History of the Guild, Page 1
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Hamilton is a theatre town.
It has been since at least the 1820's when plays were performed in a small room off Lovers' Lane. In 1839 the venue moved to the new Town Hall on James Street. In April of 1840 this building saw one of the earliest amateur performances in Hamilton when the Gentlemen Amateurs presented Speed the Plough, a comedy, and Man and the Tiger, a farce.
From this time onwards, there has always been at least one amateur group in existence in Hamilton. Some of the groups only lasted one performance but others lasted for years. They included The Emerald Dramatic Association, The Hamilton Historic Society, The St. James Dramatic Association, The Dramatic Club of the Sixteenth Regiment, The Hamilton Dramatic and Literary Club, The Boys, and the most important as far as the Guild is concerned, The Garrick Club.