Actress Cecilia Smith has seen a lot of changes in the 42 years she's performed with Theatre Under the Stars at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.
"There didn't use to be a lot of musical theatre in Vancouver, but now we have a lot of competition," Smith told the Courier during a phone interview from her North Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»home Wednesday. "But we still hear from people who call Theatre Under the Stars a once a year delight."
TUTS, as the theatre company is known to locals, is celebrating its 65th season this summer and as is tradition, the weather has been slow in cooperating. But Smith said the sun shone for the evening performance Tuesday during which all TUTS alumni were invited to attend. The 78-year-old, who's starred in My Fair Lady four times, said much to everyone's delight the alumni included a woman who had performed with the chorus in 1940 when she was 15 years old.
Smith said the natural environment of Stanley Park has changed over the decades, including the removal of trees once home to nesting herons that caused a huge racket during performances.
"And then there were the gibbons and the seals at the [now closed] zoo," she said. "They were really noisy."
Other wildlife encounters include the time a baby raccoon wandered onto the stage followed by its frantic mother. Raccoons are regular visitors during performances.
In 1940, under control of the park board, superintendent A.S. Wooten, conductor Basil Horsfall and actor E.V. Young launched TUTS at the Malkin Bowl band shell. In 1949 the Civic Theatre Society was established, took control of TUTS from the park board and produced musical theatre such as Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun and Guys and Dolls. Actors performing over the years include Ernest Adams, Robert Goulet and Juliette.
Plagued by bad weather and facing competition from the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»International Festival, TUTS declared bankruptcy in 1963. But in 1969 a new company, Theatre in the Park, began presenting musicals and officially took the name Theatre Under the Stars in 1980. In 1982 part of Malkin Bowl was destroyed by fire, but the company survived and rebuilt. In 2006 it took one year off, but returned in 2007 with new productions.
Smith's husband Roger helped found Theatre in the Park in 1969, and he's helped Cecilia in that supporting role ever since as stage manager and photographer.
He's seen many changes in the past four decades and in particular with technology.
"There only used to be one or two microphones on stage," said Smith. "But now everyone wears a head mic and a battery pack. The sound is very crisp."
Lighting effects have improved dramatically with modern stage lights that include multicoloured gel slides. Other improvements include a rear-screen projector, a revolving platform and two trap doors through which actors can enter and leave the stage. The orchestra also has reason to celebrate. For years the orchestra pit was open to the elements.
"So at the first drop of rain they'd make a mad dash to make sure the violins didn't get wet," said Smith.
Twitter: @sthomas10
