Since 1990 Sheatre has produced and co-facilitated over 80 community based plays and interactive theatre forum presentations to over 60,000 people in Canada, the US and England. We have produced one video documentary, an audiotape of original music, mounted the cutting-edge Womenfolk Festival (1996), founded the innovative "face to face" alternative youth theatre program, conducted numerous workshops in schools and for community organizations, and have provided consulting services for festivals and theatre companies.

This adventure in theatre began in 1985. At the request of and under the umbrella of Women Today in Huron County, Joan Chandler, Artistic Director started a small popular theatre group. Originally exploring the reality of these eight rural women using popular theatre methodology and lots of experimentation, we could be found playing in living rooms, farm yards, the woods, a log cabin and on the beaches of Lake Huron. We learned that the process changed lives, and was simply too much fun for words.

We did our first theatre forum show, and then presented what might well be the very first use of theatre as a tool for changing government legislation (1986) - see 'Past Work'


The collective became aware of the potential for providing benefits to the community by expanding the scope of operations. Sheatre began to conduct projects with other community agencies. To better suit the future business needs, the group became incorporated in Ontario as a separate non-profit entity with a Board of Directors in December of 1990.

We have performed at events and festivals including: World ForumTheatre Festival Austria 2009, Owen Sound Homecoming Festival (2007), Group of 7 Roadshow at U of T Art Gallery, Toronto (2005); Telling Our Stories: Community Arts Ontario (2005), Tom Thomson Days Festival (2002-05), The Time of Our Lives International Festival of Reminiscence Theatre (2000, London UK), The Trillium Foundation "Caring Communities"² (1998), Ripple Effect International Festival (1997), Three Fires Sacred Assembly (1997), Michigan Women's Music Festival (1994) and Bread & Butter International Popular Theatre Festival (1989).  Our video, "Shelter Me: The Power of Popular Theatre", was in the program of the 20th International Conference of Theatre of the Oppressed in Paris, France (1991).

Joan Chandler and Sheatre are featured in Playing Boal: Theatre and Therapy (New York: Routledge, 1994).  Sheatre was a core partner in the designation of Owen Sound as a Cultural Capitals of Canada (2004-05).  Our production Far From the Heart  was honoured with The Ontario Attorney General¹s Victim Services Award of Distinction in 2008.

We still do workshops on beaches, in forests, and in small halls and backyards.... and you can find us in schools, at resorts, and in theatrical spaces.

We've grown, but we're always down to earth.