Over two evenings and one afternoon in November, Kanata Theatre will be hosting nine theatre companies from across Eastern Ontario for the 2026 Eastern Ontario Drama League Annual One-Act Play Festival. During the Festival, the audience will witness a curated tapestry of multi-genre artistic showcases at the Ron Maslin Theatre.
Those participating in this year’s Festival are from a wide variety of theatre companies: Osgoode’s ITR Theatre; Mississippi Mudds from Carleton Place; Theatre Night in Merrickville; Studio Theatre Perth; Kingston’s Domino Theatre; the Belleville Theatre Guild; the River and Main Theatre Company also from Belleville; and from Ottawa – the Ottawa Little Theatre and Kanata Theatre. At the end of each play, an official will address the audience with their thoughts on each performance; and each theatre group will hear directly from the official regarding their performance as part of the marking scheme for awards.
Expect a Festival of top-tier theatre as each group presents a premier one-act play ranging from 30 to 55 minutes. The plays being presented on November 6th and 7th are as follows:
Friday, November 6th at 7:30pm
- “Set in Stone” a funny and moving contemporary drama about memory, forgiveness, second
chances and the stories we tell ourselves. Performed by Kanata Theatre. - “Family Grief Counselling” a deceased family of four linger around their graves in limbo until a
groundskeeper teaches them that in order to reach their resting place, they’ll need to have
some difficult conversations with each other. Performed by the Ottawa Little Theatre. - “The Olympic Flyers” the energetic and moving story of Canada’s 1948 Winter Olympics Hockey
Team. Performed by Osgoode’s ITR Theatre.
Saturday, November 7th at 1:00pm
- “The Allies Are Coming” a multi-generational group tries to become better allies to the
2SLGBTQ+ community. A heart-opening, insightful and hilarious play. Performed by the Mississippi Mudds. - “Reception” a fast-moving, poignant comedy about middle-aged divorced people navigating
romance at a wedding reception. Performed by Theatre Night in Merrickville. - “Smoke and Mirrors” the play alternates between scenes from Brent’s memories as a firefighter
in the 1970s and 1980s, and his hospital room, in the present. Performed by Studio Theatre Perth.
Saturday, November 7th at 7:30pm
- “Rulers” A first-time teacher’s tumultuous first day. A comedic musical exploring the student-
teacher relationship. Performed by Domino Theatre. - “The Tryst” Grant wonders if his wife is cheating on him. With the help of her best friend, he
decides to find out. Performed by the Belleville Theatre Guild. - “The Story of My Life” A one-woman comedic drama about a small-town librarian who slowly
learns to believe in hope, set in a world of books and everyday life. Performed by the River & Main Theatre Company.
The Festival is presented in three sessions, giving you the choice of attending one session or experiencing the entire festival. Tickets for an individual session cost $25.00 and the three-session Festival Package is $60.00.
Purchase the Three-Session Festival package and you’ll also get a vote in the People’s Choice Award, giving you the chance to choose your favourite production of the festival. A Sunday brunch will be held at which the awards will be presented.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.kanatatheatre.ca for each single night session, the afternoon session, or for all three sessions.
About the Eastern Ontario Drama League (EODL):
The Eastern Ontario Drama League has been supporting community theatre across Eastern Ontario since 1933. For more than 90 years, it has encouraged artistic excellence, theatre education and collaboration among theatre organizations throughout the region.
Festivals are an important part of that tradition, giving community theatre companies the opportunity to perform, learn from one another and celebrate the extraordinary range of theatre being created across Eastern Ontario.
