Meet Elizabeth Kile
a 2025 Recipient of the EODL Scholarship
Now graduated, Elizabeth has been acting since ninth grade and is so incredibly excited and grateful to be able to begin her adventure in pursuing her Bachelor of fine arts in theatre. She would like to extend the warmest thank you to The Company of Adventurers for helping her discover her love for acting, as well as putting her forward for this scholarship. If it weren’t for them, she would not be the actor that she is today.
and now, also please congratulate Will Mercer!
our second 2025 Recipient of the EODL Scholarship
Will discovered his passion for theatre and performance in his final year of High School and has passionately pursued it ever since, by involving himself in a range of plays and musical productions in both onstage and backstage positions. He would like to extend a huge thank you to the Eastern Ontario Drama League for this recognition and for the people who put his name forward. He feels more inspired than ever. Thank you!
Congratulations, Colleen Sanders
2025 recipient of
The Tessie Honourariam
Colleen Sanders (she/her) is a Canterbury High School drama program graduate who loves community theatre all around Ottawa, especially The Company Of Adventures where she’s acted in five Shakespeare productions. Colleen is honoured to have received the Tessie Honorarium.
Student Scholarships and Honorariums are to be submitted by March 1 of the calendar year
The Tessie Honorarium is given in memory of Thérèse May. Fondly known as TESSIE, Thérèse began working enthusiastically with the executive of the EODL because of her vision “that theatre become truly a part of our Canadian way of life”. This honorarium was inaugurated in 2022. The applicant will be a high school student who has worked significantly with their EODL member group, showing enthusiasm and devotion to theatre as an integral part of the community. They need not necessarily be pursuing post secondary education. If you wish to nominate someone for this honorarium, you may either use the mailing address on the application form (in WORD format or PDF format), or you may email you request to eodl1933@gmail.com
EODL Scholarship (formerly the Thérèse May Scholarship)
Thérèse May was well known and loved not only in our region but across Canada. She devoted sixty years of her life to the theatre, taking part in many festivals, acting in both English and French. She was Chair and Treasurer of the EODL serving on many of its committees, and was also the Honourable Secretary of the Dominion Drama Festival from 1966 to 1968.
Inaugurated in 1969, the EODL Scholarship is to be given to a senior student who shows talent, potential and a willingness to proceed in some aspect of theatrical training. The student should be one who is planning to enter college or university the following school year to further their education in theatre. The student need not belong to an EODL member group, nor be a present participant; however, they must have worked in some capacity with one of the EODL member groups. The $400 scholarship is awarded annually.
If you wish to nominate someone for this scholarship, you may either use the mailing address on the application form (in WORD format or PDF format), or you may email your request to eodl1933@gmail.com.
Inaugurated in 2007, Pat Beharriell was known provincially, nationally and internationally for her work in theatre that earned her the Order of Canada, but her name was most often connected with Domino Theatre in Kingston. Pat stage managed and/or produced nearly 50 productions for Domino, was a Board member for 46 years and their President for six years. Pat was a long-time member of the Eastern Ontario Drama League and until she passed away, as the EODL archivist who entertained us all with many stories from the EODL archives.
The Patricia Beharriell CM Scholarship is to be given to a senior student who shows talent, potential and a willingness to proceed in some area of the non-performing aspect of theatrical training. The student should be one who is planning to enter college or university the following school year to further their education in theatre. The student need not belong to an EODL member group, nor be a present participant; however, they must have worked in some capacity with one of the EODL member groups.
If you wish to nominate someone for this scholarship, you may either use the mailing address on the application form (in WORD format or PDF format), or you may email your request to eodl1933@gmail.com.
New Project Grants
EODL shares revenue generated by the EODL Foundation Fund as well as EODL surplus funds with their member groups. Groups may apply for funding up to $1,000 for a new project. To read more about the Terms of Reference and the application process, click here. New Project Grants are due by March 1 of any given year.
EODL Member Awards
EODL Award for Outstanding Service
This award was originally called the CKLC Trophy and later the Kinnear d'Esterre Award, after the donors at that time.
The EODL Award for Outstanding Service is given to an individual whose volunteer work for the organization has shown extraordinary devotion and has spanned many years. The person is chosen by a committee made up of those former recipients who are still active members of EODL. The EODL President will be advised of the nomination except in the case where the President is to be the recipient. The award is presented at the beginning of the Festival Awards ceremony at either the One Act or the Full Length Festival. This award is not necessarily given every year.
Theatre Ontario Michael Spence Award
This award is named in honour of Michael Spence, the founding President of Theatre Ontario. Theatre Ontario as an organization ceased to exist in 2019. Michael was active in community theatre at Hart House Theatre, London Little Theatre and the University Alumnae Dramatic Club, now known as Alumnae Theatre. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Dominion Drama Festival, a past President of Arts Etobicoke and continues to be an enthusiastic supporter of theatre in Ontario. Pursuant to a motion passed at a 1996 EODL meeting in Bancroft, the EODL winner of the Michael Spence Award is offered two lifetime complimentary tickets to all performances at the EODL One Act and Full Length Festivals.
The award was established in 1997 by Theatre Ontario on the occasion of their 25th Anniversary. Multiple awards were presented on the quinquennial anniversaries of Theatre Ontario until 2012 when it became a single annual award. The last Michael Spence Award presented in Eastern Ontario was in 2018.
Theatre Ontario's Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre was presented annually to an individual for their outstanding contribution to community theatre in their region over a sustained time. The recipient would have shown a generosity of spirit, involvement and commitment to help community theatre flourish in their region. NOTE: The award was presented to an individual in the region that hosted that year's Theatre Ontario Festival.