Green Scene - Montreal's Théâtre de Verdure stages plays and musical performances against a naturally beautiful backdrop

Théâtre de Verdure is a setting straight out of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: a thespian's paradise in the middle of a lush woodland. Since 1956, the open-air stage has occupied an island in the middle of Montreal's Parc La Fontaine, exposing park-goers to regular, accessible (read: free) and dazzling productions.

- By Isabel B. Slone

Théâtre de Verdure is a setting straight out of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: a thespian's paradise in the middle of a lush woodland. Since 1956, the open-air stage has occupied an island in the middle of Montreal's Parc La Fontaine, exposing park-goers to regular, accessible (read: free) and dazzling productions.

In 2000, a much-needed reno replaced the original modernist set with a bare-bones structure, more scaffolding than stage, but soon that too got covered in graffiti. By 2014, the venue had fallen into disrepair and was forced to close down. Three years passed before the City decided the Verdure's shows must go on-without interfering with the park's natural beauty. They tapped local architecture firm Lemay for a redesign.