Ontario’s largest youth theatre festival is marking a major milestone this year as NTS DramaFest celebrates its 80th anniversary with performances taking place across Mississauga, Brampton and other communities throughout the province. The long running festival, which has supported the early creative journeys of actors such as Keanu Reeves and Rachel McAdams, continues to provide high school students with a platform to showcase original, student driven productions.
Presented by National Theatre School of Canada, NTS DramaFest engages more than 12,000 secondary school students and educators annually. The festival features student written plays, student directors, student designed sets and costumes, and casts made up entirely of young performers. Professional adjudicators from stage and screen attend the shows to provide detailed feedback and mentorship, helping students refine their craft while gaining valuable insight into the theatre industry.
Laura Moniz, central regional coordinator and provincial coordinator for 2026, says the festival offers young artists a rare opportunity to receive professional level evaluation while connecting with peers from across their region. She notes that the emphasis remains firmly on youth leadership, with productions typically running between 15 and 50 minutes. The stories often reflect real life experiences that resonate with students, including themes such as bullying, violence, identity and belonging. This year, artificial intelligence has emerged as a popular subject, with one production exploring what might happen if AI were to overtake society’s ability to think independently.
Several schools from the Peel region are taking part in this year’s festival. In Peel South, participating schools include The Woodlands Secondary School, Applewood Heights Secondary School, Lorne Park Secondary School, Iona Catholic Secondary School, John Fraser Secondary School and Meadowvale Secondary School. In Peel North, Mayfield Secondary School, David Suzuki Secondary School in Brampton and Ascension of Our Lord Secondary School in north Mississauga are also presenting productions. The Woodlands Secondary School is hosting performances on March 4 and 5, with shows beginning at 6:30 p.m. and tickets available at the door for five dollars.
After district performances conclude, three productions will advance to a regional showcase in Newmarket. From there, two shows will be selected to perform at the provincial showcase hosted at York University. While similar showcases take place in British Columbia and the Maritimes, there is currently no national level event. Founded in 1946 and presented by the National Theatre School of Canada since 2017, NTS DramaFest continues to celebrate collaboration, storytelling and community building, offering young people across Ontario the chance to develop their artistic voice and step confidently onto the stage.
