Looking Ahead to the 2014 Ontario Summer Theatre Season

by Mairin Smit, Program Coordinator

Legally Blonde: The Musical now playing
at Drayton Entertainment's St. Jacobs Playhouse
Jayme Armstrong as Elle Woods and cast
Photo by Hilary Camilleri

Spring has finally sprung as we reach the beginning of May, and with this change of weather comes the highly anticipated beginning of the summer theatre season. We are lucky to have a wide-ranging and dynamic summer theatre scene in the province of Ontario. Big venue, small space, outside, indoors, lakeside or travelling by bus, there’s something for everyone and I’m excited to see what the 2014 summer season brings!

There has been a frenzy of activity and energy in the summer theatre world at Theatre Ontario this year. The Association of Summer Theatres ‘Round Ontario (ASTRO) has gone through a transformation process, emerging on the other side with an updated look, feel, and even a NEW NAME. From this point forward, the group will be known as Ontario Summer Theatre, keeping what they do at the heart of the association’s name.

Memories of the Summer of Love now playing
at Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg

Along with this shiny new name will be a new logo, marketing materials, and a fantastic website for you to check out. This website will feature a travel blog where readers can find out about side-trips, tips, and things to do as they venture out to see productions this summer. It will be your go-to resource for a fun and savvy insiders-look at the summer theatre scene. We’ll keep you posted when the new website launches so you can see for yourself!

In the meantime, check out the links below to the Ontario Summer Theatre member theatres and start planning your own summer adventure.  With the sun shining and the green fields and blue lakes to surround you, can you think of a better way to spend an afternoon or evening than at a summer theatre?

4th Line Theatre (Millbrook)
Actors' Colony Theatre (Bala)
Blyth Festival
Classic Theatre Festival (Perth)
Drayton Entertainment (Cambridge / Drayton / Grand Bend / Penetanguishene / St. Jacobs)
Driftwood Theatre Group (touring)
Festival Players of Prince Edward County
Globus Theatre (Bobcaygeon)
Highlands Summer Festival (Haliburton)
Lighthouse Festival Theatre (Port Dover)
Orillia Opera House
Port Hope Festival Theatre
Port Stanley Festival Theatre
Rose Theatre (Brampton)
Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival (Prescott)
Theatre Collingwood
Thousand Islands Playhouse (Gananoque)
Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg)
Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
Westben Arts Festival Theatre (Campbellford)