As part of their ongoing virtual programming, Nexicom Presents 4th Line Theatre @ Home, 4th Line Theatre has announced the release of Beau Dixon’s Sizzlin’ Series. This video series will focus on regional BIPOC residents who are leading fascinating and inspiring lives.   

“We are excited to present Beau's series and discover people living in our region and the contributions they are making,” says Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell. “We are committed to a more embedded strategy of inclusivity, equity and diversity here at 4th Line.” 

Each episode in the series will feature an interview with a local BIPOC resident who will reflect on their occupation, career and daily life. The theatre company will release new episodes weekly on their YouTube channel starting Monday, March 1st. Read More

Kim Blackwell will chat with acclaimed artists Linda Kash, Theresa Tova, Andrea Scott and Beau Dixon

​

4th Line Theatre is making the most of extra time indoors this winter with an Artist Talk Series during the month of February.

Kim Blackwell in Conversation With … will be held virtually, similar to the talk series the Millbrook theatre company hosted in May 2020. Last year's series has been viewed by more than 2,900 people around the world since they originally aired.

“Our Artist Talks have always been some of our most highly anticipated events at 4th Line Theatre,” says Blackwell.

“When we went online with our talks in 2020, we were not sure what the response would be to the new format. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who watched my conversations in 2020. I am thrilled to  Read more...

The Jon Kaplan Mensch Award has been given to Kim Blackwell, managing artistic director of 4th Line Theatre, by theatre critic Lynn Slotkin.

Although the theatre had to postpone its 2020 season, Blackwell established a weekly farmers’ market on the theatre’s grounds to help local farmers survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

The market also provided employees of the theatre with work despite shows being cancelled.

Blackwell also organized a series of 27 monologues from past shows that supporters of 4th Line Theatre could arrange to hear by phone for free.

Along with Lindy Finlan, Blackwell also co-wrote “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales,” an outdoor, nighttime play for Halloween that was staged in the fields of Winslow Farm near Millbrook in Cavan Monaghan Township.

  Read More

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre is working with students from Lakefield College School’s Ondaatje House to collect purses and fill them with personal care items for area women in need.

People can donate a new or gently used purse containing personal care items, donate a new or used clean and empty purse, personal care items to fill the purses, or donate money that can be used to purchase items.

Organizers are looking for feminine hygiene products (pads, liners and tampons), deodorant, soap bar or body wash, toothpaste, tooth brush, hair comb or small brush, cloth face masks, washcloths and small towels, body lotion, hand sanitizer or wipes, cotton balls and swabs, lip balm and moisturizers, socks and slippers, gloves, mittens, ear muffs, hats and scarves,    Read More

​

A dynamic new initiative is providing an opportunity for local artists to showcase their work in a digital space. 

Hosted by 4th Line Theatre, the Digital Festival of Light & Dark will foster virtual engagement between local artists — those based in Millbrook, Peterborough, Lakefield, Port Hope, Cobourg and the surrounding environs —  and community members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We want to support local artists, even in a small way; and to generate art throughout the winter of 2021, when people might be more housebound than normal,” stated managing artistic director Kim Blackwell.

4th Line is currently seeking project proposals from local artists for original or existing artworks to be featured in the digital festival.

  Read More

In the time of the coronavirus, a Toronto-based theatre critic in search of plays to review must head off the beaten path. He might even find himself slipping along a muddy one leading through a farmer’s field in the pitch dark on a frosty October night.

On Tuesday evening, I made my long-overdue acquaintance with 4th Line Theatre, which has been performing outdoors on a 100-acre farm in Cavan Monaghan Township since 1992.

It’s just under two hours from Toronto, about half an hour from Peterborough and a few minutes from the main street of Millbrook, an ultra-quaint small town that recently played the role of Charlottetown in Anne with an E, but doesn’t, be forewarned, have much in the way of pre-show dining  Read More

The long awaited return of live theatre has finally come to Peterborough with the Open Spaces Theatre Festival, running at outdoor venues in downtown Peterborough from Thursday, September 24th to Sunday, September 27th.

Open Spaces, in association with 4th Line Theatre, will bring four (plus one!) original productions to safely distanced audiences. Tickets are now on sale via 4th Line Theatre.

Christina Adams, the founder of the festival, was travelling in Australia when the pandemic hit. Like thousands of Canadian nationals across the globe, Adams was forced to cut her travels short and return home this spring. Witnessing the utter havoc the pandemic has wrecked upon the arts and culture sector in Peterborough and the world over, Adams was inspired to do   Read More

 Tickets now available for their Halloween-themed 'Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales', premiering at Winslow Farm in Millbrook this October

Millbrook’s renowned outdoor theatre company 4th Line Theatre, which had to postpone its summer season for the first time ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recently announced their return to live theatre this fall with the Halloween-themed production Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales.As a theatre nerd, it has been impossible for me to experience this pandemic without thinking of William Shakespeare. This is due, in part, to that pesky meme in circulation that scorns my incompetence with the incessant reminder that: “When Shakespeare was in quarantine because of the plague, he wrote King Lear.” No pressure, right?

 Read More

4th Line Theatre will return with their world premiere Halloween production, Bedtime stories and Other Horrifying Tales

Theatre audiences will be invited to venture into the dark and unknown with 4th Line Theatre’s comeback production this fall, both in their imaginations and on foot.

Bedtimes Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, co-written by Lindy Finlan and Kim Blackwell who will also direct, is a creepy production inspired by the images and creatures that fill children’s nightmares, alongside a story of the devastating consequences of forbidden love. With the backdrop of the historic Winslow Farm, this world premiere Halloween Read More

One-hour sessions of physically distanced yoga are free of charge thanks to Nexicom  

Beginning in August, 4th Line Theatre will be hosting outdoor yoga sessions at the Winslow Farm in Millbrook.

4th Line’s artistic director Kim Blackwell told kawarthaNOW in early July the theatre company was planning on hosting yoga at the farm.

With the postponement of its 2020 summer season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the yoga sessions are just the latest in a series of innovative initiatives 4th Line has undertaken to engage people who would normally be in the theatre’s audience.

​

​

  Read More

  CBC Ontario Morning -

Friday July 3, 2020 -  Part 1

Kim Blackwell, the managing artistic director of 4th Line Theatre tells us about the Festival Friday Farmers' Market that they are hosting.

​

Listen to the full interview here starting at the 20:02 mark.

​

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1760025667552/

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The company, based in nearby Millbrook, Ont., announced Tuesday morning that following a meeting on Monday, the board of directors decided to move both productions scheduled for 2020 to summer 2021.

The company was scheduled to stage The Great Shadow, written by Alex Poch-Goldin and directed by Deb Williams, in June. In August, the company was to present the premiere of Maja Ardal’s Wishful Seeing, directed by 4th Line’s managing artistic director, Kim Blackwell.

In a letter and email Tuesday, Blackwell stated it was a difficult decision and says she held out   Read more...

4th Line Theatre is hosting its second virtual show of the season, this one featuring Maja Ardal’s “The Cure for Everything”.

Manager of Marketing & Development Sara Mountenay says it’s important to keep their audience involved with the theatre.

​

Listen Here

The one-person show will be held on Zoom for 100 viewers, which are  first-come, first-serve.

​

 One-person show 'The Cure for Everything' is a follow-up to Ardal's 'You Fancy Yourself'    

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre has announced its second virtual play reading this spring, with a live-streamed performance of Maja Ardal’s one-person show The Cure for Everything on Thursday, June 4th.

The play is a follow-up to Adral’s You Fancy Yourself, which 4th Line also presented as a virtual play reading on May 7th. That play was nominated for three Dora awards, with Ardal winning for outstanding performance.

  Read more...

What’s the old saying for ‘The Hyde House’? It’s worth the drive to Acton.  Well, I’ll tell you, for the last two summers, it has been well worth the drive to 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook, Ontario to see some phenomenal surprises at this gem of an outdoor summer theatre.  There’s good stuff going on here.

​

I remember writing the first review for 4th Line the first summer I attended and figuratively kicked myself in the behind why I hadn’t made it out there before. 

 Read More...

4th Line Theatre made the difficult decision to postpone their first show of the season.

The Great Shadow, written by Alex Poch-Goldin and directed by Deb Williams will instead open the 2021 season.

The Board of Directors has decided to wait a bit longer to make a decision about the second show in the 2020 summer season, Maja Ardal’s ‘Wishful Seeing’,

Managing Artists Director Kim Blackwell says she is thinking about all of their loyal audience members during this time and in the not so distant future, she knows they will meet again to partake in great theatre under a beautiful Ontario sky.   

The annual Artist Talk series at Millbrook's 4th Line Theatre is going online this spring. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theatre has established livestreams of the series, as well as a play reading event, to allow patrons to stay at home to prevent the spread of the virus.

Managing artistic director Kim Blackwell is launching this year's series as part of the theatre's Emerging Women's Directing Project.  Titled "Kim Blackwell in Conversation With…," the project    Read More...

4th Line Theatre’s Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell invites members of the community to join her for an afternoon of hockey-themed stories, memories and reminiscences, with an eye to creating a hockey-themed play in the near future.  Canadian actors and playwrights Paul Braunstein (4th Line’s The Shadow Walk of Millbrook) and Courtenay Stevens are excited to be working with 4th Line to create a play about hockey 

 Read more...

Thievery, accusations and intrigue: Bring a little mystery to your holiday season with "The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper."

Set in 1960s Millbrook, this Nancy Drew-style mystery finds a church congregation divided after props and costumes for an upcoming Christmas concert go missing. Accused are The Needlers, a band of local young people who take to the streets to try to solve the mystery and clear their names. This 4th Line Theatre production, written by Lindy Finlan   Read more...

Millbrook's 4th Line Theatre has a cast in place for its winter production of "The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper."

The play will take place Dec. 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, and sees the audience on foot, following the action through downtown Millbrook. The show starts at 7 p.m. at St. Thomas Anglican Church and covers about a kilometre, with a warning from 4th Line that this production isn't suitable for people with mobility or health issues.

Described as a "Nancy Drew-type" story, the all-ages play is making its world premiere.        Read more...

Have you always wanted to act onstage?

Want to be part of an epic outdoor production in your community?  Have you ever wondered how 4th Line productions come to life? Interested in learning new skills and working alongside professional actors, directors and choreographers?  4th Line Theatre is looking for volunteers to perform in its production of Lindy Finlan’s The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper.Read More...

Kim Blackwell, left, and Lindy Finlan of 4th Line Theatre accept Trillium Foundation funding from Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott at the Millbrook theatre. The funds will be used to renovate seating and rebuild the box office building. Millbrook's 4th Line Theatre has received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to make improvements and produce holiday-themed plays.

The funding was announced Aug. 8 when Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott       Read more...

Written by Lindy Finlan and directed by Kim Blackwell, The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper is a Nancy Drew-style mystery. Set in the 1960s in Millbrook, a church congregation is divided when props and costumes for the upcoming Christmas concert go missing. The Needlers, a band comprised of local young people, are accused of being the culprits.    Read more...

4th Line Theatre founder being recognized for his passion for live theatre and creating a company that celebrates local history

This is the seventh in a series of stories profiling this year’s Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame inductees. Ten businesses and their owners will be formally inducted during a ceremony at The Venue on George Street in Peterborough on May 23.

A cool spring breeze rustles long grasses as it rolls through a field into the quiet outdoor stage at 4th Line Theatre.  Read more...

This year, Kim Blackwell is marking her 25th year at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook.

The managing artistic director has played an integral role in the development of the outdoor theatre company for more than two decades.

​

Born in Toronto and raised in Peterborough, Blackwell was involved in the local theatre community from a very young age. It was while performing in a play in 1992 at the former artist-run The Union Theatre  Read more...

In wake of scandals in entertainment world, Kim Blackwell wants employees to know sexual harassment will not be tolerated.

At the Golden Globes last night (January 7), the issue of sexual harassment dominated the ceremony, with stars wearing black and various presenters and recipients using the opportunity to express solidarity with victims.

Host Seth Meyers opened the awards by saying “Welcome ladies and remaining gentlemen. It’s 2018 and marijuana is finally allowed and sexual harassment finally isn’t. For the male nominees in the room tonight, this is the first time in three months it won’t be terrifying to hear your name read out loud.”

Meyers was of course referring to the flood of sexual harassment accusations that began with Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein and then spread like wildfire to include various male actors, sports figures, and other celebrities, prompting the #MeToo movement on social media where women recounted their own experiences of sexual harassment.

Read more...

4th Line Theatre has announced they are launching a new initiative this month, the Propel Weekly Writing Program, adding to the company’s virtual programming as part of the Nexicom Presents 4th Line Theatre @ Home event series. 

Anyone interested in participating is invited to join Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell for one or all in this 11-week series of online writing/creation workshops. The workshops are designed to inspire writers and creators and to allow them to commit time to their projects. There will also be time in each session to discuss work and collect feedback from Blackwell. 

“It is so challenging to carve out the time to devote to your artistic endeavours, especially your writing projects,” says Blackwell. “The Propel Writing Program will allow interested participants to... Read More

4th Line Theatre provided 13 regional artists micro-grants to create a dozen five-minute digital showcases of their work

​

In an innovative approach to promoting local artists during a pandemic, 4th Line Theatre presents their first-ever Digital Festival of Light and Dark, that launched online on Jan. 25.

Members of the community are invited to engage with the artists’ creations from home through a digital video gallery from the comfort of their own home for free.

“We wanted to support local artists. That was the genesis for the idea which ultimately became the Digital Festival of Light and Dark,” explains managing artistic director Kim Blackwell.

“I am excited to showcase the work of so many talented local artists from almost every conceivable discipline. These short, digital  Read more...

The Jon Kaplan Mensch Award recognizes Blackwell for the Millbrook theatre company's 2020 pandemic programming

Every year, renowned Toronto theatre critic and writer Lynn Slotkin recognizes outstanding work in theatre with her series of “Tootsie” awards.

This year, 4th Line Theatre’s artistic director Kim Blackwell has been recognized with Slotkin’s prestigious Jon Kaplan Mensch Award. Named for Jon Kaplan, the late theatre reviewer for NOW magazine, the award recognizes recipients as people of integrity and high honour.

Slotkin, who is considered to be one of the preeminent voices in professional theatre both nationally and internationally, publishes The Slotkin Letter, a monthly newsletter that chronicles her theatre-going experiences in 

 Read More

4th Line Theatre has announced that award-winning Canadian actor, writer and composer/musician Beau Dixon has joined the theatre as an Artistic Associate. 
Dixon will assist 4th Line in further developing its inclusivity and diversity initiatives and strategies. WIth Dixon’s assistance, 4th Line Theatre’s objective is to establish a talent bank of racialized artists, uncover local racialized stories, and liaise with racialized community partners. 

Dixon’s research, and the relationships he forges during this project, will aid in future artistic programming and play development. Dixon’s deep ties to Peterborough and area will allow him to delve deeply into the issues of inclusivity and diversity, to ensure lasting strategies for the theatre.
 Read More

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre is launching the new Digital Festival of Light & Dark, which will provide an opportunity for artists in Millbrook, Peterborough, Lakefield, Port Hope, Cobourg and the surrounding area to exhibit their work in a digital environment.

Proposals from local artists are now being accepted. These may feature one or more art forms, including dance, film, theatre, music, visual art and photography. Priority will be given to artists who explore the concepts of light and/or darkness, in whatever medium they choose to work, states a 4th Line press release.

Six grants of $250 will be awarded.

Proposals must include a 300-word description of the project and the artist’s bio.

The deadline is 5 p.m. on Nov. 24. Email proposals to Jess McDougall, 4th Line’s artistic administrator, at 

 Read More

Original outdoor Halloween production runs from October 20 to 30 at Winslow Farm in Millbrook

Symbolically, there’s something marvelous about the return of live performance to 4th Line coinciding with a rite of autumn. Halloween is, after all, the time of year when it is believed that spirits can pass easily between realms; when the veil between the living and the dead is lifted,

Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, an original production co-written by 4th Line Theatre’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell and general manager Lindy Finlan during lockdown, summons the ghosts of 4th Line shows past.

The idyllic Winslow farm, a place familiar to many as a summer must-see for artistic excellence in outdoor theatre, seems somewhat foreign in the autumn. 

​

  Read More

4th Line Theatre is pleased to announce a new fall production where they can welcome audiences back to the historic Winslow farm to participate in their new Halloween production, Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, co-written by Kim Blackwell and Lindy Finlan. This creepy production is inspired by the images and creatures that fill children’s nightmares, alongside a story of the devastating consequences of forbidden love. The show will be directed by Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

Set on a dark fall night in 1835, Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, follows 10-year-old Samuel Deyell as he goes into the darkest night, in search of his missing mother. Samuel is joined on his quest by his two best friends. In the shadows, the children encounter the darkest secrets and most horrifying facets of Millbrook and Cavan.  Read More

 Four films will screen for free at Winslow Farm, with safety protocols on place

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre is continuing its efforts to engage the community, with the cancellation of the outdoor theatre company’s 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

This time, 4th Line is launching an outdoor movie night at Winslow Farm (779 Zion Line, Millbrook) on four evenings in August, screening blockbuster family-friendly films from the ’80s and ’90s.

“We continue to explore ways to invite people to come to the farm and join us for some community togetherness in these unpredictable times,” says managing artistic director Kim Blackwell. “And we want people to know that their safety is our number one priority for all of our in-person events.”

Read More

World premiere of Halloween-themed 'Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales' runs for 10 COVID-safe performances   

Millbrook’s outdoor theatre company 4th Line Theatre announced on Thursday (August 6) that live performances will return to Winslow Farm in October, with the world premiere of Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales.

The Halloween-themed production was co-written by 4th Line’s general manager Lindy Finlan and managing artistic director Kim Blackwell, who will also direct the show, with musical direction and original compositions by Justin Hiscox.

Set on a dark fall night in 1835, the play follows  Read More

This morning I received a phone call from Reverend Bobby Angel.

The insidious evangelistic preacher from the play Gimme That Prime Time Religion, last staged at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook in August 2015, brought down the fist and fury of the almighty in a fiery sermon about the purity of the soul in the troubled times we live in.

It was passionate, persuasive and, at times, frightening to be sitting on the other end of the phone with one of local theatre icon Rob Winslow’s most vivacious and intense characters.  No, COVID isolation hasn’t made me start imagining conversations with theatrical characters from summers past. The phone call was part of 4th Line Theatre’s new @ Home Monologue Series.    Read More

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre will be hosting a farmers’ market beginning July 3.

The theatre is opening its historic Winslow Farm to operate the market, which will take place every Friday in July and August.

Sara Mountenay — the theatre’s manager of marketing and development — said in a statement that as everyone began to ease back into the newly opening world, the team at 4th Line Theatre began looking for ways to safely engage local residents. She said their team wants to promote all of the amazing products and services that local communities have to offer. “With the decision made to postpone the 29th Summer Season, 4th Line  wants to continue to welcome the community to the  Read More

Scheduled plays 'The Great Shadow' and 'Wishful Seeing' will be postponed until 2021

4th Line Theatre in Millbrook has cancelled its entire summer season for the first time in 29 years due to continued uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a letter from managing artistic director Kim Blackwell, the outdoor theatre company’s board of directors made the “difficult” decision at a special board meeting on Monday (June 8).

In April, the board had already decided to

Read More....

​

Kim Blackwell, Managing Artistic Director of 4th Line Theatre, talks about the important relationship between Mentor and Mentee and the mentoring programs in place at 4th Line Theatre.

​

Watch the full expert talk          Here

​

​

​

While it’s usually nice to be the ‘first’, local cultural groups would rather not have the title when it comes to hosting events during COVID-19.

On Tuesday (May 12), Peterborough Musicfest general manager Tracey Randall had the difficult task of announcing the cancellation of this year’s season. The organization has been in regular contact with health authorities, the province and the city for the last eight weeks, she says, but no one has a “crystal ball.” Organizers have been looking at                    Read More...

In this unprecedented time, the 4th Line Theatre is doing its part to encourage people to stay home by delivering some if its regular live events through live stream.   In May, the company will offer a series of free-of-charge virtual live stream artist talks as well as a play reading to provide some welcome diversions as well continue to follow stay home orders.

The series is part of Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell’s Emerging Women’s Directing Project, and will focus on Canadian women theatre artists who are pioneers in their field.  4th Line’s Epic Women’s Directing Project Read More...

The start of the 2020 season for Millbrook's 4th Line Theatre has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theatre's board of directors announced Tuesday it made the "difficult decision" to do so, while holding out hope an August run for a play will still be possible.

As of right now, it's too soon to know for sure. The summer outdoor theatre series on the Winslow farm in Cavan Monaghan Township had planned to open the season with the debut of "The Great Shadow," written by Alex Poch-Goldin Read More...

Can small towns have big stories? Absolutely! For almost three decades, 4th Line Theatre has celebrated the lives of rural Ontarians while bringing vital tourism dollars into the community.

The story of 4th Line Theatre begins in 1990, when playwright/actor/director Robert Winslow inherited his family’s 180-year-old farm in Millbrook, in the township of Cavan-Monaghan. 

  Read more...

4th Line Theatre’s Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell is inviting members of the community to join her for an afternoon of hockey-themed stories, memories and reminiscences on Sunday, February 2nd, with an eye to creating a hockey-themed play in the near future.  
Canadian actors and playwrights Paul Braunstein (4th Line’s The Shadow Walk of Millbrook) and Courtenay Stevens are excited to be working with 4th Line to create a play about hockey derived from local stories and memories.  Read more...

There are only a handful of tickets left if you want to see 4th Line Theatre’s new Christmas show The Fool of Cavan: A Christmas Caper.

Written by Lindy Finlan and directed by 4th Line’s managing artistic director Kim Blackwell, The Fool of Cavan is 4th Line’s newest outdoor holiday show, which starts at St. Thomas Anglican Church and brings the story out into the streets of Millbrook using the village as the story’s backdrop.

Filled with mystery, music, fun, and just a bit of old world magic, The Fool of Cavan is a perfect holiday outing for the entire family.    Read more...

Kim Blackwell, managing artistic director of 4th Line Theatre, is thrilled to announce the theatre's 29th summer season. The season will begin on June 30 with "The Great Shadow," written by Alex Poch-Goldin, and directed by Deb Williams who returns after directing the 2018 production of "Crow Hill: The Telephone Play."

Read more...

I am sorry to have missed ‘Doctor Barnardo’s Children’ and its original production at 4th Line several years ago as word of mouth rang exceptional in performance delivery and history lesson of Peterborough. I was told it wasn’t necessary to have seen the first and second plays to appreciate future stories. 

After hearing playwrights Ian McLachlan and Robert Winslow deliver an informative talk back session in the late afternoon, I still think  Read more...

4th Line Theatre opened its second production of the summer with the world premiere of Carmel, the fifth collaboration between 4th Line Theatre founder Robert Winslow and local historian Ian McLachlan.

Carmel weaves together both local and international history within a very human story of struggle, perseverance, friendship, and love.   

  Read more...

Set in 1937, in the hamlet of Carmel just south of Millbrook, the play is the third in the Barnardo children play series and follows the struggles of the White family as the try to hold onto the farm during the Great Depression.   Like the July production, Bloom, A Rock and Roll Fable, this play relies heavily on music and dancing, which is why Director Kim Blackwell reached out to Melissa Payne to audition for a key role in this production. Melissa is a seasoned  Read more...

When the Township of Cavan was just an expanse of untouched wilderness, a 27-year-old Irish-Catholic carpenter with big dreams and an adventurous spirit came to find his place.

William Scollard bought a piece of land June 18, 1817 at the northern edge of the township, and his brother John followed suit on the adjacent land, a year later.

​

Read more...

Ashburnham Ale House owner Scott Wood cherishes his role in fostering the skills of youth working at the East City establishment.

"It's always uplifting and gives me a great sense of heart being able to help them along as much as I can," he said after being named Wednesday as one of 10 inductees to the Junior Achievement - Peterborough, Lakeland, Muskoka (JA-PLM) Business Hall of Fame.

The local branch of the global organization has recognized Read more...

 Streaming until May on the 4th Line Theatre YouTube Channel:

4th Line Theatre Company in Millbrook, Ont. (south of Peterborough) launched its 2021 programming with its first ever Digital Festival of Light and Dark. The Festival enables the community to engage with 13 regional artists’ video creations, in the safety of their own homes through 4th Line’s digital video gallery. There are actually 12 videos but 13 artists created them.

Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell explains, “We wanted to support local artists.  That was the genesis for the idea which ultimately became The Digital Festival of Light and Dark. I am excited to showcase the work of so many talented local artists from almost every conceivable discipline. These short, digital  Read more...

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre will launch its Digital Festival of Light and Dark next week.

Micro-grants have been provided to 13 regional artists by the festival so they can create 12 five-minute digital showcases of their work, the theatre announced Tuesday.

The digital festival is free-of-charge to watch online and will allow people to engage with the artists’ creations in the safety of their own homes during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown through the theatre’s digital video gallery.

Managing artistic director Kim Blackwell said the theatre — which had to cancel last summer’s performances and then staged the Open Spaces Theatre Festival in downtown Peterborough in September followed by a limited run of “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales” prior to Halloween at the theatre in October Read More

​

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre is working with students from Lakefield College School’s Ondaatje House to collect purses and fill them with personal care items for area women in need.

People can donate a new or gently used purse containing personal care items, donate a new or used clean and empty purse, personal care items to fill the purses, or donate money that can be used to purchase items.

Organizers are looking for feminine hygiene products (pads, liners and tampons), deodorant, soap bar or body wash, toothpaste, tooth brush, hair comb or small brush, cloth face masks, washcloths and small towels, body lotion, hand sanitizer or wipes, cotton balls and swabs, lip balm and moisturizers, socks and slippers, gloves, mittens, ear muffs, hats and scarves,    Read More

In his artistic associate role, Dixon will assist the Millbrook theatre company develop a talent bank of racialized artists, uncover local racialized stories, and more

Listing all of Beau Dixon’s artistic accolades and achievements would take pages upon pages. For the sake of brevity, it shall suffice to say the award-winning multi-disciplinary artist is a force.

The actor, musician, composer, playwright, and sound designer has worked from coast to coast, performing on high-profile stages including (but not limited to) Stratford, Shaw, Canstages, Tarragon, Soulpepper, Buddies in Bad Times, The Factory, and Neptune.

Dixon’s new role as an artistic associate at Millbrook’s outdoor theatre Read More

Well, I wasn’t certain if it could be done as Artistic Director Kim Blackwell stated in her Director/Co-Playwright’s note this whole experience was ‘unchartered’ for 4th Line Theatre in following the local health unit and local, provincial and federal government guidelines.

I’m happy to say they made it work and made it happen while ensuring everyone’s safety involved in this world premiere. I did feel safe in walking around as audience members clearly wore their masks.  A couple of times people were a tad too close for my liking, so I tried to make sure I lingered behind, but didn’t stray too far as it is pitch black out in the Winslow fields.

Just a future note to upcoming audience members this week to dress warmly and to carry a small flashlight as you will be led on a course throughout the Winslow farm at night. I know that past Read More

The Open Spaces Theatre Festival, presented in association with 4th Line Theatre, opened on Thursday. The festival features five productions running until Sunday in outdoor spaces in Peterborough.

“With COVID-19 causing many job losses in the arts industry, The Open Spaces Theatre Festival aims to reengage the community in a safe manner, while supporting new artistic works and providing funding for artists and local theatre companies,” states a press release. “The festival is invested in creating a safe and healthy experience for both artists and audience members.”

Rush tickets are $12 each at the venues, subject to availability. Cash only, and please arrive at least 15 minutes before the performance to buy tickets.

Sunday performances

“Daughter,” by Kim Blackwell: Sold out.   Read More

Newly formed Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance held its flagship meeting in early August

​

Pat Hooper, chair of the board of directors for Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough, has spearheaded an initiative to bring local performance venues and performing arts organizations together to strategically collaborate their pandemic recovery plans.

For the first time in Peterborough’s history, Showplace hosted representatives from 13 venues and organizations on August 6th to form the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance.

The new alliance is comprised of delegates from 4th Line Theatre, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre,            Read More

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre will be hosting a farmers’ market beginning July 3.

The theatre is opening its historic Winslow Farm to operate the market, which will take place every Friday in July and August.

Sara Mountenay — the theatre’s manager of marketing and development — said in a statement that as everyone began to ease back into the newly opening world, the team at 4th Line Theatre began looking for ways to safely engage local residents.

She said their team wants to promote all of the amazing products and services that local communities have to offer.

“With the decision made to postpone the 29th Summer Season, 4th Line wants to continue to welcome the community to the farm, surrounded by breathtaking rolling hills and stunning views, to enjoy exceptional outdoor experiences beginning with the newly announced Festival Friday Farmers’ Market,” said Mountenay.   Read More

Highlands Cinemas owner says it’s cheaper, and safer, to keep Kinmount theatre shuttered until next year

The province is moved into its third stage of economic reopening Friday (July 17), but the news doesn’t make a difference to Keith Stata.

The Highlands Cinemas owner said he fully expected the closure order to remain for the first part of his season but made the decision early on to stay closed, regardless. The Kinmount theatre closes for the winter and costs upwards of $15,000 to reopen.

The theatre’s busiest day ever was 1,550 patrons.

Read More

Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien will be the next guest on 4th Line Theatre’s “Friday Morning Business Breakfast Talks with Kim Blackwell”.

The online event takes place at 8 a.m. on Friday, July 10th on the Zoom video conferencing platform.

The Friday Morning Business Breakfast Talks series is one of the virtual events under the umbrella “Nexicom Presents 4th Line Theatre @ Home”,  developed to keep the community engaged and connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outdoor theatre company Read More...

​

kawarthaNOW.com founder, CEO, and publisher Jeannine Taylor will be the next guest on 4th Line Theatre’s “Friday Morning Business Breakfast Talks with Kim Blackwell”.

The online event takes place at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 26th on the Zoom video conferencing platform.  The Friday Morning Business Breakfast Talks series is one of the virtual events under the umbrella “Nexicom Presents 4th Line Theatre @ Home”, which 4th Line Theatre has developed to keep the community engaged and connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outdoor theatre company in Millbrook has postponed its 2020 summer season  Read More....

Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre cancelled its entire 2020 season on Tuesday after the Ontario government announced that performing arts shows won’t be allowed to return until the third stage of the province’s reopening of the economy from the COVID-19 state of emergency.

Kim Blackwell, the theatre’s managing artistic director, said the board pushed the drastic decision off as long as they could.

“I’m very devastated at the idea of not having art at the 4th Line for the first time in almost 30 years,” Blackwell said. “And I’m sick and worried

Read more...

Backed by funding from longtime supporter Nexicom, the 4th Line Theatre continues to offer online programming this June. Like everyone else in these unprecedented times, 4th Line is responding to the need to encourage people to stay home by creating online programming. The company is excited to bring the world of theatre into people’s homes once more, with its second virtual play reading this year. On Thursday, June 4th, 4th Line Theatre is proud to present...  Read More...

No Ontario theatre festival could’ve been ready for the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown and self-isolation measures it brought, but the Festival of Live Digital Art was readier than most. The festival — which seeks to answer the question “Who are the professional artists creating live digital performance today, and what are they up to?” — has been hosting online events since its inception in 2018. Now, faced with a provincewide ban on organized public events, the entirety of the festival, slated to run from June 10 to 13 at Kingston’s Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, will be

             Read More...

Kim Blackwell, Managing Artistic Director of 4th Line Theatre, shares how COVID-19 has impacted their season.

​

It was so unfathomable to imagine on March 8th of this year that the public reading we held at the Peterborough Museum and Archives would be the last in-person art presentation that 4th Line Theatre would be doing for the foreseeable future. We ended the public reading of D’Arcy Jennish’s new work The Tilco Strike and the audience present was so excited by the excerpt public reading we had presented.                   Read More...

The Great Shadow' by Alex Poch-Goldin postponed to 2021; decision about August play will be made in late May

4th Line Theatre, the outdoor theatre company in Millbrook, is postponing the first play of its summer season.

The Great Shadow, written by Alex Poch-Goldin and directed by Deb Williams, was originally set to premiere on Tuesday, June 30th and run through July.

The theatre company’s board of directors decided on Monday (April 27) to postpone the show until the 2021 summer season.                Read More...

 Season Sponsor Nexicom will match donations to 4th Line’s Emerging Voices Youth Apprenticeship Program until March 3. The program, which costs $20,000 a year, includes professional-led workshops, vocal and dialect coaching, acting and movement coaching, choreography and fight direction as well as technical production coaching for youth volunteers. 

Read more...

​

A book by two London area women about the little-known Farmerettes, who worked on farms across Southern Ontario while young men were overseas fighting in the Second World War, is being adapted into a play.

​

Exeter’s Bonnie Sitter and Londoner Shirleyan English, a former Farmerette, co-wrote Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes, which was published last year.            

Read more...

Actors Grace Thompson (left) and Cassandra Guthrie rehearse a scene from the 2018 production of “Who Killed Snow White?” at 4th Line Theatre. The Millbrook theatre is casting youth volunteer actors for its 2020 plays. Two females able to play 12-16 are required for "The Great Shadow," June 30-July 25, while one female able to play 12-14 is needed for "Wishful Seeing," Aug. 4-29.  Auditions are by appointment only and will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Jan. 19. To book an audition, contact artistic administrator Kelsey Powell before Jan. 13 at 705-

Read more...

Although fall is upon us, 4th Line Theatre wants us to think summer with the release of their show lineup for the 2020 season.

The season will begin on June 30, 2020 with The Great Shadow, written by Alex Poch-Goldin, and directed by Deb Williams who returns after directing the 2018 production of Crow Hill: The Telephone Play.

In August, 4th Line is proud to present the world première of Maja Ardal’s  Read more...

​

Idyllic, rural, and quintessentially Canadian, each year 4th Line Theatre presents Canadian  plays – written by and about Canadians; small town stories or broad national sagas that touch a nerve in all of us. For 28 seasons, 4th Line Theatre has been bringing history to life on the barnyard stages of a rustic 5th generation farm in Millbrook Ontario, between Peterborough and Port Hope.  Since the  Read more...

The third instalment of the popular Dr. Barnardo’s Children series of plays is set to grace the outdoor 4th Line stage this month. Carmel is the continuation of the story line written by 4th Line founder Robert Winslow and his co-writer, Ian McLachlan 

“Billy has been riding the rails across Canada trying to get work, like a lot of single guys in the ‘30s, and winds up back here in 1937. His friend Walter White who has never left this area has got a farm on the Carmel Line and is married this woman named Abigail,” explained Winslow.      Read more...

Robert Winslow and Ian McLachlan have something pretty special, which is far from being a fluke if one considers the words of American industrialist Henry Ford.  “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.”

In the late 1980s, Winslow and McLachlan first came together to co-write the play Pioneer Chainsaw Massacre, which detailed the closure of the   Read more...

Millbrook's 4th Line Theatre will present a Midsummer Night's Music Concert Saturday at St. Thomas's Anglican Church.

The performance will come following the performance of Beau Dixon's "Bloom: A Rock 'n' Roll Fable," and will include performances by Kate Suhr and Melissa Payne; Griffin Clark and Owen Stahn of The Slivers; Justin and Mark Hiscox; and Geoff Hewitson, all of whom appear in the play. "When we realized the level of musical talent we had at the farm Read more...

Junior Achievement of Peterborough Lakefield Muskoka hails local business people as role models for a new generation of entrepreneurs

While the principal aim of Junior Achievement is to “inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy,” there is plenty of merit in presenting, and celebrating, local success stories as a means of achieving that objective.

For a fourth year, Junior Achievement of Peterborough    Read more...