Hart House Theatre
Address: 7 Hart House Circle
History
Hart House Theatre is often referred to as the cradle of Canadian Theatre. Opening in November of 1919 the Art Deco theatre on the University of Toronto campus quickly became a leader in the Canadian “Little Theatre” movement of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Hart House Theatre cultivated and featured some of the country’s finest actors, directors, playwrights and designers of the pre-World War II era, including Raymond Massey, Dora Mavor Moore, Lloyd Bochner, Lawren Harris, Arthur Lismer, Wayne and Shuster and Merrill Denison.
After the war, Hart House Theatre, under the direction of Robert Gill, became an extracurricular student theatre and for twenty years turned out a new generation of stage professionals. William Hutt, Don Harron, Kate Reid, David Gardner, Arthur Hiller, Donald Sutherland, Norman Jewison and Lorne Michaels all got their start treading the boards on the Hart House stage.
By the mid 1960’s the theatre joined the world of academia with the creation of the Graduate Centre for Study of Drama. A new generation of students combined dramatic literature with practical theatre experience and learned from and contributed to the vibrant Toronto theatre scene of the 1970’s.
Today Hart House Theatre is the focal point for the performing arts at the University of Toronto. With over a thousand students participating each year in its extra-curricular season of drama, dance, music and film, Hart House Theatre continues to influence each new generation of performers, designers and audiences.
“About Hart House Theatre.” Hart House, University of Toronto, 2013, harthouse.ca/about-hart-house-theatre.
Hart House Theatre Auditorium circa 1930. “About.” Hart House 100th Anniversary, University of Toronto, 2019. www.harthouse100.ca/about-us/
Hart House Theatre Stage, circa 2013.
“Theatre Rentals.” Hart House, University of Toronto, 2013 harthouse.ca/theatre-rentals/
Hart House Theatre Entrance, circa 2013.
“Theatre Rentals.” Hart House, University of Toronto, 2013, harthouse.ca/theatre-rentals/
Hart House Theatre, Stage Right Wing, circa 2013.
“Theatre Rentals.” Hart House, University of Toronto, 2013, harthouse.ca/theatre-rentals/
Hart House Theatre, Stage Left Wing. “Theatre Rentals.” Hart House, University of Toronto, 2013, harthouse.ca/theatre-rentals/
Hart House Theatre, Lobby circa 2013. “Theatre Rentals.” Hart House, University of Toronto, 2013, harthouse.ca/theatre-rentals/
