MainLine Theatre closing
News, Theatre

MainLine Theatre is closing, and looking for a new HQ for the Montreal Fringe Festival

by Lorraine Carpenter

The performance space on St-Laurent Boulevard will host the 35th edition of Fringe this summer before closing on June 30 and relocating.

MainLine Theatre has announced that its theatre space on St-Laurent Boulevard is closing on June 30. The HQ for the Montreal Fringe Festival will host one more, 35th edition of the annual event (May 26 to June 15) before shutting down its 20-year-old theatre, located at 3997 St-Laurent, and moving to a new home (TBD) that would “offer an improved experience for both artists and audiences.”

This move followed destructive flooding last summer, and extensive consultation with stakeholders and community members, according to MainLine’s press release. With the current space no longer considered sustainable long-term, the goal of starting again in new location is to ensure “the viability of the theatre as a welcoming, inclusive cultural hub and an essential supporter of emerging and established independent artists in Montreal.”

MainLine Theatre’s Executive and Artistic Director Amy Blackmore commented on the spirit and the importance of the space in Montreal’s anglo theatre realm, which ultimately drove their vision of a fresh start in a new home.

“MainLine is more than a space — it’s a welcoming place where diverse artists, art lovers and the simply curious gather to celebrate and participate in creativity of all kinds. MainLine is cutting-edge theatre, enchanting contemporary dance, exhilarating musical theatre, enthusiastic student productions, queer comedy nights, poetry-slam showcases and more. Above all, MainLine is community and, for many people, MainLine is home.”

For more on MainLine Theatre, please visit their website.

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MainLine Theatre is closing, and looking for a new HQ for the Montreal Fringe Festival

Posted in News, Theatre

by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following the closure of the alt weekly newspaper the Mirror, where she worked as a writer and editor for 12 years. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal and maintaining an independent voice in the Canadian media landscape.