Village Squire, 1974-12, Page 25Restaurant at 300 Simcoe St., is a successful
cabaret -style theatre. Up to 140 can be seated
at small tables, and drinks are served. It
operates year-round and features musical
reviews. Its reputation was established by the
NOEL COWARD REVUE which ran a total of
18 months. Tickets are 53 on weeknights and
54 on weekends.
The Colonnade Theatre in the Colonnade
shopping concourse at 131 Bloor St., opened
in 1964. Seating 200 in a theatre -in -the -
round, it presents a variety of classical,
musical and comic plays, as well as special
children's productions on weekends. Tickets
range from 53 to 54 for regular productions
and from 51 to 51.75 for children's plays.
The Poor Alex Theatre, 296 Brunswick
Ave. has been leased to Tarragon/Sage
Productions and original Canadian plays and
European film festivals are performed
year-round. The theatre seats 145 in red
plush chairs. Tickets range from 53 to 53.75.
ALTERNATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL
THEATRES
The Global Village Theatre at 17 St.
Nicholas St. near Yonge and Wellesley, is a
converted warehouse with a floor -level stage
and seating up to 300. Its semi -resident
company is one of the few in Toronto to
present Canadian musical productions
including children's musicals. The theatre
operates year-round. Prices range from 51 to
54 depending on the type of production.
A few blocks away, at 12 Alexander St., is
Toronto Workshop Productions housed in a
complete redecorated warehouse. The theatre
gained its reputation with the North
American premiere of Chicago 70 and
CHEGUEBARA and its resident company has
played in New York and Venice. Original
Canadian plays are offered from October to
May. The 300 -seat theatre features an
open -thrust stage and seating on upholstered
benches. Price are 54 for adults and 52.50 for
students and senior citizens from Tuesday to
Thursday and on Sunday; 54.50 and 53.50 on
Friday and Saturday.
Theatre Passe Muraille, started five years
ago, is "flexible theatre" --a pool of actors
experimenting and improvising original
Canadian material. Managing director Paul
Thompson calls it "Canadian folk theatre and
a grass roots collective". To date its most
successful shows have been THE FARM
SHOW which toured southwestern Ontario
and played in Toronto, THEM DONNELLYS
and UNDER THE GREYWACKE.
In Toronto the group plays at various
locations since its original theatre was torn
down as part of the Eaton Centre renewal
program. It's best to check the entertainment
pages of Toronto newspapers or call Passe
Muraille's offices at 10 Breadalbane St.
Tickets are 52 to 53 50.
Tarragon Theatre, at 30 Bridgeman Ave.
near Bloor and Bathurst, opened three years
ago. The intimate theatre seats 170, and
audience involvement is stressed. Original
Canadian plays are produced from September
to J une. Tarragon was responsible for David
Freeman's successful BATTERING RAM.
Tickets range from 52.50 to 53.75.
In the same neighborhood is the Factory
Theatre Lab, at 207 Adelaide St. E. It seats
170.
v
Started in 1970, Factory Theatre Lab is the
home of Canadian playwriting--the theatre
operates a script -reading service and works
directly with promising new authors to help
develop their plays. They are put into
workshop and then showcase production.
Factory Theatre Lab presented a two-month
festival of Canadian plays in London last fall,
and premiered David Freeman's CREEPS, a
highly successful play that was staged Off
Broadway. It operates from September to
June and audience involvement within the
workshop process is stressed.
The Firehall Theatre and the Toronto Free
Theatre recently opened in two of Toronto's
oldest buildings. The Firehall Theatre, 70
Berkeley St., is the city's oldest continuous
theatre. Originally called the Coach House, it
made its reputation in the 1950s presenting
modern European and avant-garde plays. The
present building is a stately red -brick firehall
and about 100 years old. North Amercian and
European plays, classical and modern, are
presented by alumni of the University of
Toronto.
Just down the road at 24 Berkeley St., in a
century -old building once part of Toronto's
gasworks, is Toronto Free Theatre. Started
in 1972, it presents original Canadian works
and occasionally classics. A highly experi-
mental and exploratory group, Toronto Free
Theatre has initiated several other projects
besides play production, including poetry
readings, playwriting and directing work-
shops, and musical concerts. The theatre
operates year-round and admission is free.
Toronto's smallest small theatre is the
Backdoor Theatre at Sherbourne and Carlton.
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VILLAGE SQUIRE/NOVEMBER 1974, 23