For Quinte Little Theatre, big things have happened quickly. In March, chair Amber Lucas and co-chair Alyssa Ross met with a group of theatre colleagues to discuss the idea. In just six months, that group evolved into the theatre’s board. Proposals were written, presentations made, and an open house held to an enthusiastic response. The mayor of Quinte West cut the ribbon at the official opening, and their first production, “Rock Bottom: Happily Never After,” written by board member and co-chair Amy-Lyn Van Londersele, was launched. In record time, QLT was officially brought to life.
“Community theatre is changing, and the people coming to the shows are changing,” says Lucas. She explains that between older groups putting on older plays and newer groups producing edgy, thought-provoking material, there is room to do something different. “We just wanted to make theatre fun again.”
Fun is everywhere with this group. The open house was raucous, their initial production equally so, and the follow-up variety show promises more of the same. Not to mention their next major production in 2025: “Twisted, the Untold Story of a Royal Vizier,” described by one reviewer as “smart, lively, and just outright hilarious.” The company will be leaning into that fun identity with their major fall project: a comprehensive youth theatre workshop running over eight evenings through November and December. The next generation of theatre professionals is very much on Lucas’ mind, with ideas like March-break camps and summer camps for kids, among other all-age possibilities. When asked what a full season for the company might look like, Lucas demurred but was confident that “It’s definitely going to have a little bit of everything.”
The team behind QLT has decades of combined experience in all aspects of theatre. While some creative groups struggle to establish a sound business foundation, that isn’t likely the case here. Lucas herself says she likes nothing more than to “nerd out over a spreadsheet.” Linda Lisle, Economic Development Manager at the City of Quinte West, heard QLT’s initial pitch to the city. She was impressed not only by the group’s creative vision but also by the fact that they came to the municipality with “a really solid plan,” even though it was only in the group’s first month of existence.
There’s a sense in which any Little Theatre is a joint venture between the theatre and the community, and the QLT team has been encouraged by the support they’ve received. From the positive reaction of city staff to QLT’s initial proposal, to the vocal and consistent support of the mayor, to the excitement evident at the July open house (10 new members signed up that night alone), to the speed with which the first production sold out, it’s clear that the community is solidly behind the venture and, so far at least, is pleased with what it sees.
The opening night performance of “Rock Bottom” was occasionally raunchy, occasionally chaotic, always fun, and always engaging – while also showing genuine empathy for the female protagonists: a gaggle of Disney princesses who realize – on a night out with substantial alcohol and dubious karaoke – that their best days are behind them. After the show, patrons crowded into a small reception room for an informal gala, listening to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” while they awaited the cast’s arrival. When the door leading to the performance space opened and the actors finally filed in, a woman’s one-word exclamation – “Sensational!” – was heard above the general din. That might not have been an official review, but it seems reflective of an awfully promising start.
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