Creative Team - Emily Oriold
FOUNDER + ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
“Welcome to The Foster Festival’s 9th Season! This season we are exploring the theme of family. Family has long been at the centre of storytelling, regardless of time period, location, and culture. I hope you enjoy this year’s plays just as much as I did when I first read them. Each contain great humour and, of course, a whole lot of heart.” – Emily Oriold, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Awards
2017 Recipient of Business Link Niagara’s 40 Under Forty Award
Every year in Niagara the 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Award is given to an individual under 40 years of age who consistently makes their mark in business and who contribute regularly to their community.
2017 Recipient – Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, Women in Business Awards – Excellence in Tourism Award
The Women in Business Awards recognize the leadership and success of women in our business community.
2021 Finalist – Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, Women in Business Awards – Cultural Arts Award
The Women in Business Awards recognize the leadership and success of women in our business community. The Cultural Arts Award recognizes the leadership of women in the arts, including music, dance, design, and film.
2022 Recipient – St. Catharines Arts Awards – Making a Difference Award
The Making a Difference Award celebrates a St. Catharines arts entrepreneur, arts administrator, arts organization, arts animator, or volunteer in the arts whose leadership and innovation have significantly contributed to the growth and development of arts and culture in St. Catharines.
Credits
Emily has been a professional actor, director, and singer for over twenty years. For The Foster Festival, Emily played the role of Katie Kilkenny in our 2022 world premiere feature film of Wildly Romantic by Norm Foster and Sonja in Foster’s The Christmas Tree (2023). She also directed the Festival’s critically acclaimed production of The Ladies Foursome by Norm Foster which toured to golf courses across Niagara. This production was named one of the top ten most notable productions in Ontario in 2021 by Christopher Hoile, Stage-door.com.
In 2024, Emily directed the 40th anniversary production of what is perhaps Foster’s most well-known play, The Melville Boys, which received four stars from Christopher Hoile at Stage-door.com: “Director Emily Oriold has assembled a fine cast and manages the pace of the action and its changing tones beautifully.”
Other select acting credits include:
- Ship to Shore, The Foster Festival
- Too Close To Home (World Premiere), Theatre Orangeville
- Everything I Love About Christmas, Theatre Orangeville
- The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom, Harbourfront Theatre
- Weekend Comedy, Drayton Entertainment
- The Glass Menagerie, Talk is Free Theatre
- Collette: The Colours of Love, Talk is Free Theatre
- Little Woman: The Musical, Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
- The Outdoor Donnellys, Blyth Festival
- Nunsense, Theatre Cambridge
- The Maids, Theatre Passe Muraille
- Thy Neighbour’s Wife, Dora Award Winning Play
- Murdoch Mysteries, Season 5
Emily has also directed at the Blyth Festival, Talk is Free Theatre, and Theatre Aquarius.
Administratively, Emily has a strong background in marketing and audience development, skills she developed while working for five years as the Director of Sales and Marketing for house seats Canada – a live audience development company whose goal is to get “bums in seats” and provide invaluable customer feedback through house seats’ own survey system.
