What to Expect at…Crow’s Theatre

/By Jessica Watson / Oct 19, 2021

SHARE

Looking for information about your favourite theatres? We’ve got you covered! Intermission’s Insider Intel articles showcase one theatre at a time to give you all the information you need before your visit.

This week: Crow’s Theatre

What kind of theatre do they produce?

Since 1983, Crow’s Theatre has been a leading force in new play development in the Canadian theatre landscape, known for provocative, award-winning new theatre works. They produce theatre that evolves and adapts with the city—socially, economically, and culturally. With Toronto world premieres that are regularly followed by national and international tours, Crow’s has left a lasting mark on the landscape of Canadian theatre. Crow’s Theatre ignites a passionate and enduring engagement between audiences and artists by creating, producing, and promoting unforgettable theatre that examines and illuminates the pivotal narratives of our times. Their mission is to forge a new and adventurous audience for live art and be the anchor performing arts hub in Toronto’s dynamic east end.

Crow’s Theatre has premiered 50+ daring new Canadian works, including Brad Fraser’s celebrated Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love; John Mighton’s A Short History of Night; James O’Reilly’s Time After Time: The Chet Baker Project; Lee MacDougall’s High Life; Annabel Soutar’s The Watershed; Kristen Thomson’s The Wedding Party; Julius Caesar and Tartuffe with Groundling Theatre Company; The Flick with Outside the March; and Emil Sher’s adaptation of Ian Brown’s The Boy in the Moon.

The new **Streetcar Crowsnest**, home of **Crow’s Theatre**. Image courtesy of Crow’s Theatre.

Location

345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto, ON M4M 2T1

Crow’s Theatre is located in the heart of Leslieville in Toronto’s east end. A former industrial hub, Leslieville has quickly bloomed into a peaceful, family-friendly neighbourhood. The area is filled with unique shops, delicious food, and a growing arts scene; it’s a prime destination for visitors and locals alike. Crow’s Theatre is accessible by bus or streetcar; if you’d prefer to drive, there is paid parking close by.

Venue

In January 2017, after a $12 million capital campaign, Crow’s opened the doors to its first permanent home, Streetcar Crowsnest. As the first performing arts facility of its kind in Toronto’s East End, Streetcar Crowsnest offers a dynamic spectrum of affordable contemporary theatre, all-ages arts events, wide-ranging community programming and partnerships. The venue is home to three spectacular venues: The Guloien Theatre; the Scotiabank Community Studio for performances, community programming, and events; and the Nada Ristich Studio-Gallery (COMING SOON).

Ticket Prices

Single tickets for 2021.2022 performances range from $20.00 to $55.00 CDN, depending on the date, time, and type of performance
Subscription Packages run from $131 to $340, including all fees and HST
All Crow’s Theatre 2021.22 Season shows offer limited reserved Premium Seating that offers the best eye-line for an additional $10

Patrons return to the Streetcar Crowsnest for the 2022 season. Photo by Dahlia Katz, courtesy of Crow’s Theatre.

Discount Opportunities

Reduced ticket prices are available for seniors, students, arts workers, and through the UNDER 30 ticket program (you will be required to provide proof of eligibility when picking up your tickets)
Each Sunday, the box office offers a minimum of 30 Pay-What-You-Can tickets for 2pm matinee performances: purchase tickets in person or over the phone beginning at 12pm on the day of the performance

COVID-19 Safety Information

Crow’s Theatre continues to require proof of vaccination (second dose at least two weeks prior to your visit) for all visitors without exception for the safety of their staff, patrons, and artists
Patrons can show either paper or electronic documentation, including a digital photograph
Masks must always be worn throughout the duration of a show
Streetcar Crowsnest is the only Toronto theatre venue to use a V-MAX Air Disinfection system, proven to be 99.9% effective against high-risk pathogens in moving airstreams
All patrons, staff, artists, and volunteers inside Streetcar Crowsnest must wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose
Masks may be removed to eat or drink while seated inside the Lobby Bar or outside on the patio
Food and drinks are not permitted in the Guloien Theatre during performances
The 2022 season offers a hybrid capacity model, with most shows operating at 100% and specific dates and times reserved for a 50% capacity audience (check the schedule here)
Crow’s Theatre will make every effort to rebook the tickets for any patron who feels ill with COVID-19 symptoms prior to their show date

For more information on Crow’s Theatre commitment to the health and safety of their staff, patrons, and artists, check their website.

The 2,400 square foot **Guloien Theatre** (seen here in the midst of an event setup) is a flexible performance and events space. Photo courtesy of Crow’s Theatre.

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible seating is available for all performances in their facility
Assistive Listening Devices will be available free of charge on a first come first served basis before each performance
Streetcar Crowsnest is fully wheelchair accessible, and meets Ontario’s building code standards—all entrances have push-button automated doors, allowing for a barrier-free path of travel
Parking is available on the P1 level of the complex, with elevator access to street level on Dundas Street East
Complimentary attendant care and companion tickets are available for patrons living with a disability who require assistance to use our facility
A gender neutral washroom is available in the facility

Where to Eat and Drink

Gare de L’est, Crow’s Theatre’s in-house authentic, modern French brasserie, is located right next door: not only do they have a pre-theatre Prix Fixe menu to ensure theatre goers can eat and make it to their show in a timely manner, but they also offer Crow’s Theatre subscribers a 15% discount
The Lobby Bar is open two hours before each performance, as well as during intermission and after the show: each production has its own signature cocktail inspired by the theme of the show, and visitors can pre-order their intermission refreshments at the bar before their show begins
There are plenty of other amazing places to eat in the area—check out the Crow’s Theatre‘s list for more ideas!

Iconic Past Productions:

The Flick

WINNER OF 5 SUMMERWORKS AWARDS

In this Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece by Annie Baker (The Aliens, John), three ushers navigate life making $8.25/hour, as they attend to the last 35mm film projector in town. Hailed by The Guardian as ”a love letter to the theatre,â€ The Flick is a hilarious and heart-rending cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world. Image courtesy of Outside the March & Crow's Theatre.

Ghost Quartet

CANADIAN PREMIERE

A camera breaks and four friends drink, in interwoven narratives spanning seven centuries: a warped fairy tale about two sisters, a treehouse astronomer and a lazy evil bear; a retelling of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, a purgatorial intermezzo about Scheherazade; and a contemporary fable about a subway murder.

Murder ballads, doo-wop, jazz noise, and raucous campfire drinking songs collide in this surreal chamber musical from Dave Malloy, composer of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Image courtesy of Crow's Theatre.

The Little Prince: Reimagined

A BELOVED FAMILY CLASSIC AS NEVER SEEN BEFORE

Antoine de Saint-ExupÃ©ry's beloved masterpiece "The Little Prince" tells the story of a nameless pilot whose plane crashes in the desert, where he has a life-changing encounter with a mysterious boy who claims to be the Prince of his own small planet. As the pilot learns the Prince's story, he overcomes his suspicions and rediscovers his long-lost sense of wonder and imagination.

The Little Prince: Reimagined transports the timeless tale into the 21st century with a fresh, modern English adaptation by Richard Lam. Image courtesy of Crow's Theatre.

The Wolves

PULITZER PRIZE NOMINEE - 2017

Left quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girls indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their stretch circle, nine girls navigate and question the world around them with the determination of warriors. This provocative play from Sarah DeLappe captures the profound beauty of adolescence and paints a portrait of nuanced young women navigating the game, their lives and a growing understanding of a complicated world. A Crow's Theatre and The Howland Company production. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

Julius Caesar

NOMINATED FOR 7 DORA AWARDS - 2020

In the most powerful state on earth, a coalition of educated elites, alarmed at their leader's populist, authoritarian reforms, conspire to bring him down. After his assassination, a civil war erupts, as ghosts, revolutionaries, and politicians contend with what they've done, and what's to come.

A co-production from Groundling Theatre Company (The Winter's Tale, Measure for Measure, Lear) and Crow's Theatre following their celebrated partnership on Tartuffe, Julius Caesar brings the country's most acclaimed Shakespearean actors to Streetcar Crowsnest for the first time. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

WRITTEN BY

Jessica Watson

Jessica is a former associate editor at Intermission, as well as a writer, classically-trained actor, and plant enthusiast. Since graduating from LAMDA in the UK with her MA in acting, you can often find her writing screenplays and short plays in the park, writing extensive lists of plant care tips, or working on stage and screen (though she uses a stage name). Jessica freelances with various companies across Canada, but her passion lies in working with theatre artists and enthusiasts.

LEARN MORE