March 2026
As I look out my window here in Cow Head, I can barely see the Long Range Mountains of Gros Morne through the wet blowing snow. It’s March… but the days still feel short, the nights long, and the shoveling seems endless. Especially for our friends in St. John’s this week! It’s the time of the year when summer can’t come soon enough.
Lucky for you, we’ve just unveiled the 2026 Gros Morne Theatre Festival season. So, you don’t have to dream about the summer – you can get ready for it!
This year I’ve programmed a season of stories from the heart. Our summer lineup features six productions that offer a passionate investigation into the meaning of home. We are telling stories of resilience, stories bursting with pride for Newfoundland and Labrador, and stories that ask us to consider how we got here and where we are going.
We’re returning to an old GMTF favourite – Rhonda Payne’s Stars in the Sky Morning follows the lives of three different groups of women growing up right here on the Great Northern Peninsula. It’s a simple yet powerful play about family, hope, and resilience.
Powerhouse NL author Megan Gail Coles is bringing us the next installment in the Driftwood Trilogy, with the world premiere of her new play Building Houses. A thought-provoking piece of theatre that asks us to reconsider the foundational narrative of this island and its first peoples.
And of course we have plenty for music lovers! Music on Main will take you through the rock era of Newfoundland music in the 90s and early 2000s. While Neddy Norris Night offers an intimate acoustic experience in our studio theatre, featuring the traditional folk music from our coast.
The reason I love live theatre is because it invites us to slow down, shut off the chaotic and sometimes frightening noise circling us, sit in a room with real people, and share an experience. We so rarely get the opportunity to commit 100% of ourselves to something today, even for a short time. That’s why we strive to bring you world class theatre here in Cow Head.
Whether you’re visiting for the first time, returning, or have lived here your entire life, I know our season will inspire you to see Newfoundland and Labrador in a new way.
So, grab your calendar, gather your friends, and start planning your nights out in Cow Head. Summer is coming—slowly but surely—and we can’t wait to share it with you at the 2026 Gros Morne Theatre Festival.
See you soon!
Nicholas Leno
Artistic Producer