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GIBSONS LANDING HERITAGE SOCIETY

HERITAGE PLAYHOUSE
 SPRING 2005

662 North Road, Gibsons, B.C. VON 1V9 TEL: 604 886 8998

www.heritageplayhouse.com

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
   
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM of the GLHS was held in September 2004. The elected board consists of the following:
 
President: Nest Lewis
Vice President: Colleen Elson
Treasurer: Carol Service
Secretary: Chrystal Garrick
Membership Secretary: Diane Berdahl
Directors at Large: James Bennett
  Karen Careless
  Lyle Carter
  Mary Mellis
We have since appointed Sharon O'Brien to the Board
   
LETTER OF PRAISE
 
Roberts Creek Community School and Missoula children's theatre used the playhouse in October 2004. We would like to give you some quotes from the coordinator, Sally Quinn.

“It is one thing to put on a school play. It is another to be able to do it in a real theatre. The lights around the mirrors in the green room, the spaciousness of the green room and the back stage area and the elegance of the house itself…all these added to what was a fun and exciting event.

It is such a lovely theatre. We are lucky here on the Coast that your society has created and continues to maintain such an intimate, professional theatre space.”
OUR THANK YOU PAGE
Jenny Gipps
You will note that one name is absent from the Board of Directors. Jenny has been a stalwart member of the board for many years and due to other commitments decided to resign. Without Jenny we would never have got to the stage we are now at as she was an indefatigable treasurer when we were in the building and planning stages of the Heritage Playhouse. Without Jenny's watchful eye we might have gone millions over budget!! Jenny was responsible for so much...our whole data base in fact, not to mention our newsletters. Jenny is one of the world's rare people, never drawing attention to herself and always willing to do whatever she was asked, no matter how eccentric she thought the request! Although not on the Board of Directors, she is still one of our most active volunteers, baking for the concession, willing to usher and coming in every Wednesday morning to clean the Playhouse. What dedication! We miss your face on the board, Jenny.		 Paula Kelly Volunteer Coordinator
Paula Kelly acted as our quietly efficient volunteer coordinator, but with a family of active kids and a job it's been difficult for her to spare time for this task so regretfully she resigned. We thank Paula for all the hours she gave to the Playhouse. We are, however, fortunate to have Patrick Davis as our new Volunteer Coordinator. If you wish to become one of our volunteers, just leave your name and phone number at 604 886 8998 and we'll pass the information on to Patrick.



SPOT THE LIGHT
Marilyn Browning
The past year has seen a few changes at the Playhouse. The multi talented Marilyn, who has been our volunteer manager over the past years, decided to follow new pursuits. She became Nona in the long running dinner theatre entertainment Tony and Tina's Wedding in Vancouver. Marilyn is also on the board of the Arts Council. Her play Bruised Apples appeared in SOPA 2004. This year she is producing Loot and Locket  by Barbara Robertson at the Playhouse. We wish you all success in your future endeavours, Marilyn.

SCRD Grants. 2004 grant monies received from SCRD was specified for light and sound equipment.  Our technician Kerry Mills just had Xmas in January spending the money, upgrading and indulging himself in new sound equipment. Well chosen Kerry!
 
Plaques

If you would like to become immortal, why not donate just $250.00 and have your name placed on one of the Heritage Hallways???? Tax receipts will be issued.

The Gibsons Landing Heritage Society relies on your generosity and payment from the rental groups, which use the Heritage Playhouse to keep the Playhouse running. The $150,000.00 interim financing with which we started the Playhouse 5 years ago is now down to just over $55,000.00. Should you care to make a donation, which is tax deductible, please make your cheques out to the Gibsons Landing Heritage
Society.
LETTER FROM THE GLHS PRESIDENT

It seems to be a continuing mystery...exactly how is the playhouse run. As one volunteer remarked recently, “It just seems to run itself! “

The Heritage Playhouse is owned by the Town of Gibsons and leased for 25 years to the Gibsons Landing Heritage Society. The GLHS was totally responsible for saving this former Women's Institute Hall from demolition. It took the volunteer board of the GLHS 9 years to get the money to make the Playhouse into what you see today. During this period many people were doubtful that the project would ever amount to anything as most of the money obtained in the early days went underground! The Board of the GLHS was constantly working, squirreling away any money which came their way, and finding out who its friends in the community were. And friends there certainly were. As the decided upon opening day approached, the GLHS realised they were just a tad short of the amount they needed to put in all the finishing details. What to do? The Board asked some of the friends of the Playhouse to become guarantors for a loan from the Credit Union and 15 noble people put up their personal bonds to make the Playhouse the success it is today.

We are determined to pay off this money as soon as possible. Due to this decision the Board needs $2,200 every month in order to pay the Credit Union and insurance and utilities. Some months we just bite our nails and cross our toes! So far so good. But there is no money for the many extras we would like to have to enhance this wonderful building which so enriches the lives of our community.

Rental fees are kept low deliberately as we feel the Playhouse should be accessible to the total community. The Playhouse is kept going by volunteers. The only people who are paid are the technicians and they, Kerry Mills and Sandi McGinnis, work for many more hours than those for which they are paid. The rest of the Board does everything, from cleaning the washrooms to running the concession. There are many volunteers who act as ushers and ticket takers and the Gibsons Garden Club is dedicated to keeping the grounds attractive and weed free.

One of the ways in which we finance the Playhouse is through grant money and we are grateful to the SCRD for their annual generosity. We were however stymied recently by the Gaming and Lotteries branch of the government who informed us that we were not eligible for a grant as we didn't own the building! Another factor that is important to us when applying for grants is the membership of our society. It's no good telling foundations that we have over 60 regular volunteers. What they want to know is how many paid up members we have!!! If you, dear reader, would donate just $10.00 (Yes, that's all!) for a membership fee it would help the GLHS enormously.
Keeping the Playhouse viable has turned into a way of life for many of us and oddly enough we have no regrets...we just wish we had more money!! If you have any questions just phone us at 604 886 8998 and we'll get back to you with our answers.

Nest Lewis
UPCOMING EVENTS
 

 
  • Feb 18 –21 Canadian Heritage Film Festival: 4 days of film, guest speakers, panel, films, an “antique films road show” A free animation family event, and more films. More details www.scfs.ca
  • Mar 3 - 12; 17 - 18 & 19
    Driftwood Players I'll be back before Midnight
  • April 1-2&3 The Jungle Book
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  • April 9 Sylvain Brochu, Dance
  • April 22-23 DS Dance
  • April 28 on Loot & Locket

Keep up to date with our web site: www.heritageplayhouse.com
RATE SHEET
 
Meetings
Rehearsals, Set-Up.
Strike
$15.00 per hour

Performance time
$40.00 per hour

Technician cost
$15.00 per hour
Minimum time 4 hours

Use of piano
$25.00 per performance
 

 Use of Concession
$10.00 per session

Questions?
Phone 604 886 8998

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can

We require a $100.00 cheque as damage deposit (refundable) and a $25.00 cheque as Cancellation fee (also refundable)

 
PLAYHOUSE MEMBERSHIP
 


Membership in the Gibsons Landing Heritage Society is a membership in the Heritage Playhouse. The Playhouse was a joint GLHS and community project. In order for the society to apply for grants membership is imperative to show community support is still here.

At present, the Directors of the GLHS manage the theatre and are still working hard to pay it off. Membership remains at $10.00 per year so is very much appreciated.


Heritage Playhouse Sketch by Terry Barker