On behalf of the 4th Line Theatre Board of Directors and the entire 4th Line Theatre team, Board Chair Ally Pyle and Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell are deeply saddened to announce the passing of 4th Line Theatre Founder and longtime Artistic Director Robert Winslow.

Winslow passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in Peterborough, Ontario.

“Robert was the driving force behind 4th Line Theatre for decades,” says Pyle. “His vision for collecting and creating local stories set the benchmark for everything the theatre has become. His loss is immeasurable.”

Blackwell adds, “Robert was still actively researching and writing plays right up until the day before his death. He was always excited to be gathering stories and bringing the history of Millbrook and area to life. He was my mentor and artistic collaborator for 34 years. Our loss is Canadian theatre’s loss as well.”

Winslow founded 4th Line Theatre in 1992 on his family’s 100-acre farm just south of Millbrook, Ontario. The first play presented at the outdoor theatre was Winslow’s The Cavan Blazers, which explored tensions between Catholic and Protestant Irish settlers in the region and was inspired by actual events that took place in Cavan Township in the 1850s.

Over his 34 years with 4th Line Theatre, Winslow wrote, directed and performed in numerous productions, helping establish the theatre’s distinctive approach to bringing the history and stories of the region to life on stage.

Winslow’s longtime collaboration with playwright Ian McLachlan produced a number of plays for 4th Line Theatre, including Dr. Barnardo’s Children, which told the story of British Home Children who were brought to Canada from England.

Born in Peterborough and raised in Millbrook, Winslow worked as an actor, director and writer throughout Canada and the United States before returning to the area in the early 1990s, when he inherited his family’s farm. It was there that his vision for an outdoor theatre devoted to the stories and history of the region took root.

Winslow was part of the groups who formed City Stage and the Union Theatre in Peterborough in the 1980s and 1990s. Winslow was an instructor in Trent University’s Cultural Studies Department for more than two decades.

Winslow is survived by his wife, Janette Froncz Winslow, as well as many cousins, nephews, a niece and other beloved family members.

Details regarding a celebration of Winslow’s life will be announced at a later date.

Photo: Robert Winslow.