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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.
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.


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 School Night, combining a variety of theatrical reviews and displays, competitions and dancing, was established, and continued as such for over twenty years. In the late 1940′s, ‘School Night’, ‘School Nite’, and eventually 'Skule™ Nite', evolved into the extravagant evening of theatre as it is known today, and enjoyed the reputation of being the most popular ‘Informal Night’ on campus.
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.  


This popularity continued through to the later 1960′s when attendance at Skule™ Nite had begun to drop off, as was the case for many campus activities at the time. Although the spirit of Skule™ Nite was less affected than most faculties, by 1968 it was becoming very difficult for the Engineering Society to justify the expense. The next year the Engineering Society, still suffering from the debt of the year before, would not support another 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.


Four years later, as a tribute to the hundredth anniversary of the faculty, Skule™ Nite was resurrected, 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 33-year unbroken run of theatrical delights, culminating with last year’s three-hour “Musical Comedy Adventure of Epic Proportions!” Then Director Jon Hoss, NΨ 0T5, himself a 4-year veteran of the cast, suggested his show would “feel a lot more like a musical than like a sketch comedy show. The cast will take the audience on a suspense-filled adventure around the world, filled with madcap action and comedy. We are, however, still staying true to the Skule™ Nite style.” As for Skule™ Nite 0T6, Director Leona Smith and Producer Alice Xu have crafted another edition of “madcap action and comedy” that is alive and well and welcome in the 21st century. Certainly time well wasted.
Four years later in 1973, as a tribute to the hundredth anniversary of the faculty and the fiftieth anniversary of the show, Skule™ Nite was resurrected, 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.
 
:''Originally written by Rob West, Skule Nite Director 8T3 and published in the Cannon; Volume XXIII, Issue IX.''
:''Parts of the history of Skule™ Nite were taken from the Skule™ Nite 7T3 programme, by R. Scott Jolliffe (CHEM 7T3)''


==Skule Nite Directors and Producers==
==Skule Nite Directors and Producers==
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