WEATHERING THE SHOW: SCUGOG’S PROFESSIONAL OUTDOOR SUMMER THEATRE VENUE, COME RAIN OR SHINE

July 28, 2024                         by Nancy Towns

 There’s no denying that summers in southern Ontario can be glorious yet fleeting. Something so sweet to savour in the short-term each year, not unlike our province’s peaches, plums and cherries. Such a comparison may seem mawkish, yet it’s true. It’s no wonder the Region of Durham is a haven for outdoor activities year round but particularly in the summertime. At the doorstep of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, sit trails for hiking, biking and birding, lakes for sailing, boating and fishing, rural routes and towns for exploring, shopping and tasting. It’s a wonderfully brief drive to leave the big city limits in your rear view mirror and focus on the verdant horizon ahead, with rolling hills of forest, fields of prime agricultural land and hamlets and towns speckled throughout.

The natural spaces and rural places of the Durham region are ready and waiting for outdoor enthusiasts as much as they are for hedonists seeking a leisurely getaway for the senses. However, what’s often overlooked is what also makes the region an outdoor destination for the culturally curious so let’s discuss outdoor theatre and performance, a season that’s also fleeting, to be enjoyed while we can. It’s captivating to view live entertainment amidst natural surroundings, where bird calls and breezes, sunsets and scents of flower blossoms become one with the sensorial experience of the audience. This is not limited to during the show itself but is also a part of the arrival and departure to the event, nature’s own prelude and finale to the performance.

Unlike indoor theatres, largely static, predictable, air-conditioned (and very practical for much of the year), the great outdoors provide an evolving amphitheatre. As with any outdoor activity, the weather is an undeniable factor of variance. One can prepare for the natural elements to make the most of the event as one would prepare to enjoy a picnic regardless of the conditions; bug spray, a waterproof or warm layer, sunscreen, hats, etc. With that said, there is one cultural gem in Scugog Township and the Durham Region where the spirits of artists and audience alike need not be even remotely dampened by rain in the first place. That gem is Theatre on the Ridge. Should you be wondering just where that is and how you’ve not yet come across it, consider this your opportunity of the summer to uncover a treasure that’s literally just off the beaten path. Imagine yourself in the historic heart of Port Perry, a charming town on the shores of Lake Scugog less than an hour’s drive from many parts of the GTA. Within five minutes, leave the town, cross the causeway over the lake and head north on Island Road to find the Scugog Shores Museum on your left hand side. This is the bucolic setting of Theatre on the Ridge during its summer theatre season. Thousands of cars cross this intersection on Scugog Island during the summer months to enjoy summer homes, lakeside resorts and of course the Great Blue Heron Casino. However, many pass by unawares that both Theatre and Museum are at their wingtip as they fly north down the road.

Theatre on the Ridge, a regional theatre company, producing compelling theatre for over a decade with the talent of professional artists from the region and across the province is an outdoor experience in the arts with the convenient caveat of having both stage and audience under a canopy tent. Come rain, come wind, come sun, this venue with its open sides lets the breeze come in and natural setting surround, without impeding on the artistic performance or the audience experience.

June was a topsy-turvy month for outdoor activities, with a coin toss of a more than desirable amount of rain or heat depending on the day. The up-side of that coin is that at the midpoint of summer the landscape in the Durham and Scugog regions is as lush as springtime. Although most of us have been appreciating the more collaborative weather conditions this mid-summer , at Theatre on the Ridge along with that canopy tent that keeps you ‘under the weather’ in the best way possible, your front of house hosts are also prepared for come what may, with cool drinks at the concession table, spray bottles and ice packs to bring temperatures down when needed.

After the final bows, just when it seems the evening show has reached its end, step out from the canopy and walk but 50m to take in one of the most splendid sunsets you’ll find anywhere. A fitting finale to attending one of the great experiences of the Durham region in Scugog Township – being a part of an outdoor professional theatrical event in a heritage setting. Let the show begin at Theatre on the Ridge.

For more information, peruse our website:
Shows details, times, tickets:  Show & Tickets

Learn about our summer location on the grounds of the Scugog Shores Museum: Our Summer Venue

Patron Perks and itinerary ideas in and around Port Perry: Plan Your Visit/Patron Perks
Itinerary-ideas

How to find us:
Getting Here by Car

Please note: in the case of extreme weather events requiring Theatre on the Ridge to cancel or postpone a show, reserved patrons will be notified no later than 1 hour prior to show start time. Patrons will be encouraged to choose an alternate performance for the same or another production, subject to ticket availability.