You may be interested in reading through the comments I made recently at our "Imagine" Gala. What follows is the complete address for your viewing pleasure....

Good evening, everyone. First of all, I would like thank you for attending our gala.  Together, we are celebrating the conclusion of a major chapter in the Gallery 7 story, and are looking at a new page as we continue the dream of producing excellent theatre with a vision of hope that impacts this community.  Your presence tonight is a tremendous affirmation of the work already done, and an encouragement that we continue the dream.   Not only are you investors, so to speak, in this vision, but also partners in the pursuit of an ever-expanding dream that goes beyond presenting wholesome entertainment and strives to touch hearts, stimulate minds, and nourish souls.

Every passion, every vision, starts with a dream. And every dream starts with an idea, a seed planted that grows in to a large tree, sometimes against great odds. For me, the theatre seed was planted in Grade 4 while watching a high school production of The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder. To my young impressionable mind, there was something special about the ability to make people laugh and hold their attention. Through-out elementary school, the idea of acting in a play became appealing and attractive.

Perhaps this seed was planted out of a deeper need for inclusion and belonging, but there the seed was and it was developing a bit of a root system.  At that time, I was heavily inspired by the Star Wars movies, to the point that I actually started writing and concocting my own versions of the epic space saga. My dad called me the “script-writer” in the family. Of course, those stories were complete rip-offs, with only a few character name changes and perhaps a few minor adjustments to a few key plot points. I smile now at these childish attempts at story-telling, but even then,  an imaginative and creative bent was taking shape, a desire to live beyond merely waking up, going to school, going home to do chores and then going to bed again. There always seemed to be the dreaming.........

My high school years saw me working on the school’s annual spring production. A lack of musical ability kept me back-stage earlier on, but I got my big break in Grade 12 playing a troubled teen in a play about drinking & driving, and then playing the very challenging role of the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz. Somehow, I managed to fool people in to thinking that I could sing, and I have to thank a fellow actor who, during performances, would actually hum along during my solo to keep me in tune.

During those High School years, I remember watching plays and being enthralled by the magic of the art form. I was amazed at how a single spot light could create an entire environment. I was intrigued by how the stage became a canvass on which a director, together with the actors, created a 3-dimensional story, using lights, sets, costumes and people to create a unified picture that reflected some aspect of life or attempted to get some kind of emotional or intellectual or even spiritual response. The power of imagery, of spectacle, of story, of parables, of art itself was starting to take firm hold on my imagination. The experience of theatre, far different and even more unique than any other story-telling form, was becoming a respite to the regularity of life and a place where the imagination could play.   

Another seed was planted during this time. How about we create a drama team in the church where we could get some people together and create our own plays and performances. So, while in grade 11, some people were gathered and we did some improv and performed one or two small performances. In the end, this idea of pulling a drama team together died a very young and defenceless sapling.  Little did I know, however, that this meagre attempt was just the preamble, the birth-pangs of a much bigger dream, a much more all-encompassing dream that would take nearly 18 years to fully blossom, and even yet is growing and expanding.

After graduation, the idea to create a more formalized drama team was born. The seed that was watered and tended to through-out high school was truly breaking through the ground and was pushing up in to the sky. The desire to paint on a stage canvass, to create theatrical experiences, to captivate an audience and make them laugh, was turning in to a passion. And so, in the fall of 1991, 18 long, yet short years ago, seven unwitting accomplices from the Eben-Ezer Church were united and a new theatre ministry took root.  We decided to give our little team a name: Gallery 7 Theatre Troupe.

How did we come up with that name? Inspired by other artistic-sounding names such as Studio 58, two questions came up: Where does one go to view art and how do we associate our activities with the Christian values we hoped to espouse?  One views art in a gallery and the number 7 is often considered a holy number, symbolizing wholeness or completeness. And so, the name was born.

In those early years, we weren’t sure exactly where things would lead, but as the year progressed a bigger vision was beginning to take hold: the creation of a full-time theatre, complete with major productions and a training program that would help church and community theatre practitioners develop their talents, all set within the walls of a church.  That vision remained constant for many years, first in the upstairs youth room of the Eben-Ezer Church with our tiny 80 seat theatre, and then in the basement of the church sanctuary with a make-shift, 140 seat arena stage. 

Over those 15 years at Eben-Ezer Church, many stories were told, both religious and non-religious in orientation. The heart of what we were trying to do remained the same: to produce quality theatre that reflected our faith-based values and perspectives. Over time, the team grew and evolved. Involvement was opened up to the community, and new members entered the fold. Our name went through a couple of changes. The types of plays we produced changed – as the religious play repertoire was exhausted, we turned to other plays that weren’t necessarily religious but still reflected our values.  Audiences and support grew. Gallery 7 Theatre was no longer a sapling. It was a tree producing many branches.

But history has a tendency to repeat itself, and just as it happened in Medieval England, where western theatre was born in the church and then moved out due to its popularity, Gallery 7 Theatre was growing to the point where other church functions and ministries were being affected. We needed to move out.  We needed to become our own entity. And such is where we find ourselves now: an independent, non-profit, charitable organization with a Board of Directors.

While the Gallery 7 dream has morphed into something quite different than its original form, the vision remains intact. We desire to be a theatre centre that produces professional-quality productions that capture the imagination, touches the heart, challenges the mind, and elevates the spirit.  We aspire to be a place where members of the community can fine-tune their craft and pursue their artistic dreams.  We aspire to demonstrate that theatre, together with the many other art forms, can be a positive social, spiritual and economic engine for our community. We aspire to celebrate the creative talents as a reflection of our Creator, using this powerful art-form to explore matters of faith. We aspire to be a place where people can be taken out of the rigors of everyday life so they can be entertained, inspired and refreshed.  We aspire to be a theatre that invites and encourages vigorous discussion about the issues facing our community, the church, and our society.  We aspire to be a place where people can come together to share in the experience of telling stories, where people are affirmed and where people can grow both artistically and personally, a place where people can feel they belong.

In a theatre book that I can’t remember the title of, the author provided an illustration about an old, rusted out truck that sat rotting away in a farmer’s field. To the farmer, that rusted out hunk of metal was junk. It was useless in a practical sense. But to the author, that truck became the birthplace of many a childhood adventure where stories of fancy were played out.  To him, that old heap meant everything.  While many an enterprise produces widgets for practical use, theatre creates an ‘impractical” experience that is essential for the heart, soul and mind, something you can never place a price tag on.

So what’s the dream for the future? Richard Monette, Artistic Director for many years at the famous Stratford Festival in Ontario was asked that question once by a board member.  What was his response?  “To keep the doors open”.  My vision is to “keep the doors open”, to keep doing what we’ve been doing, but there are more dreams:

• How about establishing a company of lay theatre artists and technicians who can access professional training while pursuing creative outlets through our productions; kind of like a hybrid community theatre that maintains semi-professional status but is spear-headed by recreational artists?
  
• How about talk-back sessions between artists and audiences, along with talks and discussions lead by scholars who are experts in the themes explored in our plays?
  
• How about a second stage that presents more complex plays that may not have commercial appeal, but probe deeper into social, economic and religious concerns to inspire vigorous discussion and learning?
  
• How about a dedicated theatre space, where all productions, rehearsals, workshops, and stock is housed under one roof; a centre for artistic production and development that is the pride of the city?

The list can go on and on.

No one vision is held nor fulfilled by a single person. There have been many, many people who have been willing, and sometimes, unwitting partners in the development of the Gallery 7 Theatre experience. I salute them all, and I thank them. I thank our Board of Directors who share in the dream, and who have worked hard to make tonight a success. I thank our audiences, who have celebrated with us our achievements, been patient with us in our failures, and continue to attend our productions.  I thank the Good Lord above, who gave me a dream to pursue and the opportunity to work that dream; I thank God who has blessed, and continues to bless this endeavour. I thank you for taking the extra step by joining us in the pursuit of the Gallery 7 dream.