Creative Team - Emily Oriold
CO-FOUNDER + ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
“I am thrilled to be back at the Foster Festival in this new role as Artistic Director. As a founder of the organization, I have always held it near and dear to my heart. I look forward to gathering at the theatre with you all in 2023 to celebrate Norm Foster and his uplifting plays.” – 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 a great passion for the arts and has been a professional actor, director, and singer for 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. 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.
Other select stage credits include:
- 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
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.
