The magic of Evergreen Theatre

By Heather Killen

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

There’s a sense of alchemy as the musician takes the stage at Evergreen Theatre in East Margaretsville.

Anticipation fills the air as the lights dim and the performer prepares for his moment. But as the spotlight keys in, the feeling of being in a theatre falls away.

It’s just you, eye to eye, with the person you came to see.

Formerly a Baptist church, the cozy 100-seat theatre on the North Mountain is infused with a chemistry that seems to attract as much as it offers, according to its manager.

David O’Leary said that Evergreen seems to benefit from an intangible serendipity that brings the right people at the perfect time.

From its start, the not-for-profit theatre has been backed by a talented pool of volunteers. And each season it attracts a bigger and better line-up of performers.

Jill Barber, Garnet Rogers, Joel Plaskett and George Canyon are among the performers to take the stage this season. "Our mission is bring new and exciting talent to the Valley," O’Leary said. "We push the envelope here and offer more than just the tried and true."

Recently the theatre featured Chirgilchin, a group of throat singers from Tuva, Russia. "They were the most astonishing performers," he said. "Everyone left the show amazed."

If you ask O’Leary what his secret is in attracting acts like George Canyon to his off-the-beaten-track venue, he just smiles and says that they come to him.

O’Leary’s official explanation is that Evergreen offers performers a unique acoustic venue and an appreciative audience. And while it may lack the modern bells and whistles of other stages, it offers performers an intimate, unplugged setting that is hard to match.

But there’s an unspoken suggestion that Evergreen Theatre has a special magic. This mysterious knack for attraction may have began when Fundy Folk Society, a group of talented locals, began hosting open mic nights.

About the time that the group longed to have its own venue, O’Leary heard that the former Baptist church was looking for a new owner.

Evergreen’s metamorphosis from a church to a theatre officially began with surplus staging that was being stored by a member. "At the time we were very fortunate to have David Brown as one of our members," said O’Leary. "He was involved with theatres in Toronto and Halifax and was living in Margaretsville."

Brown had an inventory of the necessary curtains and staging and was willing to help the volunteers design the building’s first phase of transition.

The next stroke of luck came when a neighbouring theatre renovated and made theatre seats available. Over about three months, volunteers worked to replace the pews with seats, and the altar with a stage.

As the theatre grew, the improvements have continued. A new parking lot was recently added, the biggest upgrade so far, he added.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for an out-of-the-way theatre is simply getting the word out, but even in that regard the theatre is lucky.

Professional photographer Steven Kennard and his wife Ellie; who specializes in digital imaging and website design, are active members of the theatre. They provide publicity photos and manage the theatre’s website.

And as the word continues to get around, the audiences and performers keep coming. Each year is the busiest one so far, according to O’Leary. "We’re getting better at predicting what will work," he said. "We’ve made some bad choices in the past, but we’re learning."

O’Leary said that he aims to introduce Evergreen’s audience to fresh shows that will inspire and fire imaginations, even if it’s just for the duration of the concert.

The real chemistry lies in the intimacy of the venue that encourages an interaction between the audience and the performer, he said. "This is a small place - a very intimate setting - where the performer is practically sitting on the lap of the audience," he said. "And this audience is a receptive and communicative group."

O’Leary added that the unique atmosphere created by Evergreen’s audience is its greatest asset in wooing these first-rate acts. "These are the communicators of our culture," said O’Leary. "And I think communication is a very good thing to do in an old church."

For more information visit www.evergreentheatre.ca