Since the Greeks invented it, the art of theatre has been fundamental to society. Executed with purpose and intention, theatre can evoke powerful emotions, bringing audiences to tears or to a state of delight. Ultimately, performances that resonate create a sense of connection and can deeply touch an audience. However, achieving longevity in this field is rare: 30 years of consistent and passionate effort is truly impressive. 4th Line Theatre exemplifies this, delivering unforgettable outdoor theatrical experiences that bring history to life on the barnyard stages of a rustic 5th-generation farm in Millbrook, between Peterborough and Port Hope.
4th Line Theatre produce plays that are homegrown, organic, passionate, and based in local lore. Playwright, actor, and director Robert Winslow, who sought a creative solution to maintain his family’s 180-year-old farm in the township of Cavan-Monaghan, founded the theatre in 1992. Rather than abandon the land, Winslow envisioned a venue where the landscape itself would serve as the backdrop for historical dramas, effectively merging the local environment with the plays’ narrative arc.
Today this outdoor theatre company is committed to preserving Canadian cultural heritage through the development and presentation of environmentally staged historical drama.
It has developed and presented 42 original plays on regional history and culture since it began. Thousands of visitors, young and old, fall in love with the farm vibe: picnics, birdsong, and sunsets in the countryside. What began as a modest experiment, originally intended for only six performances, quickly evolved into a cultural phenomenon. The overwhelming success of the first run, which necessitated an extension to six weeks, signalled to Winslow and his team, including current Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell, that there was a profound appetite for regional stories that resonate with national themes.
Beau Dixon, an inductee into Peterborough’s ‘Pathway of Fame’ for his leadership in the arts, had his play, Bloom: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fable, produced by the company in the summer of 2019. The story follows two small-town Ontario friends who form a band.
“4th Line Theatre is always great entertainment, a truly Canadian experience,” says Dixon. “I was an audience member first and later became a performer with the troupe.” He recalls his first time attending the theatre in summer of 1999 after moving
to Peterborough.
“I came to a show, after a long time spent performing on the road. Pulling up outside of Millbrook, the summer skies as a backdrop, the road was winding, leading you to something special, kind of like the yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz. The stage is kind of an amphitheatre, the audience is down near the actor, really cool, connected. I remember sitting in a barn, gazing off into the rolling hills.”
“The first play was production of The Devil and Joseph Scriven, a dark story about a strange country preacher that featured an on-stage baptism and a drowning in a pond.”
“As the play was about to begin, the crowd became silent with anticipation. The very first thing that happened was an actor crawled out from beneath the surface of the pond. In order to conceal himself, he must have been underwater for a good half hour.”
“Holy cow, man, that was magical. A choir came out after that, and I was hooked and couldn’t look away. After seeing something so thrilling, no-holds-barred, break-down-all-walls, comparing other productions to this became the norm.”
Dixon confides he owes a lot to 4th Line. “When I wasn’t performing, I was an assistant director, a musician or a sound designer from 2003 to 2012. 4th Line enabled me to be a self-taught actor and creator.”
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I remember going to see the play The History of Drinking in Cavan, with my mom and a friend of hers several years back. Based on Robert Winslow’s personal family drama, he opened up to the audience in the rawest way possible, allowing us to look into what seemed like his most personal sadness, re-enacting painful memories in a way that exorcised the shadows from his past. I remember it was a brave and daring performance. The History of Drinking was a collection of historical anecdotes, comedic and dramatic vignettes, musical numbers, and performances featuring Winslow’s comical town-drunk character, King, as your guide. It was a moving history lesson delivered in an entertaining, engaging way through song and dance, storytelling, confessionals, and puppetry.
You can’t beat brilliant and heartfelt storytelling, especially when it’s delivered by someone connected to their instrument; in this case, his voice.”
During one haunting moment in the second act, Robert takes the audience down to a dead silence, where the only sounds you hear are his footsteps and the swallows flying through the barnyard. These moments, the ones that take the breath right out of you, made The History of Drinking in Cavan a potent production, one worth remembering.
Dale Urekar, my mom’s friend, has been going to their shows since 2010. “I’ll never forget, waiting for the play to begin, when seemingly from out of nowhere, coming in from the rolling hills beyond the main stage, a horse was pulling a man on a cart. I recall thinking it was so unique. You don’t see that every day.
You’re really part of it. It’s like real life, but better. You get lost in the performance, a real intimate experience. The subjects they choose to explore are fascinating, and I learn something every time.”
In a theatrical world of shiny and expensive Ed Mirvish-type experiences, where you’re really removed from the stage, and it seems as though they’re just rehashing stories, extended add-ons to The Wizard of Oz, (“Wicked”), and Romeo and Juliet (“& Juliet”), 4th Line Theatre plays are anything but; they are authentic one-of-a-kind theatre and original to the core.
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Schoolhouse runs from June 30 – July 25, Tuesday to Saturday at 6 pm. Written by Leanna Brodie, directed and choreographed by Monica Dottor, musical direction and original compositions by Justin Hiscox, this play is set in 1938 in rural Ontario.
Schoolhouse unfolds within S. S. #1 Jericho, a one-room school just outside the fictional village of Baker’s Creek. When 18-year-old Melita Linton, newly graduated from Normal School, takes on her first teaching position, she encounters a lively group of students and a community rooted in tradition.
Her resolve is tested by the arrival of Ewart, a withdrawn youth recently released from reform school and sent to work on a local farm. As Miss Linton strives to reach him, she uncovers the deep bonds and quiet fears of small-town life. Rich with humour and humanity, Schoolhouse beautifully evokes a vanished era in Canadian rural history.
Wild Irish Geese runs from August 4 – 29,Tuesday to Saturday at 6 pm. Written by Megan Murphy, directed by Kim Blackwell, musical direction and original compositions by Justin Hiscox, this play, back by popular demand after its sold-out 2025 premiere, returns to the 4th Line stage with a powerful story of migration and starting over.
In the 1820s, Peter Robinson brought hundreds of Irish families fleeing famine and poverty to Canada. More than 2,000 arrived in Scotts Plains, which later became known as Peterborough, and began their lives anew. Wild Irish Geese reflects on the courage, displacement, and enduring spirit of those who journeyed far to survive. Through hardship and hope, these new Canadians forged a fragile beginning in a complex colonial landscape.
Purchase tickets for both summer shows by phone at 1-800-814-0055 or 705-932-4445, online through 4thlinetheatre.ca, or at 4th Line’s box office in Millbrook at 4 Tupper Street or email boxoffice@4thlinetheatre.on.ca and at the Peterborough Museum and Archives 300 Hunter Street East, atop Armour Hill. 705-743-5180
