Lights, camera, action! Oh wait, wrong kind of theatre...
Anyway, in this blog we will be talking about local theatre on the Sunshine Coast. So find your seat as the curtain rises on this very theatrical blog post.
Anyway, in this blog we will be talking about local theatre on the Sunshine Coast. So find your seat as the curtain rises on this very theatrical blog post.
By Sev6nCommons - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123525805
So where did it all begin? For early settlers, it started with local community halls that were often the cultural heart of the community. After the Women's Institute Hall was constructed in 1929, the Hall became the hub of cultural activities.
Below is a quick history of the Women's Institute Hall from our Youtube channel:
Link to the Heritage playhouse website: https://heritageplayhouse.com/
The Women's Institute Hall, located at corner of North Road and Hwy 101. Built in 1929 as a community hall, it was for many years the focal point of entertainment in Gibsons (dances, plays, Fall Fairs etc.). Was restored as a playhouse. Currently the Heritage Playhouse. SCMA #1334
The Women's Institute Hall offered .25 cent dances, sporting events, and other activities in the summer. In the winter there were more theatrical performances to keep people entertained during our lovely winter weather!
Plays played (see what I did there) a large role in early settler communities at a time before movies, television, the internet, and iPhones. They provided an important place for community engagement and interaction. People would walk all the way from Bonniebrook up to the hall and back to see performances. Theatrical performances really were (and still remain) an important part of the local community.
They also acted as a connection to the rest of the world. While not a totally isolated place, the Sunshine Coast is functionally an island (as we all know, it's NOT an Island!). So these plays from afar helped to connect Sunshine Coast residents to diverse ideas and perspective from around the world.
Many plays were performed over the years, some scripts of which are held in our Museum collection. These plays were performed by many different groups, a large number being performed by the Howe Sound Dramatic Society. The Museum doesn't have the performers in the collection: kidnapping is illegal.
Below is a slideshow of pictures and postcards of plays and descriptions from the museums collection.
An important thing for me to mention is that some of the plays did contain blackface and other racist caricatures. The SCMA includes black face minstrelsy materials in our collection "for the benefit of scholars seeking to better understand the role racial performance has had in shaping Western culture." (with notes from Harvard Theatre School Archives, used with permission).
Plays played (see what I did there) a large role in early settler communities at a time before movies, television, the internet, and iPhones. They provided an important place for community engagement and interaction. People would walk all the way from Bonniebrook up to the hall and back to see performances. Theatrical performances really were (and still remain) an important part of the local community.
They also acted as a connection to the rest of the world. While not a totally isolated place, the Sunshine Coast is functionally an island (as we all know, it's NOT an Island!). So these plays from afar helped to connect Sunshine Coast residents to diverse ideas and perspective from around the world.
Many plays were performed over the years, some scripts of which are held in our Museum collection. These plays were performed by many different groups, a large number being performed by the Howe Sound Dramatic Society. The Museum doesn't have the performers in the collection: kidnapping is illegal.
Below is a slideshow of pictures and postcards of plays and descriptions from the museums collection.
An important thing for me to mention is that some of the plays did contain blackface and other racist caricatures. The SCMA includes black face minstrelsy materials in our collection "for the benefit of scholars seeking to better understand the role racial performance has had in shaping Western culture." (with notes from Harvard Theatre School Archives, used with permission).
Photo of the Heritage Playhouse and sign. From their Facebook https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=262099410580308&set=pb.100063442886836.-2207520000
The Women's Institute eventually transferred ownership of the Hall to the School District to use as a gym, and for other pragmatic uses. The Hall would stop being used by the District after a proper facility was built for the school. Later, the Hall acted as a maintenance building for the SCRD until the late 1980s.
Following a restoration of the Hall in the 1990s, it was re-opened in April 2000 as the current Heritage Playhouse that we all know and love. The building was upgraded with new facilities and theatre equipment, including modern sound systems, stage, seating and other modern features and amenities. This upgrade allowed for modern and intricate productions, hosted by groups like the Driftwood Players, who have been been putting on shows for 50 years!
The Driftwood Players operate three main branches: The Driftwood Main Stage, Driftwood Theatre School and the Driftwood pop up performances. They have performed all over the Coast, including many successful theatrical runs at the Heritage playhouse. You can find out about upcoming Driftwood shows by clicking the link here. Driftwood Players have also worked with the Museum many times over the years, including our very successful Halloween Block Party.
And scene! Thanks for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. This will be my last blog for the summer as my contract is up so they are putting me back in storage until next summer. See you then!
Special thanks to Michael Gurney from the Coast Reporter for his support of my blog! :)
Gavin
P.S. The haunted dolls have been acting up I'm going to investigate. Check the blog on Halloween for some haunted history.
Following a restoration of the Hall in the 1990s, it was re-opened in April 2000 as the current Heritage Playhouse that we all know and love. The building was upgraded with new facilities and theatre equipment, including modern sound systems, stage, seating and other modern features and amenities. This upgrade allowed for modern and intricate productions, hosted by groups like the Driftwood Players, who have been been putting on shows for 50 years!
The Driftwood Players operate three main branches: The Driftwood Main Stage, Driftwood Theatre School and the Driftwood pop up performances. They have performed all over the Coast, including many successful theatrical runs at the Heritage playhouse. You can find out about upcoming Driftwood shows by clicking the link here. Driftwood Players have also worked with the Museum many times over the years, including our very successful Halloween Block Party.
And scene! Thanks for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. This will be my last blog for the summer as my contract is up so they are putting me back in storage until next summer. See you then!
Special thanks to Michael Gurney from the Coast Reporter for his support of my blog! :)
Gavin
P.S. The haunted dolls have been acting up I'm going to investigate. Check the blog on Halloween for some haunted history.
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