Welcome to the commemoration of our long life.

 

Shoestring has existed for fifty years as a loosely-structured group, but one with very high standards. We grew from a very small number of dedicated educators and creatively-minded people in the late sixties, a kind of benevolent cooperative, and have proceeded in this manner until today, when we are recognized as a well-loved company on stages throughout Manitoba.

 

To what do we attribute our longevity?  Two qualities come to mind: sincerity and integrity. These are central to how we operate and are probably the reasons why we continue to exist. Fortunately, we have been able to proceed in an atmosphere of cooperation, camaraderie, flexibility and tolerance, openness and trust. During our lifetime, we have aimed to find a way, fueled by enthusiasm, shared responsibility and no small amount of expertise, to bring plays to audiences who have now emerged as "Shoestring followers."

 

As we enter the second half of our century, we trust that we have pioneered a way into the future where Shoestring will continue to contribute to Winnipeg's vibrant arts scene. We will do so by demanding the best of ourselves and finding the best in others and by fostering an environment where individuals are valued and where those who may never have had the privilege of experiencing the magic and the challenge of performing are given a stage.

 

Let us continue to encourage, nurture, and mentor new talent in the spirit of the benevolent cooperative which gave us life.

 

Enjoy our story.

Maureen Taggart,

Shoestring Players Past President

​

The History of Shoestring Players 1969-2019

 

How We Began

Shoestring Players began life in the late sixties as the Manitoba Speech Association (MSA) formed by a few members of the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba (U of M). These included Gus Kristjanson (Readers Theatre), Sheila Maurer (Creative Drama), and Harold Turner (Play Production).

​

The primary objective of the MSA was to facilitate teachers in promoting clear and intelligible speech as a prerequisite to teaching, acting, and communicating. Initially, the Association's emphasis was on Readers Theatre (RT) productions. These were presented locally at seniors' residences, schools and churches, and twice at Lower Fort Garry (historical re-enactments).. Christmas programmes were performed for the Winnipeg Poetry Society at the University Women's Club (Ralph Connor House) and at St. George's Anglican Church, while some costumed plays were presented as part of the Homecoming Events at the U of M.

​

Re-enactments of health-related social situations, such as seniors' abuse and housing problems were presented at Lion's Place Theatre as part of a Health Initiatives Conference. Video recordings were made to help hospital patients approach surgery with a better understanding of the procedure, and of how to recover successfully.

​

For several years, as well, RT presentations were taken to the Great Plains Oral Interpretation Festival at the University of North Dakota, where members participated in a weekend of theatre and workshops.

​

Because of the close affiliation with the U of M Faculty of Education, we were fortunate to have rehearsal space in the drama room, and were able to share and contribute to their collection of costumes, props, and sets. RT productions gradually began to include movement and costumes, while hand-held scripts began to disappear, and more fully-staged productions emerged.

​

Of the core group of members, many of whom left for teaching, and some for theatre-related careers, Harold, Sheila, and Gus remained for some time. But in the early seventies Primrose Hopkins, Margaret Downie, and Maureen Taggart (all speech and drama teachers), Marion Neild (speech pathologist), and Peter Spencer (educational drama and theatre) joined the founding members' group. Marion Neild acted with Shoestring until 2008 and still attends all our productions! Peter Spencer and Maureen Taggart continue as actors and directors to this day.

​

What's in a name? During the early years, it was sometimes felt that the “Manitoba Speech Association” did not accurately reflect what we had become. Names were proposed, including Prompt Corner Players, Caravan Players, and Spoken Arts Collective. Sheila Maurer remarked that since we never had a budget of any substance, we should be called “Shoestring Players.”  Well, it took, and Shoestring took off.

 

As We Grew    

As our group attracted more and more interested people, our expanded core group stayed and provided stability, mentoring, and guidance in areas such as direction, sets, publicity, ticket sales and front-of-house, costuming, technical assistance, storage, transportation, and finances; yes, we had finally acquired some dollars.

​

Shoestring has always had a strong mandate for fund raising. In the earlier years, churches were the beneficiaries of our fund raising performances. Over the years approximately $20,000 was raised through those performances, with $12,000 going to support Hospitality House Refugee Mission. In more recent years, Shoestring formed an affiliation with the Women's Canadian Club of Winnipeg (WCCW), donating to their “Books to the Canadian North” project, and to a bursary fund which provides an annual award to a U of M student in Environmental Studies. Since 2010 the Women have provided our group with dinner at our fall start-up meeting at Churchill Park United Church (our rehearsal space), and beginning in 2015 we have performed staged readings at the WCCW annual December holiday luncheon. It is a most harmonious and rewarding alliance.

​

While Shoestring has produced many plays independently over the years, including a radio play, a couple of melodramas, a pantomime, and a play for children, the advent of the Association of Community Theatres (ACT) Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and the Master Playwright Festival marked turning points; they added structure to our theatre season. We looked forward to finding a play by the chosen master playwright to be ready for the Festival in January/February. As of 2019 Shoestring has participated in ten Master Playwright Festivals. In early May, the ACT Festival enables us to see other Manitoba groups perform and to benefit from a weekend of professional adjudication and work-shopping. ACTFest 2019 saw our thirty-second performance. The Winnipeg Fringe Festival in July usually sees Shoestring in the line-up; we have performed ten shows to date.

​

Since our early years there have been many fine actors on our stage and very capable people behind the scenes, all supporting Shoestring with their talent, expertise, time, and dedication.

​

Milestones 

Unfortunately there is not enough space to comment on all 80-plus plays, but the following anecdotes and a selection of milestones may help to show why Shoestring Players are still around.

                 

In 1980 an audience member, Florence Rice-Leach, who had connections with Nellie McClung, had written In Her Tongue, a play about the Suffragist movement. She asked if we might have a look at it. It was subsequently mounted for an invited audience at the U of M. It was the first play written by a local playwright to be produced by Shoestring.

​

In 1982, The Manitoba Community Theatre Festival was renamed ACTFest. Our first entry in the newly named Festival was in 1983: Tell it not in Gath. 

​

Murder in the Cathedral, a 1984 co-production with The Cathedral Players, was a huge success with a cast of thirty. Peter Spencer was instrumental in procuring the perfect venue for this play – St. John's Anglican Cathedral. It was the first of eleven shows we have performed over the years at the Cathedral. The most recent is Our Town, in 2018 where half the proceeds were donated to Hospitality House.

​

Ghost of a Chance directed by Walter Mildren, was a thriller and in 1997 sparked the interest of the Emerson International Drama Festival who invited us to attend. It provided a new opportunity to perform in the company of other groups.

​

The miracle play The Boy With A Cart was our first performance (1999) at the A-Spire Theatre in Gimli. The performance space, with small upper and lower stages, proved too limiting to manipulate the cart. The problem was solved by re-focusing the lights on the floor area, and by placing the audience on the two stages and along two sides of the room. Because of our early and continuing participation in the Festival (nineteen performances in all), Shoestring has been recognized as one of the founders of the Gimli Summer Theatre Festival.

​

In 2000 Bill Moore first took on directing for Shoestring with The Red Velvet Goat. The year 2003 saw Bill as Ernie in Ernie's Incredible Illucinations, featuring the octogenarian Sheila Maurer in a boxing match! This was Shoestring's first foray into Fringe territory. 

​

Shoestring first hosted ACTFest in 2002 at the Can West Theatre, MTYP, performing The Mumberley Inheritance. The Rivals, was featured at our second hosting of the Festival in 2007 at Prairie Theatre Exchange. It proved a showcase for Robert Butler's spectacular costuming, and a highlight of his work for Shoestring over the decades. “Costumania” was the theme of the Festival, and Shoestring's collection of period costumes, all built by “Our Bob,” were placed on display. We are still blessed with his magical creativity, his attention to detail, and his carefully researched work.

​

Shoestring participated in the Master Playwright Festival for the first time in StoppardFest 2007, where we performed two plays: A Separate Peace and Teeth. For the latter, a cast member provided a fully equipped vintage dentist’s chair, hydraulics and all!

The year 2008 saw Carol Stephens first moving from acting to directing for Dear Santa. She brought her own special approach to this play for children. In keeping with Shoestring's mandate to fund raise when possible, proceeds were donated to Air Canada's annual "Dreams Take Flight" sponsorship of a trip to Disney World for underprivileged, disabled, and sick children. As well, 2008 was the year of Shoestring's very successful Fringe show The Dining Room. At that time a show from each venue was selected for the title “Best of Fest” and, for the second time, Shoestring captured it at their venue. In the same year, drama teacher Katherine McLennan joined the group, first acting and then assisting Maureen Taggart in directing Departures and Arrivals. Kathy has remained to this day a valuable actor, director, and producer, directing many plays for the group, including four for the Master Playwright Festival.

​

Departures and Arrivals had numerous performances in 2009, notably at the first “Carol Shields Symposium on Women's Writing: Festival of Voices” at The University of Winnipeg. The play was reprised at the opening of the Carol Shields Memorial Labyrinth in Kings Park, shortly thereafter.

​

Our first full length Shakespeare production was in 2010, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was directed by Peter Spencer whose idea it was to feature Simpson’s Folly, a local instrumental quartet specializing in traditional folk music of the British Isles.

​

One of Shoestring's more bizarre ventures was to make a video in 2011 for the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission promoting their “Be Undrunk/DrinkSense” program. This involved a whole day of filming for which we were paid handsomely. The idea was to point out the dangers of over-imbibing (and to demonstrate how ridiculous seniors look when they are drunk). The video was entitled "This Looks Dumb at any Age." We did a great job!

​

In 2012, a year of four major productions, Shoestring had a “face lift” when we purchased ten brand new flats, three doors and wall-to-wall carpeting. The flats and doors were lovingly wall-papered and painted, and, along with the carpeting, were first used in the well-received comedy Bedtime Stories, providing a full stage set. They have been used to great effect in subsequent productions.

Quilters presented the greatest challenge to date. This 2013 production entailed a cast of fifteen playing multiple roles, a four-piece band, dancing, singing, and separate quilt blocks culminating in a beautiful queen-sized quilt (made by Sue Hudson, and raffled at the end of the run) and, once again – a nearly sold-out Warehouse Welcome to our Storyfor all performances.

​

In 2017 loyal members Karl Eckstrand and Mike Seccombe first provided Shoestring with their expertise in directing, taking on Verdict for the Agatha ChristieFest. They did us proud again in Ibsenfest 2019 with The Pillars of Society, during a record cold week.

​

Closure, a touching story about post-war reconciliation and reunion, had already been performed on four continents, but our 2019 production, directed by Katherine McLennan, was very special for its 94 year old local author, Ron Blicq. It was the first production of the play in his home province, and a delightful experience for him as well as for sold-out audiences.

 

Our most recent milestone was an entry in the final Master Playwright Festival: ShakespeareFest. Our play, Upstart Crow, was a collection of scenes from Shakespeare compiled by Sharon Hamilton and directed by Sharon, Maureen Taggart, and Peter Spencer.

​

 

List of Productions

Shoestring Players' origin is with the Manitoba Speech Association. In 1969 an affiliate group was formed to perform Readers Theatre (RT) presentations Unfortunately, only a few photos or programs of the early plays can be found. Titles in bold indicate that the play is featured in this book. “Gimli” refers to The A-Spire Theatre Gimli Summer Theatre Festival; “Fringe” refers to the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Winnipeg Fringe Festival; and “MPF” to the RMTC Master Playwright Festival.  Staged readings for the Women's Canadian Club of Winnipeg are indicated with WCCW after the Director's name.

​

1969-1973 Various Readers Theatre (RT) presentations at seniors' homes, hospitals, schools, and at other educational events.

1974     Illusion, Delusion, and the Soul Within – compilation (RT) – directed by Gus Kristjanson – St. Paul's Anglican Church

1975     A Young Man's Fancy, a collection of readings (RT) – directed by Peter Spencer – Great Plains Oral Interpretation Festival, N.D.

Women, Mothers of All Mischief – compilation (RT) – directed by Harold Turner & Sheila Maurer, U of M

1976     Ragwoman of the Shambles by Don Roberts – directed by Primrose Hopkins – St. Paul's Anglican Church

Red River of the North by T. Saunders (RT) – directed by Peter Spencer – St. John's Cathedral, Great Plains Oral Interpretation Festival, N.D.

1977     Beach of Strangers (RT) – directed by Primrose Hopkins – Great Plains Oral Interpretation Festival, N.D.

1978     Tell Me Yes or No, adaptation of a short story by Alice Munro (RT) – directed by Brian Kells; and

Mrs. Golightly and the First Conversation by Ethel Wilson – directed by Peter Spencer – Great Plains Oral Interpretation Festival, N.D.

             Joseph Wants Five Sous by Helena Jones – directed by Sheila Maurer & Harold Turner; and Fool's Errand, adapted from a tale by Chaucer by Margaret Wood –  directed by Sheila Maurer – U of M, Faculty of Ed

1979    Tail of Fire by T.B. Morris – directed by Will Dickson – Wpg. Main Library, Great Plains Oral Interpretation Festival, N.D.

Prairie Memories – poetry readings (RT) – directed by Peter Spencer – Great Plains Oral Interpretation Festival, N.D.

1980    In Her Tongue by Florence Edna Rice-Leach – directed by Peter Spencer – U of M

1982     Was He Anyone? by N.F. Simpson – directed by Brian Kells – MTC Warehouse (MB Community Theatre Festival)

1983     Tell It Not in Gath by Joe Corrie – directed by Maureen Taggart – ACTFest (Winnipeg PTE)

1984    Murder in the Cathedral (with the Cathedral Players) by T.S. Eliot – directed by Rod Brown & Sherman Himelblau –St. John's Cathedral Press Cuttings by G.B. Shaw – directed by Sheila Maurer – ACTFest (Winnipeg Warehouse Theatre), Gas Station Theatre

              Mixed Doubles by Alan Ayckbourn et al – sketches – directed by Will Dickson, Gas Station Theatre 

1985     People (Pinter & Mixed Doubles sketches) – directed by the group – ACTFest (Winnipeg Warehouse Theatre)

1986     Separate Tables (Table No. 7) by Terence Rattigan – directed by Primrose Hopkins – ACTFest (Wpg – Warehouse)

1988    Gosforth's Fete by Alan Ayckbourn – directed by Martin Clutton-Brock & Primrose Hopkins – ACTFest (Dauphin), St. Paul's Anglican Church, West End Cultural Centre

1989     Mixed Doubles by Alan Ayckbourn et al – sketches – directed by Will Dickson – ACTFest (Morden)

1990     Separate Tables (No. 7) by Terence Rattigan – directed by Primrose Hopkins – ACTFest (Brandon), St. Paul's Anglican Church, Riverview United Church

1991    Medley of Shakespeare (RT) – directed by Peter Spencer – ACTFest (Pinawa), Banville & Jones wine store (fundraiser)

1992     Listen to This by Michael Frayn – directed by Maureen Taggart – ACTFest (Portage la Prairie)

1993     Our Town by Thornton Wilder – directed by Peter Spencer – ACTFest (Winnipeg PTE)

1994     Who Really Lives Here? by various Canadian writers – directed by Maureen Taggart – ACTFest (Neepawa)

               The Shadowy Waters by W.B. Yeats – directed by Mary Kelly Campbell – co-production with Red Hen Collective's Riders to the Sea, an opera – Colin Jackson Theatre

1995    The Drunkard adapted by Wm. H. Smith – directed by Primrose Hopkins – ACTFest (Brandon) St. Paul's Anglican Church, St. John's Cathedral, Wildewood Country Club

1996     The Playground – prose and poetry about Childhood (RT) – directed by Sheila Maurer – Emerson International Drama Festival

The Yorkshire Mystery Plays – directed by Peter Spencer – St. John's Cathedral

1997     A Ghost of a Chance by Brian J. Burton – directed by Walter Mildren – Emerson International Drama Festival

1998     Cinderella Pantomime – directed by Primrose Hopkins – ACTFest (Pinawa), St. Paul's Anglican Church, Irish Cultural Centre

1999     The Boy with a Cart by Christopher Fry – directed by Peter Spencer – ACTFest (Neepawa), St. John's Cathedral, Gimli

2000     The Red Velvet Goat by Josephina Niggli – directed by Bill Moore – ACTFest (Brandon), St. Paul's Anglican Church

2001     Noah's Dream – edited by Gordon D. McLeod – directed by Peter Spencer & Sheila Maurer – St. John's Cathedral, ACTFest (Portage la Prairie), Gimli

2002     The Mumberley Inheritance by Warren Graves – directed by Primrose Hopkins & Sheila Maurer – ACTFest (Can West Theatre MTYP), St. Paul's Anglican Church, Colin Jackson Theatre, Gimli

2003     Women of Wonder by Lowell Swortzell – co-directed by Peter Spencer, Jennifer Gottwald & Brenda Born – ACTFest (Dauphin), St. Paul's Anglican Church, St. John's Cathedral, Gimli

                Ernie's Incredible Illucinations by Alan Ayckbourn – directed by Maureen Taggart – ACTFest (Dauphin), St. Paul's Anglican Church, St. John's Cathedral, Gimli, Fringe (Colin Jackson Theatre)

2004     The Family Reunion by T.S. Eliot – directed by Michael Kurek – ACTFest (Brandon), Forrest Nickerson Theatre

2005     Fools by Neil Simon – directed by Bill Moore – Forrest Nickerson Theatre, Gimli

Barnes' People by Peter Barnes – directed by Maureen Taggart, Michael Kurek & Peter Spencer – ACTFest (Pinawa)

2006     Mr. Flannery's Ocean by Lewis John Carlino – directed by Maureen Taggart – Fringe (The Conservatory)

               Egad What a Cad by Anita Bell – directed by Bill Moore – ACTFest (Portage la Prairie), Gimli

               Pioneer Memories – directed by Peter Spencer – Lower Fort Garry

2007     The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan – directed by Maureen Taggart & Peter Spencer – St. John's Anglican             Cathedral, ACTFest (Winnipeg – Prairie Theatre Exchange), Fringe (Warehouse Theatre), Gimli

               A Separate Peace and Teeth by Tom Stoppard – directed by Maureen Taggart & Peter Spencer – MPF StoppardFest (Irish Cultural Centre)

2008     Dear Santa by Norm Foster – directed by Carol Stephens – Forrest Nickerson Theatre

               The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney – directed by Maureen Taggart – ACTFest (Binscarth), Fringe (MTC mainstage-backstage), Gimli, Churchill Park United Church

2009     An Enemy of the People (Ibsen), Arthur Miller adapt. – directed by Peter Spencer & Maureen Taggart – MPF MillerFest (Forrest Nickerson Theatre)

               Departures and Arrivals by Carol Shields – directed by Maureen Taggart, assisted by Katherine McLennan – ACTFest (Dauphin), Forrest Nickerson Theatre, Inaugural Carol Shields Festival of Voices (U of W}, Opening of Carol Shields Memorial Labyrinth (King's Park), Gimli       

2010     The After Dinner Joke by Caryl Churchill – directed by Maureen Taggart – MPF ChurchillFest

               Whose Life Is It Anyway? by Brian Clark – directed by Katherine McLennan & Carol Stephens – ACTFest (Virden), Forrest Nickerson Theatre, Gimli

               A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare – directed by Peter Spencer – Forrest Nickerson Theatre

2011     The Burned House by August Strindbuerg – directed by Katherine McLennan – MPF StrindbergFest (Forrest Nickerson Theatre)

Mary and Martha by Veralyn Warkentin – directed by Maureen Taggart – ACTFest (Winkler), Gimli

2012     Great Catherine by George Bernard Shaw – directed by Katherine McLennan and

               Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empress by G.B. Shaw – directed by Maureen Taggart – MPF ShawFest (Colin Jackson Theatre)

               Bedtime Stories by Norm Foster – directed by Katherine McLennan – Forrest Nickerson Theatre

               Inherit the Wind by Lawrence and Lee – directed by Peter Spencer, assisted by Angela Rajfur – ACTFest (Neepawa), Forrest Nickerson Theatre, Gimli

              Mary and Martha by Veralyn Warkentin – directed by Maureen Taggart – Fringe (MTC Mainstage)

2013     Quilters by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek – directed by Peter Spencer & Maureen Taggart – ACTFest (Portage la Prairie), Fringe (Warehouse Theatre), Gimli

2014     The Quick Change Room by Nagle Jackson – directed by Maureen Taggart – MPF ChekhovFest (Colin Jackson Theatre)

               A Small Affair by Bob Larbey – directed by Katherine McLennan – ACTFest (Pinawa), Fringe (Gas Station Theatre), Gimli

              The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder – directed by Peter Spencer & Maureen Taggart – Forrest Nickerson Theatre

2015     Bea, Frank, Richie and Joan by Taylor and Bologna, staged reading – directed by Katherine McLennan – WCCW (Convention Centre)

            The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, adapted by William Adams, staged reading – directed by Maureen Taggart – WCCW (Convention Centre)

            Mr. Flannery's Ocean by Lewis John Carlino – directed by Maureen Taggart – Fringe (MTC Up the Alley), Gimli

2016    Confusions by Alan Ayckbourn – directed by Katherine McLennan – MPF AyckbournFest (Forrest Nickerson Theatre), ACTFest (Binscarth)

             A Little Something for the Ducks by Jean Lennox Toddie, and scenes from Departures and Arrivals by Carol Shields, staged readings – directed by Katherine McLennan – WCCW (Convention Centre)

2017   Verdict by Agatha Christie – directed by Karl Eckstrand & Mike Seccombe – MPF ChristieFest (Forrest Nickerson Theatre)

I Remember Mama by John Van Druten – directed by Peter Spencer, assisted by Sharon Hamilton – St. John's Cathedral

             Passengers by Sam Bobrick, staged readings – directed by Katherine McLennan & Maureen Taggart – WCCW (Convention Centre)

             Waiting for the Parade by John Murrell – directed by Maureen Taggart – Fringe (Dramatic Arts Centre), Gimli

2018     Welcome to the Moon and Other Plays by John Patrick Shanley – directed by Katherine McLennan, assisted by Pete Hudson & Carol Stephens – MPF ShanleyFest (Forrest Nickerson Theatre)

            Our Town by Thornton Wilder – directed by Peter Spencer & Sharon Hamilton, assisted by Christine Reimer – ACTFest (Virden), St. John's Cathedral, Gimli, Amber Meadow Assisted Living Residence

            Countdown by Alan Ayckbourn – directed by Maureen Taggart

            The Dear Departed by Stanley Houghton, staged readings – directed by Katherine McLennan – WCCW (Convention Centre)

2019  The Pillars of Society by Henrik Ibsen – directed by Mike Seccombe & Karl Eckstrand – MPF IbsenFest (Forrest Nickerson Theatre)

            Closure by Ron Blicq – directed by Katherine McLennan – ACTFest (Portage la Prairie), Forrest Nickerson Theatre, Gimli

            Just a Two Cent Stamp by Ron Blicq and Mother's Day by J.B. Priestley – directed by Katherine McLennan – WCCW (Convention Centre)

2020  Upstart Crow, a collection of scenes from Shakespeare compiled by Sharon Hamilton and directed by Sharon, Maureen Taggart, and Peter Spencer. Shakespeare Fest, the Forrest Nickerson Theatre

2022  Slowly & Sideways - directed by Andrea Marantz, Rhonda Kennedy, Katherine McLennan, Trinity Sigurdson and Christine Reimer, Cre8ery Gallery, Winnipeg Fringe Festival