Val Lusted was the producer of the play “Witness for the Prosecution” at Scarborough Village Theatre in January
By Denise Bacon and Kathy Rowe
A magical venue in Scarborough is calling to all of us. One can enter and be transported to a different place and time, and be made to laugh, cry, gasp, grip the edge of one’s seat, tap one’s toes or to stand up and cheer. This place is Scarborough Village Theatre, a gem waiting to be discovered, treasured and often revisited.
Theatre Scarborough is the organization that fills this space with wonder. It evolved from Playhouse 66 and moved to its current home in 1982 within the Scarborough Village Recreation Centre at 3600 Kingston Rd. at Markham Rd. This unique theatre thrives through the close collaboration of three distinct companies that share space, resources and talent: Scarborough Theatre Guild, Scarborough Players and Scarborough Music Theatre.
The uniqueness of this theatre lies in the passion and commitment of every single person involved. Everyone is a volunteer, including board members, set designers and builders, stagehands and managers, producers and directors, actors, box office, and front and back of house staff. Their dedication to the art of theatre is on display with each performance, which is delivered with a level of professionalism that belies the fact that this is amateur theatre.
The theatre showcases a thrust stage so there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Free parking, mobility and hearing accessibility make this theatre experience welcoming to all. And there’s more than performances. Do you have or know of a child who has a flare for acting, singing or dancing? Scarborough Music Theatre offers camps during PA days, March Break and in the summer. Check out smt-theatre.com for more information about theatre camps.
Scarborough Theatre Guild, now in its 67th season (wow!), brought “The Full Monty” to the stage last fall to great reviews. Agatha Christie’s gripping courtroom drama, “Witness for the Prosecution,” was performed last month. The Jane Austen classic comedy of manners, “Emma,” will be on stage in April, and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” a Tennessee Williams classic, will shock and thrill audiences in July.
Scarborough Players, also in its 67th season (wow again!), had an awesome lineup of plays for the 2025-26 season. “Lunenberg,” a Maritime-set comedy mystery by Norm Foster, played in September, and the classic “A Christmas Story” by Jean Shepherd delighted audiences in December. Coming up, “Good People” by Pulitzer Prize-winning David Lindsay-Abaire will be on stage in March, and Tom Stoppard’s story, “Arcadia,” will have comedy, romance and tragedy in June.
Scarborough Music Theatre evolved out of the Church of the Master Senior Choir’s concerts in the early 1960s. Those who love musicals need to travel no farther than Kingston and Markham to get their fix. “Hello Dolly!” by Thornton Wilder was pure fun in November, “Anne of Green Gables,” adapted from L.M. Montgomery’s beloved story, was a family favourite also in November. “She Loves Me,” based on a play by Miklos Laszio, is on stage this month, and it has inspired many love story adaptations like “You’ve Got Mail.” And “Legally Blonde The Musical,” based on the novel by Amanda Brown, is sure to be a sellout in May.
To check out shows, buy tickets, discover how to audition or how to get involved, visit the theatre website at TheatreScarborough.com. Be careful though, you might get hooked!