Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre
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The Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre (KWLT) is a community theatre located in the Kitchener-Waterloo area of Ontario, Canada. It was established in the late 1920s or the early 1930s as a place for people to try acting in an amateur format and has continued uninterrupted since then, except for a pause during the Second World War.
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[edit] History
[edit] 9 Princess Street
In 1954, KWLT purchased the building at 9 Princess Street in Waterloo, Ontario as a rehearsal and workshop space. Later, in 1994, this facility was converted into the main performance area for the theatre. The conversion included building the lobby, office, dressing rooms, and the main stage area. Developed as a black box theatre, the facility allowed for an intimate and flexible performance space.
[edit] Destruction of Princess Street Building by fire and rebuilding
On July 19, 2002, the Princess Street Building burned down. Between 3:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. a constant stream of theatre folks watched as the building first flamed and then was largely demolished. It was clear, standing on Princess Street that day, how much KWLT means to many, many people.
In an evening over 70 years of history in props, costumes, scripts, records, historical notes and memorabilia was lost. Before the fire was cool, the motto of the rebuilding campaign - The Show Must Go On - was embraced. The challenge KWLT now faces is to continue its productions (the show must go on) and rebuild its facilities. Since the fire, KWLT has produced its shows in rented spaces - the Registry Theatre in Kitchener, the St Jacobs Church Theatre in St Jacobs and even, for one memorable Julius Caesar (play), in a Dollar Store in at Waterloo Town Square. While these performances continue, the rebuild has been slow. The building is currently (August, 2006) completed structurally complete, but has not yet been finished outside. Inside, stud walls are up, but work waits for fundraising activities to continue.
[edit] Community Involvement
KWLT has a rich history of community involvement. In 1959, the St. John's Lutheran Church burned down (it was located where the post office is now). KWLT donated space to house their Sunday schools, etc. It is ironic, given present circumstances, that KWLT was helpful to another organization recovering from a catastrophic fire. KWLT is also believed to have helped The Stratford Festival of Canada in their first season. On the wall of the stairs of the original Princess Street building was a mural painted by members of Stratford as a thank-you to the theatre.
In the past, KWLT has had joint productions with local groups, including a musical with More Notes Productions. Improv comedy has also been a large part of KWLT over the past many years, with organizations such as Theatre on the Edge and the Royal Waterloo Ballet, and events such as Lip Service and The Dog Ate My Script. KWLT has a history of supporting local Canadian talent. KWLT tries to work with Canadian authors whenever possible (many previous One-Act plays have been Canadian authors - many of those have been local to the KW region).
A volunteer board and volunteer staff have always run KWLT. Over the years these volunteers have continuously provide rich opportunities for theatre involvement for anyone who came. Philosophically, KWLT sees itself as the entry point to the theatre experience. Auditions are open to anyone, and a large number of actors within KWLT performances within any year are having their first acting experience.
KWLT introduces people with no experience at all to producing, directing, and stage-managing productions. KWLT provides the opportunity to experience the technical side of theatre in lighting, sound, and set design to anyone who is interested. This willingness to open doors to neophytes sets KWLT apart from most other theatres, which will not take that risk. Their motto, 'one of the little people', directly addresses that grass roots philosophy. KWLT primarily draws its talent from the Waterloo region, although actors and directors have traveled from Hamilton, Cambridge, Stratford and other locales to participate in KWLT.
Each year KWLT runs three or four main productions that run for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night for two weeks each. Behind these are many weeks of preparation - rehearsals, set building, promotion, etc. Between these events, KWLT runs one-act play weekends (3 one-act plays in one night) and other, smaller scale, events. These require less commitment and provide an opportunity for those people who want to 'dip their toes' in theatre rather than 'dive in'. Volunteers are recruited individually for each event, maximizing the opportunity for involvement for everyone. The number of people involved range from 4 in the smallest one-act to 25 or more for a main stage production. KWLT's current season can be seen on the website.
[edit] Funding
KWLT is a registered non-profit, and funds its operations through audiences. The main stage area in the old theatre could seat 50-75 people depending on the theatre configuration used for the performance. Depending on the time of year and the show, the audience can be as small as 10 and as large as 'sold-out'. In several years before the fire, no production held at the Princess Street facility lost money. Both the City of Waterloo and the City of Kitchener provide grants to assist with the non-production operating costs and with the rebuilding efforts.
