Persephone Theatre

Persephone Theatre was created in 1974 as a non-profit organization dedicated to producing professional live theatre productions. In its early years, Persephone mounted productions both at the Mendel and the University’s Greystone Theatre.

In 1983, Persephone bought and renovated the Westgate Alliance Church into its own theatre. It was tucked into an unassuming residential area on the west side of the city. The theatre was large but seats were very narrow and felt cramped. The seats rose in stadium seating style in a very pronounced rise. One of my favourite shows I saw was Misery, a theatrical re-telling of the Stephen King novel and movie. The set was amazing in how it spun, allowing a fully fleshed-out house to appear from a bedroom, to a hallway to a kitchen.

In 2007, Persephone Theatre moved to River Landing, on the banks of the South Saskatchewan. It is the first major building on the site and the audiences have been flocking to see the shows, selling out nearly every performance since. The new building has a lobby/bar area on both the upper and lower levels. Gallery space displays local artists on the upper level. The main theatre is tall, boasting 421 seats including a balcony area. As well, a second ‘black box’ stage is also available, allowing smaller productions or ‘edgier’ works to be performed.

The Mendel recently announced that it would be moving to the River Landing area and that the new building would be wrapped around Persephone, creating an artistic synergy between the two.

A recent performance I attended at Persephone was Little Shop of Horrors, a musical parody of 50’s science fiction/monster movies. The acting and set design was top notch. Persephone is the destination spot for theatre lovers in Saskatoon.

Persephone Theatre
River Landing
100 Spadina Crescent East

306 384-2126

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