Victoria Playhouse Petrolia kicks off its summer theatre season on Tuesday.
Director of Marketing, Arts and Communications Laurissa Ellsworth said they're celebrating a milestone this year because they welcomed their first audience 50 years ago.
"50 years ago they started with a board and they believed in this as an economic driver for the Town of Petrolia," said Ellsworth. "They raised $100,000 in 1973 to get the doors back open again and signed a $1 lease agreement with the town at the time and then went from there."
The theatre, built in 1889 for $30,000, was originally an opera house with a municipal office, fire hall, police station and jail attached.
Since reopening to live performances in 1973, Ellsworth said the VPP has experienced many challenges, including a fire that nearly destroyed the town landmark 22 days after its 100th anniversary.
"I started there 25 years ago and I remember when I was hired it was exciting because we had an eight week season and we were seeing about 150 to 200 people per show. That was just absolutely amazing. We went through a few years of real boom and then we had a bit of a downturn in the [early] 2000s," she said.
Ellsworth said it wasn't until around 2013 that the 400 seat playhouse started making money again.
"It's become a very strong economic driver in the town. It pays its own way and inserts about $5.5 million in economic support to the area," Ellsworth added.
She said they've welcomed visitors from near and far and many come back each season.
"For many years it was [people from] Windsor, London, Chatham, Sarnia-Lambton and now I'm meeting people in the lobby that are coming from Toronto, and Oakville, and Cambridge, and further [like] Ohio," Ellsworth said. "It's pretty amazing to see the reach we have."
Ellsworth credits the talent they've brought in and their marketing for attracting theatre goers from further away.
"We had Mrs. [Karen] Grassle last year from Little House on the Prairie and we've had Michael Learned from The Waltons, just as a couple of examples, and those names definitely perk people's ears up," she said.
Jesse's Country Jubilee, starring fiddler Jesse Grandmont, starts May 2 and runs until May 21.
To purchase tickets, or find information on other shows planned this season, visit thevpp.ca.