Onelight Theatre

	COMPANY HISTORY
	Onelight Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The core members of Onelight have been working together since 1999; the company has been a registered not-for-profit society since 2002. Onelight’s primary work is to develop and stage original theatrical productions, derived from a variety of international classic and modern source materials, through a disciplined collaborative process. We develop and produce new plays, engaging a variety of professional artists (including actors, visual artists, film-makers, and musicians) to produce engaging works with a signature stylistic effect. Not only have Onelight Theatre productions forged new paths with regards to staging and the use of multi-media technology in our shows, we have also been one of the few companies in Atlantic Canada that consistently incorporates culturally diverse perspectives into our work. Since 2002, Onelight Theatre has debuted 8 productions in Halifax. We have also undertaken several tours within Canada and internationally. As Onelight Theatre has grown, we have been able to reach an expanding audience. We pride ourselves not only on appealing to “traditional” theatre audiences, but also on being able to draw new theatre-goers, particularly from the local immigrant community to the theatre, precisely because we offer engaging plays, staged using new technological and staging developments, from a fresh perspective. In addition to our artistic work, Onelight has organized and hosted several conferences that bring together people from thoughout the region and across the country to explore topical matters relating to theatre, arts, and culture in Canada. Onelight Theatre is a registered Charitable Organization. Also, we are signatories to the Canadian Theatre Agreement and our Artists pursuant to the union requirements. .........................................
	MANDATE AND WORKING STYLE
	Legal Mandate and Artistic Mission The Onelight Theatre Society is legally mandated to produce theatrical productions in accordance with the company’s artistic philosophy and mission statement. The statement of philosophy, written by the artistic director, Shahin Sayadi, provides the basis of the company's artistic mission. The artistic philosophy outlines the disciplined, collaborative working style which is the foundation of the company’s work. The artistic mission is Onelight Theatre exists to bring new stories to the stage and to allow a variety of artists to work together in a professional and rewarding environment. Under the guidance of the Artistic Director, each member of the production team has an equal opportunity to contribute to every facet of the production. We nurture self-expression and professional growth; theatre artists and practitioners are not limited by their designated professional capacity. Through disciplined collaboration, the entire production team has a unified understanding of the work and the story that is being told. Artistic Vision and Working Style Shahin Sayadi’s statement of philosophy is the foundation of Onelight Theatre’s artistic vision; it provides the basis of the company’s approach to theatre, in general, and its particular working style and mandate. The statement reads, in part: Theatre is an evolution that starts with one’s reading of a text. Its body is made of action and its completion happens when the audience is within. It is neither a depiction of reality nor a creation. It is a new discovery into the universe each time it happens. Shahin’s artistic philosophy has been shaped primarily by the traditions of Eastern story-telling and theatre. The primary emphasis of the tale is on the journey that the characters take, the conclusion of the story is of secondary importance. Because of this approach to the work, the process of developing a show is as important as the finished production. The development process focuses on building a production team and the experience that the team has in developing the play. The primary goal is to work together in a rewarding environment, from this the secondary goal of developing and staging a play flows with ease. Process, then, is central to Onelight’s artistic philosophy and to the work of Onelight Theatre. For each Onelight project we build specialized team of artists, designers, musicians, playwrights and others who give life to the production. As much as possible, we bring the team to work together from the beginning of a project so that each member has as much input to and understanding of the project as possible. For us, this process leads to a sense of purposiveness in each element of performance and to a distinct unity within the final production. There is no hierarchy to the process: design can inform the script, music can inform the costumes, lighting design can inform the staging. All of the components are developed with the other elements of the production in mind and I have found that this leads to more unity in the design and staging of the show. With every new work, every new story, we explore new forms we explore new technologies and new ways to use those technologies on stage. We are constantly learning about new theatrical ways. Additionally, Onelight often uses both Eastern and Western source materials (music, poetry, plays, art work and photography) in the productions themselves and as a means to find inspiration for the work. We feel that this diverse material brings both fullness and freshness to the work and it assists us, the production team, and finally the audience to view the materials from new perspectives. The key components of Onelight Theatre’s working process, (1) that we assemble specialized team of artists for each project, (2) that the team finds a unified understanding of the text as a group, and (3) that there is diverse materials media, and technology that influence and are incorporated into the plays, ensure that each of Onelight Theatre’s productions are artistically distinct, while maintaining a high-level of artistic quality and unity under my guidance as the director. ..........................................
	THE BRAINS BEHIND THE OPERATION
	Shahin Sayadi Artistic Director Maggie Stewart Managing Director Jake Dambergs Tech Support ..........................................

	THE BOARD
	Rhia Perkins Chair Jennifer Wipp Treasurer Flora Riyahi Vice-Chair Dr. Sue Campbell Past-Chair Carmel Rooney Michael Fenrick Sanjay Shahani ..........................................
	MEMBERSHIPS
	PACT (Professional Association of Canadian Theatres) PWM (Playwrights' Workshop Montréal) PARC (Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre TNS (Theatre Nova Scotia) PTAH (Professional Theatre Artists of Halifax)
	OneLight Theatre currently engages all guest artists under the Canadian Theatre Agreement.