Labor Day weekend is a time for relaxation and some time off. What better way to feel relaxed than to watch other people hard at work? Luckily, some of the most committed and industrious people will be sharing their theatrical talents in Perrysburg over the holiday weekend.
The Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA) will be promoting excellence in theater during its annual state conference, featuring highlights of 14 stage shows performed by companies from throughout the state at the Holiday Inn French Quarter.
According to Jesse Bernal, OCTA’s co-chair, “Anyone at any age is welcome. This is a weekend where you can see fourteen shows for $95 [earlybird registration]. A 16-by-24-foot space is transformed into a different show every hour.”
Toledo well represented
The shows were chosen through regional competitions, and the Northwest region, which covers 20 counties and the Toledo area, will be well represented with four productions: Sandusky’s Harlequins’ “Angel Street”; Fort Findlay Playhouse’s “Jekyll & Hyde”; Williams County Community Theatre’s “Proof”; and Holland’s 3B Productions’ “Les Miserables.” Waterville Playshop’s “Over the River and Through the Woods” was chosen as an alternate.
Each company gets a total of forty-five minutes, including set-up and teardown, to best showcase their production. The shows will be judged on “the overall quality of the production, directorial choices, acting choices, ensemble playing, the music, costuming, and set décor choices of each performing group,” according to Joe Barton, director of “Les Miserables” and “Over the River and Through the Woods.”
Three adjudicators will choose two of the 14 productions to advance to the Midwest regional competition and compete against theaters from Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The overall winner will advance to the national level in Grand Rapids, MI, next June.
The state conference is sure to provide much entertainment to those who attend, but “the best benefit is the education that I, and the entire cast, receive along the way,” Barton said. “Each adjudicator wants to give proactive tips and advice so that the theatre can only grow and become better each step of the way.”
In addition to the stage productions, a number of events will be geared for theater people. “There will be multiple workshops available to learn new aspects about theater, skills such as puppet-making, mask-making, auditioning workshops, vocal workshops, technology service, and services offered by theater publishing houses,” Barton said. “There are also parties, interactive games, and loads of networking.” This year’s theme is “The Wizard of Oz” and “Wicked.”
Proud of what we do’
“I also think it pulls our community together,” Barton said. “We are proud of what we do and when we are awarded and acknowledged for what we do, it makes it all worth it. Community theater can be a bonding experience in so many ways.”
OCTA is a statewide service organization established in 1953. Its mission is to “promote excellence and creativity in live theatre by providing its members educational opportunities for growth in artistic and technical aspects of theater, and to promote community awareness and understanding of, and access to, live theater.”
Ohio Community Theatre Association’s State Conference will begin Friday, August 29, and continue through Monday, September 1 at the Holiday Inn French Quarter, 10630 Fremont Pike, Perrysburg. 419-874-3111. Admission is $105 for the weekend. Daily admission also available.
https://www.ohiocommunitytheatre.org/
