Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia

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Saskatchewan

Also see article: History of Canadian Theatre

Province of central Canada with a population of 1,027,000 (Statistics Canada, October 1, 1999 estimated population).

Though it was the formation of the Manitoba Theatre Centre /MTC in 1958 which started the boom in post-war theatre in the prairies, Saskatchewan wasn't far behind with the establishment of Globe Theatre (1966, still active) in Regina and 25th Street Theatre (1972, still active) and Persephone in Saskatoon (1974, still active).

However, there was theatre in Saskatchewan before the boom. As far back as 1833, itinerant entertainers came to the towns of the province. By 1887, the town of Whitewood actually had a professional company (formed by Dr. JF Guerin who had been with D'Oyly Carte in London).

However, population growth in Saskatchewan centres was slow. The first theatres were community halls. In 1886, the first town hall in Regina also served as a theatre.

As in the rest of Canada, the first amateur society in Regina was made up of uniformed men; in this case The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Amateurs and Gilbert and Sullivan reigned in Saskatchewan until 1910, when Regina acquired the Regina Theatre, which seated 870 and had Saskatchewan's first dimmer board.

In Saskatoon, an upper room served as theatre until The Empire Theatre went up in 1910. Both in Saskatoon and Regina, the arrival of legitimate venues also meant the arrival of touring companies.

In the 1920s, Saskatoon's Daylight Theatre presented vaudeville.

It was by then that touring companies from outside the region began to dominate the cultural landscape.

However, there was some local activity. The Eckhardt Players (formed by Oliver Eckhardt) entertained during WWI in Regina and Saskatoon.

Had it not been for the ongoing activities of amateurs between the wars and during WWII, indigenous theatre in the prairies might very well have been a moot point.

Among companies also active in the province are the francophone Troupe du Jour , Dancing Sky Theatre, Gateway Players (Saskatoon's biggest amateur company), Off Broadway Dinner Theatre (amateur), The Newman Players (Saskatoon's oldest amateur company) and Curtain Razors. The Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts, in Regina, opened in 1970, also presents theatre in its three venues. Also of interest is the women's theatre festival, hosted by 25th Street, Her-icane (1999-).

The history of theatre now is one of companies and venues, artists and funding , of course.

Other articles in the Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre on the WWW: Tom Bentley-Fisher Randall Paris Dark Richard Epp Festival of Words (Prairie Festival of Words) Connie Gault Ken Kramer Sue Kramer Erika Ritter Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Henry Woolf Susan Williamson Wright Family And hundreds of other related articles followable by link.

(Additional information provided by John Thronberg and Beata Van Berkom)

Last updated 2009-08-12