It’s been a pretty strange year. Never would we have imagined that, nearing the end of summer 2021, we would have replaced our annual summer season of outdoor theatre with not one but three digital projects.
Driftwood audiences can already join Artistic Director Jeremy Smith as he celebrates reconnecting with people and places in Ontario with the Motorcycle Monologues and young viewers can experience the whimsical choose-your-own-adventure tale, Froxeaglousy, for free online through our YouTube channel. But we have one more very special experience to add before 2021 comes to a close: Driftwoods’ first-ever Digital Short Play Festival.
The Digital Short Play Festival collects four short plays currently in development at Driftwood and presents them for free online in digital format. Originally intended as opening-act performances prior to the Bard’s Bus Tour, all four plays were filmed over two days thanks to the generous support of the Toronto Arts Council’s Animating Toronto Parks program.
Ellen Denny’s romantically absurd So You, So I challenges a disillusioned couple to rekindle romance after tragedy bursts their idyllic existence.
In Matthew Gorman’s Boutique Siblings, a pair of abandoned siblings hope a remarkable skill will be their chance for a better future.
Two unnamed individuals struggle with a tenuous codependency in Rebecca Lashmar’s deliciously dark Fairchild, where ethics and morals are questioned in the face of survival.
Sisters squabble in Rabiya Mansoor’s smart comedy A Jam Kind of Day after a family tragedy forces them each to come to terms with an ill-advised family business decision.
The Digital Short Play Festival features performers Dhanish Chinniah (So You, So I; Boutique Siblings), Mina James (A Jam Kind of Day, Fairchild), Anand Rajaram (So You, So I), Gabriella Sundar Singh (A Jam Kind of Day, Fairchild) and Athena Kaitlin Trinh (Boutique Siblings).
The festival is directed by Cailleah Scott-Grimes and Jeremy Smith, with videography by Mateen Missaghi and Stella Racca, sound engineering by Ella Kohlmann, editing by Mitchell Allen, wardrobe by Carlyn Rahusaar Routledge and props by Almira Rahmati.
Driftwood’s Digital Short Play Festival will air for free on Driftwood’s YouTube channel, launching on October 22, 2021.
The Digital Short Play Festival is the culmination of a year-long process of development through Driftwood’s Beyond the Bard Playwrights Unit with dramaturgy by Caitie Graham. Driftwood’s 2021 Playwrights Unit is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Diminished Workshop
/in NewsHatched over a single night right before the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020, Gloria Mok’s Diminished is about to wrap up its first full phase of development.
What began as a short, 10-minute piece set among an upper hallway of Whitby’s Trafalgar Castle has emerged as a full length, two-act play which explores the relationship between a precocious and lonely 11-year old girl and a tightly-wound piano tuner.
Playwright, Gloria Mok
When the 10-minute play first premiered at Trafalgar 24 on March 8, 2020, it was both the jury and audience choice for Driftwood’s Beyond the Bard Residency prize. In the fall of 2020, Gloria began work to expand the play, first fleshing out a full one-act and most recently adding a second act to further explore this unique and touching relationship between teacher and student. Gloria’s work has been supported by a dramaturg and regular meetings with members of Driftwood’s Playwrights Unit.
Multiple drafts and many conversations later, Diminished is now ready to welcome more creative partners. During the week of December 6, Driftwood will bring together a group of artists in-person for the first time since that 2020 Trafalgar 24 event. “Not only is this a fitting and highly anticipated return to working with artists in physical space,” explains Driftwood Artistic Director Jeremy Smith, “but it’s also the perfect way to close out this very strange year – working with a fabulous group of people to support the development of a beautifully crafted story.”
We’re so excited to be welcoming director Keira Loughran (Stratford Festival, Canadian Stage), performers Tess Benger (Talk is Free, Bad Hats/Soulpepper) and Jeff Yung (Theatre Centre/6th Man Collective, Young Peoples Theatre, Shakespeare in the Ruff), and composer James Smith (Outside the March, Storefront/Soulpepper) to work on the play. The workshop week will be supported by dramaturg Caitie Graham, Stage Manager Emmanuelle So, and Intern Dramaturg Ella Kohlmann who will also act as Safety Officer.
The week-long workshop will focus on the development of the play’s second act.
Though no public reading of Diminished is planned at this stage of development, keep your eyes peeled for future news about Gloria’s charming, funny and open-hearted play.
Driftwood Digital Short Play Festival Launches October 22, 2021
/in NewsIt’s been a pretty strange year. Never would we have imagined that, nearing the end of summer 2021, we would have replaced our annual summer season of outdoor theatre with not one but three digital projects.
Driftwood audiences can already join Artistic Director Jeremy Smith as he celebrates reconnecting with people and places in Ontario with the Motorcycle Monologues and young viewers can experience the whimsical choose-your-own-adventure tale, Froxeaglousy, for free online through our YouTube channel. But we have one more very special experience to add before 2021 comes to a close: Driftwoods’ first-ever Digital Short Play Festival.
The Digital Short Play Festival collects four short plays currently in development at Driftwood and presents them for free online in digital format. Originally intended as opening-act performances prior to the Bard’s Bus Tour, all four plays were filmed over two days thanks to the generous support of the Toronto Arts Council’s Animating Toronto Parks program.
Ellen Denny’s romantically absurd So You, So I challenges a disillusioned couple to rekindle romance after tragedy bursts their idyllic existence.
In Matthew Gorman’s Boutique Siblings, a pair of abandoned siblings hope a remarkable skill will be their chance for a better future.
Two unnamed individuals struggle with a tenuous codependency in Rebecca Lashmar’s deliciously dark Fairchild, where ethics and morals are questioned in the face of survival.
Sisters squabble in Rabiya Mansoor’s smart comedy A Jam Kind of Day after a family tragedy forces them each to come to terms with an ill-advised family business decision.
The Digital Short Play Festival features performers Dhanish Chinniah (So You, So I; Boutique Siblings), Mina James (A Jam Kind of Day, Fairchild), Anand Rajaram (So You, So I), Gabriella Sundar Singh (A Jam Kind of Day, Fairchild) and Athena Kaitlin Trinh (Boutique Siblings).
The festival is directed by Cailleah Scott-Grimes and Jeremy Smith, with videography by Mateen Missaghi and Stella Racca, sound engineering by Ella Kohlmann, editing by Mitchell Allen, wardrobe by Carlyn Rahusaar Routledge and props by Almira Rahmati.
Driftwood’s Digital Short Play Festival will air for free on Driftwood’s YouTube channel, launching on October 22, 2021.
The Digital Short Play Festival is the culmination of a year-long process of development through Driftwood’s Beyond the Bard Playwrights Unit with dramaturgy by Caitie Graham. Driftwood’s 2021 Playwrights Unit is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Lunch menu at the Aurora Armoury
/in NewsSummer Hiring Part Three
/in Job PostingsDriftwood is busy with a number of digital projects in 2021. We’re looking for some creative, outgoing and friendly folk to help us imagine, create and build our projects for Driftwood Digital 2021.
Driftwood Theatre is committed to reflecting Canada’s rich diversity in all aspects of our work We encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds and will prioritize applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Women, Gender minorities, 2SLGBTQ+, d/Deaf, Disabled/People with Disabilities, and/or Neurodiverse.
The following positions are made possible with the generous support of Canada Summer Jobs. Candidates must be between 19-30 years of age and be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Here’s a list of what we’re looking for (full postings below). If you think one of these is you, please reach out!
For other summer 2021 job postings, including Videographer, Head of Wardrobe and Props Coordinator, please click here.
To apply, send a covering letter and resume (as a single PDF document) to Artistic Director, Jeremy Smith at jsmith[at]driftwoodtheatre[domt]com.
Video Editor/Technician
Reporting to the Artistic Director and Project Director, the Video Editor is responsible for logging and editing recorded elements of all Driftwood Digital 2021 projects.
Duties and Responsibilities include
Knowledge and Skills Required
Salary/Job Details
Music Supervisor
Reporting to the Production Manager and Project Directors, the Music Supervisor will be responsible for coordinating, sourcing, acquiring rights for and producing all music elements for Driftwood Theatre’s Digital 2021 projects.
Duties and Responsibilities include
Knowledge and Skills Required
Salary/Job Details