About five years ago, the City of North Bay placed third in a TVO contest to find the most talented town in Ontario. It’s not surprising, considering this city of 54,000 boasts a strong, talented arts community. Dramas, musicals and comedies annually play out at North Bay’s theatre spaces. Added to that are performances by the North Bay Symphony Orchestra, North Bay Choral Society, the North Bay Chamber Singers and, occasionally, the Almaguin Choral Society.
North Bay is home to the 1,000-seat Capitol Centre. Other theatre spaces exist at Nipissing University, Widdifield Secondary School, the Ecole Secondaire Odysee School and the Ecole Secondaire Catholique Algonquin. All are venues for community theatre companies such as Rep 21, Gateway Theatre Guild, Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre, Theatre Outreach Onstage (TOROS) and the French community theatre group La Troupe du Bord Lac Nipissing. Les Compagnons, a French cultural club, also supports French theatre, bringing in three or four shows a year.
All not-for-profi t or charitable organizations, these groups have to meet certain challenges to remain viable. For some, money is a concern. For others, finding volunteers is diffi cult. But for most, attracting audiences is the greatest test of all.
Rep 21, a theatre company funded through Canadore College, offers a three-year theatre arts program. During final semester students perform a threeshow repertory season of contemporary works at the 225-seat Nipissing University Theatre, then one week at Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille, performing for industry professionals. “The challenges we face are similar to all not-for-profi t groups,” notes Rod Carley, Rep 21’s artistic director. “One of the greater challenges everywhere is the cultivation of a new audience base (aged) 45 years and under to come out and see live performances. In these days of DVDs and computer technology, going to the theatre isn’t part of young people’s culture. Audiences over 50 are the regular arts lovers, but as they get older who will be the new audience? The message we have to get out is that theatre is a unique, affordable experience.”
The Gateway Theatre Guild celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Founded as the Gateway Gaities in 1948 and producing an annual revue of singing, dancing and skits, the shows were held at what is now the Ecole Secondaire Catholique Algonquin. The guild now produces three shows a year, performing them at the Ecole Secondaire Odysee School.
Putting “bums in seats” is always a challenge, agrees Rhona Kenny, actor and assistant stage manager for the Gateway Guild. “We’re not fi lling the theatre with our shows. We’d like 80 to 90 per cent attendance, but it’s more like 40 to 50 per cent and we don’t know why. We advertise as much as we can and our ticket prices are reasonable. We keep asking ourselves, ‘what are we doing wrong?’ Are there too many shows for a community of this size? Is the market saturated? We are told to target audiences 35 to 50, but we get mostly seniors. It’s very frustrating.”
The North Bay Symphony Orchestra (NBSO), founded in 1976, is mandated to entertain, enrich and educate the community through musical performance. They hold four annual concerts at the Capitol Centre and have an extensive outreach program including programs for Grade 4 and 5s, plus a string school. A youth orchestra will be starting up this year. Paul Baker, NBSO’s marketing director, believes sports dominate northern youth culture. “The challenge is to get the attention of youth and adults,” he says. “Participating in arts and culture produces a well-rounded person. Music can be fun. Symphonic roots lead to the music young people enjoy, so it’s not a great leap from symphonic to all other music.”
Compared to most orchestras the NBSO does well in terms of box offi ce revenue, said Baker. “Across the country organizations spend $1 on talent and take 75 cents at the box offi ce. We spend $1 and bring in $1.” The Almaguin Choral Society, with up to 65 members from North Bay south to Port Sydney, has no problem attracting audiences, said board president Shirley Moore. “We put on two to three shows a year and our cabaret is always sold out. Our concerts are very well attended.” The group has other challenges, however. “Purchasing music is one of our biggest expenses,” said Moore. “We also have to buy equipment such as risers, lighting and sound to enhance our performances.”
Moore is also involved with the successful theatre group the Powassan Players, and said if people were given what they want, they’d come. “People need entertainment today that’s away from the seriousness of the world. We (Players) only do comedies and our problem is fi tting everyone in,” she said. “We also draw a huge audience from North Bay.”
The NBSO traditionally sells 700 to 800 seats per concert. “We do it by listening to what our market likes. You have to keep your ear to the ground to produce what people want,” Baker said. The French theatre group La Troupe du Bord Lac Nipissing, occasionally polls its audiences to fi nd out what they want. “Comedy. That’s what the public wants. They want to come out and have a good time and a good laugh,” said president and sometimes-artistic director Sylvia Antinozzi.
La Troupe has been in existence for more than 30 years, beginning with presenting a Passion play at the church, said Antinozzi. “After a few years it became apparent there was no theatre in the community for the French (people), so they started putting on French plays. Now we do one a year at the Ecole Secondaire Catholique Algonquin. It’s always a comedy.”
Auditions are held for cast and crew members, all of which are volunteer. “We advertise in all the school, churches and everything that is published in French,” Antinozzi said. Raising money to stay afl oat while keeping ticket prices affordable is a balancing act for arts groups striving to be fi scally responsible as there’s little to no government funding.
A fairly new advocacy group is hoping to change that. The CBACH (co-ordinating body of arts, culture and heritage) is a board comprised of people working to enhance the arts, culture and heritage in the community together. Along with providing an inventory of arts, culture and heritage individuals, groups and venues, they’ll be seeking funding for initiatives and representing their interests to city council. “North Bay is one of the poorest communities in terms of municipal subsidies for local groups,” said Rep 21’s Carley. “I’d like to see the city subsidize local groups —a break in rents, for example. But not handouts. Groups need a smart business plan, but they also need more fi nancial backing.” Without patrons, sponsors, advertisers and fundraising activities, many companies would — and do — fail.
The Nipissing Stage Company, of which Carley was once artistic director, ran for six seasons and grew into a full professional company —something that might have helped with its demise, he said. “There were a lot of variables; audience growth didn’t happen and there were union costs. We had a wonderful audience and subscriber base, but the question is can a community of this size support a unionized company?”
The Gateway Guild brings in revenue from memberships, selling bottled water at shows and through program advertising and sponsorships, said Kenny. They have a fi nancial cushion, although it’s quickly depleting. “In 1997 we presented The Sound of Music and sold out the Capitol Centre for all seven shows. We made a ton of money. It was the fi rst time in guild history we sold out back to back. The money was invested and helped carry the company for a few years. The plan for 2009 is to produce My Fair Lady. People love musicals and we hope to pump up our coffers.”
La Troupe is sponsored in part by the Conseil Scolaire Catholique Franco-Nord school board and by Les Compagnons. “We also sell advertising in our programs and I’ve been doing bingos,” said Antinozzi. “There’s a small annual fee of $10 for our members, which helps out.” Dee Adrian, Capitol Centre’s general manager, wants to attract community groups to the facility, but accepts there are diffi culties. “Some groups are very small and would have a hard time fi lling even 50 per cent of our 1,000 seats,” she said. “We can’t give the building away, but we do give non-profi t groups a rental break. For local groups I always put (a budget) on paper to show how costs relate to their event. I explain everything before they sign.”
Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre, theatre for children aged 5 to 14, present fi ve shows a year with as many as 200 children attending auditions. “Dreamcoat always uses the Capitol Centre for its large-cast family and children’s shows,” said Adrian. Sponsored by the Near North District School Board, TOROS has become a tradition in North Bay, providing youth a unique summer theatre program. Cast members include students from all four local high schools, as well as home-school students, youth from other areas and international students. “TOROS puts on a production here in August and Les Compagnons has eight days each year for French performers,” said Adrian. “These companies, on occasion, will fi ll the theatre. They’ve built a reputation for themselves over the years. They are the cutting edge of being professional, and the community gets behind them.”
North Bay has a vibrant arts community, a magnifi cent Capitol Centre and theatre facilities in schools, but what it lacks is a smaller, mid-range theatre that could serve all the groups, Carley said. “What we need is a proper theatre facility seating 200 to 250,” Carley explains. “With all the community groups sharing the costs, equipment and administration, such a space could be fi lled 60 per cent all year.”
“It’s our dream to have a permanent home,” concluded Kenny. “Dreamcoat would like it as well. We’ve talked about joining forces to that end, but as yet nothing has materialized.” With much heart, talent and support, these groups are heading into new seasons. Now seems the perfect time to get your bum in a chair to support their re, efforts, doesn’t it?