Canadian Stage Records Surplus of $289,749

Canadian Stage has achieved a historic milestone by eliminating its accumulated debt, held since its incorporation in 1987. The organization concluded the 2023-24 season with a financial surplus of $289,749, marking a significant moment in its 36-year journey. This accomplishment comes as a testament to resilience, as well as the dedication and leadership of past and present Board members, most notably driven by a matching challenge initiated by donors Paul and Janice Sabourin in honour of Past Chair Alexandra Baillie.
 

Programming Highlights: A Season of Impactful Storytelling and Community Engagement
 

The 2023-24 season reflected pressing societal themes, with programming that tackled capitalism's global impact, the climate crisis, and the responsibilities of care. A standout of the season was the Canadian premiere of Matthew Lopez's The Inheritance, directed to widespread acclaim by Artistic Director Brendan Healy. This two-part epic explored the legacy of the AIDS crisis on a new generation and left audiences captivated, reinforcing Canadian Stage's commitment to thought-provoking and large-scale theatre.

Across productions like the world premiere of celebrated Canadian Crystal Pite's Assembly Hall, to the epic The Lehman Trilogy helmed by Philip Akin, to Australia's Back to Back Theatre's The Shadows Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes (created and performed by neurodiverse artists), Canadian Stage drew its largest number of single-ticket buyers since 2008 with nearly 50% of its audience from first-time attendees, highlighting its progress in engaging new multi-cultural and multi-generational communities.  

The generous support from the Slaight Family Foundation provided a critical boost, enabling Canadian Stage to pursue productions with big ideas and ambitious storytelling—productions compelling enough to draw both existing and new audiences during these complex times for arts organizations. The season also included productions designed to foster accessibility and community connections, including the pilot of free childcare services during Universal Childcare. The pilot's overwhelming success and sold-out performances have led to a commitment to offering free childcare at every Berkeley production throughout 2024-25 and beyond.

Artistic Director Brendan Healy shared his excitement about the audience response: “It's exhilarating to see audiences responding so positively to our productions and our theatres filled with new and seasoned theatregoers alike. Through innovative programming—whether premieres of new works or contemporary adaptations that speak to today's world—we are building a dynamic space for artistic discovery that can spark connection with and between audiences across this vibrant city and country.”
 

A Historic Turning Point for Canadian Stage

Canadian Stage was formed through the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre in 1987 which, upon merger, had and held a deficit that persisted until today.  Over the decades, many Board and leadership teams made great efforts and progress in addressing this long-standing debt.  However, by 2018, when Brendan Healy and Executive Director Monica Esteves began their co-leadership, the accumulated deficit stood at $1.7 million. Their first strategic plan (2020-2024), created with the support of internationally recognized arts consultant Michael Kaiser, earmarked the elimination of this deficit as a top-line strategy towards building a more resilient Canadian Stage.  Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic just at the onset of that strategic plan's launch, careful financial planning, focused leadership and transformative gifts from the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Family Foundation and Sandra Simpson enabled the organization to reduce the debt to $280,000 by the close of 2022-23.

Paul Sabourin, who served on the Canadian Stage Board of Directors during the pandemic, explained his and Janice's motivation behind the 2024 deficit elimination matching challenge: “We were inspired by Canadian Stage's resilience and incredible work, on and off the stage. It became clear that the debt on the balance sheet did not reflect the healthy, vibrant organization it has become. In honour of past board Chair Alexandra Baillie's leadership through some of the toughest years, we saw this as an opportunity to rally support and erase this debt for good.”

The response from current and past Board members and supporters was immediate and overwhelming. Hugh Clark, Board Chair, emphasized: “The Board is immensely proud of the clarity of purpose and long-term strategy that brought us here. Paul and Janice's matching challenge gave us the push to act boldly, and together we met this moment. Canadian Stage is entering a new chapter, stronger than ever. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this fund.” In early 2025, contributors and supporters will gather at Canadian Stage's Berkeley Street Theatres to unveil a commemorative plaque in honour of the Alexandra Baillie Legacy Fund and to celebrate this historic milestone.
 

A New Chapter with a Clean Slate

Monica Esteves, Executive Director, summarized the importance of this milestone season: “For us, the 2023-24 season was about meaningful audience engagement and stabilizing after the challenges of the pandemic. We saw our highest level of new audiences in decades and increased our investment in compelling artistic offerings for GTA audiences and visitors, despite the dwindling of COVID-recovery supports and challenging economic pressures. At our Annual General Meeting on October 17th, which delivered these financial results, we also approved Canadian Stage's 2025-2028 strategic plan. Having a clean slate—completely free from debt for the first time in the organization's history—gives us tremendous energy to launch this next chapter. In this business, we learn to expect the unexpected, but this matching challenge from the Sabourins was the best kind of unexpected. It puts wind in our sails for years to come.”

What's Next at Canadian Stage

Building on this momentum, Canadian Stage is exceptionally proud of its acclaimed production of My Name Is Lucy Barton, which recently wrapped up its run at the Bluma Appel Theatre to critical and audience acclaim. It is equally thrilled by the successful opening of Playing Shylock on October 30, 2024, at its Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre, starring legendary actor Saul Rubinek, which has already captivated audiences with its powerful performance.

In December 2024, The Wizard of Oz will take the stage, marking Canadian Stage's exciting expansion into the Winter Garden Theatre. This family-friendly production continues Ross Petty's 25-year tradition of delivering vibrant, multi-generational holiday mirth and complements Canadian Stage's four decades of Dream in High Park. Like Dream in High Park, the Panto offers accessible, multi-generational programming that introduces audiences of all ages to the magic of theatre and celebrates local theatre artists. 

Together, these and other productions create a year-round invitation to experience the arts—bookending Canadian Stage's seasonal offerings with joy, discovery, and community spirit. Many of the plays developed by Canadian Stage have been awarded and nominated for Canada's most prestigious literary and performing arts honours, including Governor General's, Chalmers, and Dora Mavor Moore Awards.