Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Whistler Theatre Dream

Whistler Theatre Project moves forward with community support and funding for A Midsummer Night's Dream

One of the themes in William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream explores the dichotomy of city versus nature. Young lovers follow their passions into the woods where magic awaits. The line between reality and fantasy blurs, but eventually the city folk return to their orderly lives, remembering their jaunt into the forest as nothing more than a wistful dream.

"That you have slumbered here, While these visions did appear; And this weak and idle theme, Nor more yielding but a dream." — Dream Epilogue.3-6.

It is a story not unfamiliar here; of concrete-dwellers setting out on a pilgrimage up Highway 99 to escape society’s constrains in the wilderness, pleasures and freedom Whistler affords.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the perfect fit for the inaugural production of the Whistler Theatre Project: a new kind of outdoor adventure with theatre under the sky Aug. 4 to Sept. 3 at Ross Regabliati Park.

"The play is about going away from the city and what happens when you do: the possibilities to get away, celebrate and play," Zaib Shaikh said.

"Whistler is known for its outdoors. We wanted to bring that element into the culture and entertainment we are supplying."

"We are trying to create something magical: an enchantment in the woods," Todd Talbot said.

With Whistler’s forests and mountains providing the backdrop for the tented production in the park, nature and culture will be united for a truly dramatic experience.

Co-founders Shaikh and Talbot recently opened the doors to Whistler Theatre Project’s offices at MY Millennium Place.

It’s a dream come true for Talbot, a weekend warrior from Vancouver who has visited his family’s Whistler vacation home for 15 years. Before setting off to stages in London’s West End, The Charlottetown Festival, Canadian Stage, Vancouver Playhouse, Bard on the Beach and the Arts Club Theatre, the then novice actor dismissed his mother’s encouragement to start a theatre company in Whistler. Now 10 years later the young man, who only wanted to be on stage, is creating his own.

Community theatre has a long tradition in Whistler, but currently the resort hosts no professional theatre troupe or summer stock productions.

Shaikh and Talbot are looking to build the project within the community as much as possible. Various community groups were consulted, including Short Skirt Theatre, Whistler Arts Council and Soul Funktion Dance Studio. The Whistler Theatre Project has also built partnerships with the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler, Whistler-Blackcomb and various Sea to Sky businesses.

"We are not coming in and dropping (the project) in like a mall," Talbot said. "It’s not like a show that is already done and being parachuted in for one night. This is something that really needs to root and grow."

"We are proponents for theatre in Canada," Shaikh said. "We are building a house and we’ve got the blueprint, but we need more people on board. We want to enroll a lot of people in building this home. We aren’t building a small one."

Funding is always a theatre troupe’s biggest challenge. Funding for the project will come from three areas: corporate sponsorship, grants and independent donations. The event will also be ticketed.

"Funding for a theatre company is a never ending theatre process," Talbot said. "We have Whistler and Squamish businesses coming on board, like the funding (from the RMOW), we see this as another vote of confidence in this project as a whole."

The Resort Municipality of Whistler awarded the project $10,000 earlier this month. The 2010 Legacies Now program issued the group a $2,500 ArtsNow grant and Tourism Whistler officials are currently in discussion with project officials as to how they will further support the production.

Already Tourism Whistler, through the Events Whistler board, has offered in-kind support through marketing vehicles and audition spaces. Oliver Flaser, director of marketing for Tourism Whistler and board member of Events Whistler, said discussions are underway regarding accommodation and ticketing at the Whistler Activity Centre booth.

"Tourism Whistler’s mandate is to drive room nights and make sure we are driving packages," Flaser said. "It is not just about the two hour period (of the show), but about finding ways to increase packaging opportunities, getting others involved: food and beverage, retail partners, activities. I can’t under estimate the (importance) of that when we sit down with third party producers… It’s such a great opportunity. We want to make sure it is a viable business for them as well."

The Whistler Arts Council is behind the project, offering any non-monetary resources they can.

"We support anything that increases arts programming in Whistler, especially in areas that need an increase in the performing arts like professional theatre," said Doti Niedermayer, executive director of the Whistler Arts Council.

"They have worked hard to create relationships in the community. I really trust they can pull it off and do it with integrity… They also have a mentoring program to provide workshops and training for young actors that we really support."

Along with afternoon performances, the non-profit organization also hosts a Youth Theatre Conservatory, a seven-day intensive program for students ages 12 to 17, as well as an emerging artist development program for four apprentice actors, one apprentice stage manager and one apprentice arts administrator.

"I think that growing performance opportunities can only strengthen the talent of the Whistler youth," said Codi Dalen, owner of Soul Funktion Dance Studio.

Auditions were held in both Whistler and Vancouver earlier this year. The Whistler audition turn out was sparse.

"The audition process was intimidating," explained Heather Paul of Short Skirt Theatre of the meek turn out. "Many people were scared off with the mention of a Canada-wide casting call and performers’ union membership. The Whistler Theatre Project is a professional theatre – which is all right, in fact it can be a good thing for tourism and business – but it didn’t sound like a stage where some of us would belong."

She noted the six-day-a-week rehearsal schedule in Vancouver also posed problems for many local actors: a leave of absence from work would be required and another rental payment in the city for the duration of rehearsals.

Paul was pleased Shaikh and Talbot offered a solution to the problem by working with the director to accommodate smaller parts only requiring one to three rehearsals a week, as well as hosting a free audition workshop, which would act both as an artist development experience as well as an opportunity to scout local talent in an informal setting. The workshop takes place Sunday, May 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. at MY Millennium Place.

Whether locals benefit professionally or financially from the endeavour remains to be seen, however cultural gratification even before the curtain rises is a certain bet.

"Just miles from our home, we get the rare chance to sit in the audience of a first-class performance; under our glacial canopy of night," Paul said.

With countless professional shows behind the Stratford and Charlottetown Festival vets, artistic advisors on their team including the likes of Vancouver Playhouse officials and multiple Whistler community organizations gathering in the wings, the Whistler Theatre Project aspires to invite global conversation under the universal language of theatre.

"I had a dream…" Shaikh said with what could only be described as a churlish Puck smile – a dream soon to become a reality.

For more information about the show, auditions or youth programming, visit www.whistlertheatreproject.com.