Toronto live theatre venue closes after holding on as long as it could

Like many other businesses across Toronto over the past year, the beloved Lower Ossington Theatre has announced it will be permanently closing its doors.

A message posted to the Lower Ossington Theatre's website announced the final curtain call with a promise of creating an online archive of memories from the theatre.

"While it is likely no surprise by now, considering that countless other small venues have already disappeared, not to mention large national businesses, it is nonetheless heartbreaking," reads the announcement.

"As a small organization that was always punching above its weight, 'The LOT' was a hub for hundreds of up-and-coming actors, and presented thousands of live performances over the last decade.   Everyone involved should be proud of what was accomplished."

Located at 100 Ossington, the LOT was known for housing everything from stand-up comedy to blockbuster musical productions such as Rent, The Rocky Horror Show, and West Side Story.

With many Toronto theatre favourites such as Bad Dog Theatre and Toronto Fringe going online for the forseeable future, it could still be some time before theatre lovers can feel the live excitement of seeing the house lights dim.