Bygone Theatre | About Us

ABOUT US

HISTORY

Bygone Theatre was founded in October 2012 by Emily Dix, Matthew McGrath and Thomas Beattie. Our first production, John Patrick Shanley's Doubt: A Parable was a co-production with University of Toronto drama company, the UC Follies (January 2013). That same year we went on to mount the classic thriller, Dial M For Murder, better known as the 1950s Hitchcock film of the same name. Since then, Bygone has continued to produce plays that are strongly connected to classic Hollywood, be it through the presentation of plays better known for their film adaptations (Rope, Wait Until Dark, Loot); stage adaptations of classic films (His Girl Friday, The Rear Window, The Birds); or shows heavily influenced by classic cinema tropes and aesthetics (Kill Sister, Kill! A Musical, A Night With Frank & Judy, A Rat-Packed Christmas, The Cab(aret) Before Christmas, The Yellow Wallpaper, Wayne & Shuster, Live!). In October of 2015, Bygone became a registered non-profit and formed its first Board of Directors. In 2019 Bygone was nominated for 14 Broadway World Toronto awards and won 5, and in 2021 we were awarded the Toronto Star Readers' Choice Award, Diamond Level, for Best Live Theatre. In August of 2022 we became a registered charity and launched our 10th season, our biggest yet, and received 20 Broadway World Toronto Award nominations and 3 wins for our productions that season. In August of 2023, we moved into our first space, The Bridge, at 379 Adelaide St. W., 4th floor. This 7500sqft space is shared by our partners UKAI projects and Vodkow, and is a space for innovation and experimentation.

VALUES

History
1. We value the history of our city, our community and our art
2. We love and support vintage stories and aesthetics, but not vintage values
3. We draw parallels between our past and present, and use them to inform our future
4. We acknowledge the injustices of the past and through our art address past wrongs but also steps towards reconciliation
Authenticity
1. We strive for authenticity of story and design
2. We encourage authenticity of self in all who work with us - we are an open space
Audience and Community
1. We create work that will be entertaining and engaging for audiences
2. We create work that reflects the issues, stories and experiences of our audience and community
3. We support our theatre community through infrastructure and education, through both our workshops and events, our Empower Your Tomorrow series, and The Bridge.
Inclusion
1. We are committed to diversity and accessibility (see our Diversity and Accessibility page)
2. We encourage participation from people of all levels of experience, and offer hands-on training opportunities
3. We encourage creative collaboration and open communication
Sustainability
1. We are committed to environmental sustainability, as outlined on our Sustainability page
2. We are committed to all the Sustainable Development Goals as outlined by the UN

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Broadway World Toronto, 2023:

WINNER Best Direction of a Play - Emily Dix, The Birds

WINNER Best Performer in a Play - Anna Douglas, The Birds

WINNER Best Supporting Performer in a Play - Chad Allen, The Birds

NOMINEE Favourite Local Theatre

NOMINEE Best Play - The Birds, The Yellow Wallpaper

NOMINEE Best New Play - The Birds, The Yellow Wallpaper

NOMINEE Best Ensemble - Wayne & Shuster, Live!

NOMINEE Best Performer in a Play - Anna Douglas, Alex Clay (The Birds)

NOMINEE Best Performer in a Play - Kate McArthur (The Yellow Wallpaper)

NOMINEE Best Supporting Performer - Chad Allen, Kiera Publicover, Oliver Georgiou (The Birds)

NOMINEE Best Direction of a Play - Emily Dix (The Birds, The Yellow Wallpaper)

NOMINEE Best Scenic Design of a Play - Wes Babcock and Emily Dix (The Birds)

NOMINEE Best Lighting Design of a Play - Wes Babcock (The Birds)

NOMINEE Best Costume Design of a Play - Emily Dix (The Birds, The Yellow Wallpaper)

NOMINEE Best Sound Design - Emily Dix (The Birds), Julia Edda Pape (The Yellow Wallpaper)

Canada Council, Digital Now Grant, 2022:
GRANTED - The Yellow Wallpaper

Broadway World Toronto, 2022:
NOMINEE Favourite Local Theatre

Toronto Star Reader's Choice Award, 2021:

WINNER, DIAMOND LEVEL - Best Live Theatre

NOW Magazine Reader's Choice Award, 2021:

RUNNER-UP - Best Small Theatre

Broadway World Toronto, 2019:

WINNER Best Direction - Emily Dix, The Rear Window

WINNER Best Original Lighting Design - Wes Babcock, The Rear Window

WINNER Best Actor in a Leading Role - Tristan Claxton, The Rear Window

WINNER Best Actress in a Featured Role - Kate McArthur, The Rear Window

WINNER Best Cabaret Performance - Thomas Finn, A Rat Packed Christmas

NOMINEE Best Play, Equity - The Rear Window

NOMINEE Best Independent Production - The Rear Window

NOMINEE Best Actress in a Leading Role - Kate McArthur, The Rear Window

NOMINEE Best Actor in a Featured Role - Alex Clay, Tristan Claxton, The Rear Window

NOMINEE Best Original Set Design - Emily Dix, The Rear Window

NOMINEE Best Original Costume Design - Emily Dix, The Rear Window

NOMINEE Best Cabaret Performance - Thomas Finn, Crooning Comics

NOMINEE Best Community Theatre - Bygone Theatre

Broadway World Toronto, 2018

WINNER Best Cabaret Performance - Thomas Finn, A Night With Frank & Judy

UC Follies Awards, 2013
WINNER Best Direction - Emily Dix, Doubt: A Parable

WINNER Best Site-Specific Production - Doubt: A Parable

WINNER Outstanding Performance - Maja Rakocevic, Doubt: A Parable

Best Live Theatre Toronto - Bygone Theatre
toronto star reader's choice

Bygone Theatre | 2021 Toronto Star Readers' Choice | Best Live Theatre

Bygone Theatre | 2019 Broadway World Award Regional Winner

Broadway World Toronto Award Winner 2023

annual report - 2023/24

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annual report - 2022/23