Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Factory Theatre has long been considered one of the foremost alternative and experimental theatres in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ontario, it was founded by Ken Gass in 1970 and was called Factory Theatre Lab at the time. The Factory limited itself to producing only new Canadian writing in order to encourage new playwrights. Gass designed contests and created a workshop program in order to further encourage creativity and new works. Within its first 10 years, the company produced 50 new Canadian plays.
In 1995, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy, but a successful season and a cutting of costs ensured that Factory Theatre remained in operation. Like many theatres across the globe, Factory Theatre had to close its physical doors during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) but kept going in other ways. True to its roots, the company commissioned five short audio dramas or a series entitled You Can't Get There from Here which were made as freely available podcasts. The company reopened its doors in 2022 with a play by David Yee and is still in operation today and holds true to its original mandate to feature new Canadian content only.
Succeeding Ken Gass as Artistic Director were Bob White (1979-1987), Jackie Maxwell (1987-1995), and Michael Springate (1996). After Springate’s resignation in November 1996, Ken Gass again took over as Artistic Director until he was fired by the board in 2012 over renovation costs. Several playwrights, including George Walker, refused to continue their connection with the company. Nina Lee Aquino was hired for the Artistic Director’s position, serving from 2012 to 2022. Mel Hague has been Artistic Director since 2022.