The following story is by Bear Creek Secondary School co-op student Bridgette Gilroy.
It's a most exciting time for ambitious young performers, as Ontario sets the stage for its annual student drama festival.
The National Theatre School (NTS) DramaFest, formerly the Sears Drama Festival, is a provincewide theatre festival where young actors can express themselves creatively.
“The festival fosters and encourages an environment of empathy, listening and community building,” said Erika Kierulf, co-director of the festival, alongside Richard Lee. “The shows, regardless of whether they are new or established plays, reflect the issues and values that are important to youth today.”
With equal parts creativity, competition, passion and community, the festival stands as a medium for students to share what’s important to them.
Established in 1946, the festival now averages 350 entries every year from all across Ontario.
Performances begin in late February and end with provincial showcases in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia in May.
In Barrie, the Georgian Bay District performances are scheduled for Feb. 25-29, with workshops and the awards show on March 1. Audience members can expect three nights of incredible performances from 11 local schools. Tickets go for $5 a night or $15 for a weekly pass.
Bear Creek Secondary School has hosted the Georgian Bay District festival for approximately 16 years. Students from local schools have said they found Bear Creek’s stage to be an excellent performance space.
As one of the only schools in the district that runs workshops, Bear Creek encourages all festival participants to sign up. Workshop options include improvisation, gore makeup and hip-hop, ensuring something for everyone.
“I didn’t fully connect with directing until we chose (our show),” said student director Lincoln McIsaac.
This will be McIsaac’s first time directing after acting in the festival since 2023. He finds his biggest challenge is “managing everything,” from costumes and props, to scheduling and blocking.
“It’s like you have your hand in all of the cookie jars,” McIsaac added.
He describes the festival process as “starting very chaotic and ending very chaotic,” with emphasis on auditions and performance night.
With aspirations of becoming a teacher, McIsaac says he finds himself learning skills that will benefit his future.
“Sometimes you gotta keep it cool. When the process is disrupted, as the director, you are the most upset about it, but you have to be the one that is the least upset about it, you have to be grounded," he said.
Anyone involved in the festival can attest to the strong sense of community is fosters. McIsaac focuses on the large demographic of queer students.
“It’s important to have a place to go to and be able to not only fulfill your passions, but also to have that safe space,” he said, mentioning the benefit of having an opportunity to adopt a healthy competitive mindset.
“I’ve figured out what having my people feels like,” said Nina Brawn-Czapska, second-time student stage manager for the festival. “DramaFest is so impactful for high school students. The performing arts is often looked on as something nerdy, but the festival makes it cool.”
James Brawn, who has been the regional and district co-ordinator for the Georgian Bay festival for the past 15 years, highlights the true meaning of DramaFest.
“(It's) to give students that opportunity to be on stage in a competitive format; to direct, choreograph, write, perform, build; to use all of those aspects from the classroom and out into a stage production that can go on to be seen by the province," Brawn said.
The festival leaves a lasting impact of participants, especially young actors.
Charlie Wylie, a performer in Bear Creek’s 2023 entry, reflected on the experience as a positive one.
“My favourite part was the show date. I really got to put myself out there,” Wylie said. “In an environment like school, you spend your time minding your business and getting your work done. You don’t get to show those different parts of yourself.
"During the festival, I got to be extra and out there and people responded well to it.”
Wylie encourages students to take part in the festival and be their “wildest self."
"This is exactly the place to do that. It’s expected.”
Behind the scenes, stage management plays a crucial role.
“Stage managers run everything behind the scenes,” Brawn-Czapska said. “I help get stuff organized. During the show, I call queues to make the sounds and lights work.”
Brawn-Czapska is the co-recipient of the 2023 Stage Manager-Director Duo Award of the Georgian Bay District. She uses her experience to approach her current role with confidence.
In 2023, "I wasn’t as prepared for how stressful it would be, so this time I think I’ll be cooler the night of. I’ll keep my head.
“I’ve learned that listening to everyone, instead of selecting what I want to hear more, helps," she added.
From an audience perspective, Brawn enjoys seeing students “shine in ways they weren’t aware that they could. It’s always a joy to see not only our students but what the other schools pull together.”
Kierulf and Lee believe the important thing for students to remember is that "excellence" is conveying the perspective they have and why they want someone to know more about it.
“Be big, be brave, be bold," Kierulf said. "You have the undivided attention of an audience for a limited time. So, what do you want to say?”
Visit Bear Creek Secondary School Feb. 25-29 for a production line-up sure to entertain.
For more information, or to learn how to support the performing arts, visit the NTS website.