Celebrating 60 years of the Dundas Little Theatre
- Jody Aberdeen
- 17 Mar 2020
It’s hard to not be smitten with Dundas.
A centuries-old escarpment valley town in Hamilton’s far west-end, Dundas invokes all of those primal feelings that many city dwellers have of village life. When we bandy about expressions like “shop local”, “local culture” and “community”, it’s often places like Dundas that many of us have in mind, even if unconsciously.
Local theatre has been part of village culture going back to Greek times, and significantly shapes the character of the community in which it is born. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the Dundas Little Theatre is no different, having greatly affected the hearts and minds and the very soul of the town for many decades.
Founded in 1960, Dundas Little Theatre is based out of the Garstin Centre for the Arts, located on Market Street between the J.L. Grightmire Arena and the Community Pool. The theatre was originally a troupe of dedicated local thespians without a home. The founders performed in local schools, churches, and other spaces in and around Dundas until a fundraising initiative in the 1980s helped them to build their permanent home. The theatre itself was renamed in 2000 after Don Garstin, one of the founding members of the troupe.
The theatre recently concluded a very successful run of Joe DiPetro’s off-Broadway play Over the River and Through the Woods, which was directed by Tamara Kamermans.
Peter Lloyd, who played Frank Gianelli, recalls a recent experience saying, “We were down at Theatre Aquarius some Saturdays ago following the end of our run of Over the River. A young man came up to me asking ‘Have I seen you at a show recently?’ I mentioned the Dundas Little Theatre, and he said “yeah, that’s it, that’s where I saw you!’ He’d heard about the show on one of the programs on the Mohawk College radio station and thought it was interesting. He came down, saw the show, and loved it. And here he was, coming up to speak to me in the lobby of another theatre. It felt really good.”
Lloyd joined the Little Theatre in the early 1980s and in the true spirit of local theatre, has done everything from scrubbing toilets and hammering nails to serving on the Board of Directors as Chairman and Treasurer. A long time Dundas resident, Lloyd speaks enthusiastically about the intimate connections between the Little Theatre and its town.
“If you head to the local pub around the corner from the theatre – the Winchester Arms or the ‘Winnie’ as we call it – you can often find the actors and directors having a quick bite to eat before the show. The staff are very familiar with us. We draw around 1,200 people into the theatre on some Sunday afternoons from not only Dundas, but west Hamilton, Flamborough, and around the area, and afterwards they disperse through the community, walking around and spending money. That’s one of the many impacts. It’s a different group of people than the folks who come to the hockey game next door.”
Most of all, Lloyd enjoys the recognition from his neighbours and other residents for his work in the theatre, both on and off stage. “I love getting good reviews, having a body of work where you can feel that you’ve made a contribution to the life of the community. People coming up and talking to you in the street, saying “I saw you in the show, you’re very good!” Having live performance art available in a small town just raises the tone of the whole town. To have that sort of experience available at a reasonable cost and not having to drive down the QEW to Toronto or Niagara is greatly rewarding.”
Little Theatre member Sally Watson, the costume designer for the Little Theatre’s upcoming production of Agatha Christie’s VERDICT, shares Lloyd’s deep fondness for her troupe. “My fondest memory is of the many fundraising events we held in order to raise the money to build the Garstin Centre for the Arts,” says Watson. “Car rallies, teas, auctions, crafts sales, parties and dances. We raised a bundle in a relatively short period of time and it was all incredibly exciting!”
Watson joined the theatre straight out of high school and has been involved for 48 years, working as a props master, actress, and the stage manager for 33 plays. She points to the Little Theatre’s contributions to some of Dundas’ own unique community activities. “We have curated an exhibit at the Dundas Museum, created floats for the Cactus Festival parade, participated in Arts Dundas weekend and played host to many other arts organizations and non-profits.”
As Dundas experiences the same growth as the rest of the Hamilton area, the Little Theatre has proven to be as appealing to newcomers as it has been to those who have lived most of their lives in the community.
Elizabeth Whitton, a property management professional and lifelong theatre enthusiast who moved to Dundas from Toronto a year ago, had the pleasure of taking in Over the River during its run. “People speak of ‘amateur’ theatre,” says Whitton, “and it’s important to remember that the word ‘amateur’ is of French origin, denoting “a lover of art” according to the Oxford Dictionary.”
Whiton says she loves the little theatres of the world because their performances come from deep love. “The shows I’ve been to in Dundas have been well-produced, the cast well-placed, the staging clear. Wonderful performances, all told! I think Little Theatre adds so much to the community. It’s a great place for young aspiring actors who want to gain experience and for the locals who have a great reason to leave the TV behind and head out on cold winter nights.”
Next up for Dundas Little Theatre? Agatha Christie’s VERDICT, which Peter Lloyd says is “a different kind” of Agatha Christie. “This is the play that she herself called her favourite,” says Lloyd. “In this play, instead of the murder taking place off-stage in darkness, we see the murder take place and we know who the murderer is. What the audience will wonder is why the murderer did it and will they get away with it?” You know who did it: the question is why and how long would they get away with it. It is very much a psychological thriller, with a very film-noirish edge to it.”
You can find information on their 2020/2021 season at dundaslittletheatre.com
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