{"id":114631,"date":"2025-05-27T09:56:44","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T13:56:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=114631"},"modified":"2025-05-27T14:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T18:00:02","slug":"preview-guild-festival-theatre-launches-14th-season-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/05\/27\/preview-guild-festival-theatre-launches-14th-season-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | The Guild Festival Theatre Launches Its 14th Season In July 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_114633\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-114633\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-114633\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-05-27T094855.393.jpg\" alt=\"A collage of scenes from the Guild Festival Theatre 2024 season (Photo courtesy of GFT)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-05-27T094855.393.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-05-27T094855.393-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-05-27T094855.393-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-05-27T094855.393-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-114633\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A collage of scenes from the Guild Festival Theatre 2024 season (Photo courtesy of GFT)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Guild Festival Theatre has been bringing classic theatre to Scarborough\u2019s iconic Greek Theatre in Guild Park &amp; Gardens since 2011. For their 2025 season, they\u2019re offering a program that ranges from spy thriller comedy to a world premiere with Shakespearean inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>The season launches July 3 with a special event, and includes the fourth edition of Family Fest, offering a range of performances, interactive activities, and more over a full weekend.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_114634\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-114634\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-114634\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Guild.jpeg\" alt=\"The Greek Theatre in various productions (Photo courtesy of Guild Festival Theatre)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Guild.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Guild-300x119.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Guild-1024x404.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Guild-768x303.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-114634\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Greek Theatre in various productions (Photo courtesy of Guild Festival Theatre)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Guild Theatre Festival 2025: At A Glance<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s a look at what\u2019s on offer.<\/p>\n<h3>Season Launch: Aqua&#8217;s Red Rhythm &amp; Blues (July 3)<\/h3>\n<p>Guild Festival Theatre launches their their 14th summer season with Aqua&#8217;s Red Rhythm &amp; Blues, a celebration of Indigenous hope and resilience featuring music, hand drumming, and dance. Aqua celebrates her Anishinaabe heritage (Bear Island) and M\u00e9tis~mixed ancestry in a genre of music they call IndigiBlues. The band includes Queer guitarist Valentina Morelli, violinist Alex George, and fancy shawl dancer, Nichole Leveck, and their performances include a blend of music and storytelling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAqua graced the Greek Theatre Stage during our 2021 collaboration with Women in Song and returned for a set at last year&#8217;s Guild Alive With Culture festival. We are thrilled that they&#8217;ll be returning to launch our season. Their uplifting performances are full of hope and joy and will be the perfect start to our summer in Guild Park!\u201d say Co-Artistic Directors <strong>Helen Juvonen<\/strong> and <strong>Tyler J. Seguin<\/strong> in a statement.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tickets on sale now <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guildfestivaltheatre.ca\/aqua\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_114635\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-114635\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-114635\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/GUild-Fest-kids.jpeg\" alt=\"The Guild Festival Theatre Family Fest (Photo courtesy of GFT)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/GUild-Fest-kids.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/GUild-Fest-kids-300x173.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/GUild-Fest-kids-1024x591.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/GUild-Fest-kids-768x443.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-114635\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Guild Festival Theatre Family Fest (Photo courtesy of GFT)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Family Fest (July 10 to 13) FREE<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cFamily Fest is one of the most exciting parts of our summer in Guild Park! For four days the Greek Theatre will come alive with performances ranging from Japanese drumming to M\u00e9tis fiddling to classic Robert Munsch stories. There&#8217;s truly something for everyone at Family Fest and we cannot wait to welcome audiences of all ages to the park,\u201d state Helen Juvonen &amp; Tyler J. Seguin, Co-Artistic Directors.<\/p>\n<p>Guild Festival Theatre\u2019s Family Fest begins with a bang with returning audience favourite <strong>Nagata Shachu<\/strong>. The Taiko music group opens the Family Fest on July 10 with a workshop followed by a performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fireside Munsch<\/strong>, performed by M. John Kennedy, is an award-winning play that draws on the much beloved stories of Robert Munsch. The program alternates between Classic Munsch Mayhem and Munsch Goes Wild over three days. Recommended for ages 5 to 12.<\/p>\n<p>Families can join the <strong>Carousel Players<\/strong> and their resident Giant Puppet, Nadine the Ondine on July 12 for a create-your-own-puppet workshop and dance party.<\/p>\n<p>Also on offer:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hula Hoop Fun Zone, where you can learn or display your skills. All ages.<\/li>\n<li>Field of Butterflies, a colourful roaming act that will travel through the festival.<\/li>\n<li>Spirit of Africa, a dance &amp; drumming workshop and performance.<\/li>\n<li>The TiBert et Douzie Show, a M\u00e9tis fiddler from Winnipeg plays traditional tunes with a modern twist while master storyteller and juggler TiBert gets the audience involved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>On July 13, the whole family can join Jen Houston for feel-good yoga, or choose from a variety of activities.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>TiBert et Douzie: Fiddle Workshop \u2014 Douzie introduces his instruments and plays, while TiBert is there to teach the steps.<\/li>\n<li>Personalized poetry crafted in real time on vintage typewriters.<\/li>\n<li>The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin: The Game \u2014 The Grand Salto Theatre presents an interactive experience based on the charming stories of Beatrix Potter.<\/li>\n<li>Maestro Duo: what happens if two conductors show up to lead the musicians?<\/li>\n<li>Catch Me In The Kitchen, with Stephen LaFrenie and Ginette Mohr in a combination of storytelling and physical theatre.<\/li>\n<li>Scarborough Uke Jam \u2014 where you can join in on your own uke, listen, or sing along.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Tickets are free, but advance booking recommended for Fireside Munsch, Giant Puppet Party, and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin: The Game, available <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guildfestivaltheatre.ca\/familyfest2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_114636\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-114636\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-114636\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Nagata-Schachu.jpeg\" alt=\"Taiko ensemble Nagata Shachu perform at the Greek Theatre (Photo courtesy of Guild Festival Theatre)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Nagata-Schachu.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Nagata-Schachu-300x173.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Nagata-Schachu-1024x591.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Nagata-Schachu-768x443.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-114636\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taiko ensemble Nagata Shachu perform at the Greek Theatre (Photo courtesy of Guild Festival Theatre)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The 39 Steps (July 17 to August 3; Preview: July 17; Opening Night: July 18)<\/h3>\n<p>This adaptation of the classic spy novel veers from Hitchcockian drama to slapstick comedy as a fast-paced whodunit where the cast of four actors play more than 100 characters.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Hannay is a Canadian living in London. His life is pretty ho-hum boring until he crosses paths with a women who claims to be a spy. When she turns up murdered in his home, and Hannay is accused of the crime, he goes on the run with the ominous The 39 Steps organization on his heels.<\/p>\n<p>S\u00e9bastien Heins (Topdog\/Underdog, Canadian Stage; The Tempest, Stratford) stars as Richard Hannay, with Kiana Woo (Prince Caspian, Shaw Festival; King Lear, Soulpepper Theatre) making her return to the Greek Theatre after her Dora-Award winning performance of Alice in GFT&#8217;s Alice in Wonderland.<\/p>\n<p>The production also stars Georgia Findlay (The Drowning Girls), with Isaiah Kolundzic (Icemen, Theatre By The Bay; The Melville Boys, The Foster Festival) making his Greek Theatre debut.<\/p>\n<p>Adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and the movie by Alfred Hitchcock.<\/p>\n<p>Directed by Tyler J. Seguin<br \/>\nSound Design by Ashley Naomi<\/p>\n<p>Featuring: S\u00e9bastien Heins as Richard Hannay; Georgia Findlay as Annabella\/Margaret\/Pamela; Isaiah Kolundzic as Clown; Kiana Woo as Clown<\/p>\n<h3>HERATIO World Premiere (August 7 to 24; Preview: August 7; Opening Night: August 8)<\/h3>\n<p>Genevieve Adamhas reimagined the Shakespeare\u2019s classic play Hamlet in a story that begins where the play leaves off. Heratio is infused with humour, mystery, and the original\u2019s iconic Danish melancholy as the women and servants clean up the messes left by princes and kings.<\/p>\n<p>Heratio was developed through In Conversation With Classics, Guild Festival Theatre&#8217;s program for new plays.<\/p>\n<p>Janelle Hanna (Miss Caledonia, Thousand Islands Playhouse; Prairie Nurse, Factory Theatre) plays the title character in her GFT debut, along with Philippa Domville (The Master Plan, Crow&#8217;s Theatre\/Soulpepper), Jack Davidson (Canadian Opera Company; Bad Hats Theatre), and Siobhan Richardson (The 39 Steps, St Lawrence Shakespeare Festival; The Penelopiad, Grand Theatre). Rashaana Cumberbatch (Shoresy, Murdoch Mysteries) and Phoenix Fire (Magnus Theatre; Crossroads Theatre) are returning to GFT for the production.<\/p>\n<p>Written by Genevieve Adam<br \/>\nDirected by Helen Juvonen<br \/>\nProduction Design by Nancy Anne Perrin<br \/>\nSound Design by Sean Meldrum<\/p>\n<p>Featuring: Janelle Hanna; Philippa Domville; Jack Davidson; Siobhan Richardson; Rashaana Cumberbatch; Phoenix Fire<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find more information about all upcoming performances, and tickets, [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guildfestivaltheatre.ca\/season\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For their 2025 season, The Guild Festival Theatre is offering a program that ranges from spy thriller comedy to a world premiere with Shakespearean inspiration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":114633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,41392,19,41496,32,4557,59,62,63,72],"tags":[41976,41353],"yst_prominent_words":[7412,21413,12857,8973],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/05\/Copy-of-PREVIEW-2025-05-27T094855.393.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-tOT","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114631"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114631"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114641,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114631\/revisions\/114641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114631"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=114631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}