The Little Theatre (also known as the Little Theatre Group and the Little Theatre Society) appears to have started in 1930, under the guidance of Florence Stewart Wells (who was at the time Head of the Oratory department at the Ladies' College). The group staged their plays in the Charles Fawcett Memorial Hall and would sometimes be accompanied by the campus orchestra.
Though the society operated with limited funds, their membership grew steadily as did their aspirations. During the 1934-35 academic year, the annual production of the college play, which had previously been produced by the Eurhetorian Society, was placed in the hands of the Little Theatre. The following year the group took over the production of all theatrical events on campus including the senior play. Over the years, the aims of the Little Theatre grew to include lectures on make-up and play production as well as clinics for the study of dramatic arts, where members would be divided into smaller groups and stage a one-act play for criticism by faculty and students. Professor A. W. Trueman officially joined the group as honorary president in 1936, serving as a faculty advisor. He was joined the following year by Professor H. P. Gundy.
The Little Theatre had a number of successes including an early triumph at the Dominion Drama Festival, an event held in Ottawa, Ontario, each spring on the occasion of Shakespeare's birthday. The Festival sought to promote amateur theatre in Canada and continued from 1932 to 1978. The Little Theatre won the provincial competition in 1933 with "The Valiant," a one-act play written by Holworthy Hall and Robert Middlemass.
The image includes W. Roy, E. Weeks, B. Rideout, H. Johnson, J. Baile, M. Smiley and L.B. Thornton.
Mount Allison University Archives. Picture Collection, 2007.07/2361. May only be reproduced with permission of the Mount Allison University Archives.
In subsequent years, the Little Theatre group continued to participate in the Regional Drama Festival in Saint John, New Brunswick, but did not return to the national contest in Ottawa.
The Little Theatre was replaced by the Mount Allison Players Society in 1940, but it left its mark on campus in the form of the popular Inter-Class Drama Festival which was started by the Little Theatre during the 1938-39 academic year. It was a huge success and continued to be held annually for decades to follow.
For a chronological list of productions and members of the executive, please consult the following sources:
