Theatre Sheridan has announced that, after nearly three years, they will be presenting a season featuring some live performances in Oakville from now, fall 2022, to April 2023. Some of these live performances will be open to the public, with tickets and subscriptions expected to go on sale in the coming weeks.
According to the season announcement, this new 2022/23 season of Theatre Sheridan will be "marked by a return to live performances, a celebration of the work of local artists, and the continued evolution of First Drafts – Sheridan's innovative new works development initiative that spotlights historically underrepresented voices."
There will be three blocks of performances over the season:
- New works written by Britta Johnson and Kevin Wong in December 2022
- The return of First Drafts workshop in February 2023
- Two full-scale productions (open to the public) in April 2023: Jesus Christ Superstar and Urinetown
The acting company of Theatre Sheridan is comprised of students in the third and fourth year of Sheridan's Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program, located at the college's Trafalgar campus here in Oakville.
Both of Theatre Sheridan’s winter production slots will feature workshops of new musicals in development, though these presentations will not be open for public audiences in-person.
December's showcase will feature the works of Johnson and Wong, both who have previously workshopped musicals at Sheridan. Each artist will present "an exciting and unique evening of musical theatre featuring their original work, re-affirming Sheridan’s commitment to celebrating Canadian talent." Johnson will present In Studio with Britta Johnson, while Wong will present Turn the Page: Three Musical Shorts.
Throughout February, students will continue to participate in First Drafts — a new work development initiative, originally conceived in 2020, where over the course of the month, new musicals will be commissioned, drafted, workshopped, rehearsed and performed as a public audio presentation by the graduating class of Sheridan’s Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance Program.
First Drafts is an evolution of Sheridan’s famous Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP), an internationally renowned incubator dedicated to the development of new works of musical theatre which ran from 2011-2020. With this 2022/23 season announcement, Sheridan has confirmed the CMTP "will be retired in its original format."
In April, audiences will be able to experience Theatre Sheridan at the Trafalgar Road Campus once again for live presentations of Jesus Christ Superstar and Urinetown.
"The productions chosen for our new season showcase our commitment to creating equitable, accessible and inclusive spaces in our community that support learning and creativity and align with Sheridan’s values," said Tania Senewiratne, Associate Dean, Visual & Performing Arts at Sheridan.
"We are incredibly appreciative of the support of our patrons, and we look forward to welcoming you back into our theatres this year to experience the talent of our students."
The new Theatre Sheridan season, according to co-ordinators, "marks an evolution in Sheridan’s approach to championing musical theatre performance, development and research in deeply impactful ways." The Theatre Sheridan stage "will continue to be home to original musicals in various stages of development."
More information about Theatre Sheridan's upcoming season is available online here.