Arts Club Theatre Company
Vancouver | $$ | Website
The Arts Club of Vancouver was founded in 1958 as a private club for artists, musicians, and actors, and officially became the Arts Club Theatre in 1964 when the company opened its first stage, a converted gospel hall at Seymour Street and Davie. The company's twenty-seven years at Seymour Street are an important part of Vancouver and Canadian theatre history. The tiny 250-seat stage helped launch the careers of Canadian talents such as Michael J. Fox, Bruce Greenwood, Ruth Nichol, Janet Wright, Winston Rekert, Lally Cadeau, and Brent Carver, while introducing Vancouver to works by Canadian playwrights such as Michel Tremblay, David Freedman, and Carol Bolt. Productions by newcomers Sherman Snukal (Talking Dirty), Nicola Cavendish (It's Snowing on Saltspring), Morris Panych (7 Stories), and John Lazarus (The Late Blumer also premiered there). The original Arts Club Seymour Street Stage was closed for demolition in 1991.
The company added the current Granville Island Stage in 1979, and the smaller Revue Stage next door (which is now home to Vancouver TheatreSports League) in 1983. Since it opened, the Granville Island Stage has featured a popular mix of musicals, classics, dramas, and contemporary comedies - and now includes a large selection of newer works. Innovative versions of classics such as Comedy of Errors and The Imaginary Invalid; colourful Canadian hits such as Reflections on Crooked Walking and It's Snowing on Saltspring; dramas such as Burn This, Lilies, and Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune and comedies including Lend Me a Tenor, Sylvia, and Lettice and Lovage have brought the Granville Island Stage numerous awards and an excellent community following. The Revue Stage was home to some of Vancouver's all-time favourite musicals, revues, and comedies, including Angry Housewives, Ain't Misbehavin', The Wild Guys, All Grown Up, and A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline.
Source: http://www.artsclub.com