Simon Joynes calls it fortunate that his theatre is located “in a fabulous destination in Port Stanley.”
Joynes is the artistic director of the 200-seat Port Stanley Festival Theatre, housed in the former town hall. While he has been with the theatre since 2005, the history of this hidden gem spans 45 years.
In 1978 Jim Schaefer became the founding artistic director of the Port Stanley Summer Theatre and brought live summer theatre to the community.
In 1991 Schaefer departed Port Stanley and an interested group of area residents stepped up, elected a board of directors, hired Pat Spadini as artistic director, and mounted an “emergency season” with two touring productions.
And 1992 marked the beginning of what has become the Port Stanley Festival Theatre.
Their mandate is to produce appealing summer theatre that highlights Canadian works in drama, comedy and musical-comedy, along with other celebrated works.
But it is not limited to summer activities and productions. As Joynes notes, there is a comprehensive schedule this winter.
New play development is a priority and Port Stanley Festival Theatre hosts a Playwrights’ Festival every September helping to develop new Canadian stories.
The final touches have been put on next summer’s playlist which offers a variety of productions to suit all tastes from music to comedy to small town radio.
Having survived a significant hit at the box office as a result of the pandemic, and Joynes feels this will be a turnaround season.
If Port Stanley is one of your popular destinations to take in the beach and shopping, spend a little more time in the community and take in a production at Port Stanley Festival Theatre.
And if you haven’t attended the theatre in many years, marvel at the changes since 2017. That year marked the opening of the final phase of an ambitious $2 million rebuilding project, five years in the planning and three years in the construction, which included a totally refurbished performance space, new shop, administration, and backstage facilities, along with a gallery, new public space, and a roof top patio overlooking the harbour.
For upcoming events and tickets, visit https://psft.ca/
You can hear the full interview with Simon Joynes here.
Written by Ian McCallum
