Calgary has dozens of theatre groups, and the city has long supported local live performances: companies generally have a strong base of season ticket holders.

The Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts is the downtown hub for all things creative and performed, and is home to a number of professional theatre companies, including Theatre Calgary, Alberta Theatre Projects (ATP) and One Yellow Rabbit. With five stages at the centre, there’s plenty of room for the companies’ full-season productions.

The amateur theatre scene is also thriving: Pumphouse Theatre, Theatre Junction, Vertigo Theatre and Loose Moose Theatre all have permanent homes to show their work.

If interactive murder mysteries are your thing, Pegasus Performances is the resident theatre company at Calgary’s historic Deane House Restaurant, while Stage West is another dinner theatre in town.

Other companies in town include the excellent Calgary Young People’s Theatre, Ground Zero, Inside Out Theatre, Liffey Players Drama Society, Lunch Box Theatre, Old Trout Puppet Workshop, Quest Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park, Storybook Theatre, Summerstock and Sage Theatre.

Every year there are also a couple of Theatre-focused festivals worth signing up for: Enbridge playRites and the very cool High Performance Rodeo.