James Ormsby’s Theatre Room (Montreal)

1. Overview

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Montreal still had no major building specifically constructed for theatrical performances. Plays were presented in various temporarily adapted spaces by amateur performers, military companies and travelling theatrical troupes. The arrival of James Ormsby in 1804, however, led to the establishment of a space devoted more permanently to theatrical performances.

Ormsby had the upper floor of a large and elongated stone warehouse on Saint-Sulpice Street, near Saint-Paul Street and the former post office, converted into a theatre. The building itself had therefore not been constructed as a theatre: its upper floor was adapted for performances. ^[3]

This distinction is important. Ormsby’s theatre may be regarded as Montreal’s first known permanent theatrical space, but not as the city’s first building constructed expressly as a theatre. That distinction would later belong to the Theatre Royal, which opened in 1825. ^{[3], [7]}

2. Theatre in Montreal Before Ormsby

The history of theatre in Montreal did not begin in 1804. Professional dramatic performances are documented in the city as early as the eighteenth century. In 1786, for example, the American Allen-Bentley-Moore company presented several works by Shakespeare in Montreal, including Richard III, Henry IV and Othello. ^[3]

These performances, however, did not take place in a permanent theatre comparable to the establishment Ormsby would attempt to create nearly two decades later. Montreal’s theatrical world remained largely dependent on travelling companies and temporary performance spaces.

3. James Ormsby and the Creation of the Theatre

James Ormsby was a Scottish-born actor connected with the British and North American theatrical world. Montreal advertisements described him as coming from the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh, while historical studies also associate him with the management of the theatre in Albany, New York. ^{[2], [3]}

Before arriving in Montreal, Ormsby and his wife Mary Ormsby had performed in Halifax. In 1804, he sought to establish a professional theatrical company capable of performing alternately in Montreal and Quebec City. ^[5]

On November 10, 1804, an advertisement published in Montreal announced his project. Under the heading “Theatre by Permission,” Ormsby announced his intention to establish a company of comedians in Canada and indicated that the Montreal theatre had been fitted up in a large building near the post office. ^{[1], [2]}

4. Opening Night — November 19, 1804

The first advertised performance in the new theatre took place on Monday, November 19, 1804. The main attraction was The Busy Body, a five-act comedy by English playwright Susanna Centlivre. The evening concluded with The Sultan, a popular farce. ^[2]

On opening night, James Ormsby played Marplot in The Busy Body, while Mrs. Ormsby appeared as Miranda. An account published after the opening reported that the theatre was well attended and that the performers received the applause of the audience. ^[6]

Ticket prices suggest an already structured theatrical operation: spectators could choose between the boxes and the gallery, while tickets were distributed through several local establishments as well as at the theatre itself. ^[2]

5. Programming and the First Seasons

The theatre soon presented additional works from the British dramatic repertoire. On January 30, 1805, Ormsby staged Catherine and Petruchio, David Garrick’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. This performance represents one of the earliest documented milestones in the long history of Shakespeare on Montreal stages. ^[3]

Ormsby’s enterprise nevertheless remained financially fragile. After a short season, the manager left Montreal and returned to the United States. During the summer of 1805, a company from Boston, supported by Montreal amateurs, used the theatre in turn. ^[3]

English traveller John Lambert, who attended a performance of Catherine and Petruchio, later left a rather unflattering account of some of the performances given during this period. His testimony nevertheless confirms that the theatre continued to host performances after Ormsby’s departure. ^[3]

6. Seth Prigmore and the Montreal Theatre

In the autumn of 1807, English actor Seth Prigmore arrived in Montreal. Active since the 1790s on stages in Philadelphia, New York and other American cities, Prigmore undertook the renovation of Ormsby’s former theatre. ^[4]

On January 7, 1808, he reopened the establishment under the name Montreal Theatre. For the new opening he chose Catherine and Petruchio, the same Shakespeare adaptation Ormsby had presented there three years earlier. ^[4]

The theatre then entered a period for which its programming is much better documented. A few weeks after the reopening, Prigmore staged The Tempest with new scenery and theatrical effects. In the spring, Noble Luke Usher, from the Boston theatre, appeared in productions including Othello, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. ^[4]

Further improvements were made to the theatre toward the end of 1808. Scenic artist Noble Allport, formerly associated with the Theatre Royal at Covent Garden, supervised the painting and creation of new scenery. ^[4]

During the following years, the theatre welcomed several figures from the North American theatrical world, including Joseph Harper, John Mills, John Johnson and John Bernard. In 1809, Macbeth was advertised there as being presented for the first time in Montreal. ^[4]

7. Decline and Disappearance

Despite the artistic activity that developed there, operating a permanent theatre remained difficult in early nineteenth-century Montreal. The population capable of regularly supporting theatrical performances was relatively limited, and companies had to constantly renew their repertoire.

Winter conditions also presented a considerable challenge. At the beginning of 1811, severe cold temporarily forced the theatre to suspend its activities. Manager John Mills, who was experiencing financial difficulties, even moved into the theatre with his family; he became ill and died shortly afterward. ^[4]

The last documented Shakespearean production in the theatre during this period was The Merchant of Venice, performed on June 30, 1811 during an engagement by John Bernard. ^[4]

The War of 1812 and the economic slowdown that accompanied it severely affected Montreal’s theatrical life. Already aging, Ormsby’s former theatre gradually deteriorated and eventually fell into serious disrepair. ^[4]

During the following years, new venues began to take its place. In 1817, another theatre was established in the College Street area, marking a new stage in the development of Montreal’s performance venues.

8. Historical Significance

The theatre established by James Ormsby occupies a fundamental place in Montreal’s cultural history. It represents the transition between the occasional theatrical performances of the eighteenth century and the gradual establishment of permanent venues devoted to live performance.

Its history also illustrates the profoundly North American and transatlantic character of Montreal theatre during this period. Performers travelled from Edinburgh to Albany, from Boston to Montreal and from New York to Quebec City, bringing with them their plays, production methods, scenery and repertoire.

The theatre also stands as an early predecessor of the many theatrical venues that would emerge in Montreal during the nineteenth century. Twenty-one years after its opening, the inauguration of the Theatre Royal in 1825 marked another important step: Montreal now possessed a substantial building constructed specifically for theatrical performances. ^[7]