Cranbrook Community Theatre

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The Studio/Stage Door

11 - 11th Avenue South

Cranbrook BC

Originally built in 1909 as a Masonic Temple, the building was designed by Thomas Daltry Sedger (1860-1941), an English architect who lived in Esquimalt, BC for 49 years.

By 1973, the local Masons could no longer afford to heat the building and offered it for sale. Because the only purchaser wanted to demolish it to provide a parking lot, the Cranbrook Community Theatre lobbied the City of Cranbrook to get involved and purchase the building. This movement was spearheaded by Bud Abbott and Cornel Sawchuck.

The City then turned the building over to the Community Theatre group who have since acted as stewards of the building. The building has been segregated into two distinct areas. The main floor is known as The Studio and is used by a number of local groups for dance, yoga and martial arts classes. The upper floor is an 88-seat auditorium known as the Stage Door. This space is used for Cranbrook Community Theatre and other dramatic productions. This space is also used for musical presentations and the space is so intimate, and the acoustics so good, that it is a favourite venue for travelling artists.

By actively preserving and renovating, the CCT was able to have the building deemed a heritage building in 1989.

In thirty years of stewardship, the building has seen thousands of dance students and hundreds of theatrical and musical events. In this time, the CCT have spent nearly $300,000.00 on the upkeep and renovation of the building.

We are very thankful the the City had the foresight to rescue the building and we are very proud of our efforts to maintain such a handsome heritage building for an entire community to use and enjoy.