Team OLT has returned home with two awards from the 2023 Eastern Ontario Drama League (EODL) One-Act Festival hosted by the North Grenville Community Theatre in Kemptville from Nov. 3-5.
The OLT’s entry was The End of the Day by Ottawa playwright Ron Davies which last year was a prize winner in the 82nd edition of the OLT’s National One-Act Playwrighting Competition. The End of the Day was directed by Stephanie Haines (The Book of Will) who won the Academy Theatre Foundation Award for Best Director.
Actor Melissa Raftis (Around the World in 80 Days) won the Helen R. McGregor Award for what the adjudicator described as “physical and vocal transformations in playing multiple roles.” Chelsey Prince was nominated for the same award. The third actor in the three-hander, Chisholm Pothier, was nominated for the Mae Carmichael Award for Acting – Male, and both women were nominated for the Pauline Grant Award for Acting – Female.
The End of the Day team also included assistant director and sound designer Miquelon Deller; stage manager, Cynthia Sugars; lighting designer Jim Mantle, and properties designer Elie Agbeli. Director Stephanie Haines designed the set and costumes.
Kudos also go to OLT alumnus John Muggleton (former OLT actor, director, and marketing director and OLT-produced playwright) who wrote and directed Cross Talk for his Kanata Studio Theatre which won the Belleville Theatre Guild Award for Acting – Ensemble, and to OLT playwright and actor Guy Newsham (The Book of Will, Sense and Sensibility) whose play Making Friends was chosen for entry by Theatre Night in Merrickville and won the Mae Carmichael Award for Acting – Male.