by Trevor Osburn
2021 was certainly another challenging year, perhaps a bit more than we expected!
in December 2021, we published a summary of 2020 and 2021. It provided a broad and explicit commentary on Beaumaris Theatreover those two years. As the Presidents report should be a faithful reflection of the previous year’s activities. I respectfully submit the 2021 portion of that summary. I urge all our members to go back to this summary and read all those challenges we faced then, but with the optimism of moving forward into 2022.
Beaumaris Theatre 2021
Below is a list of the lockdowns in Victoria so far in 2021, to highlight how often and in some cases, how quickly lockdowns have been imposed. The lifting of lockdowns has meant an easing of restrictions, which of course impact live theatre either by specific numbers, often limited to 30, i.e. 1 person to 2 or 4 square metres:
February 12th: A five-day lockdown under Stage 4 restrictions was announced which was lifted as anticipated on February 17th.
May 25th: Restrictions in Greater Melbourne were again tightened, to at least Friday, 4 June which included public gatherings that were limited to 30 people. The restrictions were initially planned to last for at least 7 days but the lockdown continued with some restrictions remaining till 10th June.
July 15th: A snap lockdown was announced for 5 days to 20th July.
August 5th: In response to the detection of six new community cases, our sixth lockdown was announced for 7 days.
August 11th- Lockdown was extended for another 7 days.
August 16th - Lockdown was extended for another 14 days, with the overnight curfew reinstated and a target end date of 2nd September.
September 1st- Lockdown was extended again.
Early in 2021, we had successfully held our Members Picnic in March and the 13th Annual Biggest & Latest Morning Tea, raising $2,152.00. We were very hopeful that COVID would not impact our much anticipated and long-awaited production of Anne & Gilbert.
The sold-out season opened on the 21st May with three marvellous performances on opening weekend to delighted audiences. Out of the blue, on 28th May, a lockdown was declared. Nine sold-out shows regretfully were cancelled and ticket holders received a refund. We were thrilled to stage five performances over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. However, capacity restrictions meant that ticket sales were limited to family and friends with a mandated audience limit of 30 per show. We are extremely grateful and appreciative for the splendid theatrical experience and treasured memories of this production.
By June 2021, Beaumaris Theatre Inc., unfortunately, had no ability to generate income, continuing expenses and had suffered a significant $15,000 loss. We were hopeful our surpluses would provide a healthy cushion, but sadly 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic had made serious inroads into our funds.
Speaking in Tongues was due to open on the 3rd of September. Auditions commenced on 30th May, via Zoom followed by face-to-face call-backs. The cast was announced and rehearsals began at the Theatre, however once the July/August lockdowns commenced rehearsals were limited to Zoom.
Over a number of weeks, we discussed the viability of the show opening on 3rd of September, but the uncertainty of ongoing Government announcements meant this was not possible.
The Committee decided to offer the production team and cast three performances on the weekend of the 17th, which was it’s designated closing weekend. Despite more than one attempt to reschedule the season, continuous lockdowns and slow easing of restrictions led to the difficult decision to cancel Speaking in Tongues.
Little Shop of Horrors was our final scheduled show for 2021, but there was some trepidation about its 12th November opening date. Face-to-face auditions were held at the beginning of August with callbacks taking place over Zoom when lockdown resumed.
The first virtual read-through was held on 29th August and the cast announcement was released on 30th August. The cast announcement generated a high level of criticism on social media based on a lack of diversity and not casting BIPOC performers in the roles known as the ‘Urchins', the trio who narrate the musical. There was also some consternation that the role of Mr Mushnik was cast as a woman rather than as a man as per script.
We are saddened to have caused so many people offence and distress by the casting choices made. We read the hundreds of comments left and listened to all the feedback we received and discussed the situation further with many members of our community.
Your Committee are a passionate group of dedicated volunteers managing a theatre during lockdown, and organising and discussing options for how to proceed with Little Shop of Horrors whilst managing the public response was difficult, to say the least.
However, on this occasion, we acknowledge that we were wrong. We are committed to doing better going forward to ensure greater diversity and representation is present in the audition room and on the stage.
On Tuesday 31st August, the Committee came to the unanimous, but incredibly difficult decision, to cancel Little Shop of Horrors. We certainly did not reach that decision lightly.
Many factors contributed to this decision including the challenges of re-casting while in lockdown and the uncertainty of future lockdowns. And then there are the financial challenges facing Beaumaris Theatre. We could not ignore that investing in excess of $20,000 in a musical when the Theatre had incurred a significant financial loss over the last 18 months is a significant risk. Ultimately, our decision was designed to protect the integrity and survival of Beaumaris Theatre Inc and look to the future.
We are looking forward to 2022 with unwavering positivity and hope. The last two years have been extremely challenging for us on many levels as they have been for countless businesses and individuals all around the world.
We are very excited by the prospect of staging fun, uplifting shows next year and beyond and we have wonderful plans for productions that will delight casts, creatives and audiences alike and we’ll be thrilled to do what we do best, and have done for the past 68 years - entertaining people and we can’t wait to open our theatre doors and warmly welcome you all back and revive the magic of theatre.
Supporter of Beaumaris Theatre
Our sincere thank you to Lynda and Chris French who are not only friends of Beaumaris Theatre but have provided a range of donations to the theatre over the last few years. As Directors of Duncan Thompson Extensions, they have provided great assistance to our Theatre and we thank them for their significant contribution and continued support.
We would also like to thank Bayside City Council for their ongoing assistance with the maintenance of our building.
The Bendigo Bank has been an important supporter over the years for Beaumaris Theatre and continued to do so in 2022.
Not to mention the numerous volunteers who have kept the theatre going.
The Jeanine Chugg Award for 2021 awarded to Jenni Osburn
Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the Jeanine Chugg Presidents Award, Jenni Osburn.
In addition to creating magical costumes for countless productions over the years, Jenni is also our grant guru, securing funding for everything from headshots for backstage crews to new chairs to improve the comfort of audiences.
This year, as the Theatre faced a challenging financial situation after two years of covid-restrictions, Jenni secured a government grant which will help ensure that Beaumaris Theatre can return to what we do best.
Congratulations Jenni, and thank you for all your hard work!
Beaumaris Theatre in the Home
Back in 2020 before COVID-19 really hit, the Committee decided that we would keep the Beaumaris Theatre community involved and up to date with Kristina Doucouliagos volunteering to continue posting social media updates and regular newsletters. Kristina maintained this over 2021.
We thank Kristina for the outstanding job she has done so far and continues to do providing online entertainment via social media with the Theatre at Home series.
Musical Theatre Guild of Victoria
Our nominated production was Buddy - the Buddy Holly Story from way back in 2019. Congratulations to our two nominations:
Male in a Leading Role - Liam McWhinney as Buddy
Male in a Supporting Role - Joshua Aiello as Ritchie Valens
We would like to congratulate all the performers, creatives and companies who received nominations and recognition for their work, especially after such a difficult couple of years.
MTGV : The Edith Hurray Award - Debbie Keyt
Debbie will have been a member of the Beaumaris Theatre Committee for twenty years as of 1st January 2022. For the bulk of this time, Debbie has served on the Executive, she is currently the Secretary but has served as Vice President previously.
Debbie has directed at least one show at Beaumaris Theatre for the past fifteen years, she has been a producer or stage manager and cast member for many others. Her positivity as a director is renowned and her energy and passion for her projects are boundless. Many of her shows either in their content of their casting to include younger members of our talent pool.
Our end of year celebration is called the Talbots, named for “Talbot House” where Beaumaris Theatre originated. Debbie has organised this evening of entertainment for as long as I have been involved with Beaumaris Theatre which is over fourteen years. This is a wonderful way to bring the cast and crew of all our productions for the year together to celebrate all that is good about our Theatre. Deb takes on. the role of Producer, Director and Event Planner for this evening. We have several regular attendees who are past players who just enjoy the positivity the night embraces and the talent displayed.
Debbie organised the “Biggest (and Latest) Morning Tea” concert every year at Beaumaris, with all funds going to Cancer Council Victoria. This is an evening of song, hence the “Latest” in the title. This night and the donations are dedicated to the memory of two of our regular performers, who we tragically lost too young to this insidious disease. Her efforts have raised over $20,000 to date.
Debbie runs D.K Production out of Beaumaris Theatre which is where many of our talented cast and crew get their first introduction to amateur theatre. Here Debbie has instilled a love and respect for the art form and nurtured many a young soul to bloom. Many of her young students are now adult performers and several have graduated from afar afield as WAPA and as near as VCA.
Debbie is the face of Beaumaris Theatre in so many ways, prior to the introduction of Trybooking and even now, she was our ticket secretary and still assists the tech challenged and processes their bookings personally. Covid made this job an unenviable one with the processing of enforced refunds and the new release of tickets to a substantially diminished capacity audience. Many of the unlucky patrons, who were unable to secure tickets with the new limited release, vented in a most surprising manner which Debbie fielded with her usual good grace and calm demeanour.
Debbie is our liaison officer with our landlord, Bayside City Council, and facilitates any ongoing maintenance works that need to be addressed by them. The Myeloma Support Group and the Bayside Men’s Shed use our facility on a regular basis for meetings which are coordinated into our calendar by Deb.
Debbie ensures our Working With Children Checks are up-to-date, our First Aid and CPR training is current. and coordinates our set build roasters and liaises with volunteers and Committee members.
All this is delivered with never a complaint. “No” doesn’t seem to be in Debbie’s vocabulary! But with care, love and a smile that lights up every room it’s in.
Congratulations Debbie.
Health and Safety
Our Health and Safety Committee, Lynda French, Steve Morris, Alex Ashcroft and Trevor Osburn, have worked tirelessly over the last 12 months dealing with COVID-19 and its implications.
Lynda took on the daunting task of working with both the building industry and creative arts industry legislation and guidelines and developing the necessary COVID-19 plan required. We now have in place a strong COVID-19 safe plan and policy statement compliant with Government recommendations and in keeping with guidelines for theatres.
Sincere thanks to Lynda for all her hard and ongoing work on our COVID-19 Safe Plan and for ensuring the safety of us and our members and visitors. It has been a difficult and ever-changing environment. Thanks to Steve and Alex for their ongoing support.
Talbots
The 18th Annual Talbots was a marvellous event and celebration.
Thank you to Lynda for the rainbow theme representing new beginnings and our stunning decor, sponsored by Duncan Thompson Extensions. Our invitation designed by Camilla Klesman was beautiful. Thank you Deb Carpenter for our lovely place cards, Adam Solomon for our flawless sound for the night and Kristina Doucouliagos for the fabulous photos that captured the evening. As always, our entertainers and entertainment were exceptional.
The inaugural Tom Travers Award was well received and our recipient, Amy Gridley was a wonderful choice. Sincere congratulations to Jenni Osburn, the recipient of the Jeanine Chugg President’s Award for 2021.
These celebration nights continue to evolve, and I would like to acknowledge and thank our wonderful Secretary Debbie Keyt and her outstanding Sub-Committee for organising such a wonderful night.
It is with great sadness we acknowledge the passing of two life members in 2021.
Michael Coultas
Michael joined Beaumaris Players, as we were then known, in the 1950’s when he met founding member, Bill Martin. Michael was in the cast of several plays staged at Talbot House, in Cromer Road Beaumaris. When interviewed in 2013 for our 60th anniversary he described the ‘magnificent mansion’ which ‘was a wonderful place to meet, especially on Sundays, and it was like a big family.’ He was Treasurer of the club and appeared in the production “As Long as They’re Happy” which was the inaugural performance at our theatre in Wells Road, in 1958.
Michael saw life as an adventure and he lived his 90 years to the fullest and he had many favourite expressions and two notable quotes were: ‘how ever wonderful the present is- the best is yet to come’ and ‘we’re on our way and we’re not looking back’.
He had a deep sense of purpose and positive enthusiasm and respectful and polite nature. Michael was a philanthropist and a loyal Rotarian and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his leadership and guidance.
He was awarded Life Membership in 2003 in our 50th Anniversary year and was incredibly proud of the honour and enthusiastically attended most of our productions over the years with his lovely wife Judy.
Michael was a remarkable, charismatic, charming man and a gentleman in every sense of the word and he showed genuine interest in everyone he met and he most certainly lived his best life and is an inspiration to us all.
Our heartfelt condolences to Judy and the entire Coultas family and he will be sadly missed.
Vince Vaughan
Vince Vaughan was an affable, charming, natural-born storyteller, raconteur and spinner of yarns with an innate flair for comedy. So, it’s not surprising he was intrigued and enticed to be involved at Beaumaris Theatre when his daughter’s Jo and Nicole were cast in our 2003 production of Bugsy Malone.
He was invited to be involved with Return to the Forbidden Planet in 2003 working on specialist lighting design, special effects and set construction and he was hooked.
Vince was an IT expert and had a passion and fascination for all things technological and he was always on the lookout for gadgets and he if he couldn’t find the implement he was looking for, he would invent it. Vince’s talents were in demand and he delighted in constantly learning new skills. His versatility and resourcefulness behind the scenes meant he was highly sought after for roles as lighting and sound operator and designer; IT set up and monitoring; set construction; special effects; audiovisual technician; stage crew and even plumbing (!)
As a ‘techie’ he was part of the all-important crews for a wide range of productions over more than 15 years.
Away from the theatre, Vince started working as an ‘extra’ which lead to more lucrative roles in ads, TV shows and movies and as a result, he was lured onto the stage and made his debut in 2012 as Walter Cunningham in To Kill a Mockingbird. This was followed by the role of Frank Pickle in The Vicar of Dibley, Mike in Set Build, Arnold Delvecchio in Happy Days- a New Musical and cameo roles as Kerr, a Laundry Man and Mr Mann in Fawlty Towers in 2015. Vince took to acting like a duck to water and it was second nature to him, but even with all his instinctive talent, he worked meticulously at his craft, wanting to be absolutely the best he could be and a first-rate character actor. He took classes, he practised diligently at home, he researched and created realistic backstories for the characters he portrayed. Nothing was ever too much trouble and he always aimed to please. When asked by a director to shave off his trademark moustache that he’d had for forty years, it was no problem. When asked to don a fake nose, he did not complain. When asked to roller skate across the stage to get a laugh, he obliged, even though skating was certainly not his forte. He was a consummate professional and would do whatever he needed to do for the sake of the betterment of a scene or the show as a whole.
Vince was a delightful asset to every production he worked on whether onstage or off and he was adored by everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him and working alongside him. He was always quick with a joke and his favourite catchphrases were ‘Ohh, did you hear...’ or ‘did I tell you about…’ When asked how he was, he would most usually reply, ‘all the better for seeing you’. The word ‘no’ was simply not part of his vocabulary and if he was asked could he or would he do something he’d always respond with ‘yes’ and a confident nod, then he’d work it out and find out how to carry out the request later and do so with aplomb.
Vince’s happy-go-lucky outlook endeared him to all and he was a popular choice and worthy recipient of the Beaumaris Theatre President’s Award in 2007. He was awarded four Talbot Awards for his lighting or sound design efforts. He loved the Talbots, which was our own night of nights and he was our resident audio and audio-visual coordinator from 2004-2017 and proudly arranged our beloved event to be held at his Black Rock Tennis Club in 2008-2010. He was honoured to oversee and implement the lighting and sound for our Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea annual fundraiser for nine years plus countless other fundraisers, social events and movie screenings.
Vince was instrumental in overhauling our audio infrastructure to ensure we kept up with modern advancements and systems. He was in his element pottering with cords and leads in the bio box and would often be found up a ladder, possibly blaspheming (which he never made sound offensive), or happily whistling. Sharing the bio box with Vince was an entertaining, colourful, ‘sensory’ and lasting experience for his fellow techies, especially young protégés who looked up to him as a masterful and fun mentor.
He was a connoisseur of fine wines and gladly researched and purchased very good wines at bargain prices for us for our front of house bar for many years.
In 2018 Vince was both surprised and chuffed to be awarded Life Membership of Beaumaris Theatre Inc. for his continuous, meritorious, loyal and outstanding service and contribution to our Theatre.
Vince was a charismatic, complete all-rounder and an all-around good guy who was the life of any party and great fun to be around. He had a huge heart and a giving and generous spirit. We loved him wholeheartedly and will miss him dearly but we know how very blessed we were to count him as a friend and he’s left an indelible imprint in our memories and our lives have been enriched by being part of his.
Our sincerest condolences to Rhonda, Jo, Nicole, Tim, Dan & Jess.
Finally
As President of Beaumaris Theatre, I hope that we continue to harness the strengths of the individual. to achieve collective success.
I would like to acknowledge both Amelia Little and Chris Hunter who stepped down from the Committee prior to the 2021 AGM. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their time and energy spent on the Beaumaris Theatre Committee - Amelia for three years and Chris for eight years.
Again, my thanks are extended to our wonderful 2021 Committee:
Steve Morris - Public Officer and membership guru and great supporter
Debbie Keyt - the woman who we depend on the most
Robyn Morris - who keeps us focussed on the important thing, money!
Kristina Doucouliagos - our media guru
Lynda French - for her work with our Health and Safety Committee
Jenni Osburn - our grants queen
Deb Carpenter - our wise one
Dan Bellis - our creative guru
and extremely hardworking, passionate and devoted new recruits Fiona Williams and Adam Solomon
We are now hoping to move into an era that COID-normal allows us to access our stage and our audiences regularly. We are moving with optimism into 2022. We have learned many things about the level of resilience of our Committee, our members, our volunteers and our audiences are the light that leads us into the future. Let’s stay on course and deliver "‘Theatre for All’!