For 27 years the arts scene in Outlook has been enhanced by the presence of Equinox Theatre, a local company that has brought 40 productions to audiences in its history and who, after a challenging two years, are committed to bringing even more stories to the stage.
“It’s been a strange couple of years, to say the least,” Equinox Theatre president Delwyn Luedtke remarked. “We were dark for 26 months dealing with the fallout of the pandemic. We had productions postponed, rescheduled, and two that had to be cancelled. It was a difficult time.”
Equinox found themselves without a revenue stream even while expenses continued, including paying rent on what the group affectionately called “The Pit”, space they occupied in the basement of the Outlook Mini-Mall for almost as long as they have been in existence.
The 4,000 square foot facility served them well as set, prop and costume storage; sewing center; and rehearsal space. But with expenses eating away at their bank account the group faced some big decisions. Delwyn shared that after two years of being stalled it was hard to gauge support for the future, so when they met for an annual meeting in March, he wasn’t sure what the outcome might be. “We had to take an honest look at things but it ended up being a fantastic meeting,” he said enthusiastically. “We had new people come out to join current members and the excitement and ideas from that were very encouraging.”
The group charted a course for the future which included discussion of upcoming shows, a new venture at Christmas, and discussion about The Pit. “The space has been so good for so many years but we simply couldn’t afford to keep paying the rent and decided we needed to make a move,” Delwyn explained.
As publisher of The Outlook, he felt that there might be enough space at the back of Outlook Printers to accommodate what the group had, if they were able to do some downsizing. What followed were many evenings and weekends sorting, packing, selling, donating and hauling every prop, costume, script and piece of furniture the group had acquired over the years. “Oh my goodness, what a job that was,” Maureen Weiterman exclaimed, member of the group since its very beginnings. “I can’t begin to count the number of trips up and down the stairs that were made. It was an incredible amount of work but, like everything with Equinox, we can make things happen when everybody pulls together and works hard.”
It wasn’t easy. Much of what had been accumulated was meaningful, like all the costumes, which each represented a significant investment of time and effort. Maureen, who had sown so much of it, was finding it hard to part with until she was reminded by group member Sheri Lovrod that they didn’t need to keep the clothes because they can keep the memory. Maureen said, “That helped me a lot and I was able to continue parting with stuff, knowing that nothing can take away the memories, the history and the legacy.”
Equinox origins began in a meeting of individuals wanting to form a theatre group, almost three decades ago. That first meeting took place in Keith and Heather Derdall’s living room and also involved people such as Jarl and Cindi Akre, Garth and Maureen Weiterman, Paul and Debbie Stevens and Eldon Haug. “Who would have thought that 30 years later we would still be here,” Maureen remarked.
In that time, hundreds of people have taken part and while they have had to say goodbye to some, it has been a launch pad for others who have pursued the performing arts. Maureen explained “We have had members pass away and that has been hard. Of course some people have moved away or took up other interests. But it’s also been incredible to see those that have gone on to professional careers in performing; people like Jackie Green, Lizette Mynhardt, Chad Linsley, and Andrew Linsley. We’ve also had the chance to have professionals work among us like when Karen Charlton-Hensby was here.”
Hensby, a classically trained singer appeared in several Equinox shows, including one that ranks as Maureen’s favorite. “ I loved Fiddler on the Roof, The Aristocats and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, but I’d have to say my absolute favorite was White Christmas.”
Maureen says Equinox Theatre is about more than what happens on stage. “Some of the people that I love the most belong to this group. It’s the very profound and deep friendships with all kinds of people that I never thought could be my friends. I don’t know what I would have done without it. If I could do it all over again, would I? Yes, 99% of it.”
The wide variety of stories the group has told over almost three decades have brought thrills, laughter and even some heartfelt tears to audiences in big shows like Anne of Green Gables, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, as well as touching moments in plays such as Mom’s Gift and Homecoming. Comedies like Fawlty Towers and Play On have given audiences much to laugh about. It is a testament to the amount of work directors put in to selecting just the right scripts to showcase the talent of local performers and entertain the audiences that await each production.
With the group now in their new home, attention has turned to upcoming initiatives including a fall show as well as a new venture for Christmas.
First up is Five Alarm, a comedy by Canadian playright Kristen Da Silva that will run November 18-20. The story centers on a chili cook-off taking place at a county fair and those hoping to claim the cash prize for the best chili.
Then from December 16-18 they will invite the public to a walk-thru of Christmas-themed areas in “A Celebration of Christmas” in the Outlook Civic Centre. Justin Turton, Equinox treasurer and planning committee member said, “Christmas is such a wonderful time of year and there were some within Equinox Theatre that wanted to celebrate the season in a unique way.”
He said this initiative will definitely be for the whole community. “We wanted to have an event that is for all ages to enjoy that could involve individuals, groups and businesses. It is our hope that this celebration of Christmas event will further highlight the creativity and abundance of talent many of our friends and neighbors living in and around our community have.”
The event, which will be admission by freewill donation, will also hopefully help build the group’s bank account so they have the resources to launch the next show. “In the past, Equinox has relied entirely on the revenue from productions to cover costs such as costumes, props, rent and insurance, just to name a few,” Justin explained. “With the inability to put on productions in the past couple of years, our reserve funds were consumed by rent and insurance so we were trying to think of a way to fundraise money to help with future productions and also continue to celebrate art and culture in Saskatchewan.”
After Christmas, Equinox Theatre will begin work on a musical featuring a large cast and crew. They are always on the lookout for new members whether interested in being onstage or backstage since so many different talents can be put to work: acting, singing, accompanying, set design, painting, sewing, venue preparation and so much more.
With so much uncertainty facing the group just months ago, the course they are charting and the response they have received from the community have been energizing. Delwyn said, “When we got back on the stage with You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown in May it was so much fun for all of us. Then hearing and seeing how excited people were for us to be back was so great.”
The past couple of years may have been difficult, but with plans firmly in place for the coming months and new ideas and projects waiting in the wings, the group is poised for years of bringing entertainment to the Outlook stage. President Delwyn Luedtke summed it up with the invitation, “Come join us. We are just getting started.”
