The Randolph Theatre (formerly the Bathurst Street Theatre) is a 518 seat

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, that is housed in a former church. The

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

building is located at 736 Bathurst Street at the intersection with Lennox Street. The theatre is in the former church sanctuary, while the 100-seat Annex Theatre is in an adjoining building at 730 Bathurst Street.

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...

, Gordon Pinsent,

Ted Dykstra Ted Dykstra is a Canadian playwright and actor. He was born in Chatham-Kent, Ontario in 1961 and grew up in St. Albert, Alberta. He is a founding member of Soulpepper Theatre Company. Writing credits include '' Two Pianos Four Hands'', '' ...

, Eddie Izzard, Martin Bragg and the Toronto Theatre Fringe Festival are just some of the individuals and companies who have graced the stages and studios of 736 Bathurst Street. The Gothic revival building is a landmark, not only in the history of Toronto but also the heritage of theatre in Canada. In addition, since March 2001, the building has been home to the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts.

History

The current building was erected in 1888 by the congregation of the Bathurst Street Wesleyan Methodist Church. The cornerstone was laid by Sir

John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...

, first Prime Minister of Canada. Over the years it inspired many church congregations, eventually becoming the Bathurst Street United Church. In the 1950s, facing a dwindling congregation, the building began to be rented out for concerts and plays. The building became better known as a theatre than a church. In 1985, the building became a permanent and well known theatre. The building was originally home to Bathurst Street Wesleyan Methodist Church. This congregation was an extension of Elm Street WMC, and started in 1860. In 1862, services were being conducted in a cottage on nearby Markham Street, and the area was known as Seaton Village, still outside of the Toronto city limits. After a gift of land on Bathurst Street from the son of

John Strachan John Strachan (; 12 April 1778 – 1 November 1867) was a notable figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto. He is best known as a political bishop who held many government positions and promoted education from common sch ...

, the first building on this site was constructed in 1866. Following a congregational split in 1869 (when Primitive Methodists in the area formed their own congregation), this congregation continued to grow and was joined by the former Primitive Methodist congregation in 1884, following the union of Methodists across Canada. The present building (originally known as Bathurst Street Methodist Church) was erected by the congregation in 1888 to meet the demands of the growing population, and the United Methodist presence in Toronto. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Gordon & Helliwell. In 1925, the congregation joined the new

United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (french: link=no, Église unie du Canada) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholi ...

and became Bathurst Street United Church. A minority of

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

from St. Paul's PC (then located north of Bloor) joined, as St Paul's (which merged with Dovercourt Road PC in 1968, Chalmers in 1980, Dufferin Street PC in 1994, and closed in June 2005) remained within the

Presbyterian Church in Canada The Presbyterian Church in Canada (french: Église presbytérienne du Canada) is a Presbyterian denomination, serving in Canada under this name since 1875. The United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939. According to ...

. In the 1950s, as the earlier families emigrated to the suburbs, the congregation shrank. A number of strategies were tried to increase attendance: one of these was the Sunday Evening Forums, wherein the Sunday evening sermon was replaced by a panel discussion on social issues among prominent guests. Running from 1944 to 1951, noted panelists included

Tim Buck Timothy Buck (January 6, 1891 – March 11, 1973) was the general secretary of the Communist Party of Canada (known as the Labor-Progressive Party from 1943 to 1959) from 1929 until 1962. Together with Ernst Thälmann of Germany, Maurice Tho ...

, who lived nearby. The small congregation had difficulty maintaining the old structure, and they began to rent out the building for concerts and plays. Increasingly, the building became better known for its role as a theatre than for being a church. In 1985, the congregation finally opted to leave the building, and it now meets at nearby Trinity-St. Paul's United Church. The building then became a permanent and well-known theatre. In 2000, the

sold the building to George Randolph Jr.

References

* "Theatre needs angel; Parking requirements doom venerable Bathurst unless saviour comes to the rescue", Ariel Teplitsky. ''Toronto Star.'' Toronto, Ont.: Mar 6, 2000. pg. 1. * Early History source: T.E. Champion, ''The Methodist Churches of Toronto'', 1899, William Briggs, Toronto.

External links

{{Coord, 43.66351, N, 79.41095, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark, display=title Churches in Toronto Theatres in Toronto Gothic Revival architecture in Toronto Former churches in Canada