LOOKING FORWARD TO 2026

Thanks to all who participated as cast, crew, or audience for our fall production of Androcles and the Lion. It really does take a village to raise a play.

In 2025, the board updated its mission statement to focus on the performing arts, to growth, and to inclusion. We believe this production met our mandate to offer opportunities to new performers and technical crew alike, and to offer family-friendly entertainment for all ages.

During the summer and fall, we offered 5 workshops in mask and commedia dell-arte to both children and adults and four technical workshops in sound and lighting design, costuming and stage management. Participants were able to grow and refine what they learned in the workshops under the watching eyes of senior Theatre Wakefield directorial staff and crew.

We’re proud of this accomplishment and welcome you to propose projects for 2026. We’d like to build on the themes of training and new opportunities for all ages.

We’ll start the new year with 6 classes in Improv (improvisational theatre) with a one-of “try it” class on Thursday, January 8th, and a further series of 5 on subsequent Thursdays that build on the first (more info below).

Improvisational theatre builds important skills for all performers in addition to life skills for anyone. Participants are challenged to make up ideas on the spot and to collaborate with others in real time. There’s no blame or regret, only play.

In alignment with our mandate for bridge-building in the community, on January 25th we’ll hold a storytelling event in the Studio in which French Canadian tales and stories will be told (in English), and in May, Indigenous tellers will entertain us in both official languages in a traditional tipi.

Beyond that, we are still looking for ideas and directors and producers to lead them.

Theatre Wakefield Board