Monthly Archives: November 2017

2018 Season at the Chemainus Theatre Festival

2017 was a banner year for the Chemainus Theatre Festival. After all, it was our 25th Anniversary and we had a wonderful community celebration with music, tours, dress-up, ice cream and more! Our summer show, ‘Rock Legends’ broke a 9-year box office record and we explored classic love stories, children’s adventures, distant galaxies, and tales full of love and laughter.

It is hard to not get excited about the 2018 season; it’s easy to imagine yourself in your favourite seat of the theatre for any of these shows. To kick off our season perhaps you will enjoy a special escape to watch a young couple find love in a Dublin bar in ‘Once’, or share cross-cultural family challenges in ‘Kim’s Convenience’, or laugh with/at the delightful ‘Glorious!’ Florence Foster Jenkins. 2018 will mark the 40th anniversary of the movie ‘Grease’ and many of us have a happy memory of bopping along with the tunes, whether it was during the original movie theatre release or perhaps at a pajama-clad sleepover in high school. Theatre can take you away and we invite you to come along for the whole 2018 season – maybe back to Ireland, in a rural county this time, in ‘Outside Mullingar’ or to a familiar but distant time with ‘Little Women’. There will even be a bonus show this year – we are re-launching our hit show ‘ Million Dollar Quartet’. Are you inspired yet? Don’t forget about the little ones – the summer run of our Kidzplay ‘The Little Prince’ will plant a seed for the lifelong love of theatre for many children this summer.

We welcomed a new Executive Chef in our kitchen, Nick Caulford, in late 2017 and if you have dined in the Playbill Dining Room recently we are sure you will agree that his dishes are inspired. For our 2018 season, we are trying something new, on Friday nights only we will have a new service, Table d’Hôte. For this special service, you will enjoy a multi-course dinner with your choice of four special plated entrees inspired by the season and the show. The salad and dessert buffet will remain the same and we promise not to judge if you go back for a second piece of cake!

With tickets starting at $25 and an option to get 4, 5 or 6 show packages you can customize your season to suit your tastes, budget, and calendar. Call soon to get your choice of seats and dates and best of all, if you purchase a season ticket subscription by December 8 and you be entered to win a Theatre Extravaganza Trip for 2 to New York.

By |November 24th, 2017|Categories: About the Shows|0 Comments

Remembering Kenneth O. Smith

The Chemainus Theatre Festival is saddened to announce that its founder, Kenneth O. Smith, passed away peacefully on November 14th, 2017 at the age of 90.

Ken was the driving force behind the founding and development of the Chemainus Theatre in 1993 and, with his wife Ruth, stood faithfully behind it, seeing it through to present-day maturity.

He was passionate about theatre and inspirational to artists and staff, while serving many years as Board Chair.  Ken played a lead role in all of the Theatre’s campaigns and capital projects over the first 25 seasons – including the construction of the Theatre’s Production Centre and the development of the Chemainus Best Western Hotel.

Ken was the ultimate theatre angel; unwavering in his support and constantly brimming with vision and enthusiasm.   He was gracious and kind, quick to offer his thanks and words of encouragement, and would always encourage Theatre management to “dream big.”

Ken’s substantial impact on the arts and artists in BC carries on through the creative and artistic role Chemainus Theatre Festival plays in the arts and culture sector.   The Theatre has grown to become the third largest producing theatre in British Columbia, drawing 75,000 theatre goers per year.  Over its first 25 seasons, over 4,000 artists, actors and directors have worked at Chemainus Theatre while creating theatre for over 1.3 million attendees.

Ken’s legacy stretches beyond Chemainus Theatre to include instrumental roles in the founding of Regent College at UBC, Pioneer Camps (Thetis Island and Chehalis), Honeymoon Bay Retreat Centre (Honeymoon Bay) and the Calling Foundation in Vancouver.

His last public outing was attending the Theatre’s 25th season celebration on June 23rd 2017 and we will forever cherish the long and enthusiastic standing ovation that the packed house gave Ken when his enormous contributions were recognized.

Rest peacefully, Ken.  We will miss you and always be thankful for the impact you’ve had on our lives and the great opportunities that your faith and generosity have afforded us.

By |November 22nd, 2017|Categories: Theatre News|0 Comments

December 2017 Artists in the Theatre

A Vancouver Island expressionist oil painter, a former NHL goalie, and a talented husband and wife duo will be featured in the Chemainus Theatre lobby and Gallery Gift Shop during the run of ‘Cornwalls’ All-Inclusive Cancun Christmas’.

The Cornwall Family are true Canadians and the art you can explore throughout the theatre will be too. Richard Brodeur played for seven seasons as a goalie for the Vancouver Canucks and is now exploring his greater Canuck identity through his art. By utilizing oils, acrylics, and watercolours to create abstract paintings as well as images of ‘Canadiana’– fishing villages in Haida Gwaii, lakes and orchards of the Okanagan, and ports and coves of Nova Scotia.

Brian Scott has a well-recognized style on Vancouver Island and beyond. His use of colour is well-known – wild and wonderful mixes of fanciful, fun and exciting hues that bring the west coast fishing boats, architecture and tumbledown buildings of our beloved coastal British Columbia into a new perspective.

Garry and Bly Kaye are a husband and wife set of talented artists living on Saltspring Island. Garry is a third-generation Islander and Bly hails from the countryside of Quebec. Garry prefers painting and works twists the often overlooked mass of impenetrable underbrush to focus on the intricate detail yet subtle beauty the island has revealed to him. Bly is currently immersed in an exploration of the effects of layering hand painted archival tissue papers fairly painstakingly onto canvas to form landscape images.

Come see this impressive display at the Chemainus Theatre beginning on Opening Night, November 17th.

By |November 12th, 2017|Categories: The Gallery Gift Shop|0 Comments

The Gallery Gift Shop

If you have ever perused through the ‘Gallery Gift Shop’ in the lobby of the Chemainus Theatre before a show or during intermission you know there is no shortage of selection. You have probably even been tempted to buy something. It’s easy to see why.

For many of our patrons the high number of local artists who are featured is what makes the Gallery such a unique gift shop. Jewelry, pottery, woodwork, and toys are just a few of the items that support the talented artisans of the Cowichan Valley. The Gallery is owned and operated by the Chemainus Theatre Festival Society and all proceeds from Gallery sales support the work of the society. It’s a great way to have your shopping dollars make a positive impact in your community.

It’s no secret the Holiday season is just around the corner and there are a lot of great gift ideas to fit any budget at the Gallery. For children, we have something for all ages – from locally made baby-booties up to puzzles that feature Canadian artists. For the fashionista on your shopping list, there are jewelry, scarfs, clothing, and accessories for every style sensibility. There really is something for all tastes from steam-punk to rustic.  A detail of a stained glass box may catch your eye or perhaps you find a treasure for that person on your shopping list who is impossible to buy for, woodworking, prints, clocks, or a mug to hold their favourite tea. The Gallery is a beautiful shop for a joyous shopping experience.

The best part is that you don’t have to wait until Intermission the next time you are here for a show. Come by anytime, our hours are listed below. Take your time, notice the details of the handcrafted items, and never hesitate to treat yourself too.

Monday            9:30 – 4:30
Tuesday            9:30 – 4:30
Wednesday      9:30 – 7:30
Thursday         9:30 – 7:30
Friday              9:30 – 8:00
Saturday         9:30 – 8:00
Sunday           11:00 – 4:30

By |November 4th, 2017|Categories: The Gallery Gift Shop|0 Comments