Co-founder returns to Foster Festival
As the Foster Festival wades through a lost season, it has brought back one of its founders to lead the way back.
Emily Oriold, who left the St. Catharines theatre company just nine months ago, will fill the newly-named position of artistic producer. Oriold spent the first four years with the company, which devotes itself to the work of Canadian playwright Norm Foster. She helped launch it with former artistic director Patricia Vanstone and Foster himself.
Oriold says a phone call from Foster convinced her to return.
“Because I founded the Foster Festival, I have always held it near and dear to my heart,” she says. “I know the Foster Festival means a great deal to this community as well. With these two factors combined, it was easy to say yes to returning.”
She joins arts management consultant Candice Turnersmith in helping the company bounce back from COVID-19, which forced the cancellation of the entire 2020 season. The three shows included two world premières.
Oriold’s role combines her business and stage experience to oversee the artistic and season planning.
Oriold left the company last September and was cast in two plays outside the region and was set to have one of her own works produced before the pandemic shelved all public performances.
Returning to the Foster Festival, her immediate concern was to keep the company engaged with its patrons even as the theatre was dark. A new online series will be released soon which Oriold says will contain the company’s “trademark humour and heart.”
There are also plans for holiday programming in the event the pandemic restrictions are lifted by year’s end.
“There is no doubt that the next year will have its challenges as we navigate a new world,” says Oriold. “That being said, I am confident that we will be able to gather again soon to collectively celebrate Norm Foster and his plays.”
In a statement released by the company, Foster said Oriold will help the company “through the many challenges everyone is facing right now.
“She knows us better than anyone. If it were not for Emily, there would be no Foster Festival.”
Robert More, who replaced Oriold as managing director last September, is no longer with the company.