Mariposa Arts Theatre sets the stage for 25-26 Season

Mariposa Arts Theatre is proud to announce our upcoming 2025-2026 season, which will be staged at the Orillia Opera House. 

In the 2025-2026 season we delve into experiences of betrayal. Was the most famous biblical betrayal necessary to elevate a man to a god? Can we stomach the rage of young people let down by previous generations and robbed of a peaceful future with a livable climate? How elaborate of a web will one weave to sow suspicion and deceive all others to cover up a murder? 

What fuels the betrayer? Can we share empathy with them? Should we? 

This season will feature an iconic 1970s sung-through rock opera, a coming-of-age story for complicated times written by a Canadian author, and a madcap comedy based on a cult classic film and board game. 

Presenting:

A timeless work, the rock opera is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally known series of events but seen, unusually, through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. Loosely based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus Christ Superstar follows the last week of Jesus Christ’s life. 

TICKETS ON SALE! Available to purchase through the Orillia Opera House.

Convinced the world at large can’t be trusted to prioritize the well-being of adolescent girls in the  event of a cataclysmic event (or just in general), a determined troupe of preteen “doomers” commit to preparing for survival in the post-collapse society they anticipate inheriting.  

Auditions for WROL are being held Fri, Oct 3 – Sat, Oct 4, 2025. Learn more at  www.mariposaartstheatre.com/auditions.  

It’s a dark and stormy night, and you’ve been invited to a very unusual dinner party… Each of  the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well, dead. So, whodunit? Based on the cult classic Paramount film and the popular Hasbro board game, Clue  is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist.  

Crafting a Season 

Mariposa Arts Theatre has a widespread reputation for shows that always leave audiences feeling rewarded. For our Programming Committee, creating a successful season is a balance between choosing popular entertainment and material that stretches the skills of the cast and  crews.  

Selection starts with an anchor show for the season, carrying the theme of that show into other  choices. For the better part of a year, the Committee scouts shows being performed elsewhere  in Ontario, what is emerging in professional theatre, and reading through scripts that show  promise. The Committee is always on the lookout for new original material, as well.  

The recommendations are presented to the board for approval at least six months in advance of  the season announcement. This allows the time needed for the immense amount of work  creating the shows: securing rights, sourcing production crews, setting up budgets, construction  and rehearsal schedules, making audition calls, and beginning promotions. Meanwhile the  Committee is already considering future years’ shows. The process is fun and rewarding for our 

Committee, and has resulted in seasons that successfully balance light entertainment with  serious theatre—which keep on drawing audiences back for more.  

About Mariposa Arts Theatre  

Mariposa Arts Theatre is a community-based theatre foundation that seeks to entertain and  inspire with quality theatre productions and film showings year-round. Since 1970, MAT has  been tightly woven in Orillia’s cultural tapestry, putting on more than 180 theatrical productions  and 300 film screenings for audience members of all ages.  

Want to get involved?  

To learn more, get involved, and become a seasonal member, please visit  www.mariposaartstheatre.com.  

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