A poster of Artword Theatre’s projects in Hamilton since 2008. We closed our most recent live project (“Walter” starring Sean Emberley) on March 14, 2020, due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile we continue to add videos of our shows on the Artword Theatre Youtube Channel.
Scroogissimo for Christmas:
Free YouTube Premiere, December 11, 7:00 pm. Scroogissimo launches on the Artword Theatre Channel on YouTube on December 11 at 7:00 pm.
Ron has finally finished editing the video of Scroogissimo, shot and recorded by Gabe Etele at Artword Artbar on December 13, 2018. It was a great performance, and the video version is really good (Ron says modestly).
Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/EQF0Oo15FOQ
Click on the link on December 11 at 7 pm (Hamilton time). There will be a half hour of live chat. Judith and Ron will be there, chatting from Rome (1:00 am). Charly will be there and other Artword people.
Then at 7:30, the movie starts and we’ll watch it together. It runs about 1 hour 40 minutes.
If you like it (and you will) please click the Like button. And Subscribe to the Artword Theatre Channel. (It helps us a lot with YouTube.)
After the premiere, Scroogissimo will be permanently available on the Artword Theatre Channel, along with other full Artword plays and performances, trailers and samplers.
And everything on the channel is free to watch.
Scroogissimo
Scroogissimo is Artword Theatre’s hit show based on “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Written by Ryan Sero and Charly Chiarelli. Directed by Ronald Weihs, produced and designed by Judith Sandiford.
Charly plays “Ebenezu Scroogie”, a Sicilian Hamiltonian who hates Christmas (bah, umbago) and terrorizes his clerk, Bob Cratchit, played by Jon-Gordon Odegaard. His nephew Fred is played by Jay Shand.
The Ghost of Christmas Past is played by Pamela Gardner.
The Ghost of Christmas Present is played by Paula Grove.
Val Kay plays the Ghost of Christmas Future, as well as Mrs. Cratchit.
See the full story of this production in the 2018 Scroogissimo post.
… And the winner is Tom Wilson, Hamilton local hero, musician and artist.
“2021 Arts Awards Short List: Lifetime Achievement Award nominees Judith Sandiford & Ronald Weihs.
Judith Sandiford, an artist and designer, and Ronald Weihs, a playwright and director, have been creating original theatre and promoting the arts for thirty years. Their projects include Artword Artists Forum, Artword Theatre, Artword Gallery and Artword Artbar, a welcoming environment for theatre, music, dance and visual art in Hamilton.”
The other nominee in this category is the renowned musician and author Tom Wilson.
“A panel of 45 local artists and arts professionals evaluated 122 public nominations for the 2021 Arts Awards, shortlisting 37 nominees to move forward for final adjudication for an award. … Award recipients in all categories will be announced via online presentations during Hamilton Arts Week (June 3 to 12, 2021).
https://www.hamilton.ca/city-awards/arts-awards/arts-awards-short-list
“Creator Award (28 shortlisted): Conferred to individual artists and artistic collectives (including bands) working in any artistic discipline and at any career level.
Arts Champion Award (7 shortlisted): Honours the work of arts sector volunteers, advocates, or board members who are essential in supporting success in the arts community.
Lifetime Achievement Award (2 shortlisted): Recognizes those who have contributed substantially to the artistic vitality of the city over the course of a career.
Here are some photos from our various adventures in theatre
(not a whole lifetime, just the bit since 1994). But it does include three facilities for performance, over 26 or so years.
#1. Artword Theatre at 81 Portland Street Toronto, 1994 to 1999. (left)
#2. Artword Theatre at 75 Portland Street, Toronto, 1999-2006. Proud of our small-budget high-standard 150-seat theatre, plus art gallery and 60-seat studio theatre. This was a make-over of our landlord’s garment factory.
#3. In Artword Gallery, the lobby of Artword Theatre, 75 Portland Street, Toronto, from 1999-2006.
#4. Out in front of Artword Artbar on Colbourne Street at James, for “Open Streets”, back when street festivals were home-made:
Ron on fiddle, Judith with a microphone, and pals Charly Chiarelli on harmonica and Venesio Salvo on guitar.
Artword Artbar closed it doors forever just before Covid slammed into our lives. Talk about timing! November 17, 2019, the Hill Brothers Bluegrass Band played our final concert to a sellout crowd. The musicianship is brilliant: Randal Hill (mandolin), Rocky Hill (guitar), Tim McDonald (banjo), Greg Street (bass). Videos of that final concert are now on the Artword Theatre YouTube channel. Beautifully shot, with excellent sound quality, by Gabe Etele (CMNIproductions).
Sample song from the first set. “It Ain’t Nothin”,
sung by Rocky Hill: https://youtu.be/VWVPjbITzuk
Sample song, second set, “Crossties on a Railroad”
sung by Randal Hill: https://youtu.be/pqLtkon3898
Part One: Full video of the first set: https://youtu.be/itx4vIrk7wQ
Part Two: Full video of the second set: https://youtu.be/WNnW-ktlloA
Artword Theatre’s production of Charly’s Piano, performed by Charly Chiarelli is now up on the Artword Theatre Youtube channel. This 60-minute version was performed in the 2019 Hamilton Fringe Festival, and videoed on July 25, 2019. Watch Charly’s Piano on Artword Theatre Youtube channel
Charly’s Piano is written by Charly Chiarelli and Ronald Weihs, directed by Ronald Weihs, with songs by Charly Chiarelli. Ronald Weihs accompanies on guitar. Charly’s Piano tells the true tale of Charly as a young hippie looking for work in Toronto in 1972. He gets a job in a psychiatric hospital, and organizes a fundraising concert by patients and doctors to buy a piano.
See the reviews and background here in the show post: https://artword.net/artwordtheatre/?p=801
* We’re both working on several projects.
* We mostly stay at home (we’re fine).
* Artword Theatre’s online “Walter” is doing well, many likes and over 500 views.
* Ron is busy acquiring many new skills to create on-line video theatrical projects.
* We’re both paying attention, in different ways, to the strange world we live in now.