LITTLE RED THEATRE IS NO LONGER TOURING OUT TO VENUES.

As of May 1 2023, we have closed the touring division of little red theatre. It was 35 very interesting years of visits to schools, libraries and theatres in the community and we thank everyone who celebrated theatre with us.

I decided to stop, because of the limits of my body to sustain the long crazy hours of preparation and the inability to secure enough funding to keep this lovely little red touring, even though I could see that there was a desire to have us at schools/daycares/libraries.

I feel sad, knowing that with some proper government funding this company could have kept on running indefinitely under new leadership. But that leadership could not be had without a good salary to keep them. I knew that I would lose them in a jiffy to something better and be stuck with the mess if the pay wasn’t good. I felt sad because I knew we were really last man standing in this arena. I had always thought that we were the first entry into the education of theatre for children and it seemed a shame to not have proper support.

I spent the vast majority of my little red time, taking care of the artists working with me, putting up shows and managing the day to day details of touring. I did not look at the greater vision of what would need to be in place if I was to leave. I didn’t brag about myself to the right people or look for status names to put on grants to improve my chance of getting them. Grants take a lot of time to make, usually a full week was required for me to have them ready to submit and since my rate of success was so low, I had to think very carefully when applying.

I realize that the majority of people who are successful in the realm of grant approvals recognize the importance of bragging about themselves and what they are doing. They do not minimize their importance like I have generally done in the arts scene. As a result, I put good will into the actor community and left an impression that would guarantee they would talk well of me but in the end I had to close down a viable company with good infrastructure in place simply because I could not pay a living salary to administrators/artistic directors.

On April 28 2023, the end came to the little red van full of costumes and actors and lights and sound and sets. I was sad as I unpacked the last touring show. A few friends said we should celebrate the long life of little red theatre touring but I was too sad and wanted to go back to my garden.

I am left with....‘Wow you made it after everyone else was gone’, ‘Wow you kept going.’ ‘Wow, you did 35 years and left well loved. You offered work to actors, artists, musicians, composers, dancers and collaborated with many, made 40 different shows, trained a lot of actors and sent good singers on their way. You have been loved by many. Just look at these accomplishments.

Still, I was sad to say goodbye.

Jody Terio, Artistic Director

Contact us at:

littleredtheatre@yahoo.ca

TESTIMONIAL FROM FERRATALE! I just wanted to say again how much the three of us (two adults, one five year old girl) enjoyed the performance at Withrow Park today! I forgot to tell Andrea how great she was as both the dragon and the janitor, her body language being completely different for both. The dragon had such grace and suppleness, while the janitor was playful and outgoing. Will and Zoe were wonderful as the businessman and Fairy, Will being wonderfully bumbling and confused and Fairy being ethereal and mischievous, with wonderful hula hoop work. My daughter was entranced with the dragon especially, and when we got home, acted out her own version of the play, green sheet, masks, Eyes of the Forest and all. Thanks again!

-Kathryn