Celebrate Theatre This Summer!

Jun 17

Summer break doesn’t have to mean boredom! There are plenty of amazing theatre experiences in and around the city to check out! Check out some of our favourites:

Stratford Festival

Canada’s iconic repertory theatre in Stratford, ON rotates through their various drama, musical theatre, and Shakespeare productions in three theatre spaces. This means you can catch more than one productions in one day, or make a weekend out of it and see tons of high-calibre shows performed and produced by some of Canada’s best talent! Visiting the Festival makes for the perfect day trip getaway from the city; you’ll fall in love with the quaint and vibrant city of Stratford as you explore. The Festival’s 2024 season includes highlights such as Something Rotten, Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night! Learn more at StratfordFestival.ca.

Shaw Festival

Another iconic summer theatre festival is the Shaw Festival, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake! Like the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival rotates several productions in their three theatres. This makes for a great weekend in Niagara wine country—catch a show, then visit a winery or make a stop at the falls! There are plenty of wonderful shops and parks nearby as well! My personal favourite is the stellar COWS Ice Cream from P.E.I. which is the only location in Ontario! Highlights from the Festival’s 2024 season include My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden, and The Shaw Variety Show. Discover the all of this and more at ShawFest.com!

Dream in High Park

Have you ever wanted to see a show outside? Dream in High Park is one of the longest-running outdoor theatre experiences in the country, and run by Canadian Stage. Audiences sit on stone steps onlooking a large-scale stage in the middle of Toronto’s High Park–truly a magical experience! This is perfect for a night out with the family, or an end to a day in the city! There are plenty of wonderful restaurants and shops on Bloor Street that you can explore before heading to the show. Just remember that there are no assigned seats, so be sure to book your ticket ahead of time and arrive early to get the best view! This year, you can catch JAM SESSION from July 4th to 6th, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet from July 21st to September 1st. Get your tickets at CanadianStage.com!

Blockbuster Musicals

Mirvish Productions is known for hosting some of the biggest Broadway tours at their four theatres in downtown Toronto, and this summer is no exception! You can catch Wicked at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, Mean Girls at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, and Shrek - The Musical at the Princess of Wales Theatre. All three of these theatres are conveniently located near other popular Toronto attractions, which makes for an exciting day in the city! There are also several ways to save on tickets–Wicked has a lottery available each day for discounted tickets, and you can purchase up to two rush tickets online at 9am each day for most shows. Learn more at Mirvish.com!

Unique Drama Experiences

For older students or those looking to break out of the musical theatre genre, the 2019 Dora Award-winning production of A Streetcar Named Desire by Soulpepper Theatre returns to Toronto on June 12th! Tennessee Williams’ iconic story is exhilarating, and features both new and returning cast members from the 2019 production. Get tickets at Soulpepper.ca!

Looking for something even more unique? Tarragon Theatre’s Play Reading Week features new work by local artists and Tarragon’s playwrights in residence! Watch these plays being read LIVE, often for the first time ever! The best part? Tickets are FREE! This unique opportunity to engage with new local works is not to be missed. Discover Tarragon’s offerings at TarragonTheatre.com.

Theatre Training Opportunities

Although watching theatre is exciting, the summer is the perfect time to get some extra training in! There are several amazing opportunities in the form of camps, classes, and intensives that allow students to work with new people and gain another perspective on their theatre training. If you are curious about what is out there, read our IADA blog post entitled “Sharpen Your Skills This Summer“.

That’s all for now! We hope your summer is filled with sunshine and theatre fun! If you have any theatre activities you think we missed, send us a message on Instagram!

Milan Miville-Dechene

Milan Miville-Dechene is a student at McGill University studying Cultural Studies, Music Entrepreneurship, and Communications. He is a graduate of the Etobicoke School of the Arts Music Theatre program. He performed with Innovative Arts for six seasons before joining the team behind the scenes!

Milan has been the Marketing Creative & Social Media Manager at Innovative Arts since 2020 and has worked to enhance the Innovative Arts and IADA brand online and through print, merchandise, and promotional materials. Milan has designed marketing, set imagery, video projections, and other production elements for numerous theatre productions. He is passionate about merging theatrical design and technology in new and innovative ways!