Small theater company plans to add winter productions next year after renovations are complete.
A small Stratford theater company got one step closer to a permanent home Tuesday morning with a ceremonial wall-breaking at the former land registry office and Perth County archives building.
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The Here for Now Theater company is in the midst of taking over the historic building at 24 St. Andrew St., nearly three years after it was originally slated for demolition.
Artistic director Fiona Mongillo, who founded the company in 2012, first stepped foot into the building about a year and a half ago and “knew that it was meant to be a theater,” she told a crowd of supporters and delegates gathered to mark the occasion.
“The building was constructed with thick stone and brick walls so that it would be as fireproof as possible to protect the important land registry papers it housed. And luckily for us, it offers fantastic soundproofing,” she said.
The basement layout is ideal for several key aspects of a theater, providing ample space for dressing rooms, a green room, storage and a rehearsal space, Mongillo explained. The black box where the productions will be staged is the exact same size as the tent Here for Now had previously used to preform, she noted.
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The building, built in 1919, has been vacant since 2014. Although it will go through extensive renovations during its transformation into a theater, the company is making an effort to maintain its history. This includes, for example, color matching the roof to the other historical buildings in the vicinity, Mongillo added
“Having this building will mean that we can workshop and develop for longer periods. We can commission more plays, we can pay artists more and we can experiment with running shows in the off-season, with the goal being to become a year-round operation,” she said.
Mongillo said Here for Now has now raised nearly $1 million for the project. This includes a pivotal $100,000 investment from FedDev Ontario, the federal ministry responsible for economic development in Southwestern Ontario. While the theater company still needs to raise about $300,000, it has received support from residents who have purchased “founding starts” or naming rights to spaces inside the building.
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“I cannot tell you how moved I am by how quickly folks have rallied behind us with this project, not only those who have pledged funds or donated, but also those who buy season passes every year and tell their friends about us,” Mongillo said .
“Without the incredible word of mouth and the core supporters of people who come and see every show, we would not be here today.”
Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma highlighted the importance of year-round theater in the Festival City.
“It’s amazing for a number of people. It’s amazing, certainly, for our residents. It’s amazing for our tourists, but for the men and women who work in theater – the actors, the people who do sound and light – that’s also amazing,” Ritsma said.
Renovations are officially set to begin next week and are expected to be completed in May 2025. While the company will not change the nature of its productions, with the space offering seating for 60 audience members, Here for Now will be adding some winter shows next year and will then evaluate where things are after that, Mongillo said.
“We’re going to make the adjustments slowly because we don’t want to just completely shift our model, and we know that we can sell plays in the in the summer. So that’s the angle we’re taking.”
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