N. Shore area

includes Coast
By Martin Millerchip
Contributing Writer

STRAY shards of sun-
light are glinting off the
Strait of Georgia as
Mike Forrest tells us
that the Sunshine Coast
used to be known as the
Rainy Coast until adver-
tising was invented.

There are seven of us
jammed in a minivan on our
way back to the Langdale Ferry
terminus and another four in a
pickup somewhere behind.

The executive of the North
Shore Zone of Theatre B.C.
has hit the road for a combined
meeting and field trip.

It says much for the enthu-
siasm of community theatre
that this happy group of theatre
club representatives has given
up a Saturday and travelled at
its own expense to the home of
Driftwood Players.

_ Admittedly, Driftwood has
pitched in with sandwiches and
tickets to their matinee perfor-
mance of Ivan Menchell’s bit-
tersweet comedy The Cemetery
Club, but that’s only the sort of
bribe a community actor would

understand.

We're along at the invita-
tion of Anne Marsh, past-presi-
dent of Theatre B.C., who feels
it’s imporvant that we under-
stand the North Shore Zone
doesn’t begin in Deep Cove
and end in West Vancouver.

dinary job.

Ir’s a delightful day and we
are all impressed = with
Driftwood’s efforts on our
behalf, their struggle towards a
permanent theatre facility in a
heritage-designated communi-
ty hall and their current pro-
duction in Sechelt’s magnifi-
cent Raven's Cry Theatre.

It is obvious at the executive
inceting in the drafty old ele-
mentary school = where
Driftwood stores its costumes
that the other club reps are tak-
ing care to accommodate the
needs of this group and the
zone’s other more remote
clubs in Squamish and Howe
Sound. Theatre B.C. is the
umbrella organization connect-

Photo submitted

CANADIAN director Scott Swan ...
says Theatre B.C. does an extraor-

ing community
theatre groups
around the
province.

Founded in
1932, it organizes
an annual theatre
competition as
well as a weekend
of classes and
workshops to
improve skill lev-
els in all areas of
theatre produc-
tion.

The province is
organized — inte
geographical
zones that host
their own theatre
festivals in the
spring, with pro-
tessional adjudi-
cators selecting
productions to go
forward and cam-
pete oat the
provincial level,

Marsh, who has been
active in North Vancouver
community theatre for 25
years (North Vancouver
Community Players has made
her an honorary life member),
is currently working hard to
pult together Backstage ’96.

Held over the long week-
end of November 8-11 at
Emily Carr Institute of Art and
Design, the annual instruction-

al event will host 55 workshops
in the performing arts.

All workshop leaders are
protessionals in their field and
everything trom mime and
clowning to design and direct
ing is covered.

West Vancouver's Scott
Swan, who has directed all ever
the ceuntry and currently
teaches acting in Vancouver,
says Theatre B.C, does an
extraoedinary job.

“To have an organization
that allows thar amount of
access tO community people
and professianais and teachers
is really important,” says Scott.

“The work thar they do is
really exerting.”

Funding cutbacks have
plaved havoc with the usual
organizational structure but
Marsh has a number of volun-
teers working with her.

Along on the tip to Sechelt
was Scott Ashton Swan, an
independent producer who
waches arts administration at
Capilano College.

Some of his students will
now be assisting Marsh with reg-
istration for Backstage as part of
their required work expenence.

Such networking is the
strength of Theatre B.C.

Registration information for
any of the Rackstage 96 work-

‘shops can be obtasned at 602-

9595.

NEW NUMBERS!

Vlease note our new direct lines:

HQ/Administration

990-5800

Lynn Valley Branch

984-0286

Wednesday, Novernber 6, 1996 — North Shore News - 17

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General Enquiries

990-5808
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Circulation

Adult Book Info
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*

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