Our Story

Drayton Entertainment has blazed a trail of self-sufficiency and become widely regarded as one of Canada's most successful theatre companies.

It all began in 1991 when Artistic Director Alex Mustakas arrived in the tiny village of Drayton with little more than hopes and dreams.

The Drayton Festival Theatre launched on Canada Day, 1991 with Vaudeville!, a tribute to the glory days of music and laughter. Success followed immediately, and a great deal of attention was generated when the company made Canadian theatrical history by completely selling out both its 1993 and 1994 seasons.

As popularity continued to grow, the company decided to launch a second stage in the quaint village of St. Jacobs in 1997. The Schoolhouse Theatre was an instant triumph, becoming one of the top attractions in this popular tourism mecca.

In January 1999, newspaper headlines announced that the Drayton Festival Theatre had been chosen by the Ontario Government to assume operation of the King's Wharf Theatre in Penetanguishene, once again showing that the Drayton formula for success could flourish at other locations.

At a press conference in May 2000, the Drayton Festival Theatre and Huron Country Playhouse announced a merger between the two organizations. One new company was formed, called Drayton Entertainment. By combining the energies and strengths of the two companies, the new entity has emerged as a powerful force for culture and tourism.

The Huron Country Playhouse launched its 1972 season in a rented big-top tent, while actors and staff lived and worked out of the century-old barn. Today, the Huron Country Playhouse and Playhouse II in Grand Bend are outstanding success stories, celebrating more than three decades of music and laughter.

Drayton Entertainment continues to evolve with the addition of its sixth venue, the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse in the village of St. Jacobs. With a project budget of $3.5 million, the company has renovated a former Winery and Cidery in the heart of the St. Jacobs Market district into a year-round cultural centre that celebrates our heritage, grows the community, brings together youth, and attracts Canadian and international visitors to a world-class tourism destination.

Each Drayton Entertainment venue maintains its own distinct identity, but at the same time successfully combines the energies and strengths of all six, in order to provide a theatre experience that is second-to-none. Experience the magic of each Drayton Entertainment venue for yourself as you explore experience our "Caravan of Stars"!

"The enduring success of Drayton Entertainment’s productions is a tribute to this company’s hard work and dedication to artistic excellence." – Letter to MPP Ted Arnott from Premier Dalton McGuinty, April 18, 2005

 

A Few Facts About Drayton Entertainment

 

What started off as a fledgling theatre in the village of Drayton, Ontario has grown into a national phenomenon in Canadian Theatre. In 18 years the organization has grown to include 6 theatres (Drayton Festival Theatre, Drayton; Huron Country Playhouse and Playhouse II, Grand Bend; King's Wharf Theatre, Penetanguishene; Schoolhouse Theatre, St. Jacobs; and the new St. Jacobs Country Playhouse).

The 1991 inaugural season entertained 14,592 patrons.

Projected attendance for the 2009 season is 210,000 (representing 84% capacity), making Drayton Entertainment the third-largest professional summer theatre company in Canada, just after Stratford and Shaw.

Drayton Entertainment is recognized by the Canadian Actors' Equity Association as the 7th largest employer of its members in Canada.

Drayton Entertainment is the proud recipient of an unprecedented 6 Lieutenant Governor's Awards for the Arts - a prestigious honour bestowed on arts organizations that exemplify outstanding private sector and community support.

Drayton Entertainment is supported by its extensive network of 3,000 Members, which enables the organization to close the gap between ticket revenue and production and administration expenses. This enables the organization to produce the finest in professional lighthearted entertainment at a reasonable price for all to enjoy.

Drayton Entertainment boasts over 4,200 Subscribers who each purchase between 4 and 10 show subscriptions for various productions at Drayton Entertainment venues.

Group Sales traffic has increased from 6 buses during the inaugural 1991 season to over 700 different groups in 2006 (and some groups, like Mary Morton Tours, bring buses for at least 50 different dates!)

Drayton Entertainment was founded on volunteerism, and that strong sense of community involvement is still apparent today, with volunteer activity exceeding 30,000 hours each year.

Drayton Entertainment believes in giving back to the communities in which it operates, and each year donates over 2,000 tickets to over 750 charities for their own fundraising efforts. This includes the United Way, community sports teams and high schools, rotary clubs and legion branches.

2009 Season statistics for each Drayton Entertainment venue:

St. Jacobs Country Playhouse - 24 -week season featuring 6 productions and 195 performances
Schoolhouse Theatre - 17-week season featuring 1 productions and 136 performances
Drayton Festival Theatre - 18-week season featuring 5 productions and 142 performances
Huron Country Playhouse - 13-week season featuring 5 productions and 101 performances
Playhouse II - 7-week season featuring 1 production and 53 performances
King's Wharf Theatre - 13-week season featuring 4 productions and 104 performances.
Grand Total: 22 productions and 745 performances spanning a full calendar year

Research indicates that the performing arts are not just an important issue in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, but among all Canadians.

Findings of a recent Ontario Arts Council Survey:

1. 79% of Ontarians say that the arts are important to the quality of their own lives.
2. 67% would miss the arts if there were no arts available in their community.
3. 35% of Ontarians believe that both those who attend arts activities and the community as a whole benefit from the presence of the arts in the community. An additional 29% believes that the community as a whole benefits more from the arts.
4. 96% of Ontarians agree that the success of Canadian artists gives a sense of pride in Canadian achievement.
5. 87% agree that if their community lost its arts activities, people living there would lose something of value.
6. 92% of Ontarians agree that arts activities help enrich the quality of our lives.
7. 88% believe that it is important for the quality of life in their community to have arts facilities such as art galleries and theatres.

 

Findings of a recent survey conducted by the Ipsos-Reid Group in a joint venture with the Council for Business and the Arts in Canada (CBAC):

 

27% of Canadians bought tickets to a hockey game last year while 29% of Canadians bought tickets to a play. This same research indicates that 51% of Canadians 12 years and over are Arts Patrons while 37% are Sports Fans.

It can be concluded that Canadians are becoming increasingly aware of the contribution that theatre and the arts play in the quality of life. Good theatre doesn't just portray life - it encourages us to participate and experience it at a much deeper level. It encourages us to think, to cry, to laugh, to learn, to form a sense of the purpose of life, to be sympathetic with others - the list goes on and on. Theatre then becomes one of the cornerstones of a healthy, vibrant community.