Sunil Mahtani
Publicity Director, Theatre Lac Brome & Artistic Director, Sunshine Theatre Productions

From the early days of the barn-style Brae Manor Playhouse to Theatre Lac Brome's current building behind a local pub, theatre in Knowlton, in this century, has been marked by sophisticated summer fare that has attracted Canada's best and brightest to this charming town.

During its 21 years from 1935-56, the Brae Manor Playhouse was arguably Canada's most important summer theatre and training school. More than 100 professional theatrical productions were mounted in a repertory format, attracting such talents as Christopher Plummer, Robertson Davies, and Gratien Gélinas to its stage. Its program stood up exceptionally well to summer theatres in the United States, focusing on 20th century classics such as Pygmalion, Private Lives, and You Can't Take It With You.

Founded in 1986, Theatre Lac Brome continues this tradition of high-quality entertainment. It has slowly, yet confidently, built its reputation as a non-traditional summer playhouse offering an eclectic program that is unlike other straw-hat theatres; combining classics such as Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist and the dark musical Cabaret, with modern pieces including Morris Panych's 7 Stories and its own commissioned translations of works by Michel Marc Bouchard. These productions consistently attract some of the most talented names on the national theatre scene.

BRAE MANOR PLAYHOUSE
Knowlton's love affair with the theatre began when Filmore and Marjorie Sadler opened Brae Manor as an acting school in 1935. The two Americans met at the Leland Powers School of the Theatre in Boston, where they played opposite each other in Romeo and Juliet and soon after married. After working in New England stock companies, they were appointed to the staff of the Montreal Repertory Theatre in its early days under Martha Allan.


Brae Manor Playhouse in its heyday.
(Photo: Brome County Historical Society)

With their summers free, the Sadlers pursued their dream of opening a theatre school. They found Brae Manor, a large, white clapboard house in Knowlton, and enrolled four students whom they called the Brae Manor Players. The Sadlers taught acting, movement, voice, dance, and music.

In its first season, two plays were mounted in the dining room of a local hotel. Its second year saw the production of five plays, with each show performed once in Knowlton and once in North Hatley. This continued for a few years, then the Sadlers set their sights on building their own theatre. Local and summering businessmen decided they, too, would like to see a permanent summer theatre in Knowlton and in 1940, they loaned the Sadlers the funds to build Brae Manor Playhouse on the grounds next to their residence. Run in the popular repertory style of the time, a successful formula of eight shows presented over eight weeks was programmed for years. What began as a training school was soon transformed into a professional theatre of the highest calibre.

The producing director, Filmore Sadler, directed and starred in many of its shows. Marjorie Sadler was the production manager and costumer, and ran her home which housed up to 30 actors, directors, and production people during any given week. Filmore Sadler passed away in 1953 and Marjorie continued running the Playhouse for four more years before moving to Vancouver. The Playhouse was taken away in 1963 and a bungalow was built on the site. Marjorie died in 1989. The Sadlers made an immeasurable contribution to Quebec and Canadian theatre, helping to develop talent that has spread across the globe, and are counted among Canada's theatre pioneers.

(To be continued...)