If the content you are seeing is presented as unstyled HTML your browser is an older version that cannot support cascading style sheets. If you wish to upgrade your browser you may download Mozilla or Internet Explorer for Windows.

Rainbow Stage

Company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded in 1954 as an amateur community troupe which initially stumbled financially, but which rose as a professional commercial company in 1966 under Jack Shapira. Ken Peter was the executive producer from 1998, followed by Julie Eccles in 2012. Ray Hogg was Artistic Director from 2012. In 2017, Carson Nattrass was appointed Artistic Director. He has been involved with the theatre company as an actor and director since 2003, when he graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama-acting.

Rainbow Stage is Canada's longest running outdoor theatre. The company has specialized in popular Broadway musical theatre presenting works like No, No, Nanette, The Sound of Music and Funny Girl during the summer. For its 1999/2000 season, it presented Singin' in the Rain and 42nd Street. In January, 2002, it presented Fame. For the 2019 season, Rainbow Stage reprised Strike!, a musical about the Winnipeg Strike in 1919, with book by Rick Chafe and book and music by Danny Schur (dir. Sharon Bajer).

Directors who have worked there include Malcolm Black, Alan Lund and Walter Burgess. Actors have been local professionals and imported "stars" from the US. Notable Canadians performers include Jan Rubes and Len Cariou.

It has moved from a summer season to presenting works in winter, and has performed outside of its Kildonan Park stage.

Website: www.rainbowstage.ca

Profile by Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof. Additional information provided by Reid Harrison and Krista Kaczor.

Last updated 2021-08-24