2021 Langham Court Theatre
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20 NEWSLETTER 20
Season
21
February 2021
Board of Directors The Prez Sayz
boardpresident@langhamtheatre.ca Submitted by Toshik Bukowiecki
President: Toshik Bukowiecki Greetings all! Here we are a
Vice-President: Kathy Macovichuk month into 2021, already. I
Secretary: Dawn Schell recently heard someone say
that 2021 should start with the
Treasurer: Michael Chadwick
month of February as January
Members-at-Large to 2022: has been an equally trying
John Crickman and Rob Hurst time as last year, both here and
Members-at-Large to 2021: internationally. Let’s hope that
Don Keith and Rosemary Jeffery with the release of COVID19
vaccines, the rest of 2021 will be more
Production Chair 2020/22 positive and we can get back to the art of Membership Update
theatre and creating stories on the stage. Because of the need to shut down
Jon Scheer (Sylvia Hosie, Asst. Prod. Chair)
Administration Update operations this past year, the Board has
Langham Court News is published adopted a motion to extend memberships
There have been some changes around
11 times a year. Deadline for that will be coming up for renewal until
the theatre and the Board continues
submissions is the 22nd day of the October 31st of this year. Thanks to all
confronting the issues at hand. Colleen
month preceding the month of who have renewed their memberships
Maguire has resigned as Transitional
publication. Send submissions to since the AGM and, of course, new
Manager of Operations and Costume Loft
Kathy Macovichuk at newseditor@ memberships can still be purchased.
Manager. We wish her well in her future
langhamtheatre.ca endeavors. Dick Newson has volunteered Technical Update
For newsletter address changes (with no extra pay) to fill in as temporary Our application to the BC Arts Council
or deletions, send them to the administrator, in addition to continuing for funding to purchase equipment to
Transitional Manager of Operations at with his duties in the box office and enable us to “live stream” programs from
boxoffice@langhamtheatre.ca implementing a new computerized box Langham has been turned down. We are
office system. Linda MacNaughton and not in a financial position to purchase
Wendy Henderson have volunteered (not the equipment so we will have to look
Box Office and Administration
paid) to take on the management of the for funding elsewhere or put the idea on
250-384-2142
costume loft. Huge thanks to Dick, Linda hold for now.
boxoffice@langhamtheatre.ca
and Wendy for their support and good will
Costume Loft Rentals and Donations during these financially challenging times Thanks to the members of the
250-384-2025 for Langham. Membership, Artistic Direction, HR,
costumeloft@langhamtheatre.ca Transition and Finance Committees
Transition Committee Update for their ongoing work. The Strategic
General Inquiries
The Board has considered several Planning Committee is expected to have
gm@langhamtheatre.ca
recommendations from the Transition their first meeting soon.
Membership Committee and recently adopted updated If you have Board inquiries, please
membership@langhamtheatre.ca Mandate, Mission and Vision Statements email me at: boardpresident@
Prop Rentals and Donations with a list of Values. These statements langhamtheatre.ca General inquires
props@langhamtheatre.ca are posted on our website. We have can still be sent to: operations@
also adopted a survey that has been langhamtheatre.ca
developed by the Transition Committee as
See our photos on Flikr a tool for community outreach. This survey Thank you to everyone who is supporting
will be going out to our membership first, Langham through these unprecedented
Like us on Facebook! www.facebook. times. Hopefully we can get back to do
com/langhamtheatre and the data reviewed before going out to
the broader community. There is no date doing theatre in the not-too-distant future.
of release as of this publication time.
Langham Court Theatre Newsletter FEBRUARY 2021 – page 1 www.langhamtheatre.ca
What’s Happening In and About Langham
Submitted by Dick Newson
Hi! My name is Dick Newson and many of diverse and enthusiastic bunch and even the usual six. This all depends upon the
you know me as the Box Office Manager. put on a reading of The Laramie Project. guidelines from Dr. Bonnie Henry about
I’m still in that role even though the VADA has extended their rental until the the allowed size of indoor gatherings.
activity here is much reduced due to the end of May so many more students will Let’s all hope that there will be relief by
ongoing health crisis. But I’m letting you benefit from expert instructors like our then, especially if the plan to vaccinate all
know that since January 15, when Colleen member Jason Stevens. And I even saw willing B.C. residents is completed by the
Maguire resigned her position as Costume Amanda Lisman teaching there one time. end of September.
Loft Manager and Transition Manager of Theatre SKAM rented our lounge and stage Meanwhile, Tony Cain and Jon Scheer
Operations, I volunteered to take over last summer for their intensive program are looking at suitable plays that can be
some of the duties of the General Manager. for school-age thespians. They were very presented through live-streaming as a
So, I am now assuming those duties which clever to do the instruction with each staged reading at Langham. Jon is still our
are also much reduced since we are not participant in their own “bubble” marked Active Production Chair, assisted by Sylvia
scheduling a full season – at least not yet! out on the floor. It was very successful, Hosie, so he has good ideas about what will
Let me start by assuring you all that so much so that they have requested the work in this situation. Tony also produced
your theatre is in good hands with our same facilities for this coming summer. and directed a play last year starring our
staff and volunteers, ably guided by our Central Middle School has a drama class Board member Rosemary Jeffery. We’ll let
Board under President Toshik Bukowiecki. in their French Immersion section, ably you know what they come up with for a
As I now receive the emails for gm@ instructed by Allison Balabuch. Like the last fall presentation, and we might even have
langhamtheatre.ca, I handle as many three years, they write, produce, and direct limited live audiences by then.
of these as I can, policy questions are their own show – in French. They rehearse When I came in last Friday, the gardening
forwared to the Board, and bills and in our Rehearsal Room and Stage three ladies were enjoying a coffee break in the
financial correspondence are sent to our afternoons a week and just finished this sunshine at the free mini-library. Pearl
Treasurer, Mike Chadwick. year’s production. Usually they put on a live Arden, Geli Bartlett, Corinna Gilliland, and
The Costume Loft will now be managed show with other schools in the audience our wonderful neighbor Lise Chartrand
by volunteers Linda MacNaughton and and a closing with invited parents. This have been busy getting ready for spring.
Wendy Henderson. They will be doing year they could not do that so they made Days are getting longer so it can’t be far
some tidying and open it up on a demand a video (with the help of Jason King and away, right?
basis for donations, then limited rentals Perry Burton) which they plan to stream So, as you can see, your theatre is alive and
for scheduled productions only, not the for their usual audiences. Some of that well. This time last year, we were running
general public. revenue will be donated to our theatre. We the terrific musical Company, which was
also supplied them with special costumes well received. Then came an alternate
Jackie Early, our Facilities Manager, has and Mike Kuss, our Scenic Carpenter,
been keeping the whole theatre, and I production I and You, which was a fabulous
helped them with some stage structures. two-person show with a surprise ending.
mean all of it – inside and out, in spotless
condition and being rigorous about I have also recently been in contact And then – BOOM. The COVID19 pandemic
ensuring that health protocols are being with Andrew Pirie of LOST (Lawyers On hit and things have not been normal since.
followed by all who enter and use our Stage Theatre). They rented our theatre But we are working diligently to get back to
space. for the last four years around Christmas, live theatre. It might have a different look
performing plays as fund-raisers for local and feel than prior seasons. We are striving
Jason King has kept our technical charities and mental health support. They
equipment (lighting, sound, and to open our space even more to be more
are tentatively asking to rent our theatre inclusive of community members that are
projection) up to snuff and is in charge of again this year for the same reason, only
helping renters with this equipment as marginalized culturally, racially, or socially.
this time doing 10 shows instead of We have a fabulous
desired. If we do some
live streaming, Jason’s space here that we
our go-to expert. want to share with
open arms and help
The Victoria Academy others in any way we
of Dramatic Arts has can.
been renting the
Lounge four days per Stay safe out there,
week to run courses and we’ll see you
for budding actors. soon.
The students are a
Langham Court Theatre Newsletter FEBRUARY 2021 – page 2 www.langhamtheatre.ca
Remembering Alan Ormerod
Submitted by Marilyn Kuss
Alan Ormerod passed away program Alan thanked
on December 22, 2020. everyone involved with the
He had been an active production, saying “they
member at Langham Court have been so supportive
Theatre since 1985 when he in our ‘heroic enterprise’
acted in Pride and Prejudice – an example of, as Alan’s
and was set construction obituary commented on,
assistant, set painter and on “his enthusiasm, warm
the lighting crew for Foxfire. personality, his never-
In the following ending supply of jokes and
approximately 10 years, his terrible puns.”
Alan acted in seven
Langham plays: Light Up
Alan was also active
backstage – he was
Calling all Members:
the Sky (1986), Murder by responsible for Properties Langham Reads a Play
the Book (1987), Abelard in You’ll Get Used to It: The
Submitted by Kathy Macovichuk
and Heloise (1988), And a Nightingale Sang War Story in 2005. Alan said it was his first
(1988), Wind Between the Houses (1991), time being involved in finding props as We’ve all been missing theatre
Hobson’s Choice (1992), and Breaking the opposed to using them. Working with and our theatre family, so the
Code (1994). Alan was his wife, Pat, in her first venture Membership and Volunteer
in being involved in a production. In 2007, Committee would like to invite
Alan returned to the Langham stage
Alan was responsible for the backstage Langham’s members to a series of
in 2005, acting in School for Scandal,
properties for Waiting in the Wings. virtual table readings over Zoom, in
followed by The Noble Spaniard (2006),
which all attendees will have their
and Midsummer Night’s Dream (2008). Alan was born March 1, 1934 in
names placed in a hat. As we go
Alan’s bio in the program for School for Lancashire, England. He emigrated in
through the character list, whoever’s
Scandal mentions Alan’s acting before 1969 when he and his family went to
name is drawn will be reading for
Victoria as well as his acting here for live in Fort McMurray, Alberta where he
that character. If we’re choosing for a
Masques Theatre and St. Luke’s Players. taught mathematics in the high school
male character and any one’s name is
Alan’s last two acting performances at for the following 15 years. In 1985, Alan
pulled from the hat, they get to read
Langham were in 2012 and 2013. The moved to Victoria. He taught math at
that part – a true blind casting.
84, Charing Cross program joked “Alan Glenlyon Norfolk school.
Our first play reading will be a
has graduated -- over 20 years ago he Langham will miss Alan.
short play, written by our very own
was the voice of a parrot off stage. Now
Wendy Merk. This will also be a
he is on stage. Yes!!” and in the Heroes
co-production with Theatre Carpe
Diem. Fantasy and Reality is a Jane
Austenesque comedy with 12
characters and a narrator.
The reading will take place
Thursday, February 11, starting
at 7 p.m.
Please email me at kmacovichuk@
hotmail.com to let me know you’d
like to be a part of this evening. I will
send you the Zoom link information
and a copy of the script to read
ahead of time so you’re familiar with
the story.
If this is successful, the Membership
and Volunteer Committee hope to
organize more of these in the near
future.
Langham Court Theatre Newsletter FEBRUARY 2021 – page 3 www.langhamtheatre.ca
Other Theatre
Happenings
Pondering the agency of humanity in an increasingly digitally
mediatized existence
Out of the Box Productions was formed in the fall of 2003. We
believe that by combining drama, dance, music and interactive
technology in unique multidisciplinary works, and presenting
in more intimate venues, we have created a powerful way to
tell stories that are meaningful for our whole community.
Further, in our last three creations, Chromesthesia,
Disrupting Solitude and Rallentando, we have investigated
diverse methodologies of immersive, digital interactivity;
pondering the agency of the human in an increasingly
digitally mediatized existence while aiming to disseminate
the ecological and social influence of a natural setting on
the creative process.
www.outoftheboxproductions.ca
Take the Indigenous
Canada Online Course Time Commitment: Rehearsals are on
Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., starting on
for Free March 2 and 9, and then picking up on
March 30. A rehearsal schedule will be
Indigenous Canada is a Massive Open published, and you only have to come
Online Course (MOOC) from the UofA to rehearsal when you are called but
Faculty of Native Studies that explores
Indigenous histories and contemporary
Casting Call are welcome at any time. Show week
starts Monday, June 14 with a tech/
issues in Canada. Mountain Dream Productions are
dress rehearsal; two full dress rehearsals
looking to cast three male adult actors
From an Indigenous perspective, this course on Tuesday/Wednesday and then it’s
for our production of Newsies which is
explores key issues facing Indigenous show time.
slated to be performed June 17 to 20 at
peoples today from a historical and critical We are following COVID protocols
the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney.
perspective highlighting national and local during rehearsal, but fully expect that
Indigenous-settler relations. Newsies is a musical, and you would
we will be able to have a live audience
be welcome to join the company in
Registration is now open. in June. We can discuss what we are
singing the Finale Ultimo. Don’t sing?
doing in this area when we talk.
That’s okay, too.
If you are interested, please contact
The actors will play policemen and/
Producer Rob Forbes at 250-858-1053
or thugs and will be involved in some
or info@mountaindreambc.com so
stage fighting. One actor would also
that we can arrange a coffee meeting.
play the speaking role of the Mayor of
New York.
Langham Court Theatre Newsletter FEBRUARY 2021 – page 4 www.langhamtheatre.ca
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