Exciting Plans for Evergreen Theatre

Exciting Plans for Evergreen Theatre

By David O’Leary

Evergreen Theatre in East Margaretsville is excited to announce that our long anticipated addition will become a reality in 2017. After sixteen years of hosting a wide variety of the performing arts from Nova Scotia, the rest of Canada, and beyond in our rather humble surroundings, we are leaping from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. Our converted 1850’s former Baptist Church offers unparalleled acoustics and a warm intimate audience experience, but we are lacking a few conveniences which modern audiences and artists seem to expect, and which are mostly connected to our lack of plumbing. Although this minor drawback did not deter us from presenting twenty-plus shows every year (Jill Barber, Bif Naked, Quartetto Gelato, Claire Lynch, and David Francey among others in 2016), we are looking forward to our 5(!) new washrooms, dressing rooms, lobby, and café. Those who fear that the charms of the Evergreen may be destroyed by these improvements may rest easy as the actual auditorium will be mostly untouched by the changes. We have our doubts that few will miss the blue plastic portapotty nestled artfully by our fire escape.

We are happy to salute the 150th birthday of Canada (almost as old as our building) and, fittingly, major funding in the order of $100,125 is being provided to our project by the Government of Canada through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program (CIP150). An additional $50,000 has come from the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage. Other amounts have been received from businesses (notably RBC, Scotiabank, and Investors) and many individuals. Construction will start this spring as soon as weather allows. Meanwhile a last fundraising initiative aimed at the community will take us over the top of our financial commitment to this project.

“The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program allows the Government of Canada to follow through on its promise to renovate, expand, and improve existing community and cultural infrastructure,” explained Colin Fraser, Member of Parliament for West Nova. “The expansion of the Evergreen Theatre will improve the association’s ability to attract talent to the region, draw larger audiences, and help drive economic activity.”

Please visit evergreentheatre.ca to see the exciting modernistic look of our soon-to-come addition and to catch a glimpse of our 2017 season.