Thousand Islands Playhouse

Thousand Islands Playhouse Canada's Dockside Theatre. Presenting live professional theatre in the heart of the 1000 Islands.
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In 1981, Greg Wanless returned home from a number of successful seasons at Stratford with the dream of reestablishing a theatre in Gananoque. For a short time, from 1967-1968, Gananoque had been home to the St. Lawrence Summer Playhouse, located in a tent in the parking lot of the Blinkbonnie Hotel. The theatre was extremely popular with locals and tourists alike, featuring a mix of Broadway music

als and American and British comedies. But despite its success, it was soon moved to Kingston where it continued running until 1976. Greg’s desire to bring theatre back to Gananoque was met with considerable support from the community, which had deeply missed the activity and excitement generated by the previous Playhouse. Under Greg’s leadership, and with the help of the community and a close group of artists and actors, the Thousand Islands Playhouse presented its first show on June 25, 1982. The local Rotary Club sold the Gananoque Canoe Club to the Playhouse, community members donated money to renovate the building, and tradespeople generously gave of their time and expertise. That first season it was not unusual to come across a local businessman working alongside an actor building a deck, or a plumber teaching people how to install a toilet. Community members often dropped by after work to check on the progress of the building, and hosted dinners for hungry performers or production staff. After such passionate community involvement in the theatre’s beginnings, it seemed natural that the Playhouse’s mission statement include an acknowledgment of our commitment to community life. Thirty years later, the Playhouse remains an important part of life in Gananoque and our commitment to the community continues to guide our artistic vision.

09/03/2026

What our audiences are saying...

“👏👏👏 absolutely fantastic production! My favourite of the season!😍” - L

“Saw it last night and laughed my a** off...We talked about it the whole way home. Go see it while you can.” - SS

“...a polished ensemble farce, notable not only for its visible performances but also for the backstage precision that keeps the production moving.” - Joe Szekeres, Our Theatre Voice

“The three terrific actors are working at the top of their game…See it, you will be giggling for hours afterwards.” Craig Thornton, WWNY

Get your tickets today!

Murder at Ackerton Manor
Aug 25 - Sep 13
See our website for tickets!

Actor 1 - Kristopher Bowman
Actor 2 - Aaron Reid Ryder
Actor 3 - Ashley Botting

Writer and Director - Steven Gallagher
Set & Costume Designer - Brandon Kleiman
Lighting Designer - Siobhán Sleath
Sound Designer - Maddie Bautista
Stage Manager - Melanie St-Jacques
Assistant Stage Manager - Caitlin Mears
Playhouse Apprentice Lighting Designer - Lia Wright

Video: Little Friday Productions

Meet the cast and creative team bringing you Come From Away! We can’t wait to bring this beloved Canadian musical to the...
09/01/2026

Meet the cast and creative team bringing you Come From Away! We can’t wait to bring this beloved Canadian musical to the stage.

Get your tickets today!

Come From Away
A Thousand Islands Playhouse and co-production
Sep 22 - Nov 7
Tickets: https://1000islandsplayhouse.com/come-from-away/

Bob & Others - Robert Ball
Standby - Rosie Callaghan
Hannah & Others - Krystle Chance
Claude & Others - Stuart Dowling
Beverley / Annette & Others - Sue Dunstan
Janice & Others, U/S Hannah, Dance Captain - Jen Fong
Kevin T. / Garth & Others - Kyle Golemba
Kevin J. / Ali & Others - Amir Haidar
Oz & Others - Richard Lam
Standby - Duff MacDonald
Bonnie & Others, U/S Beulah - Michelle Nash
Standby - Christopher Ning
Diane & Others - Denise Oucharek
Beulah & Others - Alison J. Palmer
Nick/Doug & Other - Rob Torr

Conductor/Keyboard/Accordion - Benjamin Kersey
Electric & Acoustic Basses - Michael Broadhead
Drums & Percussion - Sean Donaldson
Fiddle - Gemma Donn
Mandolin, Octave Mandolin, Acoustic,
Nylon String & Electric Guitars - James D. Taylor

Director/Choreographer - Stephanie Graham
Music Director - Benjamin Kersey
Set Designer - Nick Blais
Costume Designer - Rebecca Chaikin
Lighting Designer - Emilie Trimbee
Sound Designer - Joshua Reid
Dialect Coach (Standard American) - Nancy Benjamin
Dialect Coach (Swahili) - Teo Owang
Dialect Coach (Newfoundland) - Robin Hutton
Stage Manager - Rebecca Eamon Campbell
Associate Choreographer - Kyla Musselman
Associate Sound Designer - Evan Brown
Assistant Stage Manager - Finnley O'Brien
Apprentice Stage Manager - Abigaile Gagnon
Playhouse Apprentice Director* - Julie Lumsden
Playhouse Apprentice Lighting Designer* - Lilian Adom

Happy Closing to the cast and creative team of The Last Five Years.You gave this beautiful story everything it asked for...
08/30/2026

Happy Closing to the cast and creative team of The Last Five Years.

You gave this beautiful story everything it asked for: honesty, vulnerability, humour, heartbreak, and an enormous amount of trust in each other and for that we are eternally grateful.

To our audiences who laughed, cried, and filled the Firehall with so much love - thank you.

Saying farewell to Cathy and Jamie is bittersweet so let us say goodbye until tomorrow instead.

Cathy - Tess Benger
Jamie - James Daly

Music Director / Piano - Patrick Bowman
Bass - Jeremy Daw
Violin - Lisa Draper
Cello - Jeff Hamacher
Guitar - Erik Patterson

Book, Lyrics, Music - Jason Robert Brown
Director - Brett Christopher
Set & Costume Designer - Joshua Quinlan
Lighting Designer - Jeff Pybus
Sound Designer - Richard Feren
Stage Manager - Beatrice Campbell
Apprentice Stage Manager - Tsz Ting Lam
Apprentice Music Director - Lisa Lauriault

Photos: Garrett Elliott

Happy Opening to the cast and creative team of Murder at Ackerton Manor.It’s very hard to make funny and chaotic things ...
08/28/2026

Happy Opening to the cast and creative team of Murder at Ackerton Manor.

It’s very hard to make funny and chaotic things look funny and chaotic but you’ve done it tenfold. The world of Murder at Ackerton Manor is so fully realized, detailed, and ridiculous.

The English countryside has landed in our theatre and the next three weeks are going to be FUN!

Join us and get your tickets today!

Murder at Ackerton Manor
Aug 25 - Sep 13
Tickets: https://1000islandsplayhouse.com/murder-at-ackerton-manor/

Actor 1 - Kristopher Bowman
Actor 2 - Aaron Reid Ryder
Actor 3 - Ashley Botting

Writer and Director - Steven Gallagher
Set & Costume Designer - Brandon Kleiman
Lighting Designer - Siobhán Sleath
Sound Designer - Maddie Bautista
Stage Manager - Melanie St-Jacques
Assistant Stage Manager - Caitlin Mears
Playhouse Apprentice Lighting Designer - Lia Wright

Photos: Garrett Elliott

08/27/2026

Opens tomorrow! Don’t miss your chance to be part of the mayhem.

Get your tickets today! 🕵️‍♀️💎🔪⛈️

Murder at Ackerton Manor
Aug 25 - Sep 13
See our website for tickets!

Actor 1 - Kristopher Bowman
Actor 2 - Aaron Reid Ryder
Actor 3 - Ashley Botting

Writer and Director - Steven Gallagher
Set & Costume Designer - Brandon Kleiman
Lighting Designer - Siobhan Sleath
Sound Designer - Maddie Bautista
Stage Manager - Melanie St-Jacques
Assistant Stage Manager - Caitlin Mears
Playhouse Apprentice Lighting Designer - Lia Wright

Video: Little Friday Productions

From Chicago to New York, London to Paris, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years has been captivating theatre-lovers ...
08/26/2026

From Chicago to New York, London to Paris, Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years has been captivating theatre-lovers around the world for 25 years.

Now is your chance to see it close to home.

A best-seller in our Firehall Theatre, this intimate musical pairs two incredible actors with a full live band to tell the story of Cathy and Jamie, lifting our hearts one moment and breaking them the next.

Just 6 performances remain.

See it before time runs out. 🌹🥀

Get your tickets today!

The Last Five Years
Aug 4 - Aug 30
Tickets: https://1000islandsplayhouse.com/the-last-five-years/

Cathy - Tess Benger
Jamie - James Daly

Music Director / Piano - Patrick Bowman
Bass - Jeremy Daw
Violin - Lisa Draper
Cello - Jeff Hamacher
Guitar - Erik Patterson

Book, Lyrics, Music - Jason Robert Brown
Director - Brett Christopher
Set & Costume Designer - Joshua Quinlan
Lighting Designer - Jeff Pybus
Sound Designer - Richard Feren
Stage Manager - Beatrice Campbell
Apprentice Stage Manager - Tsz Ting Lam
Apprentice Music Director - Lisa Lauriault

Photos: Garrett Elliott and James Paddle-Grant

08/25/2026

Tonight is the first preview for Murder at Ackerton Manor!

From the detail in every inch of the set, to the 250+ sound cues, to the many, many, quick changes, everything about this show is comedic precision.

That precision is what allows things to fall apart. And boy, do they ever fall apart…

Don’t miss this show! 💎🕵️‍♀️🔪⛈️

Murder at Ackerton Manor
Aug 25 - Sep 13
Visit our website for tickets!

Actor 1 - Kristopher Bowman
Actor 2 - Aaron Reid Ryder
Actor 3 - Ashley Botting

Writer and Director - Steven Gallagher
Set & Costume Designer - Brandon Kleiman
Lighting Designer - Siobhan Sleath
Sound Designer - Maddie Bautista
Stage Manager - Melanie St-Jacques
Assistant Stage Manager - Caitlin Mears
Playhouse Apprentice Lighting Designer - Lia Wright

Video: Little Friday Productions

08/24/2026

Timing is running out on The Last Five Years 🕘

It’s one of our most talked-about shows of the Season and there are only a few performances left.

Book your seats today before we have to say goodbye to Cathy and Jamie 🌹✉️♥️ Closes Sunday.

The Last Five Years
Aug 4 - Aug 30
Tickets: https://1000islandsplayhouse.com/the-last-five-years/

Cathy - Tess Benger
Jamie - James Daly

Music Director / Piano - Patrick Bowman
Bass - Jeremy Daw
Violin - Lisa Draper
Cello - Jeff Hamacher
Guitar - Erik Patterson

Book, Lyrics, Music - Jason Robert Brown
Director - Brett Christopher
Set & Costume Designer - Joshua Quinlan
Lighting Designer - Jeff Pybus
Sound Designer - Richard Feren
Stage Manager - Beatrice Campbell
Apprentice Stage Manager - Tsz Ting Lam
Apprentice Music Director - Lisa Lauriault

Video: Little Friday Productions

08/22/2026

In advance of tonight's CBC re-broadcast of The Hip’s final concert, and in honour of the band, here is Part 2 of the cast and creative team of It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken sharing their favourite memories of The Hip.

Watch the rebroadcast ‘The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration’ tonight at 7 p.m. local time on CBC TV, or stream at 7 p.m. ET on CBC Gem.

If you’re in Kingston and want to experience it alongside fellow fans, head down to Springer Market Square at 7 p.m. to watch the concert together on the big screen, in the same square where thousands gathered ten years ago.

We’re incredibly proud to bring the new musical It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken home to the city at the heart of it all this fall.

Don’t miss your chance to see it in The Hip’s hometown. Get your tickets today.

It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken
Oct 22 - Nov 8, 2026
Opening Night Performance: Oct 23 [sold out]
Kingston Grand Theatre
Show and Ticket Info: https://1000islandsplayhouse.com/the-tragically-hip/

Songs by The Tragically Hip
In association with Theatre Aquarius
Produced by permission of David and Hannah Mirvish and Michael Rubinoff
Book by Ahmed Moneka & Jesse LaVercombe
Directed by Mary Francis Moore

Developed with support from the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund and originally workshopped at The Creative School Chrysalis at Toronto Metropolitan University

CAST
Abigail - Rebecca Auerbach
Ensemble - Dharma Bizier
Swing - Michelle Bouey
Sam - Karim Butt
Fadi - Sameer Cash
Ensemble - Alyssa Curto
Jonathan - Brandon McGibbon
Lucas - Kevin McLachlan
Waleed - Ali Momen
Swing - Kale Penny
Kate - Talia Schlanger
Didi - Tahirih Vejdani

CREATIVE TEAM
Orchestrations and Music Supervision - Bob Foster
Choreographer - Marc Kimelman
Set Designer - Scott Penner
Costume Designer - Joyce Padua
Lighting Designer - Jason Hand
Sound Designer - Ranil Sonnadara
Stage Manager - Beatrice Campbell
Assistant Stage Manager - Josephine Ho
Assistant Stage Manager - Jasmyne Leisemer
Assistant Choreographer - Kyla Musselman

Video: Framework

Murder, mystery, and a manor full of mischief 🕵 Meet the cast and creative team of Murder at Ackerton Manor! Get your ti...
08/21/2026

Murder, mystery, and a manor full of mischief 🕵 Meet the cast and creative team of Murder at Ackerton Manor!

Get your tickets today, and find out if you have what it takes to solve the case!

Tickets are selling faster than you can say whodunit so don't wait.

Murder at Ackerton Manor
Aug 25 - Sep 13
Tickets: https://1000islandsplayhouse.com/murder-at-ackerton-manor/

About the show
There’s trouble at Ackerton Manor. On a stormy night, the loathsome Roger Ackerton meets an untimely end, leaving behind a body, a missing diamond, and a house full of suspects with more secrets than sense. Enter the ever-dramatic Detective Pierre Pierrot, who must untangle the lies before the killer strikes again. Murder at Ackerton Manor is a fun-loving spoof of Agatha Christie murder mysteries, where plot twists and mistaken identities make for a raucous night in the English Countryside.

Actor 1 - Kristopher Bowman
Actor 2 - Aaron Reid Ryder
Actor 3 - Ashley Botting

Writer and Director - Steven Gallagher
Set & Costume Designer - Brandon Kleiman
Lighting Designer - Siobhán Sleath
Sound Designer - Maddie Bautista
Stage Manager - Melanie St-Jacques
Assistant Stage Manager - Caitlin Mears
Playhouse Apprentice Lighting Designer - Lia Wright

Address

185 South Street
Gananoque, ON
K7G1A1

Telephone

+16133827020

Website

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