Made-in-Orillia theatre has been getting lots of love around the province.
Since becoming involved in the local theatre scene a few years ago, Jesse Collins, artistic director at the Orillia Opera House, has put a focus on putting together shows that work not only for local audiences, but crowds across Ontario, too.
Two years ago, Collins oversaw the production of A Christmas Carol. He managed to sell it to eight theatres in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, including the 1,125-seat Sanderson Centre in Brantford. After the fourth show, all of the venues expressed interest in hosting it again
Selling Orillia abroad has proven to be good for business, generating additional revenue.
“Theatre can be an expensive undertaking and not without risk,” Collins said. “Touring our shows has really created a great revenue model for producing theatre, as it's a daunting challenge.”
Theatres that have picked up Orillia-produced plays include the Living Arts Centre (Mississauga), the Rose Theatre (Brampton), the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, the Historic Gayety Theatre (Collingwood) and Theatre Sudbury.
Taking the show on the road has also helped get Orillia’s name out there. When people from other areas are in town, or even passing through, “they are more likely to come through our doors” at the Opera House, Collins said.
“It builds our audience.”
The technicians and some of the crew who work on the shows are local, though the actors often come from across the country. Collins keeps an eye out for local talent when possible. An actor who works in Orillia and lives in Muskoka performed in A Christmas Carol, which also included youth from Simcoe County.
However, he acknowledged, “there’s an amazing theatre community that already exists in Orillia in the Mariposa Arts Theatre.” What Collins is focusing on at the Opera House is “bringing world-class actors into town so people can have that experience without having to drive to Toronto.”
One of those actors is Rod Campbell, who played Scrooge in the Opera House’s production of A Christmas Carol. Campbell has an impressive resume that includes a stint on Broadway, performing in Ragtime.
Despite the added exposure and revenue that come from touring the shows, that isn’t Collins’s only objective. He wants the local audience to buy into it as well.
“Sometimes the challenge becomes letting people know about the quality of work happening in their own backyard,” he said. “The biggest challenge is to not hide in plain sight.”
Orillians seem to be taking notice. The Opera House offers “flex packs” that, for $82.50, get people one ticket to each of the summer theatre shows. That subscription base has doubled over a period of one year.
The relaxed atmosphere of the downtown Opera House helps, too.
“They realize they can come as they are. They begin to get their heads around the informality of it,” he said.
Collins tries to keep it light during the summer theatre season.
“We like to do shows that make people laugh and send them away feeling better in a complicated world,” he said.
That’s the goal with the three productions in this year’s line-up.
The season will start with Neil Simon’s classic comedy, Plaza Suite, running July 4 to 20, described by the Opera House as follows: “It’s three times the hilarity when three different couples rent the same hotel suite at three different times. A couple whose marriage is in tatters unknowingly rent the room they honeymooned in 23 years ago; a guy with three failed marriages tries to reconnect with his former sweetheart; and frustrated parents fight about how to get their daughter out of the bathroom and downstairs to her wedding. And all three will have you in stitches.”
Next up will be Norm Foster’s Lunenburg, running from July 25 to Aug. 10.
“Lunenburg is a comedy that will keep you on the edge of your seat as secrets are revealed and mysteries unfold. Recently widowed Iris visits Lunenburg to learn more about the place where her husband spent much of his time — including owning a home she knew nothing about. Her friend Natalie and local carpenter Charlie help her unravel a story that is at once warm, funny and filled with twists and turns.”
Murder at the Howard Johnson’s, by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick, will close out the season, running from Aug. 15 to 31.
“Set in the wacky world of the 1970s, Clark and Bobrick’s weird and wacky comedy about love and life in the ‘me-generation’ is a surefire hit. It will bring back memories — and remind you that no matter how much things change, the more they stay the same.”
For more information, or to get tickets, visit orilliaoperahouse.ca or call 705-326-8011.
