Author: Claire Vanden Pol

Audition Information

Dunnville Community Theatre is Casting

AUDITION DATES: 23-24 August 2023, 7-9pm, at the Optimist Club -upstairs auditorium- in Dunnville, Ontario.

DCT will be staging James Goldman’s “The Lion in Winter.” This play was written in 1964 and has no Shakespearean language

The six production dates are 17-19 & 24-26 November 2023.

Rehearsals will take place September into November.

Our primary need is to cast five young actors, to play:

  • Richard – aged 26, Eldest living son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, warrior & General of the British Army and Eleanor’s favorite.
  • Geoffrey – aged 25, Second living son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Duke of Brittany and future Chancellor to the king.
  • John – aged 16, Youngest living son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, a weak and somewhat pathetic boy but still Henry’s favorite.
  • Philip – aged 17, King of France and an impressive young man who can stand his ground against Henry.
  • Alais – (pronounced Alice) aged 23, mistress of Henry, brought up and loved by Eleanor. Her wedding to Richard is somewhat central to the Christmas Conflict.

Feel free to prepare a monologue if you wish, and be prepared to do cold reads from the play (scripts provided).

If you are interested in auditioning, contact the director at lion@barn11productions.com or simply show up on audition night.

We will also need production crew (co-director, co-producer, stage manager, etc), so let us know if you are interested in this aspect of the theatre company.

For high-school students wishing to gain some volunteer hours, DCT would be happy for their help with any number of things for this production.

Fall Production 2023

Save the dates – November 17-19 & November 24-26

In its 50th year, Dunnville Community Theatre is proud to stage James Goldman’s classic play “The Lion in Winter.”

Friday evening tickets General admission $25. Seniors & Students $22
available by clicking here: Friday Tickets
*Service charge will be applied. You will see the total cost before you approve.

Saturday evening tickets Dinner Theatre tickets $65 and Show only tickets $25 available by clicking here: Saturday Tickets
*Service charge will be applied. You will see the total cost before you approve.

Sunday matinee tickets General admission $25. Seniors & Students $22
available by clicking here: Sunday Tickets
*Service charge will be applied. You will see the total cost before you approve.

THE PLAY:

It is 1183 AD. Henry II, king of England, has furloughed his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, from her prison to share Christmas with himself, their children, and his mistress who has been promised in marriage to his son Richard.

Her dowry: The county of Vexin.

His problem: The King of France is coming with an ultimatum and Henry does not wish to give up either his mistress or this strategically valuable county.

His other problem: His scheming wife, Eleanor, wishes to see their son Richard the Lionheart on the throne. Henry wishes to see their son John, a week and pathetic boy of 16 as his successor.

The outcome: Merry Christmas & God bless us every one?

Not bloody likely.

THE PRODUCTION:

DCT is back on stage with something a little different: a historical (and sometimes hysterical) drama.

Two Friday evening shows (17 & 24 November 2023), two Saturday dinner theatre evening shows (18 & 25 November 2023), and two Sunday matinees (19 & 26 November 2023).

General Admission tickets are $25.00; Seniors and Students are $22.00 (no discount tickets for students & seniors on Saturdays), and Dinner Theatre tickets are $65.00.

Friday Evening shows- Doors open at 6:20 , show starts at 7:00. Concession items available at 20 minute intermission. Absolutely no food or drink will be allowed in the sanctuary.

Saturday Dinner Theatres: Doors open at 5:30, Dinner is served at 6:00, Show starts at 8:00

Dinner Theatre guests may reserve their seats in the sanctuary before dinner starts. Absolutely no food or drink will be allowed in the sanctuary.

Sunday Matinees: Doors open at 1:30, show starts at 2:00. Concession items available at 20 minute intermission. Absolutely no food or drink will be allowed in the sanctuary.

A limited number of “show only” tickets will be sold on Dinner Theatre nights at $25.00 – sorry no discounts for Student or Seniors.

Tickets can be purchased from DCT Cast and Production members.

Tickets purchased online are subject to a service charge.

Come on out, have a great day, and know that you are supporting local arts.

The outcome:  Merry Christmas & God bless us everyone? Not likely.

Drama Camp 2023

We are very pleased to share our Drama Camp program with the youth of Haldimand County again this year. Last year was a wonderful,  eye opening experience for everyone involved! We witnessed  inspired growth in our students and in ourselves. We watched and participated in the joy of creativity, the willingness of students to work together, and the blossoming of their personal expression as they developed their confidence while learning new skills. This experience was valuable to both the shyest and the most confident of youth—and to us. We look forward to building on this success this year.

Let’s have a look at some of the fun we had in last year’s Drama Camp:

Tableau of a road trip

A group prepares a tableau for “Road Trip”. This was a fun exercise that everyone enjoyed.

Another group prepares their tableau exercise called “So Embarrassed”. No one was injured in the preparation, practice or performance of this exercise.

Tableau exercise

And these are just some of the things we did!

Drama Camp is open to youth who will be attending grades 4 through 9 this September.

All classes will be held from 1:00 – 4:00 pm Monday – Friday on the 2nd floor of the Optimists’ Club of Dunnville, 101- Main Street East (sorry there is no elevator available).

Grades 4-6 classes will be held from August 14-18.  15 spaces are available for this class.

Grades 7-9 classes will be held from August 21-25.  15 spaces are available for this class.

Participants will share their achievements for their families in a short performance on the Friday of each week on the main floor of the Optimist Hall.  Specific time to be announced.

Drama Camp is free to accepted applicants. Nutrition breaks are included.
Our Youth Drama Camp program is funded by a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Dunnville and by Hauser’s Pharmacy and Wes Moodie of ReMax Realty.

Applications are available at the Dunnville Public Library or by e-mailing dramacamp-23@dct73.com.

Applications may be turned in at the front desk of the Dunnville Public Library or by e-mailing them to dramacamp-23@dct73.com.

Applications have aptitude questions.  Dunnville Community Theatre reserves the right to screen applicants.  Parents or Guardians of applicants will be notified of their child / youth’s acceptance by August 11, 2023.

All instructors must receive their completed OPP Vulnerability Check before volunteering for this program.

Postcards from DCT

Welcome to Postcards from DCT Our series starts here

This is DCT’s Live Theatre Video blog‘s main page. We will do our best to entertain, inform and enthrall you with all things “Live Theatre” here. That may be very ambitious of us and we know it. We are new at this side of the twenty first century’s restrictions & ever evolving forms of communication, so be patient and kind with us. Your feed back is welcome!

“Mike Maloney – Centre Stage one Last Time”
DCT wishes to honour the memory of our long-time, much beloved member, Marvin “Mike” James Maloney

This video, a special postcard from DCT, was lovingly made in coalition with East Haldimand Hospice & Dragonfly Wishes.

Postcards from DCT – “Season 1 Wrap Up-with everyone who was on camera”
Every member of the cast & crew gives their thoughts on this project. Over-all impressions – IT WAS FUN!
Postcards from DCT episode 10 “Return to Grimm Reality”
What happened to all those unhappy actors and that pig? A very happy ending of course!

DCT owes BARN 11 PRODUCTIONS a huge debt of gratitude. Without their expertise, patience and guidance through out this entire project we would not have been able to create, learn and grow as successfully as we did in this new endeavor. Also they sponsored this episode.

Thank you awesome
BARN 11 PRODUCTIONS!

Postcards from DCT episode 9 “Directors”
What is almost everyone’s favourite job in live theatre? The answer may surprise some of you.
Hauser's Pharmacy Dunnville
Visit Hauser’s pharmacy for great service!

Thinking about your health? Think Hauser’s Pharmacy & Home Healthcare. They are proud to offer a full-service pharmacy to individuals in Dunnville, Hagersville, St Catharines and Hamilton. Their pharmacy team can help you with medication reviews, specialized compounding, vaccinations and immunizations, non-urgent primary care and more. If getting around is getting difficult to you, they also offer Hauser’s Home Healthcare- your partner in mobility. A Mobility Specialist can help make personalized recommendations to help you get moving, or can assist in making your home safer for you. If you already have a mobility device, their service department can help you with repairs and preventative care of your device!
Hauser’s is proud to offer free delivery to anything in-store including prescriptions. Visit them online at hauserspharmacy.com or follow them on Facebook.

Postcards from DCT episode 8 “Fairytales”
Claire dreams of childhood stories and it goes horribly wrong.

This episode of Postcards from DCT was generously sponsored by Ed Robinson Homes. Thank you Ed!

Postcards from DCT Episode 7 “Our Audience”
We asked our audience members what they liked or didn’t like about DCT. Many of them said the same thing “Me? On camera? I’m too shy!”
Linda Leslie our sponsor

Linda has been a licensed Realtor since 2014 and has won the Royal LePage Director’s Gold & Platinum Awards on multiple occasions. 
With her expert area knowledge and personal attention, she will find the perfect home for you. 
 You can contact Linda directly at 905.961.5344 or check out her website for contact information and current listings.  www.lindaleslie.com

Postcards from DCT Episode 6 “The Producers”
What does a producer do? Why would this experience be good for you and your resume? The answers may surprise you.

When Dunnville Community Theatre needed insurance, including Director’s insurance, Peter Dieleman & Associates were there to help us.  Peter’s team provided fast, friendly and very informative assistance.  We are happy to receive their proud sponsorship of this episode of “Postcards from DCT”.  If you have insurance, investment or financial advisory needs, give the Co-operators a call at 905 774 7576.  The Co-operators have locations in both Caledonia and Dunnville. Check out their website at Peter Dieleman & Associates Inc – The Co-operators (cooperators.ca)

Postcards from DCT Episode 5 “Famous Actors”
Almost everybody wishes they were a famous actor at some point in their life. Which actors do actors wish they were? Which actor would you like to be?

This episode of Postcards from DCT was not sponsored. If you would like to sponsor an episode please visit our Contact page.

Postcards from DCT Episode 4 “BACK STAGE”
What is the second most important job in live theatre? The answer will surprise you.

This episode of Postcards from DCT was generously sponsored by Green Heron Veterinary Service.
Green Heron – Bringing Animal Care to Farm & Home
Visit Green Heron at http://stephvet.ca/ to see what excellent services they offer.

Postcards from DCT Episode 3 “Who was your favorite character to play AND what is your favorite play?”
Find out what actors think about the characters they love to play and the plays they love best

This episode of Postcards from DCT was sponsored by Peter’s Engine & Rental Centre 851 North Shore Drive, Dunnville. Let the friendly staff at Peter’s Engine help you with their sales and service excellence. Check out their website to see what they’re all about https://petersengine.ca/

Postcards from DCT Episode 2 “What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you on stage?”
Some surprising things can happen when you’re on stage!
Liz Koster Head shot

This episode of Postcards from DCT was sponsored by Liz Koster, Royal LePage Real Estate Broker and long-time supporter of Dunnville Community Theatre.  To find out more about Liz and how she could help you find your dream home or help you sell your current home check out her website www.lizkoster.com or call her at 905-574-4600

Welcome to our introductory Videoblog entitled “How Did We Get Here”

This short film is our maiden voyage into a ocean of theatrical entertainment and information. We hope you enjoy it and continue to follow us on this journey. Be sure to watch to the very end – there’s something to learn and laugh about there too. As always, we would love your feedback!

To gain audience interest before starting the series we made two promotional videos and we really hope you enjoy them. We certainly enjoyed making them. Let’s grow together in this playful adventure.

Promotional video one – Thank You Dunnville!
Promotional Video two – What do Theatrical People do when they have no stage?

Our series “Postcards from DCT” will start appearing here on October 6th. A new one will be posted every other week. We welcome your comments and involvement. If you are interested in becoming part of our Video team please fill out this form to say “I want to be involved” on the Become part of DCT page of our new website. We will welcome you!

We wish to thank The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund for making this possible.

Community Involvement

Marching our banner down Broad street for the Mudcat Festival

DCT enjoys the community in which we live and because of that we work to be part of it. We strive to be a valued part of our beautiful town’s commonwealth, work to be involved with other organizations and recognize the importance of contributing to community events.

In 2022 we made a humble effort at being part of the always fun Mudcat Parade by marching our banner and pulling a wagon full of candy, water, and business cards.

In 2023 we made a grand effort to launch a float full of famous rock icons and we thought it went quite well.  However we do it, DCT is very proud to be part of this beautiful town and its marvellous celebrations.

Every year since COVID left us all home alone, DCT has produced a Christmas video. Please enjoy them even if it’s not the right time of year or a holiday you celebrate.

Wishing all our members, fans and supporters a happy & heathy holiday!

In the first year of Covid-19 restrictions we could not launch a production and started discussing the possibilities of doing Videoblogs. We put our corporation’s house in order and submitted an OTF grant under the Resilient Communities Fund. Then we sat back to wait. We’re not very good at waiting so we decided to give 1 small video a try just to say “Happy Holidays”. We missed our fans and families and just wanted to convey something happy and hopeful to the community. We were pretty happy with this video and in many ways it spurred us on with its whisperings of “Videoblog, Videoblog, wherefore art thou Videoblog?”

Happy Holidays from DCT

Nurses week arrived after we had news from the Ontario Trillium Fund that we had been awarded a grant but at that point it was still hush hush. We could not move forward with any plans until we got the go ahead. We have a great nurse on our board – Kathryn Stengel– and a another great nurse –Loretta Ward – who volunteers to photograph us, so we definitely appreciate nurses and wanted to add our shout out. Jordan dug his equipment out and made another short video from DCT.

Thank you Nurses!