Marks Brothers

Although the Marks Brothers are virtually unknown to Canadians, Macleans Magazine in 1958 declared the Marks Brothers, "the most remarkable theatrical family in Canadian history. The dazzling Marks Brothers were the greatest impresario performers of our small town stage in the era before the nickelodeon."

The Marks Brothers were seven brothers who without any theatrical training, starting in 1876, parlayed themselves into a multi-company theatrical enterprise by the turn of the century.

Their home base was their farm on the shores of Christie Lake near Perth, Ontario, in Lanark County. During the summers, they planned, wrote and rehearsed their programs for the coming season. They performed in Perth at the Balderson Theatre, which at that time was the largest theatre stage between Montreal and Toronto.

Before they stopped performing in the mid 1920's, they had performed their lavish stage productions in front of over 8 million people in North America.

Today, their scripts are still performed to enthusiastic audiences in Marks Brothers revivals in Toronto and the Studio Theatre in Perth. The local Perth Museum has many Marks Brothers artifacts including theatrical posters and the brothers famous silk top hats.

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