Gateway to the Artword Archive:
our activity at Artword Theatre and Artword Gallery on Portland St. from 1993 to 2006
Ronald Weihs, Artistic Director • Judith Sandiford, Managing Director / Curator

From 1993-1998, in Artword's first theatre at 81 Portland, Ronald Weihs wrote and directed Mama Says You Are What You Do, a musical Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, an adaptation of the Chaucer poem; me2, adapted from Moravia stories; Echo and Narcissus, a collaboration with two dancers; Whoever You Are, adapted from a Judith Merril story.
In the new theatre at 75 Portland, Weihs wrote and directed a major new production, Toronto the Good, (2002) a musical about the 1890s. He wrote and directed an adaptation of a LeGuin story Sur (2003). All shows were designed by Judith Sandiford.
In Feb 2006, Weihs' script based on the Dostoevsky story The Gambler was directed by Molly Thom. more on Artword's list  

Charly Chiarelli's two hit shows Cu'Fu? (premiere '96) and Mangiacake! (premiere '02) about the Sicilian-Canadian experience, began at Artword. Directed and dramaturged by Ronald Weihs, designed by Judith Sandiford, both shows were remounted at Artword (Cu'Fu 5 times, Mangiacake twice), and were filmed at Artword for Bravo Television.

Ronald Weihs was Resident Director of the AfriCan Theatre Ensemble (ATE) from Jan '04-Jan '06. He directed Death and the King's Horseman, by Nigerian author Wole Soyinka (May 04), Fate of a Cockroach by Egypt's Tawfik Al-Hakim (April 05), Market of Tales, based on African tales and songs (Nov 05), all co-produced by Artword Theatre with ATE, and designed by Judith Sandiford.

From 1999-2006 Artword Gallery mounted over 50 exhibitions, including six major exhibits of paintings and drawings by noted Canadian artist and author Barbara Caruso. Other artists at Artword include Andrew Glinski, Bruce Parsons, Claude Breeze (C. Herbert), Tim Noonan, Katja Jacobs, Eric Ladelpha, Debbie O'Rourke, Peter Harris and Judith Sandiford. Artword Gallery's exhibition history

Actor and Klezmer singer Allan Merovitz's show If Cows Could Fly, about growing up Jewish in Smiths Falls, directed and dramaturged by Ronald Weihs in 2000, was remounted in 2001.

Actor/dancer Donald Carr's stunning one-man show The Full Nelson, (Jan 2005), was directed and dramaturged by Ronald Weihs and designed by Judith Sandiford, co-produced with ATE.

Artword hosted musician Eugene Martynec's Eugene's Sunday Series of new music improvised concerts: 60 concerts from Oct. 2000 to April 2004:
Eugene 2000-2001
Eugene 2001-2002
Eugene 2002-2003
Eugene 2003-2004

Artword Theatre: how and why Stories, pictures, our mandate, how we built the theatre at 75 Portland, and more...

From 1999-2006, Artword was home to many fine theatre companies. The lists are impressive
1993-1998 (old theatre)
Apr1999-Aug 2000 (new theatre)
2000-2001 program
2001-2002 program
2002-2003 program
2003-2004 program
2004-2005 program
2005-2006 program

1999-2000 Calendar
2000-2001 Calendar
2001-2002 Calendar
2002-2003 Calendar
2003-2004 Calendar
2004-2005 Calendar
2005-2006 Calendar

2003-04 Season
Brochure