Brandon’s own community theatre company, Mecca Productions, is celebrating a quarter-century of bringing the performing arts to Westman with a special anniversary gala on June 11, 2026. The milestone event at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium (WMCA) at 205 20th Street will reflect on 25 years of shows that have engaged performers and audiences from across the region.
Founded in 2001 by Lisa Vasconcelos, a longtime drama and musical theatre teacher at Neelin High School, the organization started with a single after-school class. It has now grown into a full-fledged performing arts centre offering classes for ages two to 102, six days a week. Over the years, Mecca Productions has staged 73 productions, ranging from kids’ musicals to community dramas, all while drawing participants from as far away as Dauphin, Portage la Prairie, and the Saskatchewan and U.S. borders.
The anniversary gala begins at 7:00 p.m., with ticket options from $40 for the concert only, up to $85 for a VIP experience that includes a pre-show reception, the concert, and an afterparty. More than 50 past and present performers and crew members will take the stage for a 90-minute concert featuring highlights from the past 25 seasons. The VIP reception will offer appetizers from Montana’s, sweets from Chez Angela, and provisions from Sobey’s South. After the show, guests can join an afterparty with dancing and karaoke in the Grand Salon.
This celebration comes at a special time for Vasconcelos, who was honoured with the Arts, Culture & Design award at the YWCA Westman Women of Distinction Awards on April 15, 2026. She shared the award with Lisa Heide of the Boissevain-Morton Arts Council. Vasconcelos’s daughter now works alongside her as a partner, helping carry the company’s mission into a new generation.
Mecca Productions typically puts on four to five shows per year, including two all-kids’ musicals, and offers a range of performing arts classes such as singing, dancing, acting, and a community choir. The June 11 gala is listed as a featured event on the Brandon Tourism calendar, highlighting the company’s deep roots in Manitoba’s second-largest city.
