Barn Playhouse - Saskatoon

40 years ago I had the pleasure of teaching high school drama at Rosthern Junior College.

Back then I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to continue working with these students even after high school, how wonderful it would be to work with actors who actually were the age of the characters they were portraying.

I knew so many talented people in the community who had nowhere to pursue their love for the stage back then.  

So, with nothing but a really good idea the first step was to find a venue that wouldn’t break the bank with rental fees.  That’s when my parents got involved. They were game to let me try this venture on our family farm. It seemed an obvious choice and a perfect fit to use the old barn and have our first show be “Charlotte’s Web”.

There was no trouble finding people who were willing to get involved. A few phone calls and we had our cast of characters ready for rehearsals.

But it didn’t end there, the idea kept growing. “What if we had a country fair out on the yard before the show began each evening?”

Neighbours took on running food-booths from the carriage shed out on the yard.  Musicians volunteered to play out on the patio in front of the house.  

After a conversation at the Martensville coffee shop Dad came home with the news that the local team drivers would like to give horse-drawn wagon rides through the pasture.

It was just amazing to watch the community get excited about sharing their talents and their hospitality.

That year there was only one production.  We ran it for 8 nights at the end of June, seating 100 people each night.   It was sold out even before we started.

I will be forever grateful for all these neighbours and friends, for all their excitement and their support that continues to this day.