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Firehall Theatre
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
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The Invention of Romance Digital Program

Digital Program

The Invention of Romance

Performances run April 26 - May 12! 

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From the Director

Rom-com...the romantic comedy...a genre that conjures up immediate visions of Tom Hanks. Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, and Colin Firth. It is a genre that has all too often been weighted very heavily to the comedy side at the expense of the truly romantic. Conni Massing's Invention sets out to right that wrong with the tale of a successful 30-something single woman searching for a happy ending.


“Now wait,” you say. “That's been done more than a few times!” But the author mines much more from that familiar trope with the inherent questions of what defines romance in 2024 and where it came from. Then there’s the added complication of her 79 year old mother's new romance that threatens to re-write our hero's own beliefs.

Three (or is it thirteen?) wonderful characters simply trying to find true romance (rom) amidst a comedy (com) of errors.


Let's join Kate, James, and Louisa as they investigate The Invention of Romance. 


Tim Denis

Welcome to Firehall Theatre

Firehall Theatre is run entirely by volunteers. From box office to sound booth, from stage manager to actor, every aspect of theatre operations is run by people like you -- members of the community -- who love theatre and get involved. Whether you are a first-time audience member or a long-standing part of the FIrehall family, we are grateful for your support. With ticket sales being our main source of income, we continue striving to keep costs to you, our patrons, low, and you can be assured that all revenue goes straight into the productions we mount and to maintaining the historic building in which we operate.


Beginning as the Niagara Falls Music Theatre Society, we have been bringing theatre to life in Niagara for over 60 years. Originally using this 1917 firehall for storage, the Society began performing in the building in 1975. The City of Niagara Falls still owns the structure, leasing it to the Society.


Attend shows! Spread the word! Volunteer! Find out more about our upcoming shows and how you can get involved by visiting firehalltheatre.com.

Meet the Cast

Jerome Black as Man

Laurel Candler as Louisa

Laurel Candler as Louisa

Jerome returns to follow up on his recent appearance as Freda Heitz in The Last Resort. Other roles with Firehall Theatre have included Mendel in Falsettos, The Cat in the Hat in Seussical, George in Jitters, and Paul in Company. He is pleased to work with Tim Denis, with whom he shared the stage 22 years ago in Cabaret at Garden City Pro

Jerome returns to follow up on his recent appearance as Freda Heitz in The Last Resort. Other roles with Firehall Theatre have included Mendel in Falsettos, The Cat in the Hat in Seussical, George in Jitters, and Paul in Company. He is pleased to work with Tim Denis, with whom he shared the stage 22 years ago in Cabaret at Garden City Productions, where other favourite roles have included Jesus in Godspell, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Toby in Sweeney Todd. Directing highlights at Firehall include The Drowning Girls, Blithe Spirit, RENT, Ruthless! The Musical, Urinetown, and Into the Woods.

Laurel Candler as Louisa

Laurel Candler as Louisa

Laurel Candler as Louisa

Laurel appears again on her favourite local stage following her most recent turn as Music Director and on-stage pianist for The Last Resort. She has performed in dozens of local community theatre productions, including for Firehall Theatre, Garden City Productions, Port Mansion Theatre, and many fondly-remembered summer productions of Sha

Laurel appears again on her favourite local stage following her most recent turn as Music Director and on-stage pianist for The Last Resort. She has performed in dozens of local community theatre productions, including for Firehall Theatre, Garden City Productions, Port Mansion Theatre, and many fondly-remembered summer productions of Shakespeare in the Vineyard at Henry of Pelham Winery. Recent pit band performances include Falsettos (Firehall Theatre), 9 to 5 (GCP) and Shrek, the Musical (Governor Simcoe SS). Favourite roles include Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Firehall) and Mama Rose in Gypsy (GCP).

Katie Muirhead as Kate

Laurel Candler as Louisa

Katie Muirhead as Kate

Katie is back on Firehall’s stage playing a character that may hit a bit too close to home in this Canadian rom-com. You may remember her from other Firehall performances such as Annette in God of Carnage, Trina in Falsettos, Louise/Eve in Ruthless! The Musical, The Bakers Wife in Into The Woods, and The Actress in Blood Relations. It has

Katie is back on Firehall’s stage playing a character that may hit a bit too close to home in this Canadian rom-com. You may remember her from other Firehall performances such as Annette in God of Carnage, Trina in Falsettos, Louise/Eve in Ruthless! The Musical, The Bakers Wife in Into The Woods, and The Actress in Blood Relations. It has been a joy working alongside this talented cast and crew, and Katie wishes to thank her family, friends, and beloved Moose for their support.

Tim Denis, Director

Tim Denis

Tim has directed Talk Radio, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Side By Side By Sondheim, Greetings, The Dinner Party, Barefoot In The Park, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, and many others for theatres across Ontario. Also an award-winning actor, Tim’s appearances include Victor/Victoria, Man of La Mancha, Art, I Do I Do, The Secret Garden, Misery, and Talk Radio. He was the co-founder of Lakeside Players in Niagara. He returns to the director’s chair at Firehall to follow up on 2022’s God of Carnage.

Production Team

Production Team

Production Team

Producer Ed Anderson

Director Tim Denis

Stage Manager Katherine Cooke

Assistant Stage Manager Jennifer Toews

Set Design Tim Denis

Set Construction Jarrod Dunlop

Lightning Design Ed Anderson

Sound Design Ed Anderson, Tim Denis

Costumes Victoria Kyoko

Props MaryJane Cruise, Lisa Allegra, Katie Muirhead

Photography Jeff Baker

Front of House Janice Mayer

Publicity and Social Media Briana Claus, Jerome Black 

Box Office Laurel Candler

Thank You

Production Team

Production Team

Matej Apostoloski

Tim Denis, 610 CKTB

Garden City Productions

Niagara Symphony Orchestra

Tim Mudge

Elena Thornton

Lacey Turcotte

Paul Wintemute

The City of Niagara Falls

and to all our volunteers!

Featured Artist, Peg Noble

Peg Noble is a Niagara artist working primarily in acrylics, with a passion for wildlife, flora, and scenery. She is a member of the St. Catharines Art Association and the NOTL Pumphouse. Works have been displayed at the bi-annual Dunlop Centre show, Grimsby and Pelham Public Libraries, the online Pumphouse, the Rossberg Gallery, and the Mann Gallery Square Foot Show. She is pleased to exhibit her work at Firehall and later this year at the Niagara Falls Art Gallery.

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A gripping ghost story, a hilarious musical comedy, and the world premiere of a brand-new play! 


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The world premiere of The Invention of Romance was at Workshop West Theatre, Edmonton, AB, in March 2014.


The Playwright wishes to acknowledge the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the

Banff Playwrights Colony for their support in developing the play.

The Invention of Romance is produced by arrangement with Kensington Literary

Representation, 34 St. Andrew St., Toronto, ON, M5T 1K6, kensingtonlit@rogers.com

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