The Guelph Little Theatre steps into the limelight for its 90th season
Come check it out in the heart of the Ward neighbourhood
An anniversary event is set for Sunday, Sept. 28 and Productions at the Guelph Little Theatre this season are “The Games Afoot,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “The 39 Steps,” and “Blithe Spirit.”
Did you know that the Guelph Little Theatre (GLT) held its first production in 1935? The company is celebrating 90 years and hopes the shows will go on for many more.
The volunteer-run institution is more than a theatre, it’s a community, according to box office co-ordinator Tyler Livingstone.
“It really is quite amazing what this organization does and what the volunteers here accomplish every year,” he said.
The theatre at 176 Morris St. is in the heart of the Ward neighbourhood, where the group moved in 1996 after a fire took their former home near downtown, in the former Salvation Army Citadel at 107 Dublin St. N. The GLT had bought that building in 1967 after years of holding shows in various locations.
The GLT hosts local events and other theatre productions as well as producing its own season.
This year, it is bringing back some ghosts to help celebrate the anniversary. Livingstone said a one-act play will be presented on Sunday, Sept. 28, with the event kicking off at 1 p.m.
“The play features a conversation between three ghosts,” he said. “Guelph’s founder, John Galt, the first president of Guelph Little Theatre in 1935, Arthur Wilkinson, and Beatrice, GLT’s resident ghost.”
There is some debate about who their own ghost is, with many members agreeing that they brought her with them from the Salvation Army. Some think she was a Salvation Army officer, but others believe Beatrice predates the building’s time as a church (from before the Salvation Army came to Guelph in 1885).
“In the play, we take some creative license, writing the ghost as Dante’s muse Beatrice Portinari,” Livingstone said.
The program will start at 1:30 p.m. with a video of past members and the play which was written by longtime volunteer Judith Eden. A reception will follow in the lobby at 2:30 p.m. You can RSVP on the website.
The season will officially open with “The Games Afoot” in October, a murder mystery with lots of laughs and sharp plot twists directed by Todd Davies, the press release said.
Next on the stage will be “Alice in Wonderland,” adapted from the Lewis Carroll classic by Eva Le Gallienne and Florida Friebus. Director and lifetime member of the GLT, Rosalind Slater will bring the magic to the stage.
“The 39 Steps,” with director Jane Watson is a Tony Award-winning comedy, and Noël Coward’s “Blithe Spirit,” with directors Alex Kanare and Jennifer Tiffin will be the season finale.
“It’s just a great place to spend your afternoon or evening, especially in the winter,” said Livingstone. “We’re right in the middle of the neighbourhood, too.”
After an extended pause, the theatre is offering season tickets for this year’s lineup of productions, so you can buy tickets to every show and enjoy a 25 per cent discount on either regular adult or senior/student tickets.
And Livingstone said if you are interested in the theatre, or are looking to volunteer with the audiences, the GLT would love to have you.
By Joy Struthers, Reporter Guelph Mercury
