‘Coming out of Covid Vac-Scene’ Gala

The Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays PRESENTS  COMING OUT OF COVID VAC-SCENE  When: Thursday September 9th 2021  Where: The OLD TOWN HALL Newmarket Ontario  The ‘Coming out of Covid Vac-Scene’ Gala will be the talk of the town — the place you will want to be seen at — as the Covid restrictions […]

Newmarket International Festival the first to hit stage indoors!

Photo by Greg King In the planning stages for more than two years, the upcoming Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays hits the stage early in September and by all accounts, will be the very first ‘live, indoor theatre’ performance in all of Ontario! If you’ve been stuck at home for what seems like […]

Have you heard about it? It’s big!

In fact, it’s sensational! It’s coming soon! ‘Coming Out of Covid Vac-Scene’ Gala And you’ll learn all about it by tuning into 102.7 CHOP FM on June 29 at 6 p.m. or July 4 at 11 a.m. Newmarket’s Man About Town, the venerable John Dowson and local script author Rod Urquhart will talk not only […]

Newmarket 2021 One Act Play Festival hits the Old Town Hall stage Sept. 9-11

Finally some ‘good’ news! Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Very Useful Theatre Company has had to shift dates of its prestigious Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays, but we announce loud and clear the ‘show will go on’. The Very Useful Theatre Company, producers of the festival, along with the Rotary Club of Newmarket, […]

A New Theatre Piece by The Author of “Mourning Glory”

You’re invited to attend a fundraiser performance of my newest theater piece BLESSINGS FROM THE PANDEMICon Saturday evening February 13. Dear friends and colleagues, If you’re looking for an uplifting response to this daunting time, I think you’ll enjoy BLESSINGS FROM THE PANDEMIC, which will be streamed on Saturday February 13 at 7 pm EST*, […]

Theatre companies still feeling the pinch of Covid-19

Large theatre companies, medium-sized theatre companies and small town theatre troupes are still in a quandary as to what to plan for their 2021 seasons. All of these companies plan their seasons a year in advance, after all there is picking the scripts, casting, rehearals, promotion and actual seating. Last summer, theatres big and small […]

The current status of NSC and VUTC

  Newmarket has a very intriguing theatre history, especially in the 1970s and early 1980s, when two community theatre groups existed in town – the Newmarket Theatre Centre and the Old Town Hall Players (formed 1981). In earlier installments, I gave the early theatre history in Newmarket, when two theatre groups existed in town and […]

How NSC was created and the formation of VUTC

  Newmarket has a very intriguing theatre history, especially in the 1970s and early 1980s, when two community theatre groups existed in town – the Newmarket Theatre Centre and the Old Town Hall Players (formed 1981). In earlier installments, it gave the early history, when two theatre groups existed in town and most recently, how […]

Warren And The Polar Bear

Warren has watched the Polar Bear in New York’s Central Park Zoo pace back and forth for quite some time and has decided to break him out of his cage.  Warren’s plan is foolproof…he will buy the Bear some fancy duds so no one will recognize him, then fly him back home.   “OMG I’m so […]

Ace Galaksi Space Dick At Large

Photo by Greg King Were you There? Ace Galaksi has been tasked with the tiny inconsequential job of locating the stolen backup copy of the GIANT BOOK of DESTINY before destiny itself is re-written. The good news is he’s traveling in an advanced space ship called the Pheonix. Originally manufactured on Traa Laa, a planet […]

The creation of the Newmarket Stage Company

Newmarket Stage Company Newmarket has a very intriguing theatre history, especially in the 1970s and early 1980s, when two community theatre groups existed in town – the Newmarket Theatre Centre and the Old Town Hall Players (formed 1981). In earlier installments, I gave the history up to 1981. When the Newmarket Theatre Centre decided not […]

We almost had a Theatre on Cane Parkway!

Newmarket, thanks to Newmarket Theatre Centre members Paul Aspland, Ray Burdon Fraser Milne and others, just about had a community theatre built many years ago on the Cane Parkway …. A dream of the NTC that just never came into fruition. Read on in this interesting tidbit of Newmarket community theatre history! In 1979, Fraser […]

The Heyday of Theatre in Newmarket

Newmarket has a very intriguing theatre history, especially in the 1970s and early 1980s, when two community theatre groups existed in town – the Newmarket Theatre Centre and the Old Town Hall Players (formed 1981). The Newmarket Theatre Centre was led by Artistic Director and renowned actor named Paul Aspland, while the Old Town Hall […]

Donation to the Rotary Club of Newmarket- 2017

Donation to the Rotary Club of Newmarket 2017 Following the very successful Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays in 2017, President John Dowson and Board member Doris Keppler of The Very Useful Theatre Company made a donation to the Rotary Club of Newmarket. VUTC hosts and annual Festival at the Old Town Hall in […]

Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays-2019 Wrap Up

Festival Wrap-up 2019 And the ‘Ross’ goes to at the Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays By Rod Urquhart Bruce Williamson of Aurora won the ‘Ross’ Award for Best Production by a Director in the 2019 edition of the Third Annual York Region Festival of One Act Plays. The award for Best Performance by an […]

Warren and The Polar Bear

Warren has watched the Polar Bear in New York’s Central Park Zoo pace back and forth for quite some time and has decided to break him out of his cage.  Warren’s plan is foolproof…he will buy the Bear some fancy duds so no one will recognize him, then fly him back home. “OMG I’m so impressed. Thank you for taking such good care […]

Newmarket International Festival of One Act plays gets a boost from Google

The Very Useful Theatre Company (VUTC) producers of the prestigious Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays announced the approval of their organization’s Ad Grants from Google International. The Google Ad Grants approval process is complete. Google generously provides eligible Non-Profits free advertising on the World Wide Web. The effort to gain the grant was […]

Thanks to all the front line workers

Thanks to All the Front Line Workers! The Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays sends our sincere thanks to all the FRONT LINE WORKERS for their strength and courage in this time of need. We are deeply grateful for all the sacrifices that you and your families are making. A famous theatre quote says, […]

You Could Be an International STAR!!!

The Newmarket International Festival of one act plays announces a video contest. Contestants will be part of a growing and vibrant international festival. Through our online forums your video will go out to our “World Wide” international audience. There are a few simple rules: Join our web site by clicking here. Post a video of no less than […]

Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays – Rescheduled

Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays has been rescheduled to May 13, 14 and 15, 2021 Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the fourth annual “Newmarket international festival of one act plays” at the Old Town Hall in Newmarket Ontario Canada has been postponed until 2021. On May 13, 14, 15 2021 the festival will […]