Port Stanley Festival Theatre
302 Bridge St Suite 6 N5L 1C3 Port Stanley, ON, Canada

Port Stanley Festival Theatre Throwback Thursday... 2008... A ‘perfect wedding’ day goes disastrously wrong, causing chaos to all concerned. "Perfect Wedding" by Robin Hawdon starring Jim Doucette, Rachel Jones, Patricia Joynes, Rod Keith, Danielle Nicole and Elana Post. Directed by Simon Jones and set design by Eric Bunnell. Lighting Daryl Crichton, Stage Manager Daniele Guillaume. Artistic Director Simon Joynes comments "Perfect Wedding" had some design challenges: for plot... purposes the set had to be a hotel suite with two separate rooms, one of which contained a double bed, all of which created staging issues. Designer Eric Bunnell had to have his best "Tetris" hat on to solve it all. It was a typical farce with fast pace, mistaken identities, lots of doors, and an on-going joke involving a toilet brush. The cast was excellent and indeed became the core of an on-going farce "team" at PSFT. Notably, my mother had a small but feisty role as the mother of the bride, and my wife Daniele stage managed. It was a privilege to work with both of them." Set designer Eric Bunnell recalls "Perfect Wedding is a farce set in a British country hotel suite (hence the cutaway wall between sitting- and bedroom). I pictured the damp and cold under the eaves of a second-rate hostelry where drain pipes were exposed and everything didn't quite go. And we dressed the set with portable oil radiators, umbrella stands jammed with umbrellas, rubber boots and slickers, his-and-her hot water bottles on the towel rack in the loo, (My older brother says the only difference inside from outside of a British house, is that it doesn't rain inside.) And I filled the snack basket with flavours from A Taste of Britain I thought no one in their right (Canadian) mind would imagine. Except that growing up in Vancouver, we were forbidden the Twiglets our parents put out for bridge parties -- and I enjoyed the show's snack basket very much when Perfect Wedding finished its run! And haggis-flavoured crisps only *sound* awful...." See more

Thank You. Your response to the Port Stanley Festival Theatre Campaign has been so generous! We have exceeded our initial goal of filling a tree and we are excited to be starting to fill a second tree. Can we get all the way to the bottom of the second tree? We sure hope we can with your support. Visit https://psft.ca/event/fill-the-tree-fundraiser/ to donate

Getting to know more about PSFT actors with 4 Questions JAMIE WILLIAMS WHAT WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU APPEARED ONSTAGE? The first time I appeared on stage in a 'play' that I can remember would have been in Grade 2 at Burnham public school in my hometown Cobourg, Ont. I can't recall the name of the play, but I do remember I was the head mouse of a group of mice inhabiting the Trudeau household ( that would of course be Trudeau senior) planning a route to the pantry while avoiding...Continue reading

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Gifting for live theatre fans is a bit different this year. Please consider a donation to the Port Stanley Festival Theatre in Port Stanley, Ontario as a way of investing in the future of Canadian talent, stories and theatre. Your support to the Fill the Tree Campaign is greatly appreciated. https://psft.ca/event/fill-the-tree-fundraiser/ #psft #fillthetree #holidaygiving

Well this made our day!! Port Stanley Festival Theatre is so excited to receive this donation of $1150.00 from Studio Style Apparel. THANK YOU for your great generosity! We, at PSFT greatly appreciate your donation. Your support helps to further our goals for the 2021 theatre season, thank you again! #community

Port Stanley Festival Theatre Throwback Thursday... 2019... with Halloween right around the corner, a look at the paranormal seems fitting! World Premiere of "Giving Up The Ghost" by Arlin Dixon and Matthew Gorman starring Tracey Beltrano, Jeff Dingle, Mark McGrinder, Iain Stewart and Lorna Wilson. Directed by Simon Joynes. Set Design by Joshua Quinlan, Lighting Design Karen Crichton. Artistic Director Simon Joynes comments "Basically, just loved the idea of having a ghost onstage. There's so much fun to be had ... who can see him, who can't? How do you stage it so it makes sense in terms of who knows what? It was a great script that came through our play development process, and it had a really cool sort of edge to it at times. And Lorna Wilson rocked it."

FILL THE TREE is a Port Stanley Festival Theatre fundraising Campaign running until December 31. By donating and placing your name on our virtual tree you are supporting the development of the next season. As a thank you for donating you will have a chance at winning a dinner for 4 provided by Kettle Creek Inn on our PSFT picturesque patio. For more information or to donate visit the website https://psft.ca/event/fill-the-tree-fundraiser/ #FillTheTree #Support

Simon says... Here we go again. So, there are hazards involved when you own a Labrador (or in our case a dog that is labradorish) and, as the average Labrador doesn’t come with an owner’s manual, you are largely left to discover these hazards through trial and error mostly error. Now if there is anyone out there who is thinking of adding one of these noble beasts to their family, I’m going to give you a little heads-up. Labradors like to eat, a statement that is an understa...tement of mind- numbing proportions its like saying mosquitoes can be annoying, or that being able to breath is good. Not only do they like to eat, they like to eat everything. They like to eat things that would make any other animal gag, and if they decide not to eat it, they’ll probably decide to roll in it. Which brings me to horse manure About two weeks ago Ruby the wonder dog (the Labrador in question) and I were out for our daily perambulation. It was a bright, clear, and unseasonably warm fall day and my heart was full of optimism as I scanned the blue heavens for sign of interesting birds. Had I not been so naively occupied, I would not have been caught unawares, I would have noticed the tell-tale signs of the questing Labrador the twitching nose, the wagging tale, the hint of drool. Ruby had honed in on the mother lode, a sun-warmed, slightly disguised by dead leaves, perfectly aged pile of horse manure. The rest of the story was a foregone conclusion she perused, she tasted, she ate, she rolled ecstatically, and I, in my haste to prevent further carnage, stepped in it! Now, my short-term memory is starting to decline, Ruby’s is not. Yesterday we walked the same piece of trail, and you guessed it, a moment of inattention and Ruby was once again a happy, happy, smelly dog and I stepped in it. Which about sums up our current predicament doesn’t it? This pandemic an early sense of optimism, tempered by a dawning reality, a passage of time, a moment of inattention and we’ve stepped in it again. And now what? Wipe off your shoe my friends. Wipe off your shoe, forgive your Labrador, and look for those blue skies once again. Hmmm. Maybe a lapdog next time #SimonSays #psft

Port Stanley Festival Theatre Throwback Thursday... 2012 "Dolphin Land" a Port Stanley, Ontario Community Comedy. A fundraising play starring people you know as characters you won't believe! Written by Simon Joynes ""So, "Dolphin Land" was our final community play, and it marked the only time I have ever acted on the Port Stanley stage (although I have participated in a fundraiser reading of "Love Letters"), when one of the actors became unavailable at the last minute. The pl...ay was all about a European Consortium attempting to buy Port Stanley and turn it into a dolphin theme park, and the village was all for it because the Europeans agreed to pay for permanent public bathrooms. Needless to say, there was no theme park in the end, but it was a great vehicle for taking shots at the European economic crisis and with a cast of 19 local actors it made for a busy, fun-filled stage. The backdrop, painted by Dennis Goddard and Melissa Kempf was amazing, and Joe Preston, as always, was a good sport declaring repeatedly that none of the opinions expressed onstage were sanctioned by the Canadian Government of the day!" When asked about the set design of Dolphin Land, @Melissa Kempf replied "It was a pleasure to step out of the office and contribute to the artistry of a production. It was also wonderful to be able to work with a professional artist and one of our board members, Dennis Goddard." #tbt #communitysupport

Looking for something to do on Halloween Night?

Getting to know more about PSFT actors with 4 Questions CAITLIN DRISCOLL WHAT WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU APPEARED ONSTAGE? My first stage appearance was at the Peterborough Theatre Guild as Charlotte in Charlotte's Web when I was 12. I had to paint my face completely grey every show to match my grey spider's outfit. ... WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE ROLE? That's like picking your favourite kid (or in my case cat ;) ! I can say one of my favourite roles was playing the Pomeranian triplets Hedwig, Berta and Ima on stage at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre last year! It was such a workout and so fun to do three wacky characters. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ONSTAGE MISTAKE? I was playing multiple roles in a show at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook Ontario. So, I had to underdress a sequined top to be a dancer in one scene, while at the same time, I was playing an old drunk man in another scene. The old drunk man I was playing had to fall on top of someone sitting on a chair. One day the chair beneath us broke! We both tumbled to the floor and my old drunk man's jacket ripped open to reveal a sequined top! I think I said "whoopsie" in my old man voice and tried to close my jacket as we ended the scene. Not sure how many people noticed the sequins, but I got a good laugh about it. WHAT IS YOUR DREAM ROLE? I love playing as many characters as possible in a show. I love using different voices and accents and making people laugh. Mostly I am just happy to be on stage in any capacity and I can't wait for that to happen again :)

Join Studio Style in support of the performing arts fundraiser campaign ‘Support with Sweaters’ event on until the end of November. For every sweater sold, Studio Style is donating $5.00 to Port Stanley Festival Theatre. All sweaters are now on sale. Studio Style 215 Main Street, Port Stanley 519-782-7467 Open: Wednesday-Sunday 11am-5pm

A week of celebrating Canadian Playwrights!

Getting to know more about PSFT actors with 4 Questions WILLIAM VICKERS WHAT WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU APPEARED ONSTAGE? The year was 1962 and I was six years of age singing in a regional school competition. The venue where I performed still stands. It's a small redbrick Victorian building near the corner of highways #10 and #24 in the village of Caledon. At that time it was the town hall. My performance was flawed. Midway through the song I lost my words and left the stage... in embarrassment. The adjudicator singled me out and in front of the audience said that I was very special and said that she wished she could give me a medal but couldn't because I had forgotten my words. Her kindness encouraged me to continue in singing competitions and it was those future experiences that gave me my 'stage legs'. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE ROLE? This is such a tough question because theatre is a collaborative art form. Enjoyment and success is dependant on the quality of the production you're in. Playing motel manager "Phillie" in George F. Walker's "Problem Child" (in Munich Germany) and "Criminal Genius" (in Niagara Falls Ontario) were two particularly pleasant experiences. Mr Walker wrote a beautifully funny yet profoundly tragic character and it was a thrill to play him. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ONSTAGE MISTAKE? It wasn't mine but I was on stage at the time. It was during a performance of a Murder Mystery at The Shaw Festival. A well known actor blanked on the name of murder suspect "Lizzie Borden". So he called her "Laura Secord" instead. I sent him a box of chocolates for Christmas. WHAT IS YOUR DREAM ROLE? King Lear......yah that will remain a dream for sure.

National Philanthropy Day celebrates the charitable work that EVERYONE does to make a difference and create impact in their communities. Port Stanley Festival Theatre recognizes those who have made a transformative impact with their donations of time and money to the theatre and to the Port Stanley, Ontario community. Philanthropy involves investing time, action, and being at the ground level for change. THANK YOU to those who give their voice to raise awareness for the needs in our community, province and country at large. #PSFT #NPD2020

Thank you Port Stanley Volunteer Gardeners !

Port Stanley Festival Theatre Throwback Thursday... 2009... "Harvest" by Ken Cameron starring Terry Barna and Janet Monid. Directed by Beth Bruck. Set Design by Bill Chesney, Lighting Design Karen Crichton. Artistic Director Simon Joynes comments "Well, in terms of programming, you can't get much more "local" than Ken Cameron's "Harvest". The piece is based on the experiences of Ken's parents Allister and Carolyn Cameron (long-term theatre supporters) when they rented their... farmhouse out to a fellow who turned it into a "grow-op". The play is an actors' tour de force with all the roles being portrayed by only two actors. In our production, Terry Barna and Janet Monid did a great job breathing life into the story under the excellent eye of first-time director, Beth Bruck. It was a blast!" Click on the link to check out the video by Philip Bast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwf2putqngw See more

Port Stanley Festival Theatre Throwback Thursday... 2007... "Don't Dress For Dinner" by Marc Camoletti starring Ray Bowen, Peter Church, Rachel Jones, Danielle Nicole, Elana Post and James Quigley. Directed by Simon Jones and set design by Eric Bunnell. Costume design Alex Amini. Artistic Director Simon Joynes recalls "Don't Dress for Dinner" was a show in the fine tradition of British farce, although it was actually an English translation of a French farce. It had all the cl...assic farce elements: mistaken identities, infidelity, lots of doors, and a lightning-fast pace. Early in my tenure as Artistic Director at PSFT, it starred Rachel Jones, Danielle Nicole, and Elana Post, all of whom went on to grace our stage on many occasions. The set design by Eric Bunnell was superb." Set designer Eric Bunnell says " I remember this one well! It was a production of the English translation of a French sex farce set in the French countryside. Which probably explains why the characters all seemed to speak with middle- and lower-class British voices: It was sort of like a Carry On movie gone *fou*. We added lots of what I imagined a Brit would think of France -- poodles, Eiffel towers, garlic, frou like beribboned picture hangers, tassels on drawer pulls, toile, etc. and etc. ... books about France but with English titles, a doorbell that played the opening strains of la marseillaise. And to help get the actors into the French je ne sais quoi, I plopped a plastic dog poo on the walk outside the front door. Ooh-la-la! We were so bad! But the show was so good ...." #psft #tbthursday

Simon says... Where do new plays come from? In the 15 years that I’ve been the Artistic Director at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre we have produced 72 plays within the structure of our summer programming. OK, they have not all been plays, strictly speaking. 16 of them were concert- based productions with only loose connecting material that linked the musical content, but that still leaves 56 plays. Any way you look at it, 56 plays is a lot of characters, a lot of words, a...nd an almost inconceivable amount of work. And here’s the kicker you only get paid for that work if the play you write actually gets produced. If it doesn’t hit the stage, all you get for your trouble is a pile of paper that sits in a drawer somewhere. Most playwrights have a few of these desk drawer masterpieces’ tucked away I have three of them myself. So, this playwrighting thing is a bit of a gamble, and really it’s kind of a minor miracle that we get any new plays at all. Of the 56 plays I spoke of, 12 were premiere productions that went through our new play development process. In this process, we first of all identify likely plays that we think will fit into our programming, we then assist the playwright with dramaturgical advice during the re-write phase (most plays come to the stage through a progression of multiple versions), and finally we workshop the piece with actors and present a public reading. The public reading provides the final piece of the puzzle you, the audience. Without an audience, there is no play. Any play is a partnership between the playwright, the actors, and the audience, and its vital for the playwright to participate in this partnership before he finalizes what hopefully will go into rehearsals for a full production. I think a few of the regulars, patrons who have faithfully attended multiple Playwrights’ Festival readings, might feel that it is the audience feedback session that is the crucial component for the play’s development, but truth be told, the playwright gets most of the information he needs from simply sitting in an audience and gauging responses moment to moment as his play unfolds. We hope to produce at least two plays next season that will have come through our new play development program, and if we do, you’ll now know a little more about where they came from. Its not an easy gig, this playwright thing, and just remember next time you enjoy an actor’s work onstage without the playwright’s work that actor wouldn’t have a whole lot to say. Photo of the set "Buying the Farm" by Shelley Hoffman and Stephen Sparks on the Port Stanley Festival Theatre stage. "Buying the Farm" went through the development process at the 6th annual Playwrights' Festival in 2017 and came to life on the stage for its premiere in 2018. Set design by Eric Bunnell, lighting design Karen Crichton, set photo Shutter Studios.

#LoveTheatreDay may look a little different this year, but it’s more important than ever that we come together in support of our directors, set designers, actors, stage managers, lighting designers, production crew, house technicians, costume designers, audiences (the list goes on) and highlight the value of it in communities and every day life. @LoveTheatreDay

Port Stanley Festival Theatre is sending positive thoughts to McBain Signs. So sorry to hear about the fire but very grateful no one was hurt. Looking forward to doing business with you again in the future.

Reminder to check your email (including your junk file) to see if you were sent the survey from Port Stanley Festival Theatre - you have until Monday October 19 at noon to submit it. Your participation is greatly appreciated. #ArtsSurvey

Port Stanley Festival Theatre Throwback Thursday... 2011... Trailer park hi-jinks, internet scams, and finding love in all the wrong places! ... the premiere of "7-10 Split" by Michael Wilmot starring Terry Barna, Martha Zimmerman, Rod Keith and Bruce Tubbe. Directed by Richard Bauer, Set Design by Eric Bunnell, Lighting Design Karen Crichton. Artistic Director Simon Joynes reminisces "7-10 Split" fit the bill for us in a number of ways. First of all, it was a premiere prod...uction, and it came at a time when we were attempting to make a strong commitment in support of new work. Secondly the play was written by a local London playwright, the very talented Michael Wilmot, and thirdly, it was very funny. A great cast, a challenging design, and a lot of laughs ... what more could you ask for?" Set designer Eric Bunnell recalls "I felt right at home designing a run-down mobile home setting for PSFT's premiere of this lovely comedy by Londoner Mike Wilmot my first grownup home was a run-down mobile home in northern B.C. (I almost burned it down but that’s a story for another time.) I got to fill the set with a lot of fun: pink flamingoes, beer cup lights, boxes of Laker beer empties, a very scary teddy bear collection, the worst furniture you could imagine. But costume designer Alex Amini topped everything with the costume she gave Martha Zimmerman I'll never forget those pink yoga pants with CANDY written on the rear. Pretty subtle! Sadly, both Mike and director Richard Bauer now have passed, and the Canadian theatre world is just a little less fun without them."

Starting next week we will be increasing our service to Curbside Plus +. During this next phase you may book a time, by contacting your local branch, to browse ...and use computer services through a concierge model with the assistance of staff. The option to drop-in during regular hours will be available, however there may be a wait to enter as we move patrons through the space. Please use physical distancing while waiting to enter and wear a mask. Contactless pick-up will also be available, however it will be moved indoors as the weather cools. Our focus is on increasing service and support to our communities while keeping safety a priority. We have missed you and are excited to welcome you back into our space. Stay tuned for updates on this page. https://www.elgincounty.ca/library/services/curbside-pickup/ See more

which then was sold to become the Port Stanley Festival Theatre.

What are you thankful for? Port Stanley Festival Theatre is thankful for the supportive patrons, volunteers, donors, friends and board members. We may not be open right now but please don't lose touch with us - sign up for our newsletter https://psft.ca/newsletter/ #PSFT

" what if, today, we were just grateful for everything" - Charlie Brown. Port Stanley Festival Theatre is thankful, grateful and blessed for the support of the theatre patrons, donors, volunteers and board members. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Standby, Please... Today is International Stage Managers Day. A day for the public to find out more about those who dabble in the dark behind the scenes and how they contribute to productions of all types. Port Stanley Festival Theatre has been so fortunate to have several great stage managers behind our productions over the years. 2020 was scheduled to continue this trend with stage managers Suzanne McArthur, Jory McLean, Cassidy Gallant and Paula Stewart. Artistic Direct...or Simon Joynes comments "Stage Managers are the glue in any creative team. They are the keepers of all the details, the schedules, the lists. In rehearsals they are the herder of cats and in performance they are the air traffic controllers. Stage Managers are amazing, and I know ... I'm married to one!" Port Stanley Festival Theatre appreciates all stage managers and we can't wait to be back in the theatre with you! #stagemgrs20 See more

Simon says... Fall Update: This time last year we had just concluded the most successful season in our 42 year history, followed by a vibrant Playwrights’ Festival that saw public reading of both Smarty Pants by Shelley Hoffman and Steven Sparks and Our House by first time playwright Murray Furrow. We had managed to pay down most of the debt on our building and had managed to bolster both building and operations reserve funds as a hedge against possible rainy days. Well... you know what they say: Sometimes it never rains but it pours! This Fall is obviously a little different, but we have been able to cling to some normalcy. There was no summer season for us this year, but we were able to invite 45 patrons into the theatre for a live reading of Jamie Williams’ Pinkerton Comes to Prospect in a socially-distanced and somewhat reduced Playwrights’ Festival. It was great to have something live back on the stage again! Thanks to government wage subsidy programs we have been able to keep our core group of employees at work as we make plans for the future. In other years we would be announcing next year’s playbill at about this time and we would have approved a budget for next year as we start to assess this year’s financial year end. Well that process has certainly been interesting, but I’m happy to say that we have struck a budget for next year and we have a season in mind. We’re going to delay the announcement of that season for a while yet as we see what the next few months bring, but be assured that we’ll be actively planning for that season launch, and it will only be a matter of time until we invite patrons back through our doors. When we do, we are confident that our patrons will be safe and comfortable, and that safety protocols put in place will ensure the safety of all. Huge thank yous to our hard-working staff, a dedicated Board of Governors, and to all our supporters out there in the community of Port Stanley. We couldn’t do it without you.