Fonds UAA Fonds 0555 - Torches Theatre fonds

Torches Theatre opened in June of 1962 as an outdoor summer theatre. It was an idea of Gordon Peacock's, based on his experience of seeing Shakespeare staged in the open at Central Park in New York. Torches Theatre was situated in the south courtyard of Corbett Hall, which permitted access to the Studio Theatre switchboard for lights and power. The entrance to the courtyard was marked with two burning torches that prior to the performance were placed on either side of the stage; hence the name "Torches" Theatre. The outdoor stage was a raised platform, four feet high with steps up to it and levels above it for a second story. The audience, which could number over 200, sat on wooden chairs on the lawn; in case of rain, the theatre was moved indoors to the Studio Theatre stage. Productions played nightly and were usually staged from early July until mid-August. Productions staged in the first summer at Torches included Dark of the Moon, Under Milk.wood, and Our Town.

Torches was a semi-professional theatre; a 1967 press release states that: "each acting fellow will be paid $75.00 per week for the performance period and $50.00 per week for the ... rehearsal periods." This press release advertises pay rates for positions in acting, production and box office. By 1967, the Torches productions were touring the province, performing in a number of communities in Alberta prior to their regular summer season.