Theatre that uses the whole animal...

Zuppa Theatre Co. is an ensemble theatre company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company is driven by a core group of artists developing original performances in collaboration with like-minded individuals from related disciplines. Every Zuppa show is a ride through wild visions, genres, familiar stories and the unknown; the experiences, thoughts and inclinations of the lead artists determine the landscape.

The company has developed a unique collaborative process that favours the intuitive over the formulaic and thrives on the play between the imagined and the real. At the heart of each show is the restless spirit of the actor.

Zuppa Theatre Co. is Ben Stone, Susan Leblanc-Crawford, and Alex McLean.

Founded in 1998 by Ben Stone and Sandy Gribbin, the company incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in January 2001 and received its status of registered charity in 2002. Zuppa receives operating support from The Canada Council for the Arts and The Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage.

The company has been the subject of audience and critical acclaim, scholarly articles, and has received numerous Theatre Nova Scotia Merritt Awards and nominations. Each of the core members have received Emerging Artist Awards in recent years. Zuppa Theatre Co. is an affiliate member of PACT (Professional Association of Canadian Theatres).

“The Supercity’s most innovative theatre troupe”
 Leslie Lowe, The Coast

“Inspired physical theatre.”
 Stephen Pederson, The Chronicle Herald

“Seamless works that are at some moments hilarious and other times transcendent. This unique quality makes Zuppa Circus a leading company in the ‘ensemble theatre’ movement and simply a wonderful troupe to see.”
Raymond Bobgan, Cleveland Public Theatre

“A collaborative, highly physical, devising-based company whose performances defy categorization (easy or otherwise)…. They are charting new territory.”
Bruce Barton, Canadian Theatre Review

“Going to see a Zuppa Circus show is like being a child playing make-believe: anything is possible and profound observations arrive like fireflies in the dark.”
 Laura Graham, The Chronicle Herald

“An audience at a Zuppa show invariably experiences that wonderful uplift as the whole experience imperceptibly builds to something more than the sum of its parts”
Ed Thomason, Festival Antigonish

“The company strikes a perfect balance between lightness and poignancy, creating an experience that is alive with a sense of wonderment.”
 Jennifer Johnson, Charlestown Working Theatre, Boston