Meet Erin Arbuckle
2023 Recipient of the EODL Scholarship
Erin has been involved with Dundas County Players since 2017 when she designed the set for “Charlie Brown”. She also performed as a police officer, fruit seller and dancer in their 2019 production of “Aladdin" and was Robin Hood’s girlfriend, an Inn Owner and a Merry Man in their 2022 production of “Robin Hood” as well as being a private investigator’s assistant in the 2022 production of “The Waffle King Murders”. Erin has also worked with the Russell Association for the Performing Arts where she portrayed a pick pocket in their 2019 production of “Oliver Twist” and Angie the Ox in the Stage Craft Theatre Company’s production of “Guys and Dolls”. She also participated in workshops with The Academy of Musical Theatre. Erin was a background actor in the Hallmark Movie “Christmas Unwrapped”. She is currently attending Algonquin College, studying Performing Arts.
Meet Alexia Boyagian
2023 Recipient of the EODL Scholarship
Alexia Boyagian is 19 and has loved the performing arts since she was 8 years old. Over the years she has been in over a dozen concerts and theatre productions including “Joseph”, “White Christmas" and “Shrek”. Her favourite roles are young Cosette in “Les Misérables”, Mary Lennox in “The Secret Garden” and recently Little Red in “Into the Woods”. She has loved her involvement with the Northumberland Players Theatre in Cobourg where she grew up. She was the recipient of the NP 40th anniversary award for her over 700 hours of volunteering on and off the stage with the company. Alexia has taken vocal classes for 10 years, attended acting workshops for film and taken triple threat class at the Randolph College of the Performing Arts. Her favourite learning experience was attending the Berklee School of Music Summer Intensive. She enjoys singing and playing her guitar at various venues and festivals. She has a passion for writing her own lyrics and music. Alexia received a scholarship to attend Berklee Music in Boston but decided to stay in Canada. She is attending Western University in London Ontario and is presently enrolled in first year in the Contemporary Music Studies program. She hopes to do her Masters in Music at Berklee in New York after she completes her undergraduate work in the performing arts. She is grateful to have had great vocal music teachers Beth Hunt, Marie Anderson and Anna Mastin. She is presently on the roster of Colin McMurray & Associates Inc. She is honoured to be a recipient of the EODL Scholarship.
Student Scholarships and Honorariums
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.