Alumnae Theatre
Encyclopedia
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
still in operation. It was founded in 1919 by female graduates of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
who wanted to continue to participate in semi-professional theatre after graduation. Originally all performers in all roles were female, but in the 1920s male guest performers began to be invited to join the performances. Still today the leadership of the society remains entirely female.
Its focus has always been to produce the great plays of the western canon, while also sometimes doing more modern works, such as the Toronto premier of one of Carol Shields
Carol Shields
Carol Ann Shields, CC, OM, FRSC, MA was an American-born Canadian author. She is best known for her 1993 novel The Stone Diaries, which won the U.S. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as the Governor General's Award in Canada.-Biography:Shields was born in Oak Park, Illinois...
works. The society original performed at the university's Hart House Theatre
Hart House Theatre
Hart House Theatre is a 454-seat theatre in Toronto, Ontario located on the campus of the University of Toronto in the Hart House Student Centre. Hart House Theatre has been the University of Toronto Performing Arts Leader Since 1919....
. In the 1957 the society renovated an old coach house, and opened the Coach House Theatre. In 1962 the theatre moved again into a former synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
on Cecil and Huron streets. In 1970 they were evicted from this location when the site was expropriated by Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
. After a brief hiatus, the company found a permanent home in an old fire hall at Adelaide and Berkeley streets in 1972. Originally named Firehall No. 4, the building is one of Toronto's historic Toronto fire stations. It was first built in 1900 and was considerably renovated by architect Ron Thom, whose wife Molly was a long time member of Alumnae Theatre. The firehall had been slated by city council for demolition, until the theatre company intervened and with the help of John Sewell
John Sewell
John Sewell, CM is a Canadian political activist and writer on municipal affairs; he was the mayor of Toronto, Ontario from 1978 to 1980.-Background:...
convinced the city to have it saved and restored for their purposes. The building now contains a main performance space on the ground level, which seats 140. Upstairs is a smaller studio venue on the third floor.