4th Line Theatre to Fund Local Playwrights Through Ontario Arts Council Grants

4th Line Theatre is recommending playwrights to receive between $1,000 and $3,000 in funding for future works through the Ontario Arts Council’s (OAC) Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program announced Monday.

Photo courtesy of 4th Line Theatre, Facebook.

4th Line Theatre is administering the grants with the goal of supporting as many worthy playwriting projects as possible. The outdoor theatre company is also looking for projects that align with its artistic mandate: to preserve Canadian cultural heritage through the development and presentation of regionally-based, environmentally-staged historical dramas, with special consideration for culturally diverse artists/collectives and artists living with disabilities.

Ontario-based professional theatre artists and artists’ collectives are eligible to apply from now until Jan. 13 at 1 p.m.

Funding decisions are based on the artistic interest of the project, the quality of the artistic examples given and the impact of the program on the artist’s development.

A positive funding decision will then be forwarded to the OAC for final recommendation and grant amounts will be determined by the number of approved applicants and the funds available.

“I understand the financial challenges faced by playwrights and the OAC’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is vital to supporting their writing projects,” says Kim Blackwell, 4th Line Theatre managing artistic director.

Application forms can be found on the OAC website and applicants will have to create a NOVA account and follow the instructions for submission. The applications will be reviewed by Blackwell.

If those interested have any questions about the process, contact 4th Line Theatre’s administration at submissions@4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by phone at 705-932-4506.

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'The Little Prince' Coming To The Peterborough Theatre Guild in December

‘The Little Prince’ adapted by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar is coming to the Peterborough Theatre Guild, with shows from Dec. 2 to 4 and 6 to 10.

Photo courtesy of The peterborough Theatre Guild.

The production, based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is directed by Jacqueline Barrow and assistant-directed by Caoimhe MacQuarrie.

After an aviator descends from the sky to find himself in the middle of the Sahara Desert he meets the Little Prince, a young hero on an extraordinary adventure. The story depicts Little Prince on his journey as he meets many fascinating characters who help him learn the magic in a sunset and how to follow your heart.

The cast of 26 performers will dance audiences away into this enchanting “multilayered tale that awakens the child tucked inside all of us.”

Matinee performances begin at 1 p.m. and evening performances at 7 p.m. The Dec. 9 show will be reduced-capacity with COVID protocols. Masking is encouraged at all performances.

Tickets are $10 and a full list of shows can be found at the Peterborough Theatre Guild website, or by calling (705) 745-4211.

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St. James Players Enter Final Performances of Beauty and The Beast

The St. James Players’ production of Beauty and The Beast takes the stage from Nov. 11 to 19, preparing for final nights of performances at the Showplace Performance Centre.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Dorsett.

After 127 auditions, director Natalie Dorsett says the chosen cast and crew take ‘local and amateur theatre to a whole new level.’

“We have 41 people in this cast and the level of enthusiasm and professionalism is all top-notch,” she says. “We were really able to get a cast that is super solid. Everyone had lived, breathed and ate Beauty and The Beast for the past six months without complaint.”

With a ‘beautiful mix’ of both experienced and first-time performers, Dorsett says the cast’s dedication towards the production was ‘unparalleled.’

She reflects on the story-telling skills of Whitney Paget, who plays Belle, and Andrew Little, who plays Beast.

“Their ability to story-tell and captivate an audience is unreal. It’s hard doing a show that has such iconic characters. You know what they look like, you know what they sound like, and we all know a lot of the music. So bringing that to life can be a little bit difficult because people are comparing you,” she said.

As for the ensemble and other supporting cast, Dorsett says they have ‘really come into the characters.’

“I mean, they’re playing a clock or a feather duster,” laughs Dorsett. “It’s the most asinine thing when you look at it but they’re absolutely unreal. They brought these characters to life.”

Photo courtesy of Natalie Dorsett.

Dorsett says she proposed the iconic Disney musical to the St. James Players in 2019. After two years of COVID-19 pandemic delays, the St. James Players’ group is finally taking the production to the stage.

“(Beauty and The Beast) is about loving somebody for who they are, not what they are. I feel like sometimes we lose that in life. It has connection and friendship. That’s what this show is all about,” she says. “We’ve stayed really true to the essence of what that story is however, we’ve put our own unique spin on it.”

From costumes and makeup to set design and choreography, Dorsett says the cast and crew worked together to bring the classic ‘Disney magic’ to their production.

“Shelley Moody did our makeup and she has taken a vision and surpassed every single expectation I had,” says Dorsett. “Belle’s yellow dress is so iconic, what (costume designers) were able to do with the dress blows my mind. Every night she comes out on stage I am practically in tears.”

Dorsett designed and built the set with the help of her husband.

“You’ll never see him on stage. He’s not a singer, he doesn’t dance, he’s so shy,” she remarks with a laugh. “But I am not.”

The family affair also includes her daughter, Lucy Dorsett, as part of the play’s junior ensemble.

“I feel like we were really able to take it to the next level, a level I didn’t even know we were going to be capable of doing when I had all these grandeur ideas,” says Dorsett about the production. “The picture we’ve been able to create is awesome and I am incredibly proud.”

Photo courtesy of Natalie Dorsett.

With a number of shows under their belt and the final performances on the horizon, Dorsett says she has enjoyed seeing the production come to life as an audience member.

“My job is essentially done now, but for the past six months it’s been my life and I’ve worked every minute of it,” she said. “To bring up the Showplace website and see it say “sold out”, my heart was just so full, it was wonderful. The cast and crew deserve that sold-out audience.”

The remaining tickets are $35 for adults and $32 for seniors or students and can be purchased online at tickets.showplace.org.

“I’m so grateful for Peterborough for coming out and supporting St. James Players. It’s been a humbling, great experience,” Dorsett says.

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"Sondheim, A Celebration" To Honour Late Musical Theatre Figure Stephen Sondheim

On the one-year anniversary of his death, join New Stages in celebrating Stephen Sondheim’s life, music and influence on the industry with “Sondheim, A Celebration” at Market Hall on Nov. 25.

Photo courtesy of New Stages.

Sondheim’s list of prolific and iconic work goes on, from Into the Woods to A Little Night Music, or Sweeney Todd to Sunday in the Park with George. These works all feature Sondheim’s works and show his profound influence on musical theatre and music composition.

Written and narrated by Beth McMaster, “Sondheim, A Celebration” is a one-night performance of storytelling and song that is set to take the audience on a journey through their own memories.

The show will feature a cast of local performers such as Kate Suhr, Shannon McCracken, Linda Kash and Geoff Bemrose.

Founder Randy Read and assistant director of News Stages Mark Wallace will also take the stage, along with Peterborough’s Indigo Chesser, the 11-year-old who starred in 4th Line Theatre’s production of The Great Shadow this past summer. 

Henry Firmston from Chicago’s Stratford Festival stage, along with acclaimed musical director Benjamin Kersey will also be taking the stage. Kersey made his Mirvish debut this summer with the award-winning production of & Juliet.  

Tickets are $35 for regular or cabaret seats, and can be purchased at https://www.markethall.org.

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Peterborough Theatre Guild Returns Neil Simon’s Rumors to the Stage Starting Nov. 4

Two-act play Rumors by Neil Simon is being brought to The Peterborough Theatre Guild starting Nov. 4.

Photo courtesy of The Peterborough Theatre Guild.

The act is described as a trip back to 1900 at a large, tastefully renovated house in the Palisades, the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself. Though only a flesh wound, four couples are set to experience an evening of unexpected chaos, cover ups and confusion.

Local actors Laura Kennedy, Seamus McCann, Chris Ratz, Tristina Haines, Kyle Robertson, Vikki Bell, Darryl Mitchell, Laura Lawson, David Geene and Kaylin Aylward along- with director Chris Lee and producer Margaret Pieper- bring this over the top story to life.

The show runs for two hours at the Peterborough Theatre Guild from Nov. 4-6, 10-13 and 17-19 starting at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets range from $15 to $25 and can be purchased online at www.peterboroughtheatreguild.com or by phone at (705) 745-4211.

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4th Line Theatre Announces 2023 Summer Season Lineup

The 4th Line Theatre has announced their 2023 Summer Season lineup starting June 27, 2023.

The Cavan Blazers, 2011. Photo by Wayne Eardley, Brookside Studio.

The season will begin with The Tilco Strike, written by D’Arcy Jenish and directed by Cynthia Ashperger, who returns after directing the 2022 production of The Great Shadow.

The Tilco Strike recounts the year-long fight between 50 poorly paid women, and their hard-nosed male bosses at Tilco Plastics in Peterborough, who were determined to crush the women and their union. The strike began in December 1965 over a $25 bonus and escalated into an epic battle between organized labour and strike-breaking employers. The women lost their fight, but changed labour relations in Ontario forever.

In August, 4th Line will remount the theatre’s flagship play, Robert Winslow’s The Cavan Blazers.

The Cavan Blazers is a gritty, intense play that has the audience on the edge of its seat from start to finish. This drama chronicles the religious conflict between Catholic and Protestant Irish settlers in Cavan Township in the early to mid-nineteenth century. Violence erupts when a Protestant vigilante gang known as the Cavan Blazers tries to stop a Catholic settlement from being established.

Kim Blackwell, managing artistic director at 4th Line Theatre was thrilled to announce this lineup for the theatre’s 31st summer season. She is also directing the theatre’s production of The Cavan Blazers.

“I am excited to present one world premiere and to bring back the play that started it all at the theatre,” says Blackwell. “Both plays look at community and what it means to be part of a community, both the good and the bad of that. This eternal search to find a collective of like-minded people, is one of the complex aspects of the human condition.”

4th Line Theatre box office will open to the public to purchase gift certificates for the 2023 Summer Season as of Nov. 1. Gift certificates for single tickets, season subscriptions and charcuterie snack boxes can be purchased in-person at the box office at 9 Tupper Street in Millbrook or online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca.

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Fall for Dance North Sparks Magic with Return of Stunning Outdoor Performance Series: Heirloom

Fall for Dance North is back at the end of September to the Peterborough Square Courtyard with their performance series Heirloom.

Photo by Bruce Zinger.

In partnership with Public Energy Performing Arts, Fall for Dance North (FFDN) brings Toronto’s premier international dance festival to Peterborough.

Featuring performances from Montreal artists Zack Martel and Santiago Rivera, the show is set to include dance, juggling and musical performances from The Royal Conservatory musicians.

“What was born out of creative necessity in 2021, due to indoor gathering restrictions dictated by the global pandemic, grew into an inspirational and acclaimed outdoor performance series that we are all incredibly proud to be a part of,” said Fall for Dance North artistic director Ilter Ibrahimof. “We are overjoyed to return with a new highly imaginative, full-length performance that promises to delight the senses in a beautiful new outdoor space in downtown Peterborough.”

Attendees can experience this pay-what-you-can contemporary art experience at the Peterborough Square Courtyard at 340 George St. N. on Sept. 25 at 4 p.m.

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4th Line Theatre Celebrates 30th Anniversary With New Show And New Administrative building

4th Line Theatre is kicking off their 30th anniversary with ‘The Great Shadow’ running until July 23, and has just purchased a new administrative building.

Photo from The Great Shadow, a show set in the 1920’s. Photo by Wayne Eardley - Brookside Studio.

After years at the 4 Tupper Street location, 4th Line Theatre will begin a new chapter at 9 Tupper Street, which the company purchased in May 2022. The company will move its box office and administration centre to the new building later this year.

“After two slightly furloughed years, we are back in a big way,” said Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. “We have wanted our own administrative building for several years now. And with the acquisition of 9 Tupper, our administration will be centred in the Village of Millbrook for many years to come.”

The theatre will continue to operate at the Winslow Farm.

Until further notice, tickets, gift certificates and picnics for 4th Line Theatre productions can still be purchased 4th Line Theatre’s Box Office at 4 Tupper Street or by phone (705-932-4445), online at 4thlinetheatre.on.ca.

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4th Line Theatre Welcomes Megan Murphy As Associate Artistic Director And Announces New Production In The Works

Megan Murphy has joined the 4th Line Theatre as associate artistic director - special projects, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of 4th Line Theatre.

Murphy will be guiding all of the company’s 30th Anniversary events and celebrations in 2022.

Murphy will begin researching and writing a play about the Peter Robinson migration from Ireland to the Peterborough region in the 1820s. 2025 will mark the 200th anniversary of the migration of Irish citizens in search of a better life in Canada. 4th Line plans to debut this new play to mark the anniversary.

“I am very excited Megan will be joining us to spearhead our 30th season celebrations. And I am equally excited that Megan will be developing a play about the region’s Irish migration stories,” said Kim Blackwell, managing artistic director. “Megan’s own family originates from these Robinson settlers, so she is ideally positioned to create this play.”

“I am humbled to have the great privilege and responsibility of bringing voice to the Peter Robinson settlers,” said Murphy. “I look forward to uncovering the important stories of our past, with hope and curiosity in how they might inform and inspire our future. As I embark on my first full length play, I must employ some Irish idioms…I’m delira and excira to be sure, it’ll be grand to get the craic and write the whispers of our ancestors!”

Peter Robinson was an architect of an emigration plan which saw thousands of Irish families come to Canada to escape the brutal poverty which they were facing in Ireland. Over 2500 people settled in Scotts Plains, later renamed Peterborough, to honour Robinson. These new Canadians planted deep roots in the Peterborough area and have thousands of descendants both locally and across the globe.

In 2025 there is a call for Peter Robinson descendants to return to the Peterborough area to mark 200 years since the migration. This will be the perfect timing to produce Megan Murphy’s play which will examine the lives of the people who faced unimaginable odds to come to Canada for the chance at a better life.

The 30th Anniversary projects Murphy will be developing include a podcast series which will draw on Murphy’s over 13 years as a professional radio announcer. Other initiatives include a 30th Anniversary gala and the creation of an endowment campaign to ensure the theatre’s financial health for years to come.

“I was 12 years old when 4th Line Theatre was born. As a young, aspiring actress, my mom used to cut articles and audition calls out of the paper for me, and I dreamt of one day being a part of the 4th Line Team,” said Murphy. “It’s a full circle moment for me, to now be a part of the 30th Anniversary season.”

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