10 Independent Theatres In The Greater Toronto Area
Scarborough Players’ The Winslow Boy, 2014 | © Thomas Kowal
Theatre Scarborough
Theatre Scarborough consists of three groups that use the same stage. Scarborough Players and Scarborough Theatre Guild are dedicated to producing creative dramas, comedies and mysteries, while Scarborough Music Theatre produces musicals. The three groups perform 11 combined shows throughout the season that are presented on a unique ‘thrust’ stage. The best part? There isn’t a bad seat in the house with the thrust design allowing the audience to be up close and personal on all three sides of the stage. The price of tickets is reasonable, parking is free and all three groups offer subscriptions for great deals.
Scarborough Players
Scarborough Players has a long history, having originated in 1958, and produces entertaining comedies and dramas on an intimate stage. Past productions include Brighton Beach Memoirs, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Winslow Boy, with a wealth of home grown, ACT-CO award-winning talent. Scarborough Players has wine and cheese on opening night, when the audience has a chance to meet the actors, and ‘Talk Back’ Thursdays allow the audience to ask the director, cast and crew questions about the production.
Scarborough Theatre Guild
Scarborough Theatre Guild, established in 1959, has produced Nuts, Cactus Flower and The Mumberley Inheritance. Looking for a unique experience? Head here during the occasional improv, when the fourth wall is broken down to allow the audience to get involved in the action.
Scarborough Music Theatre
Scarborough Music Theatre produces musicals — which usually sell out. These include The Full Monty, Nine to Five and The King and I.
Theatre Scarborough, 3600 Kingston Rd, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 416 267 9292
Amicus Production’s Madwoman of Chaillot | © Dave Fitzpatrick
Amicus Productions
In east Toronto, you’ll find Amicus Productions, a community theatre group performing out of the beautifully renovated Papermill Theatre at Todmorden Mills. Not only can you enjoy comedies, dramas or thrillers on this stage, you can also enjoy touring a gallery of art displays before and after the show. Past productions have included Apartment 3A, Madwoman of Chaillot, Cyrano de Bergerac and Jekyll and Hyde.
Elizabeth Rex 2014 | Courtesy of East Side Players
East Side Players
East Side Players, formed in 1967, is another theatre group that’s won numerous ACT-CO awards for productions that include comedies, dramas, mysteries, and even some musical revues. The Players also perform out of the Papermill Theatre at Todmorden Mills. Past productions include The Woman in Black, and Elizabeth Rex.
The Papermill Theatre, 67 Pottery Rd, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 416 425 0917
A Steady Rain 2014 | Courtesy of Paper Moon Productions
Paper Moon Productions
Paper Moon Productions, established in 2014, is known for its inaugural production of A Steady Rain, which ran in January 2015 at Sidemart’s Theatrical Grocery. In October 2015, Paper Moon produced A Midnight Dreary, an exciting evening of radio-style Edgar Allan Poe readings at the Olde Stone Cottage Pub. Look forward to the continued and exciting developments of this emerging and innovative group, which assembles talented actors in various locations for creative entertainment.
Alumnae Theatre’s Blood Relations 2015 | © Dahlia Katz
Alumnae Theatre
Ever wonder what it would be like to see a play in a firehall? Now’s your chance. Alumnae Theatre Company produces entertaining and memorable shows. This group is also home to the New Ideas Festival and FireWorks — a series designed to attract playwrights to showcase their work.
Alumnae Theatre Company, 70 Berkeley St, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 416 364 4170
Plain Stage Theatre Company
The Plain Stage Theatre Company, founded by Marion Abbott — creator and director of the Confidential Musical Theatre Project — is a group that produces simple shows (and, very quickly) with the aim of giving actors, directors, choreographers and stage managers more performance opportunities and to emphasize the story rather than the technical side. Productions are held in various locations in downtown Toronto.
Bloor West Village Players’ The Mouse House, 2015 | © Jennifer Etches
Bloor West Village Players
The Bloor West Village Players, a west side treasure, has put on some memorable productions, including comedies, Shakespeare, dramas and mysteries. Founded in 1974, they are well known in the neighborhood and perform on a lovely, intimate stage near Runnymede and Bloor. This theatre’s recent productions include Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Beyond Therapy and The Mouse House. They’ve also produced work by local authors, including The Drawer Boy, Willow Quartet, and a new prose translation of Tartuffe.
Bloor West Village Players, 2190E Bloor West, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 416 767 7701
A Tomb with a View, 2015 | Courtesy of Theatre Etobicoke
Theatre Etobicoke
Theatre Etobicoke has been around since 1956, and it focuses on comedies. Past plays include Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Lost in Yonkers, Barefoot in the Park and Bedside Manners, all taking place on a wonderful stage nestled in the beautiful Assembly Hall.
Theatre Etobicoke, 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr, Toronto, ON, Canada, +1 416 246 1889