b'10 Yearsof Captivating Live Theatreartist,contentandaudience.Thetotal, the company has mounted three founderswereJoanEtienne,ahighregionalcommunity/schooltouring school drama department head fromproductions, commissioned 3 original Whitby and Carey Nicholson, an inde- works, facilitated the creation and de-pendent arts practitioner and educatorvelopment of several other plays, and fromPortPerry.AlthoughJoanleftheld 3 new play festivals. The summer the company in 2017, Carey, as artisticseason,heldwithoutinterruption director and general manager, has con- since 2015, presents a repertoire of two tinued the original vision of buildingto six productions each season. Itsbeentenyearssincetwoanot-for-profitprofessionaltheatrePerformance venues have included women, passionate about live theatrecompany for Durham region to pro- Town Hall Theatre, libraries, churches, and its potential to express ideas, con- duce high quality Canadian work inschools,bookstoresandcafes,even nect people and make change, camea diverse scope of theatre creation andparkinglotsandbackyardsduring together to put on a play in Scugog. storytelling to serve audiences, theatreCOVIDlockdowns,andthecompa-TheplaywasVimy,auniquelyartists and the community. nys current summer home at Scugog Canadian war story of the battle forFrom 2013s humble beginnings ofShores Museum Village.Vimy Ridge by Vern Thiessen. It ranblack box theatre cubes, four rentedWedidntwanttostopduring five performances at Hope Church inlights,afewcostumesfromCareysCOVID,andmovingoursummer Port Perry, and Theatre on the Ridgeattic and only $5,000 in start-up funds,season outdoors made the most sense was born. the company rebranded as Theatre onsays Carey, Now, with the support of In 2013, the company was Theatrethe Ridge in 2018 and now stages athe Township, we have an adaptable, 3x60, named to acknowledge the threemulti-production summer theatre fes- beautiful, rural heritage space that our equal,essentialelementsoftheatretival and other artistic and community- audiences love, and one that inspires based events held through the year. InPlease turn to page 26FOCUS - MAY 202325'