There’s something powerful about live theatre that no screen can replace. The lights dim. The music starts. A hero steps onstage. And for a moment, a room full of strangers believes in magic together.
That’s exactly what Diversified Theatre has been creating for more than 15 years, and why their work feels more important than ever.
Founded by Trudy Moffat, Diversified Theatre isn’t just putting on shows. It’s building the next generation of artists, audiences, and storytellers. Its mission is simple and quietly ambitious: educate and inspire young people through music, drama, dance, and live performance—while giving local youth the chance to step onto a professional stage.
Trudy knows this world well. She began her journey at just 17, performing in Aladdin alongside Karen Kain at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre, before going on to direct and choreograph productions across Canada and the UK. Eventually, she brought this uniquely interactive, joy-filled style of theatre home, with stories full of song, dance, heroes, villains, and life lessons about kindness, courage, and perseverance.
That dedication matters. COVID nearly wiped out community theatre, and rebuilding that sense of wonder doesn’t happen by accident. It takes consistency. It takes belief. And it takes people who refuse to let the curtain fall for good.
All-singing, All-dancing, Laugh-out-loud Experience
This year’s production of The Wizard of Oz is proof of what’s possible. With rave reviews from more than 6,000 students and teachers across Durham Region, it’s an all-singing, all-dancing, laugh-out-loud experience—packed with audience participation and heart. Kids cheer for Dorothy, boo the Wicked Witch, and discover that theatre isn’t something you just watch, it’s something you feel.
From December 27–31 at Whitby Centennial Theatre, families have a chance to support something truly local this holiday season. Not just a show, but a future where young people fall in love with live performance, whether they’re sitting in the audience or standing under the lights.
Community theatre doesn’t survive on nostalgia. It survives when we show up.
More information is available at diversified-theatre.ca.