Skule Nite

Skule Nite 0T9 Opening Act

Skule Nite is a sketch comedy musical revue run entirely by Engineering students at the University of Toronto. It is put on annually at Hart House, and is a professional-level production done entirely by volunteers.

History

Early History

The origins of Skule™ Nite can be traced back to the early years of the 20th century. At that time, there was no show as such, but frequently students and professors would perform short skits and musical ensembles at social events during the year. In 1920, the Engineering Society appointed a Stunt Night Committee to bring together all these scattered dramatic efforts into one show. There was so much interest in this idea that it was decided Massey Hall should be rented for the performance. At 8:30pm, on Wednesday, March 2, 1921, a entitled “Ngynyrs in SPaSms” was performed there with overwhelming success. The show contained eleven skits, ranging from "the Toronto Dislocation Commission" to "the Adventures of Chloreen". The show was accompanied by a student band called the "Toike Oikestra". The show was such a success that it was repeated verbatim the following year, with attendance of over 2000.

Early Hart House Era

In 1923, the show was moved to Hart House. At the time, Hart House was only open to male students due to the stipulation of its founder, the Massey Foundation. However, Hart House could be opened to both genders for special events, so in order to “bring the lady friends into the House to enjoy all the facilities that it had to offer,” the Engineering Society organized "Faculty Night", a comprehensive showcase of displays and events put on by engineering students and departments of which the theatrical presentation was only a small part. At the same time, a new format of Skule Nite, combining a variety of theatrical reviews and displays, competitions and dancing, was established, and continued as such for over twenty years. In 1940′s, as the show evolved into the extravagant evening of theatre known today, so much time and effort was being put into production of the theatrical portion of Skule Nite that no time or support was left for the other events. The 'Revue', as it was referred at the time, became Skule Nite.

At the close of World War II, during which Skule Nite had been cancelled once (in 1942) and displaced to the Royal Ontario Museum (in 1944), the show was moved to the fall and for the first time began to have an entire year of production behind it. Every aspect of the show was ramped up and the professionalism of the acting, singing, dancing and effects escalated. This trend continued for twenty years, until attendance at Skule Nite began to drop off in the mid-1960's. As a result, in 1968 the Engineering Society decided to put on a Broadway musical, "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off", in place of Skule Nite. The show flopped and EngSoc was left stuck in debt from the production costs, leading to the cancellation of Skule Nite for the foreseeable future.

Modern Era

Skule Nite 2T5

Four years later in 1973, as a tribute to the hundredth anniversary of the faculty and the fiftieth anniversary of the show, Michael Stanek resurrected Skule™ Nite, originally intended to be one time only. The success of that show, however, supported by an enthusiastic coterie of enthusiasts of the theatre, has resulted in a unbroken run of theatrical delights since that time. In 2000, the production moved to current format of 5 shows in 4 days.

Skule Nite Directors and Producers

2020s

Year	Director(s)		Assistant Director(s)		Producer(s)		Assistant Producer
2025-26	Sophia Bonellos	MSE 2T6+PEY	Owen Ristic	ECE 2T5+PEY	Marc-André Gaudet Genevieve Beirne	NΨ 2T5 Mech 2T6	—	—
2024-25	Michael Cortese	Mech 2T2+PEY	Kate Stephens Julia DeMarchi	Mech 2T2+PEY Civ 2T3+PEY	Vedant Gupta	NΨ 2T5+PEY	Jimmy Ji	ECE 2T8
2023-24	Thomas Dell	NΨ 2T1+3	Rhythm Loomba	NΨ 2T3+PEY	Cat Ye	Civ 2T3+PEY	Caley McNeill	Indy 2T5+PEY
2022-23	Anya Banning Emily Macdonald-Roach	Mech 2T1+PEY Che 2T1+PEY	—	—	Deniz Uzun	ECE 2T3+PEY	Nathalie Cristofaro	Mech 2T2+PEY
2021-22	Stephanie McDonald	Mech 2T0+PEY+1	Jacqueline Amoranto	NΨ 2T1+1	Michael Cortese	Mech 2T2+PEY	Mackenzie Seward	NΨ 2T1+1
2020-21	Sofia Tijanic	ECE 1T9+PEY	—	—	Nicholas Popowich	ECE 2T0+PEY	Maya Dai	Mech 2T1+PEY

2010s

Year	Director(s)		Assistant Director(s)		Producer(s)		Assistant Producer
2019–20	Jenny Graydon	Indy 1T8	Julia Lobo	Che 1T8+PEY	Seif Sarofim	ECE 2T0+PEY	Jonathan Norman	MSE 1T9+PEY
2018–19	Johnny McGroarty	Che 1T7+PEY	Sean Pitre	NΨ 1T8+PEY	Angela Ma	Che 1T8+PEY	David Pech	Mech 1T8+PEY
2017–18	Emma Sexton	Indy 1T6	Nikola Andric	Bio MEng 1T7	Linda Leung	Indy 1T8+PEY	Kevin Vincze	Che 1T7+PEY
2016–17	Justin Hugh	Mech 1T3	—	—	Alex Perelgut	NΨ 1T6+PEY	Savannah Forest	Civ MASc 1T9
2015–16	Michael Manning	NΨ 1T3+PEY	Kevin Hugh	CSC 1T6+PEY	Patrice Boisclair-Laberge Massimo Gordillo	ECE 1T5+PEY Indy 1T5+PEY	—	—
2014–15	Sean Sit	Indy 1T2+PEY	Michael Manning	NΨ 1T3+PEY	Shashwat Sharma	NΨ 1T3+PEY	Laura Burget	Che 1T6
2013–14	Navid Nourian	NΨ 1T2+PEY	Sandra Sousa	ECE 1T3	Jad Knayzeh	NΨ 1T3+PEY	Patrice Boisclair-Laberge	ECE 1T5
2012–13	Christopher Sun Scott Whitty	NΨ 1T3+PEY NΨ 1T3+PEY	—	—	Amanda Bell Ian Parker Chunkei Tang	Indy MASc 1T4 Min 1T2+1 Che 1T4	—	—
2011–12	Jonny Sun	NΨ 1T1+PEY	—	—	Wayne Lin	Indy 1T1+PEY	Ian Parker	Min 1T2+1
2010–11	Mason Lau	Che 0T8	Chris Tuff	Che 1T0	Katerina Daginis	Che 1T1	—	—

2000s

Year	Director(s)		Assistant Director(s)		Producer(s)		Assistant Producer
2009–10	Daniel Marquez	Indy 0T8+1	Mason Lau	Che 0T8	Katerina Daginis	Che 1T1	Alvin Ho	Elec 0T9+PEY
2008–09	Kian Marandi	Mech 0T7+2	—	—	Rossana Rodriguez Steven Szeto	Indy 1T0+1 Indy 0T9	—	—
2007–08	Jordan Silverman	Mech 0T7	—	—	Steven Szeto	Indy 0T9	—	—
2006–07	Chris Peressotti	NΨ 0T1	—	—	Don McAuslan Carolyn Hicks	NΨ 0T4 Civ 0T7+PEY	—	—
2005–06	Leona Smith	MSE 0T6	—	—	Alice Xu	Arts 0T5	—	—
2004–05	Jon Hoss	NΨ 0T4+PEY	—	—	Matthew Szeto	Comp 0T3+1	—	—
2003–04	Jane Lam	Chem 0T2	Chris Langley	NΨ 0T2	Carrie Smith	NΨ 0T3+PEY	Matthew Szeto	Comp 0T3+1
2002–03	Agnes Jedrzejewski	Comp 0T2	—	—	Donovan Pollitt	Min 0T3	—	—
2001–02	Mike Wood	Min 0T2	—	—	Tiffany Conroy	NΨ 0T1+1	—	—
2000–01	Chris Langley	NΨ 9T8	—	—	Glenn Hauck	?	—	—

1990s

Year	Director		Producer(s)
1999–00	Aryn Pyke	COMP 9T5	Wilfred Lam	NΨ 0T0
1998–99	Kern Lewin	NΨ 9T7	Xavier Galvez	Comp 9T9+PEY
1997–98	Trevor Mills	NΨ 9T8+PEY	Kristin Hofstee	NΨ 9T8
1996–97	Alex Hatzivassilis	Elec 9T4	Trevor Mills	NΨ 9T8+PEY
1995-96	Rajko Krminac
1992–93	Lydia Van Der Veen	Che 8T8	Karri Paradi	Ind 9T4
1991–92	Ed Bonner	BSc (Math) 9T3	Michelle (Radford) Barnes Jason Pilon	MMS 9T1
1990–91	Donna Cieszynska	Indy 9T0	Andre Angelantoni	Civ 3rd year

1980s

Year	Director(s)		Producer(s)		Program
1989–90	Franco Minatel	Mech 8T6	Hayley Ohlig	Ind 9T0
1988–89	Jovanni Sy	Ind 8T8?	Kenneth Kiang	Ele 9T0
1987–88	Alec McTavish	NΨ 8T7	Tom Meadowcroft	NΨ 8T8
1986–87	Jerome Madden	Physical Geography 8T7	Larry Breakwell	NΨ 8T9
1985–86	Ron Williams Lynette Fairweather	NΨ 8T4 Mech 8T5	Ron Dizy	Ind 8T7
1984–85	Steve Roberts	BSc(Psy) 1T7	Lee Verhoeff	Civ 8T6
1983–84	Wayne Levin	Ind 8T4	Lee Verhoeff	Civ 8T6
1982–83	Rob West	Che 8T1	Ira Rotenberg	Ind 8T6
1981–82	Parvez Patel	NΨ 8T1	Judith Vosko	NΨ 8T4	Download
1980–81	Jan Piekoszewski	Civ 8T0	Nancy Brown	NΨ 8T1

1970s and Earlier

Year	Director(s)		Producer(s)
1979–80	Peter Nelson	NΨ 7T9	Graham Skells Pierre Gagnon	NΨ 8T1 7T9
1978–79	Mark Ewen	Mech 7T8	Graham Skells	NΨ 8T1
1977–78	Paul Baker	NΨ 7T5	Graham Skells	NΨ 8T1
1976–77	Jim Podolak	Civ 7T5	Bruce Dodds	Mech 7T7
1975–76	Deborah (Waddell) Morris	Che 7T7	Mike Henry	Mech 7T6
1974–75	Stephen Cress	ELE 7T5	Michael Cox	ELE 7T5
1973–74	Sylvia (Gibb) Young Sheryl Prowse	Ind 7T5 A&S	Rick Fletcher	Mech 7T3
1972–73	Michael Stanek	Ind 7T3	John Vanneste	NΨ 7T3
1965–66	Fred Benzaquen	ELE 6T8	Andris Skuja	NΨ 6T6
1963–64	Andris Skuja	NΨ 6T6	Joseph Gilling	Mech 6T5
1961–62	Brock West		Grant Coffey	Civ 6T2
1948–49	Garth McDowell		Bill Walker
1920–21	C.T. Carson J. McKnight		—	—

List of Skule Nite Shows

• Skule Nite 2T5
• Skule Nite 2T4
• Skule Nite 2T3
• Skule Nite 2T2
• Skule Nite 2T1
• Skule Nite 2T0
• Skule Nite 1T9
• Skule Nite 1T8
• Skule Nite 1T7
• Skule Nite 1T6
• Skule Nite 1T5
• Skule Nite 1T4
• Skule Nite 1T3
• Skule Nite 1T2
• Skule Nite 1T1
• Skule Nite 1T0
• Skule Nite 0T9
• Skule Nite 0T8
• Skule Nite 0T7
• Skule Nite 0T6
• Skule Nite 0T5