About the herd
(a history of Cow Patti)
The Cow Patti Theatre Company produced its first dinner theatre production in Alberta in 1995. Prior to 1995, productions produced by AnnaMarie Lea were headed under The Yellowknife Theatre Company, Yellowknife N.T, in 1991. Over the years we have produced dinner theatres, main stage theatre, murder mysteries, children’s theatre and conference entertainment. The C.P.T.C. has produced across this vast country from main stream theatre in Vancouver to working with Inuit Children in the High Arctic to Murder Mysteries on board 737’s and cruise ships, to down home pig roast dinner theatres in Central Alberta. As with our unique company name, we always strive to produce entertainment in matchless and memorable ways and that’s no bull!
The mandate of C.P.T.C. “is to provide professional entertainment in rural Canada. Using the tool of theatre we strive to enhance the community in areas of: economic development, fundraising benefits, educating children through theatre and providing professional opportunities for Canadian Artists”
C.P.T.C. has been producing dinner theatre and educational entertainment throughout Eastern Ontario for the last 5 years. The Cow Patti Theatre Company’s viewing audience has grown immensely and has reached new areas which includes the Seaway Valley, Ottawa, Montreal, New York State and beyond. While stimulating the local economy, we have raised needed awareness and nearly $80,000 for the community through our benefit performances. Stats show that 4500 patrons took in our 2005 season. Approximately 60% of tickets sales were derived from individual sales, 25% were from Conferences and 10% from Tour Groups.
The Cow Patti Theatre Company’s producing Artistic Director is AnnaMarie Lea and Technical Director and producing partner is her husband, Tom Lea. The Cow Patti Theatre Company works under The Canadian Actors Equity Association and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio.
The Cow Patti Theatre Company and Artistic Director AnnaMarie Lea has received awards and recognition including W.E. Business Professional of the Year, The Alberta Education Award for Excellence with Children, The Vancouver Fringe Festival Show Merit and the Alberta Community Living Ingenious Vision Award. Since 1991 we have been given value and support by many corporate sponsors such as: Bell Canada, The Ontario Power Generation, Air Canada, Rona Home Center, Tim Horton’s and many individual sponsors.
For a chronological list of The Cow Patti Theatre Company's productions click here.
Letter from the Head Cow
Yee Haw!! It’s Cow Patti’s 10th Season in Ontario! The heart of the company has resided in beautiful Cornwall Ontario for 10 years, where we have been “milking” out laughter, awareness and opportunity throughout the region by using the tool of professional comedy dinner theatre.
Recently as “Head Cow” my family and I have made an unexpected move back to Alberta where Cow Patti began 15 years ago. This move has given the company new opportunities and we are very excited about opening the gates and roaming in old pastures once again. Cow Patti will eventually start producing nationwide. For now the main pathway of Cow Patti will remain here in the Seaway Valley, where Cow Patti has enjoyed many successes and is indebted to this wonderful community for embracing us as one of their own.
This year we will offer you, our audiences, a very funny comedy “My Darling Judith” penned by Canada’s most recognized and successful playwright- Mr. Norm Foster. With great pleasure, we also announce that we will be having Mr. Donnie Bowes, one of Canada’s most talented and successful Artistic Directors, currently Upper Canada Playhouse’s, in Morrisburg Ontario will guess direct “My Darling Judith”!
My Darling Judith will make you laugh, not that tittering, giggling kind of laugh, but a great belly-laugh. I can certainly understand why Norm Foster is called the Canadian Neil Simon. You could just as easily call Neil Simon the American Norm Foster. His plays are very funny and, as with Simon, the humor derives from the plot and the characters, not from one-line jokes.
I personally send out my warm invitation for all of you to join us this year at “My Darling Judith”. I have made it my personal goal to share as much laughter and happy times with everyone, by using the tool of professional theatre. It is our absolute pleasure to entertain our patrons and to bring joy to everyone’s heart.
AnnaMarie Lea
© 2008 Cow Patti Theatre Company
