Toronto’s theatre scene is moving on up to the east side with today’s news that the nomadic theatre company, Crow’s Theatre, will be setting up a permanent 200-seat theatre in the base of a new Leslieville condo tower. Yes, a condo tower. Here’s why the new performing arts facility (which is scheduled to open in 2015) is an awesome thing for Toronto.
It’s the Crow’s Theatre first real home. Though the innovative theatre company (producer of such hits as High Life and I, Claudia) has been around for 30 years, like most contemporary theatre companies, it had been using space as needed. Its new Leslieville theatre will be the first space that Crow actually owns.
It’s expanding the permanency of Toronto’s theatre scene. The Crow’s new space joins the new theatre boom that includes Daniels Spectrum, which opened this fall, and the new home to Native Earth Performing Arts, and The Theatre Centre will move to a permanent location next fall. Take that, arts funding cuts.
It’s the first theatre east of the Don Valley. With 1.3 million Torontonians living on “the other side” of the DVP, it’s only fair that those east enders finally have easy access to some quality theatre.
It’s in a condo. Sure, the location of the new digs might seem a bit odd, but with three venues for cultural and neighbourhood programming (think food markets and weddings) along with soundproof walls, the new theatre is a match made in community heaven.
It’s opening just in time for the Pan Am Games. So theatre goers can be rest assured that their artsy palettes will be sated in a sea of summer sports mania.