Event

A Brief History of Smoking Cigarettes

Niagara-born theatre artist Deanna Jones brings her distinctive brand of candid, funny and deeply personal storytelling to the Recital Hall with A Brief History of Smoking Cigarettes, created and performed by Jones in association with St. Catharines' Suitcase in Point Theatre.

Through true stories, wide-ranging musings, puppetry, live music, video and playful audience interaction, Jones traces her own personal history with cigarettes alongside the much larger history of tobacco. The show explores how one of the world's largest — and ugliest — industries changed society, while considering themes of addiction, colonialism, capitalism and the transformation of tobacco from a sacred natural resource into a global commodity.

Jones is an award-winning writer, actor, director and producer and a familiar presence in Niagara's theatre community. She is co-founder and Artistic Director of Suitcase in Point Theatre, the St. Catharines company that has helped develop and bring A Brief History of Smoking Cigarettes to audiences beyond Niagara.

Among Jones' best-known creations is the Dora Award-nominated The Keith Richards One Woman Show, an audacious piece of rock-and-roll theatre that toured festivals and stages across Canada. The production helped establish the inventive, comedic solo storytelling for which Jones has become known.

A Brief History of Smoking Cigarettes brings that sensibility home to Niagara, combining autobiography, comedy and social history in a performance about addiction, memory and an industry whose influence has reached into countless lives.

The performance is part of FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre's 2026/27 season celebration of homegrown talent, highlighting work created in Niagara and performances featuring current and former Niagara artists.

Member tickets start at $27. Regular tickets start at $30.

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