The Russell Association for the Performing Arts (RAPA) is an amateur community theatre organization located in the town of Russell, Ontario, Canada - about 40 kilometres from Ottawa, the nation's capital.

The Association is administered by an elected board which meets monthly. Elections for board members are held at an Annual General meeting in November or December each year and interested members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend.

Rapa was founded in late 1989 and has an interesting history, staging over 3 dozen plays during this time. In the beginning years, RAPA mounted up to 5 productions per year including plays involving youth only, series of one-act plays, and full length dramas. In the last few years, 2 major plays have been produced per year, usually in April and November or December.

Plays are selected by the Board after readings of various plays suggested by RAPA members. Play auditions are held usually about 3 months in advance of the productions. General notices for these auditions are published in local newspapers. RAPA encourages newcomers both as actors and backstage crew.

Once actors are selected and production staff is on board, rehearsals begin and the various aspects of production are set in motion. This all takes a lot of time and hard work on the part of many volunteers, many of whom never wish to tread the boards themselves, but prefer to remain anonymous in the background. Regardless of preference, actors and backstage crew are all equally needed and valued.

Plays are  performed at the Russell High School (982 North Russell Road) in the cafetorium. During production week, the set is moved in, the seats are erected, lighting and sound is tested, and the performers and stage crew have one dress rehearsal performance before three evenings and one afternoon performance of the current play.

After the last evening's performance, the set is struck, everything is moved out and it's party time to celebrate another successful production!