TheatreOne

10/16/2025

It is with great sadness that the TheatreOne Performance Society announces that its membership has voted to dissolve the Society.

For more than four decades, the TheatreOne Performance Society (formerly The Vancouver Island Shakespeare Festival Society, Shakespeare Plus, and The Nanaimo Festival Heritage/Theatre Society) has brought hundreds of professional theatre productions to audiences in Nanaimo.

The Society is most proud of the plays that were created here in Nanaimo and that celebrated the history of the city and the mid-Island region. These include three works about the Dunsmuir family (Alone at the Edge of the Earth, A Promise Kept, and Black Apples), as well as Brother XII, Best Left Buried, Tamarack, The Concubine’s Children, Spit Delaney’s Island, Alma Victoria, and Being Frank.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 placed TheatreOne’s already precarious financial position into survival mode. We worked tirelessly to rebuild audiences and increase revenue through grants, donations, fundraising, and sponsorships—with great success—but in the end, it was too little, too late.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the countless board members, staff, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and audience members who have supported TheatreOne over the past 42 years.
We hope we leave you with fond memories, and with the knowledge that we did our part to “move hearts and minds” within a community we deeply cherish.

On behalf of the TheatreOne Board of Directors,

The curtain closes for the final time.

Michael Cade
Artistic and Managing Director

09/26/2025

Save TheatreOne

We urgently need your support!

TheatreOne is seeking firm commitments of financial support to help keep our stage lit and our stories alive. Rising costs and loss of essential grant funding have created a budget shortfall that puts our 2025-26 season in jeopardy and threatens the company’s existence.

We need to raise $20,000 in the next two weeks!

In the coming two weeks, TheatreOne’s Board of Directors will assess the viability of presenting the remaining seven shows in our current season. On October 14th, our membership will be asked to vote on whether to dissolve the society. The Board has already made the deeply difficult decision to cancel the upcoming performances of Pump Boys and Dinettes (October 10–11) and Hotel Vortruba (October 12).

Those wishing to make commitments of financial support may do so by emailing TheatreOne Performance Society Board President, Graham Pike, at [email protected] or Artistic and Managing Director, Michael Cade, at [email protected] Please note: no contributions will be collected unless the totaled pledged support is enough to ensure the viability of the remainder of the season. We are deeply grateful for any contribution you are able to make.

Like many arts organizations, TheatreOne has been navigating a precarious financial landscape since theatres were shuttered in March 2020 due to COVID-19. We believed audiences would flock back once live performances returned – but we quickly learned that hesitation remained.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our staff, volunteers, board members, and the steadfast support of our donors, sponsors, and granting bodies, we’ve made incredible strides in rebuilding and increasing our audiences. We tightened expenses wherever possible – cutting shows, reducing staff, eliminating the Fringe Flicks program, and temporarily suspending the Emerging Voices program – to stretch every dollar.

However, this week brought devastating news: a grant that we’ve historically relied upon was not renewed. Though modest in amount, the loss of this critical funding has made it impossible to continue with our current plans. It was the tipping point in an already fragile situation.

We are now turning to our community. We will be holding a public meeting of members and supporters at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, October 14th in the Large Meeting Room at the Harbourfront Library where community members can ask questions, offer ideas, and consider possible paths forward. If we do not reach sufficient support and commitments by then, a vote will be held to dissolve the society.

We are committed to giving full refunds for any tickets already purchased for canceled performances, and we will return funds contributed by sponsors.

We deeply thank the many individuals, businesses, and organizations who have stood by us over the years. Your support has sustained local professional theatre in this community for decades, and we are grateful beyond words.

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TheatreOne acknowledges and thanks the Snuneymuxw First Nation, on whose traditional territory we live, create, and perform.

09/25/2025

09/10/2025

The TheatreOne Box Office is now open for our 2025/26 Season.
Tickets for all TheatreOne shows, with the exception of EBONY ROOTS, are available online through the TheatreOne Box Office.
EBONY ROOTS tickets will be available through the Port Theatre.
The TheatreOne Box office is able to help you with ticket purchases three ways. Tickets can be purchased:
• Online at TheatreOne.ca 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
• Over the phone by calling the TheatreOne Box Office at
250-754-7587 during Box Office hours,
• or in person at the TheatreOne office during Box Office Hours - we are located at 60 Wharf Street (below the Nanaimo Art Gallery)
Box Office Hours are Monday to Friday – noon to 5pm (closed on holidays)

09/08/2025

TheatreOne announced our 2025/26 Season last week. We are thrilled to be bringing nine spectacular shows to Nanaimo – three in each of our Mainstage, Showcase, and Just For Kids Series check out this link to get all the details… https://theatreone.ca/index.php/2025/09/03/theatreone-announces-2025-26-season/

09/06/2025

TheatreOne is hosting a fundraising barbecue at Steve Marshall Ford today (3851 Shenton Road). hot dogs and burgers available by donation.
Michael is here to answer any questions you might have about the upcoming season, and Kerrie will have our box office on the road – we can sell you tickets to go along with your hot dog.
Come say hi and grab a bite!

09/06/2025

TheatreOne is hosting a fundraising barbecue at Steve Marshall Ford today (3851 Shenton Road). hot dogs and burgers available by donation.
Michael is here to answer any questions you might have about the upcoming season, and Kerrie will have our box office on the road – we can sell you tickets to go along with your hot dog.
Come say hi and grab a bite!

08/27/2025

Hear, hear!

08/20/2025

❤️