To continue growing and expanding as a company, Guild Festival Theatre must encourage new voices and perspectives.
Recently, I had spoken about how patient one artist was as I navigated a challenging time following my mother’s death to get back into the swing of profiling artists.
I am now adding Helen Juvonen and Tyler J. Seguin, co-Artistic Directors of Scarborough’s Guild Festival Theatre (GFT), to that very list. They have been extremely patient, generous, and kind to me as I navigated a changed life moving forward. We conducted our interview via email.
I have always been impressed with the magic of theatre at the outdoor productions of GFT nestled in the picturesque Guild Park & Gardens of Scarborough, and I wanted to learn more about the company. A crucial change Seguin and Juvonen proudly brought to the GFT Board of Directors was the professionalization of the company’s operations. For example, the Artistic Directors had to be separated. A General Manager was introduced. Now, GFT has a staff, and it operates year-round.
Helen reiterated that the Guildwood community has been highly supportive of GFT. The audience attendance has grown, and that’s because the summer theatre outdoor experience brought people out. Both Helen and Tyler found this to be a wonderful surprise.
Juvonen attended Wexford Collegiate, where she was part of the early days of the Music Theatre program. After that, she attended Glendon College at York University, where she completed a Combined Honours BA in English and Drama Studies. Seguin is a graduate of the University of Toronto Mississauga/Sheridan College program (sometimes known as Theatre Erindale).
They both agree that what they have learned about being an artist and theatre maker has been from doing the art and business of theatre. Producing independently and at Fringe Festivals has taught Helen a great deal. Tyler has attended workshops and masterclasses throughout his career, from an apprenticeship with the Old Trout Puppet Workshop, the Volcano Conservatory, the Theatre Columbus Lab, and the Michael Langham Conservatory at Stratford. Seguin, like Juvonen, has deepened and enriched their artistic practices and is always looking for opportunities to continue and grow.
I’ve told both Helen and Tyler just this past summer that there is always something uniquely different in the experience of attending GFT shows. Could they define what that unique difference just might be?
Juvonen writes that the Greek theatre and the beauty of the Guild Park are a huge part of it. While GFT is also rooted in community, the company has placed enormous emphasis on being as welcoming as possible. GFT wants audience members (whether avid theatre goers or first-timers) to feel as if they belong in the park with the company. Seguin adds that the two of them think a lot about how the theatre interacts with production, whether it enhances the atmosphere or offers unique staging moments. By taking care in selecting work that plays well with the Greek theatre itself, Tyler writes that what I sense is ‘something special’ is their love and understanding of the theatre, manifesting in the productions.
Where do the two of them see GFT headed over the next five years?
Tyler remarked on the incredible growth trajectory since he and Helen took the helm. They’ve managed to deliver their ten-year plan in five years. Helen believes she and Tyler have found a great rhythm for GFT’s summer season, and they’re looking at artistic growth elsewhere. GFT has seen incredible success with its playwright’s unit, resulting in two world premieres this year. The company would like to keep looking at new play development like Youth Engagement Scarborough, GFT’s program that invests in young artists’ new creations.
I’m pleased Helen mentioned looking at GFT’s artistic growth. Recently, Juvonen directed The Veil, which is now on stage at Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre in the Studio. The Veil was developed through GFT’s In Conversation with Classics program. Written by Keith Barker and Thomas Morgan Jones, The Veil is a Thought for Food production in association with Crow’s Theatre and GFT. The term ‘in association’ can mean many things. The artistic lead is coming from Thought for Food (an indie company run by Juvonen and Seguin), with Crow’s providing venue support and GFT providing marketing, communications, and administrative support. While lauding how it is an excellent opportunity to be part of Crow’s season this year, partnerships with other theatres are definitely something to consider moving forward, when considering plays that may not work on the amphitheatre stage. I’ll include the link to my review of The Veil at the end of this article.
As artistic leaders within the theatre community, what is one quality they both possess that they consider to be positive in their roles?
Helen is exceptionally proud to be from Scarborough. She comes from a working-class family background. No one from her immediate family has ever worked in the performing arts. It has been a long road to get to a position of leadership in the community, and she equates that work with persistence and determination. Tyler is proud to nurture a spirit of experimentation and collaboration at GFT. This nurturing has pushed him, Helen, and the GFT company to create connections across lines, whether by working with local park friends’ groups on a pre-show walk or partnering with Scarborough restaurants on a food and culture tour. He always tries to see GFT’s impact within the big picture of the company.
What are some of the long-term goals the two of them have for the company?
According to Helen, one of the goals is to support emerging artists, and sometimes GFT is their first professional credit. For others, that might mean they’re already in the union and are still building their resume. The two of them love to see artists flourish after their time at GFT, as some have gone on to Stratford, Shaw, Soulpepper or elsewhere. Tyler further explored the fact that GFT uses contracts that allow both members and non-members of Equity to work with the company. While the majority of actors on the GFT stages are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, GFT thinks it’s vital to give non-members access to these opportunities as well. He enjoys watching how more experienced professionals guide and mentor the emerging artists in GFT productions.
And speaking of upcoming productions, what does GFT have planned for summer 2026?
While Tyler’s lips are sealed, Helen was a tad coy in her response. She and Tyler are still figuring it out, as loose ends are still being tied up, and budgeting and capacity for 2026 haven’t been calculated. Once again, being coy, she had written that GFT will probably follow a similar structure to 2025, with a season launch, Family Fest, and two mainstage productions. Probably (that’s why I read coyly).
Looking ahead, the two of them hope to take on more mentorship and make GFT a platform where the next generation of artists can also share their unique perspectives. To keep growing and stretching as a company, GFT needs to encourage new voices and perspectives. Juvonen and Seguin are trying to make GFT less about Helen and Tyler, even though it’s a financial reality that they’ve had to be the directors of shows every season. However, they both would like to find the room to invite other artists to play. Helen remarked how much of a pleasure it was to have Sue Miner direct for a couple of seasons, and she wants more of that. Tyler reiterated how programs like OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators, Youth Engagement Scarborough, and In Conversation with Classics ensure that the company doesn’t just exist to sustain itself – it’s investing in Scarborough’s artistic community and looking ahead to a creatively rich future.
To learn more about The Guild Festival Theatre, visit guildfestivaltheatre.ca.
To read my review about The Veil now on stage at Crow’s, go here: https://ourtheatrevoice.com/the-veil-world-premiere/
