Celebrating World Theatre Day

A Message from Darcy

Today is World Theatre Day, an annual celebration of the inspiration and magic of theatre.

The theatre has always been a respite. Through good times and bad, it has been a place to spark imagination, to share experiences and to gain insight. While we cannot come together to experience this meaningful ritual right now, it is my sincere hope that we can all draw from powerful memories to mark this important day.

My own thoughts are taken back to this time last year, and the closing of Mark Crawford’s The New Canadian Curling Club. This big-hearted, hilarious play tells the story of the powerful connections formed in a small Alberta town, as a group of new Canadians toiled together towards an unlikely goal: Victory on the curling rink. It is a play that reminds us about the importance of the bonds we form in a community. In any task or challenge, as the hard-nosed rink rat Stuart reminds us: “It’s about the folks you do ‘er with”. As the actors took their final curtain call last March, I became acutely aware that reaching out and rallying together is the best way to lift one another other up.

This profound lesson is driven home to me every day in the kindness and generosity displayed by you: Our Alberta Theatre Projects family. Through financial challenges, leadership changes and now, a crisis that has forced the Martha Cohen Theatre to go dark, you have continued to rally around our organization; buying tickets, volunteering and making generous gifts. This extraordinary community support has meant the world. Your devotion has kept us moving forward for nearly 50 years of world-class contemporary theatre at Alberta Theatre Projects.

So, this World Theatre Day, we celebrate you: The theatre-lovers. Your faith and loyalty makes what we do possible.  And I know that when the time is right, your passion will bring you back once again, to share in the inspiration and magic of theatre at Alberta Theatre Projects.

Sincerely,

Darcy Evans
Executive & Artistic Director, Alberta Theatre Projects

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Header photo: Cast members from The New Canadian Curling Club with some of our wonderful audience members. Photo by Benjamin Laird. Set Design by Scott Reid. Lighting Design by Daniela Masellis. Costume Design by Melissa Mitchell. Composition/Sound Design by Peter Moller.