Live theater in Durham is back.
For some venues and groups, the fall and winter 2021 seasons will welcome indoor audiences for the first time after extended closures.
Others have endured the pandemic with virtual shows, outdoor performances and other creative ways to keep the local arts scene alive.
The Theater on the Ridge in Port Perry, for example, offered an outdoor summer season in 2020 and again this year, as well as virtual programming made possible through grant funding.
"We just took the bull by the horns. If we had the ability, through our funders and supporters, to pay people to keep working, we thought it was important for us to stay as active as possible,” said Carey Nicholson, CEO and Artistic Director of Theater on the Ridge. “It has been a very difficult journey.”
In Oshawa, Mansfield Entertainment is back on stage after 574 days since its last theatrical production.
Joan Mansfield recalls that a successful run of the musical "The Last Five Year" had just ended when the pandemic turned the theater world upside down.
“All of our plans, dreams and projects for our theatrical season came to a sudden and deafening halt. Upcoming shows had to be canceled, the daunting task of reimbursing ticket holders, scrambling to find storage space for our theater-related stuff. The people we had hired and hired to work lost their jobs,” Mansfield says.
She is now looking forward to an "emotional reopening" when Mansfield Entertainment begins in-person theatrical shows this month.
Here's a look at what some of Durham's theaters and bands are planning for the upcoming season.
Mansfield Entertainment
mansfieldshows.com
Mansfield Entertainment's 2021-22 season of indoor performances at the Regent Theater in Oshawa includes "The Music of Broadway '21" on September 25 with $2 off every ticket sold going to Legacy of Hope.The show stars Laura Murphy on vocals and Miguel Esteban on piano. The season will also include "The Music of The Night" on December 9, "Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto", a family show from December 28-31, and "Evil Dead: The Musical" from January 27 to 30.
Regent Theater
regenttheatre.ca
The Regent Theater in Oshawa is open for in-person shows this fall with proof of vaccination required to attend. Upcoming events include "Classic Albums Live: Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here" on September 24, "Woodstock Revival" October 3, "The Ultimate 80s Show" October 15, "The Stampeders in Concert" October 10. 22, a performance by comedian Brent Butt on October 24.
Herongate Barn Theater
herongate.com
The Herongate Barn Theater in Pickering will open September 24 for in-person performances. All attendees and staff must be fully immunized. The theater presents Norm Foster's comedy 'The Love List' from September 24 to October 31 followed by a female version of "The Odd Couple" from November 12 to December 31.
Theater on the Ridge
theatreontheridge.ca
Theater on the Ridge's fall season is a mix of indoor, outdoor and virtual options. Lineup includes the Port Perry Snapshots Short Play Festival October 14-16 at Port Perry's Anglican Church of the Ascension; an outdoor Scary Story Walk on October 29 and 30; and a virtual screening of "Monsters and Milfoil: A Tale of Lake Scugog". a photo ID.
Beech Street Theater Company
bstconstage.com
Beech Street Theater Company plans to hold dinner shows of 'The Sodfather' at the Nice Bistro in Whitby this fall, dates yet to be announced."Only those who are fully vaccinated will be able to participate or be permitted to attend performances “, said general artistic director Michael Khashmanian.
Ajax Community Theater
ajaxcommunitytheatre.com
Ajax Community Theater kicks off its next season with the play “Clue” in February. Tickets go on sale November 1 and proof of double vaccination is required for all patrons, cast and crew.
Whitby Courthouse Theater
whitbytheatre.ca
Tickets are on sale now for a virtual production of Jason Robert Brown's musical "The Last Five Years," which will be available on pay-per-view November 18-28. "Other Desert Cities" will be live on stage through February and "Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun" follows in April.
