Touchstone Theatre facts for kids

Touchstone Theatre is a professional theatre company located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was started in 1976 by students who graduated from the University of British Columbia. Touchstone Theatre focuses on creating and performing plays by Canadian writers. These writers include new voices, Indigenous writers, and settler writers. As of August 2025, Lois Anderson is the Artistic Director and Libby Willoughby is the General Manager and Producer.

What Touchstone Theatre Does

Touchstone Theatre's main goal is to create and present professional theatre shows. They explore Canadian plays from today, looking at both their stories and how they are performed. They also want to make people more interested in Canadian culture through theatre.

Supporting Canadian Playwrights

To achieve its goals, Touchstone Theatre does a few important things:

• It puts on the very first performances of plays by writers from British Columbia.
• It also stages important plays that were first shown in other parts of Canada.
• The company creates and produces its own plays.

Touchstone has helped many playwrights (play writers) and actors start and grow their careers.

Flying Start Program

Touchstone Theatre also helps create new plays through its "Flying Start" program. This program works with the Playwrights Theatre Centre. In this program, Touchstone spends two years helping a playwright develop a new play. They do this through workshops and dramaturgy, which means helping to shape the play's story and structure. The goal is to get the play ready for a full production.

In Tune Conference

Since 2011, Touchstone Theatre has partnered with the Arts Club Theatre Company. Together, they produce the "In Tune Conference." This event happens every two years and supports new Canadian musicals.

History of Touchstone Theatre

Touchstone Theatre has a long history of creating exciting Canadian plays. By its 40th anniversary season in 2015-2016, the company had produced 36 world premiere plays. These were works by 42 different Canadian playwrights. Touchstone has been very important in helping many writers and performers begin their careers.

Leadership and Key Programs

In 1997, Katrina Dunn became the Artistic Director. She started the "Playwright in Residence" program. This program led to many successful plays, including Unity (1918) by Kevin Kerr. This play even won a Governor General's Awards. In 2010, Touchstone focused on plays by Canadian female playwrights.

PuSh Festival Partnership

In 2003, Touchstone Theatre teamed up with Rumble Productions. Together, they created the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. This is a big performing arts festival held every January in Vancouver, BC.

Awards and Recognition

Touchstone Theatre's work has received many awards and nominations. They have won numerous Jessie Awards. By the end of their 38th season in 2014, Touchstone had received 106 Jessie nominations and won 57 Jessie Awards.

In 2010, Artistic Director Katrina Dunn was honored by the Women’s Caucus of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. She received the "Bra D'Or" award for her strong support of Canadian female playwrights.

A Look at Some Plays Produced

Touchstone Theatre has produced many plays over the years. Here are some examples from different seasons:

• 1976/1977
  • The Exception & the Rule by Bertolt Brecht
• 1977/1978
  • Faces in the Fast Lane A collective creation
• 1978/1979
  • The Unseen Hand by Sam Shepard
• 1979/1980
  • HIGHBALL! by Ronald Weihs
• 1980/1981
  • Revenge by Howard Brenton
• 1981/1982
  • The Crackwalker by Judith Thompson
• 1982/1983
  • The Wolf Boy by Brad Fraser
• 1983/1984
  • Children of the Night by Paul Ledoux
• 1984/1985
  • ... Tips for Modern Girls A collective creation
• 1985/1986
  • Going Down for the Count by Peter Eliot Weiss
• 1986/1987
  • Life Skills by David King
• 1987/1988
  • Red Channels by Jennifer Martin & Leslie Mildiner
• 1988/1989
  • Bones by Peter Anderson
• 1989/1990
  • Where is Kabuki? by Don Druik
• 1990/1991
  • The Invisible Detective by Peter Eliot Weiss
• 1991/1992
  • Lion in the Streets by Judith Thompson
• 1992/1993
  • The Number 14 A collective creation
• 1993/1994
  • Whale Riding Weather by Bryden MacDonald
• 1994/1995
  • The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
• 1995/1996
  • When We Were Singing by Dorothy Dittrich
• 1996/1997
  • ... in Heaven by Gordon Armstrong
• 1997/1998
  • The Weekend Healer by Bryden MacDonald
• 1998/1999
  • The Good Person of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht
• 1999/2000
  • It’s All True by Jason Sherman
• 2000/2001
  • Kilt by Jonathan Wilson
• 2001/2002
  • Sucker Falls by Drew Hayden Taylor
• 2002/2003
  • Lisa Lisa by Rick Dobran
• 2003/2004
  • Unity(1918) by Kevin Kerr
• 2004/2005
  • Strawberries in January by Evelyne de la Chenelière
• 2005/2006
  • Little Mercy’s First Murder Book & lyrics by Morwyn Brebner
• 2006/2007
  • Life After God by Michael Lewis MacLennan
• 2007/2008
  • How It Works by Daniel MacIvor
• 2008/2009
  • Age of Arousal by Linda Griffiths
• 2009/2010
  • Any Night by Daniel Arnold, Medina Hahn and Ron Jenkins
• 2010/2011
  • Mimi (Or A Prisoner's Comedy) Lyrics and music by Allen Cole
• 2011/2012
  • Almighty Voice and His Wife by Daniel David Moses
• 2012/2013
  • Dancing With Rage by Mary Walsh
• 2013/2014
  • Hirsh Created by Alon Nashman and Paul Thompson
• 2014/2015
  • In Tune 2015
• 2019/20
  • Certified by Jan Derbyshire