In 1933, Dorothy Davis and Violet Walters took their love of children and drama and started the Montreal Children's Theatre. It was the height of the Great Depression and these two women with no business experience opened their doors to 25 students.
Dorothy Davis was born and raised in London, England where she discovered her passion for theatre. Her formative training began at the Westminster Theatre School. Davis and her family moved to Canada in 1913, where she continued to study and work on her craft.
Violet Walter, born in Colombo, Ceylon (now know as Sri Lanka) was the youngest of seven. Her love for theatre started at an early age but she was discouraged by her grandmother who felt acting was not an appropriate career choice for a young lady. She moved to Canada after the death of her father where she continued her love for performing and became a professional dancer.
Davis and Walters met in 1924 , when they were both cast in the same theatrical production.
By the 1950s, the school had expanded to five studios around the city of Montreal with over four hundred students.