4th Line Theatre Invites Local Seniors to Step Into the Spotlight

By Scott Arnold

A new program at 4th Line Theatre is giving local seniors a chance to explore acting, storytelling and performance in a relaxed, supportive setting.

4th Line Theatre is inviting local seniors aged 55 and older to take part in its new Seniors Theatre Program, beginning September 30th. (photo courtesy of 4th line theatre)

There’s no audition, no previous acting experience required and no pressure to commit to the entire program.

Instead, 4th Line Theatre is inviting people aged 55 and older to spend Wednesday mornings exploring what can happen when a group of people gets together to create, play and tell stories.

The new Seniors Theatre Program begins September 30th, with free weekly classes running from 9am to 11am.

Over the course of 20 weeks, participants will work with 4th Line Theatre founder Robert Winslow, Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell and guest instructors. The sessions will include improvisation, theatre games, storytelling and collaborative play, as well as movement, voice, singing, character creation and ensemble work.

Participants don't have to sign up for all 20 weeks, making the program an opportunity to try something new without having to make a long-term commitment.

The experience will eventually move from the classroom to the stage, with the program culminating in a final performance in March 2027. Friends and family will be encouraged to attend and celebrate the participants' achievements.

For Blackwell, however, the value of the program goes well beyond the final performance.

“In a rural community, opportunities for seniors to gather, create and feel meaningfully connected can make an enormous difference,” states Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. “Seniors carry an extraordinary wealth of stories, knowledge and lived experience, and we want 4th Line to be a place where those stories are valued and where people continue to feel creative, connected and essential to their community.”

The program is supported by the Government of Ontario through the Seniors Community Grant Program, which helps local not-for-profit organizations deliver projects and resources aimed at helping older adults live independently, stay connected, avoid isolation and build stronger social connections.

4th Line Theatre is also emphasizing that the program is open to community members of all backgrounds.

For anyone interested in taking part, registration closes September 24th at 12pm.

To register or ask questions, contact Celine Gadoury at celine@4thlinetheatre.on.ca or 705-932-4505.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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A Dangerous Game of Power, Desire and Mystery Is Coming to Peterborough

By Scott Arnold

There are some theatre productions you watch, applaud and leave behind. Then there are productions that follow you out the door, into the car and home with you, refusing to let go. Lisa Dixon is counting on Venus in Fur being the latter.

Lisa Dixon is bringing her vision for David Ives’ Venus in Fur to the Peterborough Theatre Guild stage, promising audiences a production filled with mystery, tension and unexpected turns when it opens September 18th. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

On September 18th, the lights will come up at the Peterborough Theatre Guild on Rogers Street, and two actors will take the stage for a 90-minute performance that director Lisa Dixon describes as “a train wreck of a production.”

And she means that in the best possible way.

“You just don't see it coming,” Dixon says.

Based on David Ives’ acclaimed play, Venus in Fur begins simply enough. An actress arrives unexpectedly to audition for a director working on a new adaptation of a classic novel. But as the audition and rehearsal unfold, the lines between actor and character begin to blur, and the balance of power between the two shifts in increasingly unexpected ways.

It is part psychological thriller, part dark comedy and part theatrical puzzle. It is also, according to Dixon, “so hot, so sexy,” while carrying an unmistakable sense of danger.

And she is determined not to give too much away.

“I can't say about 90% of it,” she says.

That is not a complaint. It is part of the fun.

With only two performers carrying the entire production, every glance, every movement and every exchange matters. Carissa Kaye and John Austin were exactly the pair Dixon was looking for, and their chemistry was apparent almost immediately.

“When they auditioned, it was a no-brainer,” she says.

Dixon put the two together to see whether they would work as a pair.

“Bam. It was electrifying.”

That chemistry has only intensified through rehearsals.

The production involves intimacy, physical danger and moments that demand a tremendous amount of trust between the performers. A knife and a gun are part of the production, while intimacy and fight direction is being handled by Mercedes Davy of The Gentle Blade Fight/Intimacy Direction.

Rather than shying away from the vulnerability the material demands, Dixon says Kaye and Austin have embraced it.

“They come ready. They're really hungry.”

That has made the director's job considerably easier.

“I am in really good shape,” she says with a laugh.

But while there may be only two people on stage, Venus in Fur is anything but a two-person effort.

Behind those performers is a creative team bringing Dixon's vision to life, including producer Kym Hyde, stage manager Marilyn Robinson, assistant stage manager Taya McKeen, sound designer and composer Beau Dixon, set designer Erin Brownson, costume designer Jayne Martin, hair and makeup designer Shelley Moody, and lighting designer Don White.

The result is a production that Dixon says has already become electrifying, even with weeks of rehearsal still ahead.

And then there is the set.

It is not supposed to be beautiful.

It is supposed to be unsettling.

The action takes place in a dark, dingy basement, reflecting the world of the play and the psychological atmosphere Dixon wants to create.

“It's gross,” she says. “It's a basement.”

Lighting and sound will add another layer to that atmosphere, with thunder, lightning, darkness and sudden changes in light helping create what Dixon describes as a psychological-thriller feeling.

Much of that work is being done by people Dixon knows extremely well.

Her brother, Beau Dixon, is the production's sound designer and composer, continuing a creative partnership that goes back much further than this particular production.

In fact, theatre has been part of the Dixon family for as long as Lisa can remember.

She recalls being children and putting makeup on her brothers, dressing them in hats and dresses and reenacting musicals and plays.

“We were doing theatre since we could walk, since we could sing and talk.”

Working with Beau professionally now is a continuation of that lifelong collaboration.

“He is a professional,” Dixon says. “He gets it.”

What she particularly appreciates is the balance between his expertise and her vision. He brings his professional experience to the process while respecting what she wants the audience to see, hear and feel.

That collaborative spirit extends throughout the production.

Dixon says directing means having a vision and ultimately having the final say, but it also means being willing to listen, experiment and give people an opportunity.

One example is set designer Erin Brownson, who is just 23 years old and lives in Toronto. Dixon has known her since she was born and knew she had experience designing sets through theatre school.

So Dixon gave her a chance.

The result, she says, is an amazing set.

Brownson's father is also the head builder, bringing his own expertise to turning the design into reality.

That combination of experience, new ideas and trust is something Dixon believes is essential to community theatre.

“You have to be very careful and you have to be very open to new ideas,” she says.

Sometimes there are disagreements. Sometimes people have to pivot. But ultimately, she says, the goal is the same.

“It is always the creative process and the drive to make it right despite anything else.”

That spirit is one of the reasons Dixon believes Peterborough's arts community punches so far above its weight.

She points to organizations and venues including Fourth Line Theatre, Public Energy, Peterborough New Dance, the Peterborough Theatre Guild, Black Box Theatre and Theatre on King.

There is a richness of storytelling here, she says, and perhaps something in the water that makes people want to create.

Dixon knows that firsthand.

A chef by trade, she moved to Peterborough to open Black Honey and says she was immediately impressed by the city's food scene and the number of independent restaurant owners creating something of their own.

She sees that same spirit in the arts.

“Everyone's so rich with concept of storytelling and then making it come to life, which is the hard part.”

Having an idea is one thing.

Making it happen is another.

Making it good enough that people will pay to experience it is something else entirely.

And for Dixon, that final step is what makes live theatre so special.

“You can do that if you live in another city, but while you're in Peterborough, go see the arts.”

For her, Venus in Fur is another chance to do exactly that.

Dixon first encountered the play when Bea Quarrie presented it as a stage read at the Theatre Guild last year. The Guild stages five reads a year, giving actors, directors and audiences a chance to experience material that may be different from the organization's usual productions and see how it works.

The reading stayed with Dixon.

She had directed 291 at the Theatre Guild the previous year and wanted to take on something different.

But she wondered whether Venus in Fur might be too provocative for a Peterborough audience.

She was wrong.

“I thought the Theatre Guild would say, it's a little too spicy for the Peterborough crowd,” she says.

Instead, they gave her the opportunity.

“This is going to blow you away,” Dixon says.

And she is clearly thrilled to be the one bringing it to the stage.

There is still work to do before opening night. Rehearsals have been underway for about three months, generally twice a week, with everyone involved balancing the production with their other jobs and commitments.

But Dixon has resisted adding a third rehearsal each week.

Her actors are simply that prepared.

Now she is looking ahead to September 18th and the moment when months of work become something shared with an audience.

She compares it to preparing a meal for a large group. As a chef, she knows that the final product may have one person's name attached to it, but it takes many people to make it happen.

The same is true here.

“It’s so many other people involved.”

And she is looking forward to the feeling that comes just before the curtain rises, when everyone involved knows there is no turning back.

“That gut feeling,” she says. “You kind of feel scared and it's fluttery.”

Then comes the audience.

Dixon does not simply want people to enjoy the show. She wants it to get inside their heads.

She wants the laughter.

She wants the horror.

She wants the shock.

And, most importantly, she wants the questions that come afterward.

“I'm so looking forward to people getting up when the show is done and thinking what's going on in their heads,” she says.

Because Venus in Fur is designed to linger.

“Two or three days later, you'll get people saying, ‘Wow, I can't stop thinking about it.’”

That, to Dixon, is theatre at its most powerful.

The play may be built around two people locked in a struggle for power, but she believes its themes reach far beyond the stage.

“It's a classical story about two people in a power struggle and we're always facing that.”

She hopes audiences will recognize something of themselves in it, perhaps finding a situation in their own lives that makes them think, question or confront something they have yet to come to terms with.

And then, somehow, come away from it with a sense of joy.

That is a lot to ask from 90 minutes of theatre.

But Dixon clearly believes Venus in Fur can deliver.

She has the actors. She has the creative team. She has the vision. And she has a play that she is deliberately keeping just mysterious enough to make audiences wonder what, exactly, they are walking into.

One thing is certain: whatever happens when Carissa Kaye and John Austin step onto that stage, Dixon does not want to tell you everything beforehand.

She wants you to experience it.

She wants you to be surprised.

And she wants you to still be talking about it after the lights come up.

If Dixon gets her wish, however, the real payoff will come long after the tickets are scanned, the applause fades and audiences head for home.

They will still be thinking about what they just saw.

And perhaps wondering what, exactly, happened in that basement.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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2-for-1 Tickets Available For Venus in Fur Opening Weekend at Peterborough Theatre Guild

By Scott Arnold

Two seats for the price of one gives theatre fans a chance to catch Venus in Fur when the production opens at the end of September.

Venus in Fur brings a provocative mix of dark comedy, psychological tension and shifting power to the stage, opening September 18th with a limited-time 2-for-1 offer for opening weekend.

The limited-time offer is available for the Friday, September 18th and Saturday, September 19th performances, with the code VENUS. The promotion runs until September 7th, 2026.

Written by David Ives, Venus in Fur follows an actress who unexpectedly arrives to audition for a director working on an adaptation of a classic novel. As the rehearsal progresses, the lines between actor and character begin to blur, with the balance of power shifting along the way.

The production combines elements of psychological thriller, dark comedy and theatrical mystery, keeping audiences guessing through its conclusion.

The opening weekend performances are:

• Friday, September 18th at 7:30pm, Opening Night

• Saturday, September 19th at 7:30pm

The full performance schedule also includes a 1:30pm matinee on Sunday, September 20th, followed by performances September 24th through 27th and October 1st through 3rd. The October 3rd performance is Closing Night.

The cast features Carissa Kaye and John Austin, with Lisa Dixon directing.

Regular ticket prices are $30 for adults, $27 for seniors and $20 for students.

For the 2-for-1 opening weekend offer, use code VENUS when purchasing tickets. The special pricing is available until September 7th.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Peterborough Theatre Guild in Search of Actors for New Canadian Play About Family and Dementia

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Theatre Guild is looking for actors for a new Canadian play exploring family, caregiving and the difficult realities of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Actors interested in joining the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s production of Instantaneous Blue can audition for one of several lead and supporting roles beginning September 28th (photo courtesy of Peterborough Theatre Guild)

Instantaneous Blue follows Edward and Sara, a couple pursuing creative careers as they become first-time parents, while Edward’s parents, Judith and Bob, begin struggling with signs of cognitive decline.

As the family navigates the changes, they encounter police officers, medical professionals, paramedics and support workers, while facing difficult decisions about caring for their aging parents.

The Theatre Guild is holding auditions on September 28th, September 30th and October 5th, with callbacks scheduled for October 7th. Auditions will involve cold readings from the play and some improvisation.

There are four lead roles, along with three supporting roles that involve actors playing multiple characters.

The Peterborough Theatre Guild will bring Instantaneous Blue to the stage in February and March 2027, with the new Canadian play exploring family, parenthood, caregiving and dementia (photo courtesy of peterborough theatre guild)

The lead roles are:

• Judith: A woman in her 60s to 80s who experiences cognitive decline that is eventually diagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease.

• Bob: A man in his 70s or older who wants to remain independent while dealing with his own decline.

• Edward: A man in his 30s to 40s balancing new parenthood, his career, his relationship and caring for his parents.

• Sara: A woman in her 25s to 35s who is transitioning to motherhood while supporting Edward and dealing with her own demands.

Supporting roles include a PSW who plays two characters, a gerontologist/paramedic who plays two characters, and an actor playing a police officer, paramedic and male care aide.

The Guild says the age and gender specifications apply to the characters and do not necessarily dictate the age or gender of the actors. It also encourages performers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to audition.

The production deals with mature themes, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, family illness, strong language, sexual elements and depictions of conflict. Physical and emotional demands are part of the four lead roles. A certified Fight and Intimacy Director will work with the production team on scenes involving physical conflict and intimacy.

Rehearsals are expected to begin the week of October 25th, with rehearsals scheduled Sundays from 10am to 1pm and Mondays from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. There will be no rehearsals during the final two weeks of December, with rehearsals resuming January 4th.

Instantaneous Blue will run from February 26th to March 13th, 2027, at the Peterborough Theatre Guild, 364 Rogers Street.

Audition Details

• September 28th: 6:30pm to 9:30pm

• September 30th: 6:30pm to 9:30pm

• October 5th: 6:30pm to 9:30pm

• Callbacks: October 7th, 6:30pm to 9:30pm

• Location: Studio A, Peterborough Theatre Guild

Those interested in auditioning can book an audition spot and find additional character information through the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s audition page.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Peterborough Theatre Guild Holding Auditions for Classic Comedy Noises Off

By Scott Arnold

If you've ever wanted to step onto the stage, the Peterborough Theatre Guild is looking for performers for its upcoming production of the award-winning comedy Noises Off.

Launched in 2025, the Builders in Residence Program welcomes canoe and kayak builders, artists, and makers from across the country to share their skills, stories, and craftsmanship with Museum visitors (photo courtesy of the canadian canoe museum)

Auditions will take place on Thursday, September 10th and Friday, September 11th at the Peterborough Theatre Guild on Rogers Street. If all audition spots fill up, an additional session will be added on the afternoon of September 11th, with callbacks scheduled for Saturday, September 12th.

Directed by Kathryn Condon, Noises Off is widely regarded as one of the funniest stage farces ever written. The play follows a theatre company as everything that can go wrong behind the scenes does exactly that, creating plenty of fast-paced comedy both on and off the stage.

The Guild is casting nine roles, including actors portraying the fictional cast of the play-within-a-play, as well as the director, stage manager and assistant stage manager. Several of the roles involve physical comedy, while others require strong comedic timing.

Auditions will be held in a group format. Participants will perform a provided monologue before working through it with the director and presenting it a second time.

The Peterborough Theatre Guild says it is committed to inclusive casting and encourages performers of all backgrounds, identities, ages, abilities and lived experiences to audition.

Noises Off is scheduled to run from January 22nd to February 6th, 2027, with performances at the Peterborough Theatre Guild.

Anyone interested in auditioning can find detailed character descriptions, audition monologues and booking information on the Peterborough Theatre Guild website.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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When History Hits Home: How Wild Irish Geese is Bringing Local Ancestors Back to Life

By Scott Arnold

From descendants portraying their own ancestors to an outdoor stage that brings history to life, 4th Line Theatre's return of Wild Irish Geese is as much about community as it is about the past.

megan murphy’s Wild Irish Geese runs Tuesday to Saturday at 6pm throughout august at 4th Line Theatre, with an additional performance on Monday, August 24th (photo by Scott Arnold)

There's something different about Wild Irish Geese.

Yes, it's a play about the Peter Robinson immigration of 1825 and the thousands of Irish settlers who made the difficult journey to what would eventually become Peterborough. But spend just a few minutes talking with the people bringing the story to life, and it quickly becomes clear this isn't simply a production about history.

For many involved, it's family history.

When Wild Irish Geese premiered at 4th Line Theatre last summer during the bicentennial of the Peter Robinson immigration, audiences embraced it. Nearly 10,000 people attended the sold-out run, many of them descendants of the very settlers whose stories were unfolding on stage. The production returns to Winslow Farm from August 4 to 29, with performances Tuesday through Saturday at 6 p.m. and an additional Monday performance on August 24, giving audiences another opportunity to experience a story that continues to strike a deeply personal chord throughout the region.

"It's a big Peterborough story," said director and 4th Line Theatre Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. "It's about the entire process of people being chosen, coming over here and settling. It's Megan's well-researched, well-loved play about those Irish immigrants."

Written by Peterborough's Megan Murphy, Wild Irish Geese follows Irish families escaping crushing poverty in the 1820s before beginning new lives in Upper Canada. More than 2,000 settlers eventually arrived in what was then known as Scotts Plains, laying the foundation for generations of families that still call the region home today.

written by peterborough native megan murphy, who also acts in the play, Wild irish geese explores the stories, challenges and connections that remain part of the region’s history (photo by scott arnold)

For Murphy, telling that story meant looking beyond dates and historical documents.

When she first accepted the challenge of writing the play, she found herself surrounded by stacks of family histories and genealogy books loaned by local residents eager to see their ancestors represented.

"So many people trusted me with their family stories," Murphy said. "I felt like I had to tell everybody's story."

For nearly a year, she admits she barely wrote anything.

"It was really hard," she laughed.

Eventually, Murphy realized she wasn't writing a history textbook.

"I had to get some of the history right, obviously, because it's a historical story, but it wasn't a lecture," she said. "I had to get the heart of it right."

She found that heart in the story of the Hickey family, whose experiences became the emotional backbone of the production.

"It was a universal tale of family struggle, migration and hope," Murphy said. "It had everything I needed."

Murphy also wanted the story to reflect another important chapter of local history.

Working alongside Indigenous Story Consultant Patti Shaughnessy, local Indigenous leaders and elders, she incorporated the first encounters between Irish settlers and the Indigenous communities already living in the area.

"I wanted to do this piece as part of reconciliation," Murphy said. "I wanted to tell that part of the story too."

Those personal connections don't stop with the playwright.

Many members of the cast have their own ties to the story they're telling.

The return of Wild Irish Geese brings a powerful story of family, history and community connection back to 4th Line Theatre this summer. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

Actor Paul Crough, who plays John Hickey, discovered during rehearsals that the real Hickey family settled less than a kilometre from where he now lives in Ennismore.

"On my drive here every day, I drive right by the original home place," he said. "It's pretty incredible."

For M. John Kennedy, who portrays Peter Robinson, one of the production's most powerful moments doesn't happen backstage.

It happens when the audience becomes part of the story.

At the beginning of each performance, descendants of the Peter Robinson settlers are invited to identify themselves. Hands rise throughout the crowd.

Later in the play, a ship's sail carrying the names of those original families is raised on stage.

"To see your family's names up there on that sail... it's moving," Kennedy said.

"It's so cool that so many of us are actually descended from the Robinson settlers as well. We get to tell the story of our own ancestors."

Actor M. John Kennedy returns as Peter Robinson in Wild Irish Geese, a role that connects him to the story of thousands of Irish immigrants who began new lives in Upper Canada. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

That connection between performers and audience is something Blackwell believes makes Wild Irish Geese unlike almost any other production.

"We did the show as a world premiere last summer and it sold out," she said. "We wanted to bring it back for everyone who didn't get to see it, and for those who wanted to experience it again."

Returning audiences will find more than a repeat performance.

Murphy has made several changes to the script, while the cast has continued discovering new layers in familiar scenes.

"The worst thing as an actor is if something starts to feel stale," Crough said. "Instead, we're finding new things every day. Kim's putting new spins on scenes, and it's making everything feel fresh again."

The theatre itself plays a starring role.

Unlike a traditional indoor stage, 4th Line Theatre's Winslow Farm setting surrounds audiences with fields, stone fences and open sky. Actors emerge from wooded trails, across open fields and through the landscape itself.

"You look around and there are people coming out of the fields and the stone walls," Crough said. "Audience members told us it felt like we were back in Ireland. What better backdrop could you have to tell this story?"

Actor Paul Crough portrays John Hickey in Wild Irish Geese, a role made even more meaningful after discovering the real Hickey family settled near his own Ennismore home. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

Visitors often arrive well before curtain time, enjoying picnics or barbecues with family and friends before settling into the outdoor theatre.

"It really is a special place to see theatre," Blackwell said.

The production also reflects another tradition that has become synonymous with 4th Line Theatre: bringing together professional performers, local actors and community volunteers spanning multiple generations.

The Wild Irish Geese cast includes professional performers, local actors and community members of multiple generations, reflecting one of 4th Line Theatre’s longstanding traditions. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

The cast includes seasoned professionals working alongside first-time performers and local children, creating friendships that often last long after the final curtain.

"We get these really wonderful vertical friendships," Blackwell said. "Young people and seniors become friends here. That's something you don't often see."

Both Kennedy and Crough say the youngest cast members continually raise the bar.

"They're absolute pros," Kennedy said. "Kids are so honest and authentic. They make all of us better actors."

Playwright and actor Megan Murphy brought her own connection to the region’s Irish roots to Wild Irish Geese, a story shaped by years of research into the families who helped build the community. (Photo by Scott Arnold)

For Murphy, that's part of what makes creating theatre in Peterborough so meaningful.

"This is home," she said. "I get to create with people I love, in a community I love, telling stories that belong to all of us.

"What a blessing."

For a community where so many families can trace their roots back to those first settlers, Wild Irish Geese isn't simply a play about history. It's a chance to see a piece of home brought to life.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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4th Line Theatre Announces Casting For the 2026 Summer Season

4th Line Theatre has announced the casting for its 34th season this summer.

Wild Irish Geese. photo courtesy of 4th line theatre.

This season will feature two plays from the theatre’s canon of work: Leanna Brodie’s Schoolhouse, directed and choreographed by Monica Dottor, and Megan Murphy’s Wild Irish Geese, directed by Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

Schoolhouse will feature Alex Pearce, who is making her 4th Line Theatre debut in the role of Miss. Linton. Others that are making their debut to the 4th Line stage include Alexei DeLuca and Rainbow Kester. Returning to 4th Line for the production are Robert Winslow, Mark Hiscox, Darragh O'Connell, Padrick Wilson, Jasper Chesser and Indigo Chesser. The cast will feature 28 professional and volunteer actors/musicians.

Megan Murphy will lead the cast of her play Wild Irish Geese in the role of the Seanchaí, a Gaelic word for a traditional storyteller. Returning to the 4th Line stage in Wild Irish Geese are M. John Kennedy as Peter Robinson, Patti Shaughnessy, who also worked on the play as Indigenous Story Consultant, Matt Gilbert, Mark Hiscox, Sebastian Sage, Mikayla Stoodley, Lindsay Wilson, Paul Crough, Stew Granger, Nancy Towns and musician Fiddlin’ Jay (Jason Edmunds). Making his 4th Line debut is Isaac Harrop in the role of Sean Sullivan. Crough, Murphy, Shaughnessy, Towns and Kennedy are all descendants of Peter Robinson emigrants. The cast will feature 29 professional and volunteer actors/musicians.

"I am thrilled to welcome an extraordinary group of artists to our 2026 season,” says Blackwell. “This year’s company brings together a vibrant blend of returning favourites and compelling new voices, each contributing their own distinct perspective, talent and energy. I cannot wait for audiences to experience the power, imagination and magic they will bring to life on our stage this summer."

schoolhouse. photo courtesy of 4th line theatre.

Set in 1938 in rural Ontario, Schoolhouse unfolds within S.S. #1 Jericho, a one-room school just outside the fictional village of Baker’s Creek. When 18-year-old Melita Linton, newly graduated from Normal School, takes on her first teaching position, she encounters a lively group of students and a community rooted in tradition. Her resolve is tested by the arrival of Ewart, a withdrawn youth recently released from a reform school and sent to work on a local farm. As Miss. Linton strives to reach him, she uncovers the deep bonds and quiet fears of small-town life. Rich with humour and humanity, Schoolhouse beautifully evokes a vanished era in Canadian rural history.

Schoolhouse will run from June 30 to July 25.

Wild Irish Geese is the story of Irish settlers and their journey to the Peterborough region. Peter Robinson was the architect of an 1820s emigration plan which saw hundreds of Irish families come to Canada to escape the brutal poverty which they were facing in Ireland. Eventually over 2,000 impoverished Irish settled in Scotts Plains, later renamed Peterborough and began their lives anew. These new Canadians planted deep roots in the Peterborough area and have thousands of descendants both locally and across the globe.

Wild Irish Geese will run from August 4 to 29.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office, or toll-free, visit the website, email or visit the Box Office & Administrative Centre (9 Tupper Street, Millbrook)

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New Stages Presents Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome

New Stages Theatre presents “Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome,” coming to the Market Hall stage on May 2 and 3.

photo courtesy of new stages.

After a sold-out run at Stratford’s Here for Now Festival, Jane Cooper Ford’s new comedy is coming to Peterborough.

A successful and serious couple, Paul and Linda, aim to shake up their stale marriage by planning a threesome, much like they might plan a dinner party. Things don’t go quite as they planned, however, and a night of spicy hilarity ensues.

The cast includes Kerry Griffin as Paul, Megan Murphy as Linda, Kate Suhr as Sienna and Linda Kash as Gwen. The show is directed by New Stages Artistic Director Mark Wallace and stage managed by Shannon McKenzie LeBlanc, with costume and set design by Jen Naus.

“Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome is a clever play about the importance of love, relationships, marriage and communication with one’s partner,” says reviewer Lynn Slotkin.

The show will run on May 2 at 7 p.m. and May 3 at 2 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (140 Charlotte St.) for approximately 70 minutes. The show is for ages 16 plus.

To purchase tickets, visit the website or call the Market Hall box office. 

Tickets are $30 plus a $4 venue fee (sliding-scale ticketing options include a $20 welcome rate and a $40 pay-it-forward rate). 

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4th Line Theatre Presents Artist Talk Series Wth Patti Shaughnessy and Megan Murphy

4th Line Theatre’s spring Artist Talk series returns on April 18 and 30 featuring conversations with Patti Shaughnessy and Megan Murphy.

Patti Shaughnessy. photo courtesy of 4th line theatre.

The 2026 summer season will feature the remount of Megan Murphy’s Wild Irish Geese, which had its world premiere at the outdoor theatre in 2025. Shaughnessy provided her guidance in the development of the script as an Indigenous Story Consultant and performs in the show in multiple roles. Directed and dramatuged by Kim Blackwell, the show returns after its sell-out run in August 2025.

On April 18 attendees can learn about Shaughnessy’s career and journey through Wild Irish Geese. This free event will take place at the Peterborough Museum & Archives at 2 p.m.

Megan murphy. photo courtesy of 4th line theatre.

On April 30, Blackwell will sit down with playwright and actor Megan Murphy to discuss Murphy’s career and experience writing and performing Wild Irish Geese. The play tells the story of impoverished Catholic Irish settlers who came to the Peterborough region in the early 19th century under an emigration plan overseen by Peter Robinson, a politician in Upper Canada who represented the riding of York and Simcoe. Around 2,500 settlers, mostly from County Cork in Ireland, settled in Lanark County, Carleton County (today Ottawa), and Scott’s Plains; later renamed Peterborough.

This free event will take place at the Millbrook & District Lion’s Community Centre on April 30 at 7 p.m.

Both Shaughnessy and Murphy are direct descendants of Peter Robinson emigrants.

Seating is limited for both events. To reserve seats, call 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office or contact via email.

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The Peterborough Theatre Guild Presents Young Frankenstein

The Peterborough Theatre Guild has introduced its next production: The Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, with opening night on April 17.

photo courtesy of the peterborough theatre guild.

The story follows Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein. When Frederick inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania, he finds himself drawn into the mad science legacy he tried so hard to escape. With the help of a hunchbacked assistant, Igor, and a spirited lab assistant, Inga, Frederick reluctantly follows in his grandfather’s footsteps and soon discovers the thrill of bringing a creature to life.

The musical features numbers like “The Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend,” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” as Young Frankenstein delivers a night of monstrously good entertainment.

Due to mature themes and content, Young Frankenstein is recommended for audiences 16 years and older.

Show dates include April 17, 18, 19 (matinee), 23, 24, 25, 26 (matinee), 30 and May 1, 2, 3 (matinee). Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and matinees begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Peterborough Theatre Guild (364 Rogers St.)

Tickets range from $27 to $42, including fees and can be purchased on their website or by calling the box office.

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