Hamilton Players’ Guild: 150 years of community theatre
North America’s oldest continuing community theatre and one of the first little theatres on the continent, this Queen Street South institution continues to stage entirely volunteer-driven productions.
With The Players’ Guild of Hamilton having reached its 150th anniversary season in 2025-2026 and with 74 years on Queen Street South, it surprises board member and director Connie Spears how many Hamiltonians are still unaware of the Guild’s existence. The grand dame of Hamilton community theatre, situated in a grey-painted Victorian with bright red doors, can still be considered a gem hiding in plain sight.
As the late Hamilton historian and longtime Guild member Margaret Houghton wrote in her 2010 book First Here: What Happened When in Hamilton (Vol. 3), amateur acting developed alongside the expansion of military operations in English Canada in the 18th-century as a popular diversion for the expatriate soldiers. There followed a proliferation of dramatic clubs and the staging of “amateur theatricals” by military and non-military groups, often as a fundraising endeavour for various causes. By the 1860s, “Hamilton had literally dozens of these groups constantly emerging and being succeeded by other groups.” In the early days, plays would be staged in the hall at Market House, near James Street North and York Street, and amateur productions would either have men acting in female roles or would rely on actresses borrowed from companies operating in Toronto. Local women would start to appear in plays around 1870.
The Players’ Guild is North America’s oldest continuing community theatre. It originated as Hamilton’s first major amateur dramatic club, established in 1875 under the name of the Garrick Club. Its founders were a group of businessmen, bankers and lawyers, considered “the cream of Hamilton society.” The name was inspired by one of their first productions: T.W. Robertson’s comedy David Garrick, itself named for the highly influential contemporary English actor, playwright, producer and theatre manager. For many years, the Garrick Club’s president was John Crerar, a city lawyer.
The Garrick Club’s productions usually had a charitable component, something the Guild has retained to this day. The club raised funds for local organizations such as the Home of the Friendless, the police, the cricket club, and the Victorian Order of Nurses. It also established a junior branch of the club for younger people. Over its 35-year history (considered an exceptionally long life for a dramatic company of its era), the club was located at several sites including The Right House (King Street East at Hughson), the Grand Opera House (formerly James Street North at Wilson), as well as locations on Main Street and Walnut Street. According to records in special collections at the Hamilton Public Library (HPL), the Garrick Club would typically put on five or six productions a season and these productions, with “large and fashionable” audiences, would earn the company several thousand dollars over the years.
In 1906, the governor general held a contest to encourage music and drama in Canada. To the pride of the city, the Garrick Club won one of the two trophies for a production of Kitty Clive. The club was, by then, well known across the country and became a founding member of the regional Drama League and the Dominion Drama Festival. Through the Garrick Club, considered “the first of the ‘little theatres’ in North America, Hamilton was by association seen as “the cradle of the theatrical movement in Canada.”
The Garrick Club was fading as World War I approached, and wartime disrupted the staging of plays. The club went into an extended period of dormancy. In 1926, The Spectator reported that as a result of E. Fuller, who had the current house built in 1878. In 1889, it was sold to a casket manufacturer, for $7,300. The house was on the market again in 1897, and Judge Colin Snider lived there for the next four decades. After a short period of vacancy during WWII, Delia Cullen owned the house until its sale to The Players’ Guild. “persistent” requests in the community to revive the theatre company, a small group of old Garrick Club members formed to stage a night of three one-act plays in November of that year. Among them was Crerar’s daughter Caroline. By 1929, the company was re-established by Caroline Crerar under its present name, The Players’ Guild. As the HPL’s special collection indicates, “The Player’s Guild sprang out of the ashes of the old Garrick Club.”
Still, it wasn’t easy. As the Guild website relates, “the group moved around seeking a permanent home … they rehearsed above a restaurant and then in a room beside a baker where a fine coating of flour perpetually covered both props and actors. Performing at the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall, disaster struck in November 1939 and the hall, as well as all the props and costumes, burned down.”
1949 marked a brighter moment when The Players’ Guild became the first and only Hamilton company to win the Bessborough Trophy, considered “amateur theatre’s highest prize in Canada,” for a production of John Loves Mary.
In 1951, the Guild bought the property at 80 Queen St. S., where it operates today. Unfortunately, the large front porch eventually needed to be demolished due to its poor condition. According to the Guild’s website, the lot where the Guild House now stands was originally part of a larger parcel of land granted in 1796 to Caleb Reynolds, after which it changed hands in 1803 and again in 1816. The property extended from Bay to Locke Streets, and between the escarpment and the bay. In 1816, new owners James Mills and Peter Hess divided the parcel with Mills retaining the half west of Queen Street. His son, James Nelson Mills, inherited it in 1852 and developed “low-cost housing on the property.”
Shockingly, in 1876, James Nelson Mills was stabbed by a market butcher, Michael McConnell, who had been withholding $14 in rent to try to force Mills, to make some “much-needed repairs.” Mills died four days later. In a fascinating twist of fate, McConnell was defended by lawyer John Crerar (the Garrick Club president), but McConnell was found guilty and hanged a few months later at the old Barton Street Jail. Mills’ widow sold the Guild lot to Valancey E. Fuller, who had the current house built in 1878. In 1889, it was sold to a casket manufacturer, for $7,300. The house was on the market again in 1897, and Judge Colin Snider lived there for the next four decades. After a short period of vacancy during WWII, Delia Cullen owned the house until its sale to The Players’ Guild.
In 1958, a studio space was added to the south side of the house. For the next several decades, the Guild built its sets and rehearsed at the Queen Street site, then took down and re-built its sets to perform at other venues, including Westdale and Sir John A. Macdonald secondary schools and Studio Theatre at Hamilton Place. Over the last decade or two, however, it has become more economically viable for the Guild to both rehearse and stage its productions in-house.
The venue is air-conditioned, wheelchair accessible, and has a licensed lobby. Upstairs, there are storage, costuming and preparation rooms along with a library, chock full of books, media, art, historical items, and maquettes (a small scale model of a design) of previous productions.
All of the actors, directors, box office, publicity and crew members, producers, board members, stage managers, set/ lighting/sound designers are volunteers. Many have been involved with the Guild through the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. Tamara Kamermans, the director of the first play of the upcoming 150th anniversary season, visited the Guild as a student in the ’80s and then "became the coat check girl for the shows, which was one of my first jobs as a teenager.” Since then she’s been on the board, run workshops, stage managed, directed and acted at the Guild.
Lynne Jamieson, a musician and past president who has filled many other roles besides, says the greatest part of being involved in the Guild community has been “… the mentors that were eager and willing to share their skills with me. Many talented people, in music, in lighting design, set design, sound design, photography, costumes, all sorts of technical expertise, and indeed the business side of the Guild, which allows the creatives to keep functioning.”
Past president Dan Penrose (who has been involved in the Guild since the ’60s), says one of the Guild’s strengths has been in its ability to operate both as a “family” and as a business, ever prepared to make pragmatic decisions to ensure its survival. Its board has made tough decisions, and re-examined business models and relationships with other organizations and venues. Managing the venue is not a small responsibility.
Penrose, Spears, along with the Guild’s passionate historian Enid Aaron, noted that the historical qualities of the old grey lady mean that repairs and upkeep must be carefully considered to retain its unique character.
The Guild is always looking for new volunteers, and holds events like its summer garage sale and annual Christmas craft show in part to encourage more Hamiltonians to become familiar with its space. Diane Brokenshire, an actor and director who is set to helm her 16th Guild production this coming season says: “The red doors are open and it always feels like coming home.”
The Guild’s 150th anniversary season arrives in October, with Joe DiPietro’s Art of Murder. It continues with Jon Brittain’s Rotterdam (January 2026), Kristin Da Silva’s Where You Are (March 2026), and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s A Grand Night for Singing (May-June 2026).
Voices from The Players’ Guild community
The Players’ Guild has reached its 150th anniversary season through the passion, support and determination of its volunteers, building community, craft and history as well as staging plays. The following commentary comes from members of the Guild family, both veterans and newcomers, representing just a handful of the many individuals who have fuelled its theatrical endeavours and found meaning there. (Comments may be edited for space and consistency).
Diane Brokenshire
“I have been involved with The Players’ Guild of Hamilton for 41 years, beginning in 1984 in the role of Catherine in Waiting for the Parade. It was a dream role and a wonderful introduction to The Players’ Guild. In my mind, the Guild was and is the epitome of great community theatre and I was beyond thrilled to walk through those red doors. That feeling has not ever changed.
I continued to act in the area from Oakville to Dundas, doing 21 principal roles over the years, nine of which were at the Guild. I have also stage managed, done scripts and worked backstage. When I am on stage in a role, at some point I usually feel I want to be directing and when directing, at some point in every production, I wish I could step into a role. Just to experience the magic of being lost in the moment.
Over my years in theatre, I have directed 16 shows, 15 at the Guild and the next is scheduled for March of 2026. Where You Are opens March 13, 2026. It’s a Canadian play by Kristen Da Silva and I am eagerly awaiting the auditions which happen in September.
When I wasn’t at the theatre or taking theatre courses at Theatre Ontario summer school, I worked full time in marketing and sales. My last 13 years, up to retirement, was spent as director of marketing at a large seniors apartment residence downtown. My work was always about people and communication, a skill which I believe was enhanced by my theatre work.
My husband Jack knew early on that if he didn’t get involved in theatre as well, he may never see me and our daughters, who had fallen in love with theatre. So he works producing and building sets. We have three beautiful, clever daughters who have all used what they learned in theatre to enhance their professional careers. Our six grandchildren have grown up with theatre being a part of their lives.
The Guild is home to us, an extended family. I am so proud of being part of an organization that not only entertains but also stretches to do provocative theatre, which encourages us to examine our attitudes and perhaps see things with fresh eyes. Directing To Kill A Mockingbird and A Question of Justice make me especially proud.
The red doors are open and it always feels like coming home.”
Gail Edwards
My first play at the Guild (Waiting for the Parade) was in 1984, 41 years ago, but it was the 31st play I'd acted in at that point as I had started acting in the 1960s. When I started at the Guild, the plays were performed at Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School. For a few years, starting around 1997, the plays were presented at the Studio Theatre at Hamilton Place and then finally at the Guild house itself. I've primarily acted at the Guild but have also been a script assistant and often ushered for shows.
For 15 years, I was a legal secretary in Burlington. In the mid '80s, I acted professionally, which included TV commercials and doing voice-overs for movies, but gave it up to raise my children. Afterwards, I worked at the head office for a sporting goods company until I retired in 2017.
(What has brought me the most joy from my involvement with the Guild is) spending quality time with both old and new theatre friends and of course performing on the Guild stage in that beautiful, old house where so many wonderful memories have been made over the years. It is such an honour to have been even a small part of the oldest community theatre in North America. It's about to celebrate its 150th anniversary, having been founded in 1875. I feel incredibly fortunate. Also, the house is said to be haunted and I did indeed see the ghost of a dear friend who once directed me there.”
Heather Cozens
“I did my first show with the Guild when I was just finishing high school. I did props for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I can remember being blown away by the large size of the prop room at the Guild; it was a luxury other theatres don't have. I returned to the theatre almost 20 years later. I was working at a retirement residence when a local thespian moved in and reminded me about how fun and different theatre people are. So, when a musical based on living at a retirement residence was advertised (Assisted Living: The Musical), I knew that was the perfect opportunity to go back.
I really like managing the props, mainly making props from scratch. I have also done lighting board operator, sound, producing, and assistant stage managing. I was also on the board briefly as the membership convener and I am also part of the DEI committee. Outside of my involvement with the Guild, I am a recreation therapist running a day wellness program at a local hospice.
It's such a joy to work alongside such a dedicated team that all plays their roles in making the show come together. (What makes The Players' Guild special is) the people! It’s such a supportive group. Also, it's the oldest continuing community theatre in North America!"
Michael Anania
“In my almost two decades performing and dozens of productions, I have had opportunities to play with groups across Hamilton, Halton and Guelph. In that time, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with the Guild twice. Most recently, in their 2025 production of Tuesdays with Morrie. The first time I worked with the Guild was in their production of All My Sons, in a very small role, directed by Bruce Edwards, over a decade ago. I have been involved in community theatre since 2007, and in all cases, in the role of actor. However, I have had the opportunity to lead costumes on several theatre productions I have worked on and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a very visual creative and I’ve always said that I’d love to explore theatrical costuming more in the future.
Outside of theatre I am an elementary school teacher, currently in the role of special education resource teacher supporting students with a variety of exceptionalities.
What I enjoy most about the creative process is the bonds that are formed between fellow creatives as we work towards a common goal and support each other through the journey. In my most recent experience with the Guild, I met and connected with SO many new people, each with their own unique journeys and life experiences, each bringing their own set of skills to the table, who showed up each rehearsal and show because of their passion for the craft, people that I might not have ever crossed paths with otherwise. I continually find that aspect of community theatre so inspiring. The very nature of this process is incredibly humbling and oftentimes leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable, so when I can find safety and support in those around me, it is priceless.
While I have only worked with the Guild twice, both times I was able to recognize the solid foundation of members who continually show up for the betterment of the theatre group. Each with their own skills and talents, like a quirky creative little family, working together. And in some small way, I was able to contribute to the Guild and its legacy. Working with the Guild feels like working for something bigger than just a single show or production. While working on my most recent project, I was very cognizant of the fact that this would be part of a larger compilation of productions, many of which came before, and undoubtedly many more will follow.”
Tamara Kamermans
“I've had a connection with The Player's Guild since about 1984 when my art teacher, Michael Golych, brought our art class to the theatre to help paint and organize for a show. Shortly after, I became the coat check girl for the shows, which was one of my first jobs as a teenager. It was a great opportunity to see free theatre as a student. I attended many of their acting workshop programs throughout high school, including a great tap dancing program.
From there, in the '80s I was the secretary on the board, and in the early 2000s I ran the workshop program. I co-directed Agnes of God and was in one of the largest productions at the Guild called The Women (an all-female cast), and stage managed a play called Vanities.
Most recently, I performed in their sold-out production of Listen to Your Mother which was a great collective storytelling piece. So, it's an incredible honour to be allowed to direct the first show of the 150th season, Art of Murder."
Lynne Jamieson
“I came to the Players’ Guild, by way of music, to play The Wizard of Oz in 1988. I have been onstage and in the pit as a musician. I have worked in the technical side as a scenic designer, sound designer, lighting designer, scenic painter, director, producer, and stagehand. I have also served on the Guild board of directors, and served as president for two years. I have been a photographer for the Guild Seasons for some time.
I am a retired secondary school teacher, and a working musician, playing drums and percussion in musical theatre, choral groups, and bands.
What has brought me the most joy? It’s an interesting question. The obvious answer would be music, but I think I would have to go with the people that I have had the pleasure of working with at the Guild. For me, the mentors that were eager and willing to share their skills with me. Many talented people, in music, in lighting design, set design, sound design, photography, costumes, all sorts of technical expertise and, indeed, the business side of the Guild, which allows the creatives to keep functioning."
Tina Hardwell
“My last community theatre role was with Windsor Little Theatre in 1997. I found out I was pregnant with my first child while rehearsing that show. I didn’t get back on stage until this year when my friend Giacomo Folinazzo sent me the audition notice for The Savannah Sipping Society at The Player’s Guild. It was perfect timing. I had been thinking of getting back on stage and I could carve out time to commit to a stage role.
As a child, I was an active actor in school, community and professional theatre. Two favourite roles were Clown in Goodbye Clown and Miss Hannigan in Annie performed as a thespian at Greater Atlanta Christian School. I moved to the GTA from Kingsville, Ontario in 2016 to act in film and television. I have a few TV credits from See No Evil, American Mystery, Forbidden: Dying For Love, and Fear Thy Neighbour. I voiced the district attorney in the film Cynara. More recently, I can be seen in commercials for Hubspot, Meridian Credit Union and Transparent Labs. I’m also executive producing a couple of short films with Fortin Films. I’ll act in one of them.
On Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 at 7 p.m., I auditioned for the role of Jinx in The Savannah Sipping Society. Monday, Oct. 28 at 9:53 a.m., co-director Connie Spears offered it to me. Rehearsals began just before Easter. We rehearsed up to four times weekly. Performances opened May 30 and ran through June 14. I enjoyed every moment! Co-director David Daylor and Connie made the experience warm, tasty, fun and professional. My castmates and I bonded similarly to our relationship in The Savannah Sipping Society. Stage manager Colleen Wray and the crew dazzled me. My dresser, Gloria Oneshenko, made quick costume changes feel effortless. Producer Dan Penrose went out of his way to make me feel comfortable at The Guild and I did. It was a special experience that brought me a lot of joy. So did the receptive audience!”
Deb Dagenais
“Since returning to the theatre 14 years ago, after raising a family, I have been involved in various community theatres in the Halton/Hamilton area. My first show at the Guild, The Memory of Water, was in 2012.
I am first and foremost an actor, but in recent years have had the opportunity to try my hand at assistant stage manager, board member, producer, and director in other theatres. Apart from The Memory of Water I have had the pleasure of performing at the Guild in Love, Loss and What I Wore, All My Sons, Blithe Spirit, To Kill a Mockingbird, Steel Magnolias, Third and most recently, in The Savannah Sipping Society.
I have held many positions in my working life but most revolved around working with people with disabilities. For 16 years, I was an educational assistant at elementary schools, and presently I support adults with intellectual disabilities.
Creating live theatre has a wonderful energy that feeds my soul. The Guild is a marvelous place to have it all happen. They have amazing teams that create sets and costumes, there are skilled lighting and sound gurus and operators, back stage and prop wizards, front-of-house and office or board members, all contributing to getting a show or season together. We have fun along the way but when all the magic finally combines and the Guild audience is added as the final ingredient, that’s what brings me the most joy. Hearing the gasps, laughter, or sniffles as the audience finally experiences the play is what makes all the hard work we pour into it so worthwhile.
The Guild is a special place. The old house has had stories unfold in it for almost 150 years. The theatre space may be an add-on but this building has such rich character. It boasts a huge living room where we as audience members can meet, chat, have a drink and wait for show time. The basement has a most enviable workshop, and prop storage. The third floor is a costume haven, there are proper dressing rooms, a real kitchen, a wonderful stage, hidden stairways and the occasional ghost. A fabulous energy in just the house. Then there are the people. The people here are energetic and love what they are doing. Those are people who make it a very special place. It is also the theatre closest to my home. Bonus!”
Jonah Schaufleur-Biback
“I have been involved with the Players' Guild for approximately eight months, originally coming on in November of 2024. I have been involved behind the scenes as a lighting technician, learning lighting design and skills through Greg Kott, and more recently, working with the special events committee as well. [Outside of my] involvement with the Guild, I am currently employed as a telecommunications technician.
On one hand, the process of seeing a show through from start to finish in the matter of a few months never ceases to amaze me. It's hard to fathom just how much goes into a production when you only see it from an audience perspective, and having the privilege of seeing behind the curtain is incredible.
On the other hand, it would have to be the reception from our audiences. Getting to witness a new group of audience members going through the wave of emotions that come from theatre each night, alongside the appreciation for the actors and our work, makes the time and effort feel even more rewarding.
There is so much about the Players' Guild that I feel is special. The history for one, working in a theatre that has been putting on productions for over a hundred years, is baffling to me, going through the archives and seeing so many scripts, photos and pieces from years past.
The passion from those who work with the Guild is another, from the board, to the members and everyone in between, you can truly feel how much thought and care is put into this space to uphold its standards and keep it running like a well-oiled machine.
Most of all, it's the people. The shows, events, even the theatre itself, would not be here if not for the volunteers. Everyone I have had the pleasure of working with so far has been amazing; it's truly a welcoming and inclusive space open for people of any age or skill level. They say it takes a village, but in this case, it takes a Guild.”
