Actors perform in a 2005 Kanata Theatre production.

PHOTO: WENDY WAGNER

The May/June 2009 issue of Legion Magazine includes a feature article on the lure and popularity of Canadian community theatre. Many of the amateur companies referred to in our story enter productions in yearly provincial drama competitions. Below is a listing of some of the main festivals.

Theatre BC Mainstage:  The annual Mainstage festival sponsored by Theatre BC is one of the longest running community theatre traditions in Canada. The program is the culmination of winning plays from the more than 60 community theatre clubs that compete in Theatre BC’s 10 zone festivals held between March and May. www.theatrebc.org/Mainstage

Dramaworks: Each July in Edmonton, Theatre Alberta sponsors Dramaworks. This festival, which stretches over two weekends, features workshop productions instructed by leading theatre professionals for professional, semi-professional and community theatre practitioners as well as educators and theatre lovers. www.theatrealberta.com/dramaworks.htm

TheatreFest: Theatre Saskatchewan has operated TheatreFest since 1933. The annual festival is held from Easter Sunday until the following Sunday. It features seven adjudicated plays over seven nights. An awards ceremony is held on the final Sunday. More than 80 theatre companies compete to be one of seven chosen productions. www.theatresaskatchewan.com

ACT Provincial Drama Festival: The Association of Community Theatres of Manitoba presents a two-day, non-competitive theatre festival in a different community each year. www.actmanitoba.mb.ca

Theatre Ontario Festival: This annual festival is sponsored by Theatre Ontario and a host drama club. It features the winners of four regional competitions across Ontario. The plays are adjudicated and workshops and theatre readings are scheduled throughout the festival. www.theatreontario.org/content/festivals.htm

The Quebec Drama Festival: The Quebec Drama Festival was founded in 1972 to fill the gap left by the Dominion Drama Festival. The festival has a fall community theatre festival and a spring festival of one-act plays. www.quebecdrama.org

The New Brunswick Provincial Drama Festival: This week-long festival has been Canada’s largest scholastic theatre festival for 34 years. It offers youth a chance to share their talents with nationally recognized adjudicators, actors and technicians. www.nbdramafest.ca

Yukon Zone Festival: The Yukon Zone Festival is part of the competition leading up to Theatre BC’s Mainstage festival. The winning production competes with companies from British Columbia. www.theatrebc.org/YKZ/

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