ABOUT The Western Ontario Drama League
Welcome to a community of people with a passion for theatre!
Theatre has played an important role in communities for centuries. The call to entertain is a very strong one; the call to be entertained is stronger still. WODL supports and encourages those who entertain.
The Western Ontario Drama League was established by D. Park Jamieson in 1932 to unite community theatre groups in Western Ontario. It covers an area from Burlington west to Sarnia and Welland, and north to Tobermory and has over two dozen member groups.
The Western Ontario Drama League exists to:
- encourage, assist and promote Community Theatre
- convene an annual Theatre Festival
- to provide education in Theatre Arts
The Western Ontario Drama League also:
Supports the development of high quality training for member groups.
Celebrates the best of Community Theatre through the annual WODL Theatre Festival, which is adjudicated by a professional adjudicator.
Engages a professional adjudicator to travel throughout the Region from October to February each year, adjudicating member group productions as requested, and selecting the productions which will appear in the annual Theatre Festival.
Develops and supports training for directors, actors and technicians through the annual Minifest weekend.
Facilitates communication and access to resources through its association with other theatres.
Issues a newsletter to keep their membership informed about the activities of member groups, Annual Festival and Minifest information, workshops in the Region, and information from other Regions.
Maintains a web site with information on all member groups, as well as WODL programs, festivals etc .
WODL is managed by an elected board of directors, who are members of one of the member groups.
The Executive Officers of WODL include a Past President, President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The board also consists of Area Vice-Presidents as well as a number of standing committees, each of which has an appointed chair.
There is an Area Vice President for each of the following areas:
Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk;
Bruce-Grey;
Elgin-Middlesex-Perth;
Essex-Lambton-Kent;
Lincoln-Wentworth;
Oxford;
Waterloo-Wellington.
Area Vice Presidents provide a liaison between the groups in their area and the WODL Board, attend adjudications of groups in their area and assist as required.
For a printable pdf of this information -
click here.
Board Executive
| | |
| President | Sue Garner |
| 1st Vice President | Shirley Marshallshirleym@wodl.on.ca |
| 2nd Vice President | Matt Walsh matt@wodl.on.ca |
| Secretary | TBDsecretary@wodl.on.ca |
| Treasurer | Peter Busbytreasurer@wodl.on.ca |
| Past President | Linda Lloyd-McKenzielindalm@wodl.on.ca |
Appointed Positions and Committee Chairs
| Adjudications Chair | Ken Menzies |
| Communications Chair | Tricia Ward |
| Awards Chair | Andre Paradis |
| Constitution and Policy | Matt Walsh |
| Membership and Development | Shirley Steele |
| Webmaster | Mary Jane Walzak |
| Workshop Chair | Laurel Gillespie/Kim DiLello |
| Life Members Chair | Michelle Spanik |
| Festival Chair | Corey Robertson corey@wodl.on.ca |
| Minifest Chair 2025 | Bev Dietrich |
Area Vice-Presidents
Essex-Lambton-Kent Theatre Kent Theatre Sarina Windsor Light Music Ghost Light Theatre The Bank Theatre | Renata Solski |
Waterloo-Wellington Elmira Theatre Company Elora Community Theatre Cambridge Community Players Guelph Little Theatre Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre Theatre Wellesley | Bev Dietrich |
Elgin-Middlesex-Perth-Oxford Aylmer Community Theatre Ingersoll Theatre of the Performing Arts (ITOPA) Thistle Theatre - Embro London Community Players St. Marys Community Players Odesa Company Port Burwell Periscope Playhouse | Rob Coles |
Lincoln-Wentworth Binbrook Little Theatre Peninsula Players Players Guild of Hamilton Theatre Burlington Dundas Little Theatre | Rob Blowey |
Bruce-Grey- Huron Kincardine Theatre Guild Inc Owen Sound Little Theatre Hanover Community Players | Debbie Deckert |
Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk-Oxford Theatre Tillsonburg Theatre Woodstock | Laurel Gillespie/Kim DiLello |
Present Life Members
Start Date | Joined WODL | Made Life Member | |
| Faye Bonanno | 1971 | 1996 | Made Honorary Life President 2000 |
| Sue Perkins | 1994 | 2010 | |
| Anne Mooney | 1986 | 2013 | |
| Bill Meaden | 1999 | 2012 | |
| Mark Mooney | 1997 | 2015 | |
| Ken Menzies | 1997 | 2015 | |
| Michelle Spanik | 1996 | 2015 | |
| April Chappell | 2002 | 2016 | |
| Bev Dietrich | 1993 | 2018 | |
| Shirley Steele | 1999 | 2019 | |
| Brandon Moore | 2002 | 2021 | Honorary Life Member |
| Dennis Johnson | 2002 | 2022 | |
| Peter Busby | 2006 | 2022 | |
| Andre Paradis | 2009 | 2023 | |
| Gina Paradis | 2005 | 2023 | |
| Michael Grant | 2024 | Honorary Life Member | |
| Tricia Ward | 2012 | 2024 |
Deceased Life Members
Name | Joined WODL | Made Life Member | Deceased | |
| Lawrence Bonanno | 1967 | 1995 | 2019 | Made Honorary Life President 2000 |
| Sam Hunter | 1968 | 1988 | 2010 | |
| John Jenkins | 1971 | 1988 | ||
| Velma Mitges | 1972 | 1988 | 1992 | |
| Isabel Draper | 1973 | 1996 | 2002 | |
| Anne Wilson | 1974 | 1995 | 2014 | Made Honorary Life President 2000 |
| Armond LaPointe | 1977 | 2004 | 2007 | |
| Norma Hunter | 1977 | 1988 | 2003 | |
| Steve Repuski | 1985 | 2012 | 2012 | |
| Inez Hayes | 1985 | 2003 | 2012 | |
| Vince Mathewson | 1986 | 1995 | 2002 | |
| Fred Hadley | 1989 | 2006 | 2014 | |
| Val Hadley | 1995 | 2003 | 2013 | |
| John L'Heureux | 2019 | 2020 | ||
| April Chappell | 2002 | 2016 | 2020 | |
| Mona Brennan-Coles | 2005 | 2022 | 2025 |
- Free posting of playbills on WODL’s web site as well as other opportunities via Area VP’s to promote your group to WODL.
- Receive our newsletter "Cue Sheet” every few months, with information on the activities of member groups, the annual Theatre Festival and Minifest information, workshops in the Region, and information from other Regions. We also publish the adjudication dates of all those who chose to have a production adjudicated.
- Subsidization of the actual costs of the adjudication fees and ability to participate in adjudication process and Festival.
- Opportunity to vote on major decisions put out by the WODL executive at delegates meetings (you are entitled to name two Delegates). These are held in October and February, and the AGM is held in July, immediately following Minifest (Minifest is currently on HOLD).
- Representation at delegates meetings where we discuss various aspects of theatre. You gain: a) Shared awareness of what other theatres are doing. b) Advanced notice of theatre seasons from other groups c) New Thoughts, New Ideas d) Access to mentors and e) an opportunity to network.
- Eligible to apply for financial assistance to host workshops.
- Eligible to enter in our annual Minifest - see Minifest tab under Festivals
- Unified advocacy – over a score of theatres can speak louder than individual theatres. Issues that directly affect theatre in South Western Ontario can be addressed and WODL is a recognized organization that has high standards and respectability amongst the theatrical world.
- Invitation to President of your theatre group to Gala opening ceremonies of WODL’s annual Theatre Festival.
- Access to information in WODL data bank.
To be eligible for membership, a group must have been in existence for a minimum of one year and performed at least two full-length productions and have a board of directors. An application along with the membership fee is needed in order to become a member group. Once this is received and a review done on your theatre group, the application will be processed before the group is accepted. Groups must be located in one of the following counties or former counties: Essex, Kent, Lambton, Elgin, Middlesex, Huron, Perth, Oxford, Brant, Norfolk, Waterloo, Wellington, Grey, Bruce, Wentworth, Lincoln, Haldimand, the Regional Municipality of Niagara, or the City of Burlington. The Board of WODL determines fees for Active Membership and to receive adjudication annually. The appropriate annual fees are due early each fall. Before becoming a Member Group, the interested theatre group needs to fill out an application for membership. WODL membership is also possible on an individual basis. You need to be a member in good standing to apply for adjudication.
Membership Application Form - Click Here
