It hardly seems possible that my second season as Artistic Director of Stage Centre Productions, the Company's 36th, is already upon us. I hope you will find the selection of plays as exciting as I do.

We are grateful for the support of our audiences, and especially to our loyal subscribers, some of whom have been with us for many years. I am happy to tell you that our subscriber base has grown by 20 percent in the last year. Please spread the word if you are enjoying the plays we present—good word of mouth is the best possible publicity and beats any other form of advertising.

I am particularly happy that our 2012-2013 season includes our first Canadian play, the hysterically funny Jitters by David French. I am confident that this will provoke much laughter and provide our audiences with a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

After that comes another classic, the American suspense drama, Twelve Angry Jurors. Originally a television play entitled Twelve Angry Men, it was subsequently filmed with Henry Fonda in the leading role. A stage production followed, and then an all-female version called Twelve Angry Women. Our production will provide some fine acting opportunities for both men and women.

In January we shall celebrate another first for SCP, this time our first ever Shakespeare, the much-loved A Midsummer Night's Dream. Whatever the weather may be like outside the theatre next winter, I guarantee that audiences will be wafted away with midsummer enchantment for the duration of the performance.

Sir Ronald Harwood, who wrote our fourth play, is probably best known as the author of the highly successful 1980 play, The Dresser, the movie version of which starred Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay. His 1995 play Taking Sides is very different: gritty, literate, thought-provoking, uncompromising, and downright unsettling. Be warned—some of the language in this play is pretty raw but, sadly, no worse than what I hear on the subway virtually every day.

To round off the season, we hope to present a play by another Canadian playwright, Bernard Slade, whose Same Time Next Year is recognized as a classic. Romantic Comedy is also a delight. One reviewer described the Broadway production as "An utterly disarming, light-hearted confection about love, friendship and theatrical trauma."

I hope the new season will appeal to you and that you will continue to support us. Thank you in advance for your support.

Please feel free to let me know what you think. I am always pleased to get your feedback.

Sincerely,

Michael James Burgess