Berkeley Street Theatre

Canadian Stage Company is a not-for-profit contemporary theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Canadian Stage is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies, based in Toronto, Ontario. The company was founded in 1987 with the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre and has been a favourite of audiences for years, as well as the topic of much discussion in the theatre community. Currently, the company has an emphasis on multidisciplinary work and work in translation, programming international contemporary theatre and developing and producing new Canadian works. 2016-17 is the organization’s 29th season. Total attendance for a season is approximately 100,000 people. Canadian Stage has produced more than 300 shows - over half of which have been Canadian plays. Canadian Stage also runs a series of artist development and education initiatives, as well as youth and community outreach programs.

The current Artistic and General Director is Matthew Jocelyn, who replaced outgoing Artistic Producer, Marty Bragg, in early 2009. The current Managing Director is Su Hutchinson.

Canadian Stage presents works at three venues: the 876-seat Bluma Appel Theatre; the Berkeley Street Theatres (244-seat Berkeley Downstairs Theatre and the 167-seat Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre); and a 1000-seat outdoor amphitheatre in Toronto’s High Park where Shakespeare is performed each summer.

The Bluma Appel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts (a city of Toronto owned building) is the company’s main stage. Located at 27 Front Street East, this theatre has been Canadian Stage’s home for over 25 years. In the 2016.17 season, they will present eight productions at this theatre. The St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts was constructed in the late 1960s, as part of the city’s Centennial Celebrations. It opened in February 1970, but was then called the Theatre. In 1982, it was renovated by the Thom Partnership. A balcony was added, the lobbies expanded and the giant chandeliers installed before the theatre re-opened the following year as the Bluma Appel Theatre, in recognition of the generous financial contributions of arts activist Bluma Appel.

The historic Berkeley Street Theatre complex contains two performance spaces, as well as a large rehearsal space, props and wardrobe facilities, and the company’s administrative offices. The Berkeley site was originally built by the Consumer’s Gas Corporation in 1887 as part of a gas pumping station complex. The Berkeley Downstairs Theatre was originally a pump room and served in that capacity until 1955, when Consumer’s Gas moved their production out of downtown Toronto. A wrecking firm was hired to demolish the buildings in February 1971, but the complex was renovated instead of destroyed thanks to the efforts of Tom Hendry, co-founder of Toronto Free Theatre. The Berkeley Upstairs Theatre was created as part of the general 1976 renovations of the complex. This building is also owned by the City of Toronto.