Theatre Mainline

Saw a production of The Breakfast Club by D2 Productions who has been staging shows there for some time now (check out their shows when you can) .
Located in the heart of the plateau, it is no surprise Mainline is also at the heart of the Fringe Festival. It houses two theatres (Mini Main, Mainline Theatre), a nice touch is the bar in the lobby. Ya, thats right, you can drink you favourite libation while watching a production of the Bacchae… Ugh, bad joke.
Support local theatre and check the place out. Not nearly as stuffy as the Segal Centre or as prententious as the Centaur.

Go support your local performing arts! Right now! Stop watching Netflix reruns and go get some culture in you!
This is a great place to see local indie productions that will not hurt your wallet. It’s home to the St Ambroise Fringe Festival, but it puts on great shows all year round.
Look, the theatre itself is dingy. It is. I’m not even sure if it’s charming or just straight up in need of repairs. But that’s not the point, you philistine. Bring a comfy cushion to sit on, wear a sweater if it’s winter, grab a couple beers at the bar. And support your local talent. These folks work hard to make good things.

the bouge bash !!
i went over to check out the party that i got an invite for !!!
got there and couldnt figure out what was going on, so i started to ask around — oops hold on there, forgot to describe the place
up a flight of stairs into a labryinth of rooms, and into waht appreared to be a theater venue?
any back to my story asked a few people and found out this was a way for Unilocal to round up 200 people put them in one room and feed them very little — so little that i had to go to schwartz’s after where i met other Unilocalers with the same urge to eat !! how interesting is that
shout out to organizers — bring us more food — next time —
any way wandered around and had mac and cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich
and some pretty good beer —
ambiance was laid back and real, eventually i met a very nice asian woman with whom i explored the venue and then sat and watched a dance routine and we had some flesh contact that made the evening enjoyable beyond what i expected !!!
would i go back again — for sure — Unilocal invite me and i will be there

Interesting underground facility on the St-​Laurent Main street. My first time in that place for the Unilocal Montréal — Bouge Bash event and I thought that it was interesting. Could be a nice place for experimental theatre or a small band concert.

It’s Not A Shin-​dig, It’s A Hootenanny.
Ahhh the mainline. er um… allow to phrase that more appropriately… eh, fuck it. Ah The Mainline, on the last Friday of every month you can See Rick Rigby MC (and play in) the Friday night Hootenanny, which is, in my opinion, the best gathering of near-​do-​wells and acoustic music in the city.
Beer is cheap, hard alcohol is limited (booooooo) but the music is awesome, the venue is great and the people are foot stompers.
Everyone from Scott Dunbar to Santosh Lalond of Bad Uncle pops in to play a few tunes and you get the occasional band on the way through. One particular experience involved The Tequila Mockingbirg Orchestra who, after a long tour and a few bad shows, were actually taken aback by the vibe.
Hootenanny, do it… well done, Mainline.
waka waka.

Scrappy, sexy, brawlin, hot, hawt, messy, trashy, bangin and bloody: Mainline Theatre shoots energy directly into the veins of the city’s indie art scene. The stairs can be scary and the bathroom needs work but that’s secondary for any rebellious arts space holding on to life by the skin of it’s teeth while truly trying to protect and foster a bilingual, diverse community of passionate performers, writers, dancers, and experimental artists.
The main lobby is a good sized cozy rumpled space for beers and scheming decorated with 20 years of posters from Mainline and from the Montréal Fringe Fest which calls Mainline home. The main performance space can seat about 100 and, wisely, the bleacher seating can be moved around to reconfigure the layout.
But really, end of the day, Mainline is all about the extended community that works, volunteers, and produces events there — they are the lifeblood that make it special and I hope they continue to thrive and survive and innovate for decades to come.

Looking for cutting edge theatre and a fabulous party haven? This is the place.
Yes, as mentioned in the other «review» it is hot in the summer. But there are 9 other months of the year to enjoy this more than worthwhile space. And, it has been cleaned up considerably of late. The stair carpet is replaced though the chairs still squeak.
Still, if you want amazing events (Strip Spelling Bee, Slow Dance Parties, Launches of all kinds, the Best New Years’ bash) and edgy theatre and dance, this is the place to be. If you want non-​squeaky seats and snazzy looks, go watch the ‘safer’ theatre at the Centaur or the Segal. All the other anglo theatre venues in town are run on a shoe-​string, staffed mostly be volunteers and have no money to buy anything new. Most of their furnishings are donated.
No one gets into the theatre business to make money honey; you get into it for love of theatre. And I LOVE this theatre.

So. I’m an actress. And as an actress, it probably isn’t wise to knock any institution associated with anyone that could give me the opportunity to claim my (rightful) spotlight on stage. But…
Look. The MainLine, while certainly having its charm and character (I love the vintage local production posters, and the sign before the theatre entrance that reads, «Beware of Pickpockets and Loose Women»), is a ventilation-​free, hot as hell, dusty fixer-​upper with broken, squeaky chairs and ripped up, moldy carpetted stairs in desperate need of a cosmetic facelift. And a good shampoo.
The redeeming quality of this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it venue are the actual shows that are staged in the theatre. I’ve seen some amazing performances here this past year — and the MainLine is one of the venues used for the annual Fringe Fest,
Bottom line: check out the MainLine if you want to catch some good, underrated quality theatre performances. Just pack an icy cold bottle of water in your bag — and please watch your step.