Event Details

The Canadian Stage Company was founded in 1988 through the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre.

The merger came out of complementary ideologies as well as practical advantages: it seemed an ideal marriage because of the flexibility of venues that the new company would offer, not to mention the increased human and financial resources available to each. For the 1987-1988 season, two separate programs were mounted under the banner Toronto Free Theatre/CentreStage Company.

The following year (88-89), the first cohesive season premiered under the new name The Canadian Stage Company. The Canadian Stage Company officially came into existence in March of 1988 with its production of B-Movie, The Play written by Tom Wood and directed by Bob Baker. With the merger, the company’s combined budget rose to $6 million, an unheard of figure for a Canadian company, other than the Stratford and Shaw Festivals. The first season featured thirteen productions, including seven by Canadian playwrights, such as Yesteryear by Joanna Glass and 1949 by David French.

In 1990, Bob Baker was appointed Artistic Director and molded the future of the company by establishing a formal mandate. In 1992, Martin Bragg was appointed General Manager and was promoted to Artistic Producer when Bob Baker stepped down in 1998. As Artistic Producer, Mr. Bragg shifted the company’s mandate to the current contemporary focus, and opened the doors to artists, encouraging them to look upon The Canadian Stage Company as their creative home.

In 2007-2008, Canadian Stage celebrated its 20th Anniversary. In July of 2009, Matthew Jocelyn became Artistic & General Director; in March 2010, he unveiled a new company mandate along with the 2010-2011 season, which marks his first season programmed for the company as well as his directorial debut with Canadian Stage.

This application is for the “Panto Reboot and Audience Scale-Up at Canadian Stage”, taking place July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025 in various venues in Toronto. In support of its 2024-25 theatre season, Canadian Stage (CS) will launch an expansion of its programming model in an effort to broaden their audience base. Programmatic offerings will include a new chapter of the Toronto Panto holiday tradition, performances by Canadian talents, such as actors Paul Gross and Maev Beaty, the transformation of literary hits brought to life on stage, and the Toronto premiere of The Mahabharata a South Asian epic. Programming details include:

(1) Dream in High Park, “Hamlet” (Summer 2024), directed by Jessica Carmichael (Native Earth Performing Arts, Stratford Festival);

(2) “Panto” (December 6, 2024, to January 4, 2025, at Winter Garden Theatre): following collaborative negotiations and planning with Ross Petty (Canadian Stage’s Panto Executive Producer Emeritus), Canadian Stage will mount the official next chapter of the Toronto Holiday Panto, honouring beloved traditions while injecting fresh energy and innovation into the theatrical landscape. Panto will be staged at Winter Garden Theatre and the first year’s production will be based on classic story of The Wizard of Oz;

(3) “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (January to mid-February 2025 at Bluma): with Paul Gross and under the direction of artistic director Brendan Healy;

(4) “The Mahabharata” (March/April 2025 at Bluma): Why Not Theatre’s epic two-part theatrical spectacle, originally premiered at the Shaw Festival last season. Mahabharata transports audiences into the heart of ancient Indian mythology and legend. With its breathtaking scale and visionary storytelling, The Mahabharata promises to captivate audiences with its timeless themes of honor, duty, and destiny;

(5) “My Name is Lucy Barton” (October/November 2024 at Bluma): an adaptation of Elizabeth Strout's award- winning and popular novel. Director Jackie Maxwell, the former Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival, and featuring Maev Beaty;

(6) “Playing Shylock” (October-December 2024 at Berkeley): a one-person play starring Saul Rubinek;

(7) “1939” (Sept-Oct 2024, at Berkeley); written by Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan. Premiered at the Stratford Festival last season, 1939 explores the legacy of Canada's residential school system through the eyes of Indigenous survivors and their descendants;

(8) “Winter Solstice” (January 2025, at Berkeley), written by German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig and produced with Necessary Angel Theatre; and

(9) “Fat Ham” (February-March 2025, at Berkeley); a reimagining of Shakespeare's Hamlet, by James Ijames.