Lighthouse Festival Theatre
247 Main St N0A 1N0 Port Dover, ON, Canada

We could not be happier with our switch to Execulink Telecom and their Fibre Internet. Execulink's reliable service allowed us to improve our customer experience on site and has been a crucial part of our teams ability to work from home during the pandemic. We were more than happy to share how the switch has positively impacted our organization for their case study.

Are you looking for an opportunity to serve on a progressive, very active, governance Board and Committee organization? Do you have a passion for live theatre? Are you a team player who is willing to take on leadership roles as they develop? At Lighthouse Festival Theatre, we are looking for a Board member to help balance the diversity of backgrounds and skills on our Board - with the potential to assume leadership roles in the future. To learn more about this opportunity, including how to apply, please visit our website: https://lighthousetheatre.com/about/board-of-directors/

We were delighted to have The Treeline perform on our stage Saturday night. Sharing your music in a special stream to our local teachers was heartwarming and we were honoured to be involved in our small role. Check out the streamed concert below!

To celebrate World Theatre Day we took some time to remember what we miss most about live theatre here in Port Dover. #PortDover #livetheatre #Lighthouse Music: https://www.bensound.com

We are beyond excited to share that Kristen Da Silva is writing a second play for Lighthouse! With the smashing success of Hurry Hard in 2019 we knew we wanted to continue to support Kristen in writing more comedies for Lighthouse and stages across the country. Read about Kristen's new play here: https://lighthousetheatre.com/kristen-da-silva-beyond-the-/

Here at Lighthouse we are incredibly fortunate to have the charitable support of The McKeil Family Foundation. Blair and Kathy McKeil have once again reached out to ask how they can help Lighthouse during this challenging time. This very generous gift will help considerably to bring live theatre back to Port Dover in 2021! https://lighthousetheatre.com//lighthouse-festival-theatr/

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas from all of us at Lighthouse!

We were not able to gather together and laugh this year but at Lighthouse we want to keep that joyful spirit strong. To help, Artistic Director Derek Ritschel gathered some of Lighthouse's favourite artists and challenged them to a holiday quiz. We hope the ensuing merriment and silliness of this video brings a smile to your face! Happy Holidays! #LighthouseTheatre #MerryChristmas Derek Ritschel Norm Foster Melodee Finlay Melanie Janzen Matthew Olver Nora David Perrie Oh Jonathan Ellul

We think you understand how Melodee is feeling because we feel it too. Preparations for reopening next summer have begun and keeping you safe and well is most important to us. Today, we turn to you, our Lighthouse family hoping that you will consider giving a donation. Your support will ensure we will reopen, even better than before. We are excited about our future and sharing it with you. Donate Today: https://cart.lighthousetheatre.com/donate/contribute1

Give the gift of laughter! Giving a Lighthouse Festival Theatre gift certificate this Christmas means giving the magic of live theatre to your loved ones. Gift certificates can be ordered in any amount. Visit us online to purchase at:https://cart.lighthousetheatre.com/gift/certificate or call our Box Office (before Dec. 18th) at 519-583-2221.... At this time, gift certificates are only available through email and will be delivered to your inbox by the next business day. To ensure your gift certificate arrives in time for the holidays, please order before December 23.

Give the gift of laughter and share the magic of live theatre with your loved ones! Gift certificates can be purchased in any amount. Visit us online to purchase at: https://cart.lighthousetheatre.com/gift/certificate or call our Box Office (before Dec. 18th) at 519-583-2221. At this time, gift certificates are only available through email and will be delivered to your inbox by the next business day. To ensure your gift certificate arrives in time for the holidays, please order before December 23.

It is with a heavy heart Lighthouse Festival Theatre shares the sad news of Jim Hawley’s passing. For the past six years Jim served as our Technical Director at Showboat Festival Theatre. Without fail, Jim was able to deliver top quality work in Lighting, Staging and Sound for the Port Colborne audiences. Jim was a quiet man who liked to fly under the radar, but his skills were enjoyed by tens of thousands of theatre goers for close to four decades. His career swept from Thunder Bay all the way down to the North Shore of Lake Erie. He had theatre in his soul. We know you wouldn’t want all the attention Jim but just this once we send you off with a standing ovation.

We Remember Please take a moment today to remember those that have helped to secure the freedoms that we enjoy. We are forever grateful. Lest we forget.

Lighthouse Festival Theatre is looking for a new board member! This is a wonderful opportunity to give back to your community while helping to lead Norfolk's only non-profit professional theatre. The Board of Directors seeks a balance of knowledge, skills and experience. While we encourage all interested persons to apply, the Board is currently looking for community members who have legal experience and skills. To learn more about this opportunity, including how to apply, please visit our website: https://lighthousetheatre.com/about/board-of-directors/

Art is alive at Lighthouse Theatre! Last spring Artistic Director Derek Ritschel began working with five playwrights as part of our Playwright Development program. Though the pandemic required some adjustments to the process, these storytellers have continued to work, preparing for when the theatre world will re-open and new stories will be needed. Over the coming months we will be sharing insights from these playwrights, starting today with Peter Colley and his new Sherlock Holmes play. Visit our website to learn more: https://lighthousetheatre.com/playwright-development-2/

Check out The Shrubberies at the Lighthouse lobby tonight from 6pm to 8pm for some spooky tunes! Remember to stay socially distanced and have a safe night everyone!

Discovery channel filmed episodes of #DisastersatSea at Lighthouse Theatre and in Port Dover a few years ago. One of the episodes airs this Sunday. See if you can catch glimpses of Dover in "The Arctic Rose". The catastrophic loss of the fishing vessel, #ArcticRose, in the #BeringSea is made more mysterious by the fact that only the captain had time to put on his survival suit. Searching for answers, investigators send an ROV to survey the sunken wreck and uncover an intriguing clue that ignites even more questions and some controversy too. #DisastersatSea Arctic Rose airs Sun October 25th 8PM ET/5PT on #Discovery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJS4bIp1YCM&feature=youtu.be

We are thrilled to announce that very generous supporters, the McKeil Family Foundation, have stepped forward with a matching gift of $100,000 dollars. Beginning today until September 30, they will match every single gift and your donation will be doubled. We are incredibly grateful to live in a community that values and champions live theatre and we are proud of the role Lighthouse Theatre plays in the cultural life of Norfolk County and beyond. Together let's light up th...e stage Donate Today: https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/ #LFT #community #livetheatre #norfolkstrong

The Light Up The Stage matching campaign is a tremendous success! Thank you to everyone who donated and provided videos of support. We raised 14% over our goal! With the McKeil Family Foundation's pledged $100,000 we raised a total $214,585 dollars. Step up and take a bow together we did Light Up The Stage!

A big thank you to Liberty Home Decor and Gift Boutique for donating the profits of the I Dover buttons and magnets for the months of August and September to the Light Up The Stage campaign! The sales of the buttons and magnets raised $473.00 to be matched by the McKeil Family Foundation.

Our rehearsal hall has been dark for many months now, so we were delighted when Pop Up Norfolk asked to use the space for a local artisan market! Check out the beautiful items they have at 518 Main St. Port Dover!

With the final day of the Light Up The Stage campaign here, technical director Meg Woods does a beautiful job describing how everyone comes together to make Lighthouse special. From our talented crew, designers and actors to our devoted volunteers and staff and of course, our beloved patrons; whose laughter and applause fill our theatre with joy. Today is the last day to donate and have your donation matched dollar for dollar thanks to the incredibly generous McKeil Family Foundation. Donate here: https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

We are immensely grateful to Blair McKeil and the McKeil Family Foundation for stepping forward during these difficult times for our theatre and community. Pledging to match every donation up to $100,000 dollars is an incredible gift to the theatre and has allowed us the ability to focus on being ready for our patrons and our next season. To donate visit https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/ or call Caitlin at 519-583-1031 x 224 and help us Light Up The Stage!

A big thank you to Liberty Home Decor and Gift Boutique for donating the profits of the I Dover buttons and magnets for the months of August and September to the Light Up The Stage campaign! The sales of the buttons and magnets raised $473.00 to be matched by the McKeil Family Foundation.

We feel all warm and fuzzy when actors like Brad Austin share how special being on the Lighthouse stage is to them. Hearing the wonderful memories from our Lighthouse family has kept our spirits high over the last 6 months and we are working hard to develop a re-opening plan that is safe for everyone. Donating to the Light Up The Stage matching campaign helps us with those plans so that someday soon Brad can get back on our stage and continue to make you laugh. Donate today at https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

Thank you to Stoney's Home Hardware for their donation of $500 to the Light Up The Stage Campaign! Stoney's has been a long time sponsor of Lighthouse Theatre and we are very lucky to have this local family owned business support our theatre community.

Community Show Actor Richard Dupp shares how Lighthouse has impacted his life from a very special location in the theatre. Lighthouse family members like Richard, whose multiple talents from acting and directing, to building sets and fixing the iconic clock are what make Lighthouse so special. We are so grateful for all the volunteers and community members who help make Lighthouse a memorable experience for our patrons. As we near the finish line for our Light Up The Stage matching campaign consider making a donation to help Lighthouse plan and prepare for when we can re-open and welcome you all back. Donate today at https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

Tonight we are participating in the #LightUpLive initiative at Lighthouse Theatre. Hundreds of venues and buildings across Canada will light their exteriors red just after sundown to raise awareness for the live performance/events industry that is still dark due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This industry will also be one of the last to recover. For more information, or to see a list and interactive map featuring the participating venues, visit www.lightuplive.ca. Drop by the theatre tonight to see the clock tower glowing red!

Carmen and Grace Davis treat us to a special mash up of songs from Community Shows they have been in together. Lighthouse is incredibly lucky to have such amazing local talent on our stage every spring. We are eager for Carmen, Grace and all the other cast members of the 2020 Community Show Guys & Dolls to be able to put on their production for you in the future. With a donation to Light Up The Stage you are helping Lighthouse to continue to stage great community productions in the future. Donate today and double your impact by having your donation matched by the McKeil Family Foundation! https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

Set Designer Bill Chesney fondly remembers those late nights turning the stage over from one show to another. The comraderie as the crew and designers work together to build the backdrop for inspired storytelling. All the pieces coming together, creating a magical atmosphere that is the first taste of the show for the audience. Our crew are waiting in the wings, eager to create new scenes for stories to take place. See your donation matched dollar for dollar by the McKeil Family Foundation by donating before Sept. 30th. Your donation will allow Lighthouse to re-open and continue telling new stories. Donate today: https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

Light Up The Stage has almost reached its goal! With the generous support of the matching funds of $100,000 from the McKeil Family Foundation, we are 85% of the way there! With two and a half weeks left to go, every donation counts. Please consider making a donation today and help us cross that finish line! https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

Mel Janzen is an actor who really throws herself into her roles and we could not love her more for it! Mel always fills the theatre with laughter when she is on our stage and we are eager for her to return. Donating to the Light Up The Stage matching campaign will help bring Mel and our other actors back to the stage, giving our team the time and resources to prepare the re-open safely. Donate today and double your impact and help us light up the stage! https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

To playwright Peter Colley, Port Dover and Lighthouse Theatre are a little piece of heaven that reminds him of his childhood in a sea side town in England, right down to the wonderful summer theatre. This summer we were not able to gather to see the finest actors, designers, directors and writers that Derek hand selected but with your help Lighthouse will be able to get back to staging laugh out loud comedies. Donate today and double your impact through the Light Up The Stage matching campaign. https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/

Jan Rainey plays many roles at Lighthouse from Community Show member to Chair of the Board of Directors, but when thinking about what Lighthouse means to her Jan always goes to the experience of being in the audience. She captures perfectly the feelings of anticipation, excitments and comraderie when coming to the theatre. Jan, and our team, are truly missing the sound of patrons coming up the stairs, greeting old friends at the Long Bar and filling the theatre with laughter.... We are working diligently behind the scenes to prepare the theatre to welcome audiences back safely and need your support. Donate today to double your impact and help us ready the theatre to re-open the doors. Donate here: https://lighthousetheatre.com/light-up-the-stage/