CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, September 24, 2025

This new Toronto theatre company is changing the landscape

www.thestar.com/entertainment/stage: Sometimes life really does imitate art. The exciting young musical theatre company Shifting Ground Collective named themselves after a lyric from Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Merrily We Roll Along.” “Something is stirring, shifting ground, it’s just begun,” begins the song “Our Time,” about three optimistic, 20-something artists at the outset of their careers.

1 comment:

Lauren Dursky said...

I really like that this article highlights that it is people early on in their careers that have started this company. It does feel like a mountain to climb when starting out. It is also the same story that I’ve run into multiple times saying opportunities aren’t there for people early in their careers, not because they don’t exist, but because of how the system has consistently functioned. Their statement of purpose and approaches to production all make sense, however I think this article glides over really important elements that need to be brought to light for people early on in their careers. Unfortunately, this company feels like other “early career” opportunities. I would be interested in knowing more about the logistics behind the company. I would like to know more about the three original founders and their roles within the company, and how they fund their productions. How much work are these three doing for free at three or more years in? Are they getting paid? Is anyone working on their productions getting paid or is everyone a volunteer and ticket sales go to paying for the materials and venue? Do they have plans to be able to pay themselves or the young talent that they are using? This gives opportunities but are they still the opportunities bound to being willing to accept that everything is on a shoestring budget and that you’re doing this work for the love of it not because it’s going to help pay your rent.