Bancroft: Laugh Lines Theatre

The Village Playhouse hosts Laugh Lines Theatre, bringing to the stage the hilarity that summer theatre patrons have come to expect. For 2008, the Laugh Lines playbill features three great comedies to keep audiences laughing.

Jasper Station
by Norm Foster and Steve Thomas
July 2 - 19, matinee July 12

This engaging comedy brings viewers into the lives of six people who happen to meet one night in a train station, and then agree to re-unite five years later to learn the outcome of the turning points that first brought them together. With Norm Foster’s always-funny lines and composer Steve Thomas’ supremely pleasing songs, this play promises to appeal to both the funny-bone and the ear.

That Darn Plot!
by David Belke
July 24 - August 9, matinee August 2

In this heart-warming comedy, famous (but half asleep and half drunk) playwright Mark Transom has to pen a full length play in one night. As he writes, his characters start rehearsing the play. The characters gradually try to wrest control of the creative process away from the writer, and to repair some of the writer’s broken relationships.

The Love List
by Norm Foster
August 14 - 30, matinee August 23

Bill is a lonely workaholic divorcé about to turn 50. As a birthday gift, his philandering friend Leon picks up a mate-matching form from “Got a Match,” run by a gypsy. As the two debate what qualities should go on the list, Bill’s supposedly “ideal” mate walks through the door unexpectedly. When some of the match’s desirable traits don’t work out as intended, Bill and Leon feverishly tinker with the list to try to fine-tune their selection. Each time, the mystery woman changes her persona to match, with riotously comic results. Not recommended for anyone under 15 years old.

Ticket Information

Tickets are $18.50 each. Show times are 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. For more information, show times or to purchase tickets, call (613) 332-6141

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Bobcaygeon: Lakeview Arts Barn (LAB)

Globus Theatre Inc. company-in-residence promises 'good food and a great company.'

Had To Be You
by Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna
July 2 - 12

Theda Blau, a failed actress and would-be playwright wants to find love and success in New York. Vito Pignoli, is a successful TV commercial director. After meeting at an audition, she holds him hostage in her apartment on a snowy Christmas Eve in a career move with hilarious consequences!

Underneath The Lintel
by Glen Berger
July 16 - 19

A Librarian embarks on a quest to find out who anonymously returned a library book that is 113 years overdue. A humorous and moving detective story, full of adventure and intrigue, with a puzzle that rivals the Da Vinci Code.

Boardwalk! The Doo-Wop Musical
by Randy Vancourt
July 22 - August 2

BOARDWALK! is the story of three friends who spend every summer entertaining people along the boardwalk in a resort town. The show features a score of such memorable doo-wop hits as Sh-Boom, Duke of Earl, At the Hop, and Stand by Me.

The Woman In Black
adapted from Stephen Mallatratt by Susan Hill
August 6 – 16

A lawyer hires an actor to tutor him in recounting to family and friends a story that has long troubled him of the events that took place when he attended the funeral of an elderly recluse – a chilling spine tingler that will have audiences on the edge of their seats.

Storm Warning
by Norm Foster
August 20 - 30

In 1953 at Pigeon Lake Hidden Cabins army vet Jack Forrester meets brash Emma Curry and the sparks start to fly. Can they weather the storm or will this weekend change their lives forever? A powerfully poignant, and humorous, love story from Canada’s favourite playwright.

Ticket Information

Show times are 8 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday; 2 p.m. matinees on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are $25, $20 for students. Dinner and theatre packages are available at a cost of $55, $45 for students. Seniors enjoy a 10% discount for matinees. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (705) 738-2037 or 1-800-304-7897 or online at the theatre’s website.

Kids Series

The LAB offers three shows especially geared to a younger audience. These shows run Saturdays at 11 a.m. and are suitable for all ages.

J's Magic Show
July 12

This Family Show is approximately 1 hour in length and features of two live rabbits, manipulation and group participation. The show will culminate in an illusion that allows a child to float on a magic carpet with showings from all four sides.

World Travellin': A Musical Storytelling Show for the Whole Family
July 26

World Travellin' involves two performer, who have each just finished a trip halfway around the world. They begin to exchange the stories that people have told them on their travels. Through extensive use of song, puppetry, dance and mime, the two travellers weave four tales from Wales, Jamaica, Russia and England.

The Three Magic Wishes
August 9

An original take of a classic story. When a young couple of modest means is given three wishes by a magical wood nymph, absolutely anything can happen. Add a couple of thieving brothers and some great tunes, and disaster and hilarity follow.

Ticket Information

Tickets for children's shows are $12 for both adults and children. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (705) 738-2037 or 1-800-304-7897 or visit: http://www.lakeviewartsbarn.com/tickets.html.

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Haliburton:  Highlands Summer Festival

The Highlands Summer Festival present its season in the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion, located in the High School in Haliburton. Opened in June 1999, the 226 seat theatre is a dream come true for the performing arts community in the Haliburton Highlands. The facility provides raked theatre seating with excellent sight lines from all angles and high quality acoustics throughout.

The Foreigner
by Larry Shue
June 30 - July 10

In a fishing lodge in rural Georgia, a British businessman arrives with a pathologically shy young man named Charlie, who is overcome with fear of making conversation with strangers. Everyone is told that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. Once his friend leaves on business, the Foreigner, overhears more than he should. What ensues is nonstop hilarity, culminating in things going uproariously awry.

Trying
by Joanna Glass
Directed by Scot Denton
July 14 - 25 at 8

A young Canadian from the prairies finds herself next in a long series of secretaries to Francis Biddle, the crusty former Attorney General under Roosevelt and a Nuremberg judge. Set in 1967, during the last year of Biddle’s life, this work pits the elderly politico, who knows his time is limited, against a young woman, eager to do her best, but unwilling to be cowed by Biddle’s cantankerous attitude. The intersection of American and Canadian perspectives and of youth and age provides ample material for the author to explore the relationship from a variety of perspectives.

Deathtrap
by Ira Levin
July 28 - August 8

Comfortably ensconced in his charming Connecticut home, Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of thrillers, is struggling to overcome a "dry" spell. A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student he met in a seminar at a nearby college. He recognizes the thriller, Deathtrap, as a potential Broadway hit. Sidney’s plan is to collaborate with the student, an idea which the younger man quickly accepts. It is then the plot begins to twist and turn with devilish cleverness, and with such an abundance of thrills and laughter, enthralling the audiences to the play’s final, startling moments.

Opera Excerpts Concert
Three Fantastic Nights of Opera
August 25, 27 and 29

The Highlands Opera Studio is back after its successful introduction into the Highlands Summer Festival schedule last year. The participants in this season’s Highlands Opera Studio present an evening of their favourites from best-loved operas of the world.

Ticket Information

All shows are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25; $80 for a season’s pass. Tickets may be purchased by phone, by email, in person or by fax. For details call the box office at (705) 457-9933, or email tickets@highlandssummerfestival.on.ca. In person, visit the theatre box office will open in the lobby of the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion in the High School, Haliburton, one hour before each performance. For fax orders dial (705) 457-2534.

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Millbrook:  4th Line Theatre

Just outside of the small Ontario town of Millbrook lies one of Canada's best-kept theatre secrets -- the 4th Line Theatre Company. On an outdoor stage made up of an array of century old barns and the surrounding countryside, 4th Line Theatre presents Canadian plays, written by and about Canadians.

The Last Green Hill
by Robert Winslow and Dale Hamilton
Directed by Robert Winslow
July 3 - 26. Previews July 1 & 2

World Premiere!
Inspired by the development pressures rural communities in Southern Ontario are facing, this humorous and satirical epic production features a cast of cowboys, politicians, developers, environmental resistance fighters and citizens all caught up in the middle of a firestorm!

Schoolhouse
by Leanna Brodie
Directed by Kim Blackwell
August 7 - 30. Previews: August 5 & 6

The show that has captured the hearts of thousands returns to the 4th Line stage. The year is 1938 and Miss Linton is the new teacher in a rural schoolhouse full of eager youngsters and underachieving ‘big boys’. This bittersweet yet poignant story pays tribute to the young women who shaped the lives of children and inspired a true love of learning.

Ticket Information

Shows run Tuesdays – Saturdays weekly, plus one Monday night performance per run; all shows are at 6 p.m. Tickets are $26, $23 for seniors and students, $15/child, preview night tickets are $15/person; 15% group discounts are available. To purchase tickets, call the box office at 1-800-814-0055 or (705) 932-4445, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 p.m., or by email at boxoffice@4thlinetheatre.on.ca.

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Port Hope:  Port Hope Festival Theatre

Port Hope Festival Theatre is back again this summer at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope with four productions of classic theatre.

Educating Rita
by Willy Russell
June 5 - 14

Frank is a tutor of English in his fifties whose disillusioned outlook on life drives him to drink and bury himself in his books. Enter Rita. She is a forthright 26-year-old hairdresser who is hungry for education. Rita quickly wins over the very reticent teacher by her native shrewdness and her refusal to accept secondhand academic opinions. In the course of the play she gives Frank a new lease on his life by making him believe in himself once again.

Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story
by Alan James & Rob Bettinson
June 19 - July 12

Nearly 50 years ago, the man who changed the face of popular music tragically died in a plane crash aged 22. This production tells the story of the three years in which he became the world's top recording artist. “Buddy” follows the tragically short life of Buddy Holly from his first recording contract, his marriage to a young Puerto Rican girl named Maria Elena, through to his move to New York. The show features over 20 of Buddy Holly's greatest hits including “Peggy Sue", "That'll Be The Day", “Oh Boy", “Rave On", “Heartbeat", Ritchie Valens‚ “La Bamba", and the Big Bopper's “Chantilly Lace".

Same time, Next Year
by Bernard Slade
July 17 - 26

One of the most popular romantic comedies of the century, “Same Time, Next Year” ran four years on Broadway, was a successful motion picture, and remains one of the most widely produced plays in history. It follows a love affair between people who rendezvous once a year. Twenty five years of manners, morals and attitudes are hilariously mirrored by the lovers.

Anne of Green Gables
by D. Harron, Music by N. Campbell
July 31 - August 24

This modern-day classic Canadian family musical tells the heartwarming story of a freckle-faced, red-haired orphan named Anne Shirley who arrives at the home of brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert in Avonlea, P.E.I. full of hope for a new life. Devastated to discover that the elderly couple were expecting a boy from the orphanage, she brings song, laughter, love, and more than a little consternation to the Cuthberts' quiet lives and in the end finds her new home.

Ticket Information

Tickets for evening performances are $27; $24 for matinees/previews, and $21.50 for seniors on Sundays. Group rates are also available. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (905) 885-1071, 1-800-434-5092 or visit their website.

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Regional:  Driftwood Theatre Group

The Driftwood Theatre Group is Ontario's outdoor, summer-touring theatre company; presenting the works of William Shakespeare annually to audiences between Brantford and Kingston. Seeking to promote and encourage emerging theatre artists, Driftwood harnesses their tremendous energy and commitment to the craft and provides a rich and unforgettable professional experience.

Romeo and Juliet
July 11 – August 17

July 15: Opening Night Gala: Parkwood Estate, Oshawa
July 16: Esplanade Park, Pickering
July 17: Rotary Park, Ajax
July 20: Palmer Park, Port Perry
July 22: Celebration Square, Whitby
August 1: Kawartha Settlers’ Village, Bobcaygeon
August 2: Memorial Park, Marmora
August 3: Peterborough Museum, Peterborough
August 5: Zwick’s Park, Belleville

For its 14th season, Driftwood Theatre revisits this classic romantic trajedy of two “star crossed” teenagers who meet, fall in love, and marry in secret to avoid persecution from their warring families. But the outside world relentlessly finds its way into their lives, drawing their story to its inevitable tragedy.

Ticket Information

All shows are at 7:30 p.m. Admission is ‘pay what you can’, however the company suggests a donation of $12/person or $30/family. To learn more about this group and its performances, call (905) 576-2396 or their website

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Stirling Festival Theatre

The Stirling Festival Theatre prides itself on the presentation of top-quality family-oriented entertainment, offering a wide range of musicals, revues, comedies, children's' programs, concerts and other special events throughout the year with a special summer season.

Steel Magnolias
by Robert Harling
July 9 - 19

Six women, one beauty parlour. This heart-warming comedy is one of the most-produced plays in the world, and it’s in Stirling for 11 short performances only. Set in the early 1980’s, the story explores the lives of six ordinary women as they deal with love, loss, relationships and big hair. This production is not recommended for children under 14.

Man of La Mancha
by Dale Wasserman; music by Mitch Leigh; lyrics by Joe Darion
August 6 - 23

With its timely message of courage and idealism, “Man of La Mancha” can inspire audiences to keep reaching for the stars with its unforgettable anthem, “the Impossible Dream.” It’s not the destination that counts, it’s the quest – and this powerful and riveting theatrical experience will touch the heart, stir the soul, and unleash the imagination. This production is not recommended for children under 14.

Garbage Delight
Script by Caroline Smith; based on the Garbage Delight poem collection by Dennis Lee
August 12 - 22

Presented in a one-hour format by the Festival Theatre’s Young Company. The ice-cream parlour will be open, and kids can eat banana splits while they watch the show!

Ticket Information

Tickets for “Steel Magnolias” and “Man of La Mancha” are $25; $23.50 for groups of 20 or more, and $10 for youth ages 14 to 18. Tickets for “Garbage Delight” are $7.50. For more information, show times, or to purchase tickets, call (613) 395-2100 or 1-877-312-1162, email: tickets@stirlingfestivaltheatre.com or visit their website.

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