Theatre NL launches Set the Stage campaign
Festival seeks improved facilities for Gros Morne event
Members of the local arts and business community, along with provincial and federal government officials, gathered at The Rooms Wednesday to take part in the official launch of the Set the Stage Capital Campaign in support of Theatre Newfoundland Labrador (TNL).
Campaign chairman Brian Tobin called on the community to set the stage for the future of the theatre company, best known for its Gros Morne Theatre Festival.
“This campaign will build a new theatre facility in the beautiful rural community of Cow Head, N.L.,” said Tobin. “Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador is extremely important, not only to the citizens of Cow Head and the west coast of Newfoundland, but to every Newfoundlander and Labradorian, at home and away. TNL is part of the very fabric of our culture. But this campaign is about so much more than bricks and mortar. Through believing in and creating opportunity for countless young writers, actors and production personnel, the festival enriches lives in all corners of this country and around the world — even on Broadway.”
TNL artistic director Jeff Pitcher highlighted the need for a new facility to meet the ever-growing demand for their shows, performed in the heart of Gros Morne National Park, which sees more than 250,000 visitors each tourist season.
“Our sold-out summer season at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival is now turning audiences away — we just can’t accommodate them in our current facilities,” said Pitcher.
“These additions and improvements will increase the festival’s seating capacity from 190 to 272 seats, contributing significantly to the sustainability of the festival.”
The Gros Morne Theatre Festival currently operates from two performance venues. The main stage is the 92-seat Warehouse Theatre, and the second is a conference room situated in a nearby motel.
Neither venue can support current audience demand. On many nights, as many visitors are turned away disappointed as are admitted, according to Theatre NL.
When it is completed, the new facility will include a theatre and rehearsal hall, lobby and intermission area, production and storage areas, office areas, accommodations and a kitchen.
The new stage will be three times larger, accommodating more ambitious performances with improved sound and more lighting versatility. A dedicated rehearsal hall will double as a small performance venue, enabling more student engagement and programs in concert with schools and the arts program at Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus.
The federal and provincial governments have contributed $3.7 million and $500,000, respectively, to the campaign.
More information regarding the Set the Stage campaign, and how corporate partners and members of the public can get involved, can be found on the campaign website at www.setthestagetnl.ca.