The waterfront digs of Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque
Sure, summer is a time for campfires and canoeing, but it can also be the perfect opportunity to enjoy a classic comedy or a new opera.
Ontario is home to about two dozen summer-only theatres or year-round theatres with substantial summer programs. They range from events lasting just a few weeks to juggernauts such as the Shaw and Stratford festivals. And they offer a great excuse for a weekend getaway – come for a show, stay at a charming inn.
The theatrical choices are surprisingly varied. Of course, Neil Simon, Norm Foster and Noel Coward never seem to go out of style, and they're all well represented this summer. For instance, Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers is onstage at both the Orillia Opera House (June 28 to July 15) and the Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg (August 4 to 28). The Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover is presenting Foster's Jonas & Barry in the Home (August 17 to September 3). And for fans of Coward's dry wit, the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque offers Blithe Spirit (June 17 to July 16).
Movie-related plays are a summer festival staple. Mamma Mia! seems to be this year's pick – it's making an appearance at multiple theatres – but you can also catch Waltons mom Michael Learned in Driving Miss Daisy at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia (July 5 to 24).
The rebuilt Victoria Hall (above) is home to Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
Not surprisingly, many summer theatres offer at least one musical. This summer's schedule includes the Cole Porter classic Anything Goes at the Huron County Playhouse in Grand Bend (July 21 to August 6), Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake (July 17 to October 19), the Dickens-inspired
Oliver! at the Highlands Summer Festival in Haliburton (July 4 to 14) and the ever-popular peek behind the Broadway curtain, A Chorus Line, at the Stratford Festival (until October 30).
Speaking of Stratford, its Shakespearean offerings this summer include Macbeth (May 3 to October 23) and As You Like It (May 16 to October 22). However, that's far from the only place you can get your Elizabethan theatre fix. You can also enjoy Julius Caesar and Much Ado About Nothing under the stars during the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival in Prescott (July 16 to August 20). Or check out the Driftwood Theatre Group's Bard's Bus Tour, which will bring a 1980s-set version of The Taming of the Shrew to communities across southern and eastern Ontario (July 8 to August 14).
Not everything on stage this summer comes from Shakespeare or Broadway. Many of Ontario's summer theatres present plays written by local playwrights or focused on local events. In that vein, you can see A Splinter in the Heart, a new adaptation of Al Purdy's Trenton-set novel, in a tent in the Rosehall Run Vineyards in Prince Edward County (August 3 to 21). At the Blyth Festival, Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning is based on the true story of a Wingham man who was killed while serving with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan (June 15 to August 6).
A few summer theatres aren't afraid to push the boundaries. The Westben Arts Festival Theatre in Campbellford is presenting the world premiere of a new opera, The Pencil Salesman, penned by festival artistic director Brian Finley (June 25 to July 3). And the Kick & Push Festival in Kingston focuses on innovative, interactive productions in unusual venues.
Are you tempted by all that's on offer, but don't want to drive? A number of summer theatre towns are accessible by Greyhound bus or VIA Rail, and the Stratford Festival offers return bus trips from Toronto for $25 a person.
This content was produced by The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.