Regent Theatre - University of Ontario

Built in the early 1920s for cinema and vaudeville, the Regent Theatre is a beloved building in downtown Oshawa, designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. Over the years, the Regent fell into disrepair, being used as a nightclub for a period of time before being converted back to a live performance space.

In 2009 the University of Ontario, needing more space for its growing programs, acquired the Regent. The University has restored it to its former glory, using the 600-seat auditorium as a lecture theatre by day, making the space available for concerts, performances and community use during the evening and on weekends.

Working with a very tight timeline and limited budget, Novita’s priorities were to make the Regent into a lecture theatre for the start of classes in September 2010, and to ensure that the infrastructure for future theatrical systems was in place. As the University relies on laptops for student use, every seat has power and internet access.