About Us
The Elizabeth Paige Theatre is located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg on Treaty One Territory, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. Settlers and Indigenous people share this covenant and all are invited to enter into this agreement which sets out the rights, responsibilities and right relationships between our nations.
Manitoba is a region of isolation, and for thousands of years, a meeting place. These lands also hold the territory of Treaties Two, Three, Four and Five and we gratefully acknowledge the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Anishininew, Dakota, Dene and Métis Peoples for their stewardship of the lands and waters that support and sustain life on these plains, forests, and tundra.
We are grateful for all of the knowledge keepers, storytellers, artists and makers who host us on this land.
50 Years of History
In 1976 Benjamin Taylor had a dream: to bring great, innovative theatrical performances to the Prairies. He was determined that Winnipeg would have a world-class theatre to call home, one that would bring the classics to life while also investing in new work. B.T. – as he is still affectionately known – believed that great theatre could entertain even as it challenges; that it can sustain us through difficult times and bring our communities together.
B.T. passed away in 2018, but his legacy remains. The Elizabeth Paige Theatre is now celebrating five decades of rich, exuberant work ranging from classics like Shakespeare to bold new contemporary plays and hot new Broadway musicals. The building also buzzes nonstop with theatre school courses, corporate training events, playwriting workshops, Young Company performances, community activations, and more.
It hasn’t always been an easy journey. Those who have been with us since the early days will remember the tragic loss of the original theatre to a fire in 1993, and the tremendous community effort that it took to rebuild and begin again. Tragedy struck again in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered theatres across the country, yet against all odds the EPT still stands. This is a testament not only to the tremendous work of our staff and board members, but also to the larger community that continues to come out and support live theatre.
What has changed? Everything and nothing. As with most theatres across Canada, rehearsal periods have gotten shorter and shorter over the years, budgets have gotten tighter, and costume departments have shrunk. But good things have happened as well: Safe Spaces initiatives and diversity outreach has created an EPT that is kinder, better, and more equipped to handle the needs of our patrons and staff. We continue to work hard towards a theatre that is sustainable, accessible, and welcoming for all.
We remain eternally grateful to our generous sponsors and donors for allowing us to survive these turbulent times. Truly, we couldn’t do it without them – and we hope you’ll consider joining their ranks! We are in the middle of a capital campaign that will go far in ensuring B.T.’s legacy lives on. Your donation will come with a shout-out in our program and a tax receipt. Donations above $1,000 come with additional perks! Please visit our website for more information.
We hope you enjoy the 50th anniversary season at the EPT, kicking off with Terry Neymar’s marvelously romantic Romeo & Juliet and closing with the world premiere of Speed: The Musical. Although different on the surface, both stories contain pulse-pounding excitement, romance, and dashes of brilliant humour. We can’t wait to share these important stories with you, now and for another 50 years.
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Benjamin Taylor (2005).
The old theatre (1980). Photos from the Manitoba Archives.
From Then Til Now:
A Look Back On Our Town
In his self-published memoir Actor-Proof, Arthur Sloan (EPT Artistic Director 1990 - 2002) describes the careful consideration that went into choosing The EPT’s first show in their new, post-fire home:
“I wanted this new iteration of the EPT to start off with ambition, to signify that we were here, that we were serious, and that we were ready to dive in… at the same time I’ve always felt that the Paige was first and foremost about community and connection, so we were looking for a script that reflected that. We [the board and I] also knew that we wanted the Paige to be a place for classics as well as contemporary work, so we wanted something that felt like it ticked both of those boxes.”
With all of that in mind, Sloan eventually settled on Thornton Wilder’s masterpiece Our Town, which won the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and is often cited as one of the greatest American plays of all time. Our Town focuses on the small town of Grover’s Corners, and the simple daily lives of two families living, working, and loving in an ordinary community. Taking place in a theatre and narrated by a figure known only as The Stage Manager, Our Town reminds us that our relationships to each other, while easy to take for granted, are in fact precious and fleeting.
Unfortunately Sloan’s production of Our Town, while heralded as “visionary”, “brilliant” (Winnipeg Free Press) and “a heartbreaking affirmation of the bonds between us” (Winnipeg Tribune) is now mostly remembered for the tragedy that marked its closing night. Agatha Wilson, who played Mrs Gibbs, passed away unexpectedly before the final curtain – a sombre but somewhat fitting end for a play about endings and beginnings, life and death.
