THE FESTIVAL GOES ON
Theatre
When Sears Canada cut loose the 71-yearold high school drama festival they had sponsored faithfully for so many years it left organizers scrambling to find funding.
Carm Iachelli, Westdale Secondary School drama teacher, graduate of the late Sears Festival, and an award-winning actor and director of the competition, recently talked about the fate of the festival in the face of a severe funding crisis.
“It’s true IATSE, the stage hands union, and The National Theatre School (NTS) have stepped up to provide funding to keep the festival going this year. But this is not the same as the Sears’ sponsorship. These organizations are helping us fundraise and find a serious sponsor. So far we haven’t found one.”
Stratford Festival, ACTRA/UBCP and Wilson Entertainment have provided funding as well as 269 backers who generously donated. Why? Because these institutions know the value of a drama showcase that allows students to become emerging actors, designers and theatre directors.
“At NTS we believe that theatre allows people to imagine, think and feel collectively. It’s an example of the power of theatre to encourage empathy, creativity debate and community building,” says Gideon Arthurs, CEO of the National Theatre School of Canada.
“Now under our new banner of the NTS Drama Festival Ontario we look forward to our first season of compelling and unique theatre for and by theatre students in Ontario,” says Wayne Fairhead, executive director of the National Theater School Drama Festival.
But does all this mean the festival is out of danger of collapsing?
“No, I think there are still financial
issues,” Iachelli says. “For instance, we are unable to give out plaques this year. Not enough money,” Iachelli says. “There will be certificates only. Only the winning play in each segment of the festival will receive a plaque this year.”
These are realities in a world where a long-serving sponsor goes bust and in spite of good support, there’s not really a replacement.
So, were the festival organizers blindsided by Sears’ withdrawal of funds?
“Not at all,” Iachelli says. “We knew the company was in severe financial difficulty. There wasn’t much they could do. For a time it wasn’t sure the festival could continue. The problem, of course, was nobody wanted to sponsor anything connected with the arts. No big companies. They like to fund sports.”
Iachelli was first involved with the festival in 1985 when he performed in “Canadian Gothic” for Barton Secondary School directed by Sandi Katz.
“Our entry won and we went to the regional showcase and we won there, too. It was a big moment for me.”
Fast forward 14 years. In 1999, when Iachelli signed on as a teacher at Ancaster High School, he brought the festival with him.
Locally, he’s run the Hamilton showcase since 2004.
He believes in its worth. At Westdale Secondary School since 2009, Iachelli has seen how drama stirs students.
He knows it goes beyond one night in one play.
“The drama club is an alternate safe space for students,” Iachelli says. “For
those who are not interested in sports or not good at them, it’s a place to fit in. There’s a sense of community, of belonging. It’s an intense bond, a collective risk.”
It gave Iachelli confidence and a pathway to literature.
“It was a way for me to learn Shakespeare. Just reading a book doesn’t always work.”
The festival is an important part of high school life.
It takes lots of his private time, but Iachelli is dedicated. His daughter, 13, and son, 11, hang out at the theatre with him. “It’s a learning experience for all of us,” he says.
Iachelli is sure money will eventually be found to secure the running of the festival well into the future but he wishes it were now, rather than later.
The Hamilton round of competition and celebration will be held at Westdale March 20 to 22. Here are the Hamilton schools involved and the lineup of plays.
• March 20 — Sir Winston Churchill SS presents “The Rejects” followed by Nora Frances Henderson SS “Bittergirl”
• March 21 — Westmount SS “This is a Play” followed by George P. Vanier “La Vie Sans Train” followed by Bishop Ryan CSS “Mirrors”
• March 22 — Westdale SS “The Velvet Guillotine” followed by Sir John A. Macdonald SS “Viva Xupros”