Professional Productions
Classic Theatre Festival
From 2010 to 2023, the Classic Theatre Festival brought the finest Canadian talent to Heritage Perth every summer, presenting the Classic Hits of Broadway and the London Stage…[More]
The Crush of Beauty
Burning Passions Theatre presented the premiere of The Crush of Beauty at the 2009 Summerworks Theatre Festival in Toronto. An unlikely friendship occurs between an old woman and a teenage girl who meet on a park bench…[More]
Bella Donna
In the spring of 2008, the company produced David Copelin’s award-winning play, Bella Donna, a tale of sex and intrigue on the legend of Lucrezia Borgia, the most reviled and desired woman of Renaissance Italy, presented at Toronto’s Berkeley Street Theatre…[More]
Mrs. Warren’s Profession
In July of 2007, the company produced Mrs. Warren’s Profession, the timeless George Bernard Shaw play about “the woman question.” The acclaimed production played to sold-out audiences at the Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival…[More]
Fireweeds: Women of the Yukon
The company’s first major Toronto production took place in September 2000. Fireweeds: Women of the Yukon by playwright/composer Cathy Elliott. This world premiere was presented at Canadian Stage Theatre at Berkeley Street, Upstairs, in Toronto…[More]
What’s a Girl to Do?
The company was launched with an original work by Laurel Smith and Matthew Behrens on male violence, entitled What’s a Girl to Do? This one-woman show, performed by Laurel Smith with musical director Michael Barber, explored the myth of “happy ever after” endings as told through musical theatre and toured throughout Ontario…[More]
In the Community
A Circle of Care
Burning Passions Theatre presents a new play, A Circle of Care, written by Laurel Smith, in collaboration with the Seniors Sharing Stories theatre troupe. In partnership with the Rideau Rockcliffe Community Centre…[More]
Every Friday
Inspired by the #MeToo movement, Every Friday is a play about the aftermath of sexual assault and harassment. Written by Laurel Smith, based on stories created by the 2018 Listen Up! troupe… [More]
The Invisible Boy
Listen Up! Youth Theatre Training Project presents The Invisible Boy, a new play about rural youth homelessness in Lanark County…[More]
Jessie’s Song
Listen Up, Lanark County! Youth Theatre Training Project presents Jessie’s Song, a new play about rural youth dealing with the effects of suicide on their community…[More]
Listen Up, Perth!
A first-hand look at the lives of small-town, rural teenagers was performed at the Royal Canadian Legion (Perth-Upon-Tay branch)…[More]
ONTARIO, Yours Too…
During the spring of 2002, the company toured throughout Ontario a new work, ONTARIO, Yours Too… Written and performed by a troupe of professional and community theatre artists, this project was presented in collaboration with the Ontario Coalition for Social Justice and their Fit to Govern Campaign…[More]
No City Limits
During the summers of 2001 and 2002, Burning Passions Theatre, in partnership with Arts York, a community arts council, conducted a summer youth theatre project. The No City Limits project, begun in the summer of 2001, was performed by a troupe of youth and toured throughout the City of Toronto to youth centres, community centers and other public venues. A facilitated discussion followed each performance on the youth issues presented in the play…[More]
School Productions
December 6 Memorial
In 2000, the company was invited by the Toronto District School Board to create a new work that dealt with the issue of male violence and the December 6 Memorial, to commemorate the murder of 14 female students of the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal in 1989 by an anti-feminist gunman. Written and performed by Laurel Smith and Matthew Behrens, long-time social activist, the piece was presented at both Lord Dufferin Public School and Winona Public School during the 2000/01 school year.
The Game
The company was commissioned by the Equity Department of the Toronto District School Board to create a theatre project around the issues of class and the labour movement. Laurel Smith, coordinator of the project, was invited into Lord Dufferin and Smithfield Public Schools to work with the students, sharing information regarding the history of the class struggle and the labour movement in Canada and around the world. The project culminated in a presentation of a new work, written by Smith, entitled The Game, performed by a Grade 7 class of Lord Dufferin students in May of 2001.