Osten-Victor Playhouse: A love letter to Calgary’s creative future

It’s not every day you get to name a brand-new theatre.

A brand new playhouse set to join the Jubilee, Max Bell, Jack Singer, and Martha Cohen in name recognition has a story behind it already.

Get used to saying it: the Osten-Victor Playhouse. Bigger than the Max Bell, but smaller, or as Arts Commons president and CEO Alex Sarian puts it, “more intimate”  than the Jubilee.

The 1,000-seat venue is designed for medium-sized productions and endless possibilities. For context, the Martha Cohen seats 450, the Max Bell 750 — and the Jubilee is about 2,500. 

But it’s about more than just seat numbers. A unique feature of the space is also how it can be adapted.

Gala floor technology is a Canadian innovation used in world-class spaces like the Perelman Performing Arts Centre in New York. In the morning, it can be a traditional proscenium stage. By the afternoon, it could transform into a flat-floor performance in the round.

“It’s such an incredible gift to the Calgary arts community,” Sarian says. “It’s a testament to the fact that we are breaking records here in Calgary.”

The playhouse will anchor the new Werklund Centre Campus, part of the future evolution of Arts Commons at Olympic Plaza and this particular space has been made possible by a landmark $12 million gift from its namesakes.

The name may be new, but Al Osten and Buddy Victor have been shaping the arts for decades. Their story began in the 1950s as members of The Rover Boys in New York.

Over 65 years together, they supported the arts from Broadway to Alberta — producing the original Little Shop of Horrors, investing in Hairspray and Back to the Future, and championing local performances across Calgary.

“They’ve made contemporary pop culture come alive through their generosity,” says Sarian. “This is yet another indication in a lifelong series of gestures showing how much they love the performing arts and how much they love Calgary.”

Buddy passed away peacefully on Aug. 4, 2023, just shy of his 93rd birthday. This gift, their largest ever, continues that shared mission.

“It is incredibly meaningful that we are able to share our life’s passion by supporting this beautiful new venue in Calgary,” says Al Osten, the surviving member of the duo. “Buddy and I were able to experience unbelievable moments through the arts, and I hope that this gift will allow that power to be shared with countless future audiences.”

Construction broke ground in December 2024. The Werklund Centre will also feature a 200-seat studio theatre and a redesigned Olympic Plaza. Sarian says the goal is equitable access not only for audiences, but for artists and arts organizations across the city.

Resident companies like Theatre Calgary will keep their home bases, but the diversity of venue sizes will allow productions to flow between spaces and welcome emerging groups.

“When they’re not being used by one of our resident companies, these venues could be used by a dance company, an opera company, an up-and-coming theatre company, or organizations we may not even know exist yet,” Sarian says

While it is all turned dirt and excavators at this point out his office window, Sarian says having the names of people like Al Osten, Buddy Victor, and David Werklund back the cultural hub means that the structures are more than just buildings.

“We have Calgarians breathing life into these venues, making them truly something of and for Calgary,” he says.

The official change from Arts Commons to Werklund Centre happens on Sept. 1, with the new name set to appear across the website, social media, and season marketing.