The Roxy Theatre’s unbroken performance history stands as a symbol of the community’s dedication to the performing arts.
by Roger Klein // photo by Owen Sound Little Theatre
Against all odds, including two world wars, a depression and a prolonged period of prohibition (Owen Sound, Canada’s last dry city), The Roxy Theatre’s unbroken performance history stands as a symbol of the community’s dedication to the performing arts.
Built in 1913, The Roxy was originally known as The Griffin Opera House after Toronto’s nickel cinema magnate John Griffin. Live theatre, vaudeville and silent films were all part of the entertainment lineup in its early days. The theatre seated 1,200. In the 1920s, it was renamed the Grand Opera House.
The Odeon Cinema purchased the building In 1948 and gutted the interior, moving the stage to the front of the building, removing the balconies and renaming it The Roxy. The Roxy operated as an Odeon Cinema until 1986. The last film to be shown was Coal Miner’s Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek, on October 25, 1986.
Later that year, the Owen Sound Little Theatre (OSLT) purchased The Roxy under the leadership of the late Velma Mitges. The purchase gave the community-based theatre group a permanent home and a place to further nurture the performing arts in Owen Sound and Southern Georgian Bay.
Since then, the theatre has undergone two major renovations, the first in the 1980s and the second in 1994 at a cost of $1.5 million. The major remodelling included a new stage, sound and lighting system, heating and air-conditioning system, workshop, makeup room, dressing rooms, control room, box office and lobby.
A gala opening of the refurbished theatre in October 1994 featured a performance of The Man Who Came to Dinner. The event established The Roxy as a cultural institution and showpiece for the community. The theatre currently welcomes over 30,000 patrons each year, benefitting the entire tourism industry, including local businesses and restaurants.
The Owen Sound Little Theatre’s playbill this year includes:
A Prelude to a Kiss
January 30–February 1 and February 5–8 at 7:30 p.m.
February 2 at 2 p.m.
The Play That Goes Wrong
March 20–22 and 26–29 at 7:30 p.m.
March 23 at 2 p.m.
7 Stories
June 12–14 and 18–21 at 7:30 p.m.
June 15 at 2 p.m.
Other upcoming shows at The Roxy include the Banff Film Festival, a hypnotist and multiple tribute artists.
Learn More: roxytheatre.ca
