QUONTA Festival 2018 # 5: Afterthoughts and Award Winners

Another QUONTA Festival has now entered the history books, and I want to share some last thoughts and thank yous before listing the winners of the various awards.

Although diverse selections of plays have become somewhat more common in recent years, this was a Festival which pushed the limits in all directions in terms of diversity.  One romantic comedy-drama, one savagely funny black comedy, one entertaining domestic comedy of manners, and one very moving and thought-provoking absurdist play made up a stimulating and enriching mix.

Once again, the majority of the chosen scripts (3 out of 4) were written by Canadian authors.  The days when "Canadian" was synonymous with "second-rate" are now far behind us indeed.

I was also pleased to see extensive coverage of the Festival, evening by evening, from both the Elliot Lake Standard newspaper and the Elliot Lake Today website.  

So let's start the "thank yous" right there, with the great coverage from the local media.

Thanks next to Adjudicator Laurel Smith for the intriguing public adjudications and the stimulating conversations. 

A huge thank you to the local organizing committee for a smooth, well-run Festival.  Especial thanks to Festival Chair Luc Morrissette and Co-Chair Kate Matuszewski for all their hours of extra work, over and above their demanding daytime lives, to make sure that everyone felt welcomed and had a great time.

I'm not quite so sure that they are still happy at having invited me to be Festival Honorary Chair and to emcee the awards brunch.  I appreciated the invitation very much, and accepted the challenge of hosting with alacrity, but from then on Luc and Kate just had to suffer the consequences of bringing this loose cannon on board with them.  I did have a fun time acting as emcee, and putting together my little collection of true horror stories about the perils of public performance.

As I said today at the podium, I would be a little less than honest if I disguised my great excitement at seeing my own old hometown theatre group go forward to Theatre Ontario Festival, a "first" in the history of the theatre community of Elliot Lake.

My final thanks goes to the generous audiences who turned out each night in strong force to enjoy the plays and extend their energy to the presenting companies.  That energy, which can be felt at all times by any public performer, is an integral element of good theatre.

In the immortal words of dear friend Richard Howard, so deeply missed by so many people in the theatre community of QUONTA (and all of Ontario):

We love it when you come to the theatre.

Come back and see us again -- soon.

****************

And with that, here is the list of the award winners, as chosen by Festival Adjudicator Laurel Smith.

Adjudicator's Award for Outstanding Novice Director -- Chris Cayen, Espanola.

Adjudicator's Award for Outstanding Historical Representation -- Sault Theatre Workshop.

Adjudicator's Award for Composed Onstage Music -- Ponto Paparo, Elliot Lake.

Adjudicator's Award for Outstanding Soundscape -- Vern Dorge and Jean Lavalle, Gore Bay.

Adjudicator's Award for Outstanding Interpretation of an Absurdist Play -- Gore Bay Theatre.

Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role -- Mike Boivin, Espanola.

Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role -- Wendylynn Levoskin, Sault Ste. Marie.

Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role -- John Hawke, Gore Bay.

Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role -- Kim Arnold, Elliot Lake.

Outstanding Visual Achievement -- Andrea Emmerton and Walter Maskel, Gore Bay.

Outstanding Technical Achievement for Lighting Design -- Doug Robinson, Elliot Lake.

Outstanding Director -- Murray Finn, Elliot Lake.

Outstanding Production -- Tempting Providence, Elliot Lake.

The Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble production of Tempting Providence continues on to the Theatre Ontario Festival which is being hosted by the London Community Players, May 16-19, 2018.