Community. Creativity. Theatre.

Celebrating 50 Years of Community, Education, and Artistic Excellence 

In 2024, Theatre Antigonish and the Bauer Theatre marked their 50th Anniversary — a milestone reflecting five decades as a community hub, learning platform, and creative incubator. More than a performance space, Theatre Antigonish has shaped the artistic and cultural landscape of Antigonish and beyond, fostering inclusivity, mentorship, and the transformative power of theatre. 

Since its founding in 1974, Theatre Antigonish has produced hundreds of plays — from The Lion in Winter to The Glace Bay Miners’ Museum to Girls Like That — bridging the university and broader community through storytelling that provokes thought and celebrates culture. As a professionally led community theatre, Theatre Antigonish provides a unique opportunity for volunteers to be mentored by seasoned arts professionals, while finding a community of like-minded individuals. 

Student Experience and Growth 

Theatre Antigonish's contribution to education at Saint Francis Xavier University is unparalleled. For students, the theatre is an invaluable extension of the classroom — a place where academic learning comes alive through practical, creative experience. Courses across disciplines including English, Education, and Psychology integrate theatre into their curricula, helping students develop essential life skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and public speaking. Beyond the classroom, students gain hands-on experience in acting, directing, production, and design — skills that translate directly into professional success.  

A Home for All 

As participants can attest, the Bauer Theatre is a place to find community, grow creatively, and be mentored by professionals. Productions addressing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility ensure Theatre Antigonish remains a welcoming space for everyone. 

“The Bauer Theatre is a place you can call home. In my first year of university, I was overwhelmed and worried about finding my people. When I auditioned for a play at the Bauer, I was immediately treated like family and made friendships that I know will last for years.” 

– Matt Luers    

 “Theatre Antigonish provides a space for students to grow creatively, find community, and build lasting connections with other students and community members. It also creates incredible opportunities for students to be mentored by theatre professionals. My time at Theatre Antigonish has unequivocally been the best part of my StFX experience.”  

 –  Abby Fraser    

Alumni 

Of the noted alumni listed on the StFX Wikipedia page, nearly 20% have gone on to careers as actors, directors, or musicians, a testament to the theatre's lasting educational influence.  

Theatre Antigonish has launched many distinguished careers. Notable alumni include Larry Lamb (EastEnders), politician and broadcaster Seamus O'Regan, folk musician Mary Jane Lamond, actor John Ralston, theatre artist Emmy Alcorn and of course, our local star Laura Teasdale. Recent graduates Devon Side Walker and Emma Vickers — the latter nominated for a Nova Scotia Merritt Award — continue the tradition of homegrown talent making its mark. 

Woven into the Community 

Theatre Antigonish is not a university theatre program — it is an independent non-profit organization that calls the StFX campus home. That distinction matters. Free from the constraints of a single institution, Theatre Antigonish has always belonged to the whole community: students and long-time residents, newcomers and multi-generation Antigonish families, academics and tradespersons. Over five decades, local residents have sat beside students in the audience, appeared alongside them on stage, and watched their own children grow up to perform in the same space they once visited as kids. That continuity is rare. Parents who were moved by a show in the 1980s now encourage their teenagers to audition; community members who worked a production crew decades ago still show up to opening nights. Productions like Hector the Spectre Steals the Show and Listen to the Wind weren't just performances — they were mirrors held up to local life, telling stories that resonated because they belonged to everyone in the room. This intergenerational thread is what makes Theatre Antigonish something more than a venue: it is a shared cultural memory, renewed each season, and open to all.