Comments on: The York Theatre Story http://www.vancouverartsandculturesforum.com/the-york-theatre-story.html Creating a centre for the arts Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:13:35 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: John F. Parker http://www.vancouverartsandculturesforum.com/the-york-theatre-story.html/comment-page-1#comment-22 John F. Parker Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:05:26 +0000 http://www.vancouverartsandculturesforum.com/the-york-theatre.html#comment-22 Thank you for letting me know that The York Theatre is in danger. "Help" should be screamed over the city. This theatre must not be torn down or renovated to become anything else other than the venue for which is was lovingly built and maintained over the years. Its heritage is well known. When I was Artistic Director of The Vancouver Little Theatre, I remember so well celebrating its 50th, or it could have been 60th anniversary. On the stage and in the audience were Vancouver's elite who got their start on the York's stage: Freddie Wood, Dorothy Somerset, Jessie Richardson, Joy Coghill, Joy Metcalfe, and more and more and more. The York changed my life beginning in 1953. My first role was in the one act, Sunny Morning, directed by Joan Hall and I was thrilled that we won the one-act play festival of BC. My second role was in Darkness at Noon, directed by Ian Thorne and starring Ivar Harries and later, in the Dominion Drama Festival, when we performed in Sherbrook Quebec. Afterwards, back in the east, John Reed convinced Bill Buck and me to go to New York for three days before heading back to Vancouver. Talk about a heady, life-changing experience! From that time, I was a changed man. Theatre had bitten hard. I got my BA and MA in Theatre and in 1965 became Artistic Director of The Vancouver Little Theatre, staging countless productions in the York Theatre, including festival winners like Strindberg's The Father, and Beverley Simons' The Elephant and the Jewish Questions. Each year I held original play-writing events. I remember well Doris Chilcott starring in M R S Supermom, by Marjorie Morris. (I have three huge scrapbooks of a veritible history of productions that were the only ones entertaining Vancouverites.) I left Vancouver and the York Theatre in 1977 to work in London. Upon my return, I was saddened to discover that the Vancouver Little Theatre had given up the York Theatre and have watched, over the past years , this positively wonderful theatre hungrily wait for someone to bring back its glory days. The York Theatre must not be torn down, must not be turned into anything else other than a live-theatre venue. I'm forwarding my letter to some of those who also made the York their home for many years and will be filled with grand memories of their involvement there and WILL WANT TO ADD "THEIR LETTER" TO MY LETTER AND SEND IT TO THE SAME POWERS-THAT-BE WHO CAN SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE THE YORK THEATRE. IT WILL BE SO EASY--WITH JUST A SMALL EFFORT--TO CREATE A VANCOUVER JEWEL OF A THEATRE ON COMMERCIAL: THE "NEW" YORK THEATRE. DON'T HESITATE. ADD TO MY LETTER AND SEND IT TO MANY MANY PEOPLE WHO WILL SUPPORT THE SAVE-THE-YORK DRIVE. HOW DID THE YORK THEATRE CHANGE YOUR LIFE? Thank you for letting me know that The York Theatre is in danger. “Help”
should be screamed over the city. This theatre must not be torn down or renovated to become anything else other than the venue for which is was lovingly built and maintained over the years.

Its heritage is well known. When I was Artistic Director of The Vancouver Little Theatre, I remember so well celebrating its 50th, or it could have been 60th anniversary. On the stage and in the audience were Vancouver’s elite who got their start on the York’s stage: Freddie Wood, Dorothy Somerset, Jessie Richardson, Joy Coghill, Joy Metcalfe, and more and more and more.

The York changed my life beginning in 1953. My first role was in the one act, Sunny Morning, directed by Joan Hall and I was thrilled that we won the one-act play festival of BC. My second role was in Darkness at Noon, directed by Ian Thorne and starring Ivar Harries and later, in the Dominion Drama Festival, when we performed in Sherbrook Quebec. Afterwards, back in the east, John Reed convinced Bill Buck and me to go to New York for three days before heading back to Vancouver. Talk about a heady, life-changing experience!

From that time, I was a changed man. Theatre had bitten hard. I got my BA and MA in Theatre and in 1965 became Artistic Director of The Vancouver Little Theatre, staging countless productions in the York Theatre, including festival winners like Strindberg’s The Father, and Beverley Simons’ The Elephant and the Jewish Questions. Each year I held original play-writing events. I remember well Doris Chilcott starring in M R S Supermom, by Marjorie Morris. (I have three huge scrapbooks of a veritible history of productions that were the only ones entertaining Vancouverites.)

I left Vancouver and the York Theatre in 1977 to work in London. Upon my return,
I was saddened to discover that the Vancouver Little Theatre had given up the York Theatre and have watched, over the past years , this positively wonderful theatre hungrily wait for someone to bring back its glory days.

The York Theatre must not be torn down, must not be turned into anything else other than a live-theatre venue.

I’m forwarding my letter to some of those who also made the York their home for many years and will be filled with grand memories of their involvement there and WILL WANT TO ADD “THEIR LETTER” TO MY LETTER AND SEND IT TO THE SAME POWERS-THAT-BE WHO CAN SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE THE YORK THEATRE.

IT WILL BE SO EASY–WITH JUST A SMALL EFFORT–TO CREATE A VANCOUVER JEWEL OF A THEATRE ON COMMERCIAL: THE “NEW” YORK THEATRE.

DON’T HESITATE. ADD TO MY LETTER AND SEND IT TO MANY MANY PEOPLE WHO WILL SUPPORT THE SAVE-THE-YORK DRIVE. HOW DID THE YORK THEATRE CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

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