT-CO and EODL. Recent scripts written by her include The Delightful Chaos of Mistila and the Motlies (Toronto Fringe Festival 2024), Howard and Hope (Port Hope Arts Festival) and The Kiss (second place at the 2019 Newmarket National Play Festival). Favourite directorial works include The Penelopiad, Antigone, The Dreamcatchers at the Edinburgh Fringe and The Green Harvest. Janet is excited to be part of the Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays and looks forward to sharing their mandate to introduce audiences to new plays, playwrights and theatre creators. Janet’s diuties with the festival will include:
Reading each script and preparing expectations for each production in the festival.
Attend each performance and offer a “brief” talk back to benefit both the audience and the participants
at the end of the evening performances.
Evaluate and name winners for awards (eg: Outstanding Director/Acting/Production )
Attend an awards dinner in Newmarket and hand out awards as well as offer further comments for each
of the winning participants. (October or November Date / Location / Time to be determined).
Congratulations Janet and welcome aboard!
Creative Director
Marlene Charney
The Very Useful Theatre Company board has appointed Marlene Charney, who worked as a professional Actor for 25 years following her graduation from University of Windsor, Bachelor of Fine Arts program. In 2003 Marlene got her teaching degree and taught high school drama until very recently. Marlene, also a founding member of Easy Street Players, is now is thrilled to bring her experitese to the role of Creative Director for the Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays. Having directed in the festival previously(and again this year),Marlene is familiar with the festival expectations and format. Additionally, as a member of our play reading committee, she is also very familiar with all this year’s festival plays which gives her great insight for the vision of the festival. And finally, as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Marlene also holds a legacy that must never be forgotten. Congratulations on your appointment Marlene!
Production Manager
Joan Burrows Production Manager
Joan Burrows began her career as a teacher of English and Dramatic Arts in 1975 and when she moved to Richmond Hill the following year, she found an immediate family with The Curtain Club theatre where she has stage managed over 30 productions and directed dozens of shows, many of which went on to win regional and provincial awards. She also works with other theatres in the GTA. Her playwriting credits include Staff Room (Theatre Ontario Winner), The Photograph (ACT0-CO award for Best New Canadian Play), Gloria’s Guy, Four Hours and Willow Quartet which was transformed into a musical through the Sheridan College of Musical Theatre and was nominated for the National Tom Hendry Award in 2018. She is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and is published by Playwrights Canada Press. She is also a board member with The Very Useful Theatre Company which host the Newmarket International festival of One Act Plays and is looking forward to working with the directors and their teams for the One-Act Festival.. As P.M. Joan will meet with the play Directors for a short production meetings before one of their rehearsals to find out what areas they are struggling with; work with them on a budget and assist seeing them to a rehearsal schedule, leading up to the tech rehearsal. She will also, drop into occasional rehearsal to see how the team is working together. Joan will be working particularly to keep the newer Directors to the festival on track and we are confident Joan will keep them on time and on budget!
The 2024 Festival Play Directors
The Play Directors for the 2024 Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays are as follows;
Thursday Opening Night
Kay Valentine, Phone Solicitor – Lee Clements, The Next Move – Amanda Dempsey-Laughlin, Killing Time
Friday
Mary Rose Talani, The Third Rule – Marlene Charney, House of the Holy Moment
Saturday
Gerri Sefi, The Nature of Stars – Erika MacNeil, Queen Mari’s Castle
Sunday
The V.U.T.C. Young Company presents Battle of the Plays, a musical – The White’s Family Funeral, a comedy – The Green Secrets, a mystery. Young Company show is wheelchair and aphasia accessible! fFatures plays written, directed and performed by The V.U.T.C. Young Company, led by Kira Rosenbloom.
More
To see a description of the plays and see who the playwrights are please click here
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