Citadel Theatre

The Citadel Theatre is the major venue for theatre arts in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located in the city's downtown core on Churchill Square. It is the third largest regional theatre in Canada.

Citadel Theatre
Exterior view of venue c. 2012
Address9828 101A Avenue NW
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 3C6
Coordinates53°32′33″N 113°29′18″W
Public transitEdmonton Transit System Light rail interchangeCapital LineMetro Line Churchill station
Capacity20 (Lee Pavilion)
90 (Tucker Amphitheatre)
215 (Zeidler Hall)
250 (The Club at Citadel)
651 (Shoctor Theatre)
705 (Maclab Theatre)
Construction
OpenedNovember 10, 1965
Years active1965–present
ArchitectBarton Myers
Website
Venue Website

History

It began in a former Salvation Army Citadel bought by Joseph H. Shoctor, James L. Martin, Ralph B. MacMillan, and Sandy Mactaggart. The theatre's first production to be performed was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The theatre was founded on October 12, 1965 with its first opening night on November 10, 1965.[1] In its current location, The Citadel has the distinction of being the only venue where the Jule Styne musical Pieces of Eight has been produced.

The organization moved to its current building just off Churchill Square in 1976. Architect Barton Myers designed the structure. The building houses the Maclab, Shoctor, and Rice Theatres, Zeidler Hall, the Tucker Amphitheatre, and the Foote Theatre School.

The Maclab and Tucker are part of the Lee Pavilion, in the middle of Edmonton.

Queer History

The Citadel Theatre has been a supportive ally to Edmonton's 2SLGBTQ+ community. The theatre has been the workplace of three gay Artistic Directors,[1] and has staged many productions written by queer playwrights.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? written by the gay playwright[2] Edward Albee was the first production put on by The Citadel Theatre in 1965, three years after the play's Broadway debut in 1962.

The Citadel Theatre has produced many plays with queer themes such as The Glass Menagerie, Hosanna, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Gay Heritage Project.[3]

In 2006, The Citadel Theatre hosted their first Queer Prom event. In 2009, the annual event drew more than 100 youth to the theatre to celebrate the end of their school year.[4]

Artistic directors

Productions
Main article: Citadel Theatre production history

2018–19 Season

  • Once: September 22 to October 14, 2018 (Mainstage)
  • Redpatch: November 1 to 11, 2018 (Add-On)
  • Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley: November 17 to December 9, 2018 (Mainstage)
  • A Christmas Carol: November 30 to December 23, 2018 (Seasonal Presentation)
  • Sweat: January 12 to February 3, 2019 (Mainstage)
  • Matilda: February 16 to March 17, 2019 (Mainstage)
  • The Candidate: March 30 to April 21, 2019 (Mainstage)
  • The Party: March 30 to April 21, 2019 (Add-On)
  • The Tempest: April 20 to May 12, 2019 (Mainstage)

References
  1. "History". The Citadel Theatre. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  2. Morning Edition (June 6, 2011). "Playwright Albee Defends 'Gay Writer' Remarks". NPR.
  3. Nicholls, Liz (2016-05-30). "Edmonton's Citadel Theatre announces Daryl Cloran as new artistic director". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
  4. Sunger, Sonia (2009-06-07). "'Queer Prom' attracts youth from across North America". CTV News. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  5. Charlebois and Nothof, Gaetan and Anne (2016-01-18). "Baker, Bob". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Athabaska University. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
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