ECHO Players
2025 MISSION STATEMENT:
We are a vibrant and thriving community theatre, committed to pursuing artistic excellence, theatre education and community connection. Through dedicated volunteers and effective theatre stewardship, we strive to foster a culture of creativity and belonging.
2025 VISION STATEMENT:
We aspire to be a beacon of theatrical creativity, excellence, and belonging in Oceanside for generations to come.
COME HELP US CELEBRATE FIFTY YEARS AT THE VILLAGE THEATRE!
ECHO Players has been presenting live community theatre on the Village Theatre stage for 50 years! Community and connection are what we’re all about.
Our group is made up of more than 240 dedicated members from all walks of life. Many of the ECHO “Players” spend countless hours volunteering both on stage and behind the scenes each season.
We produce five Mainstage shows per season. Additionally, we host the Vancouver Island Juried One-Act Play festival every November, along with other fundraising events.
ECHO Players is a member of Theatre BC and participates in the Annual North Island Zone Festival. We have received many awards over the years both at the Zone Festivals and Mainstage Festivals.
Our History
Our original group was founded in 1934 as the E.C.H.O. Playmakers (the initials standing for “Errington, Coombs, Hilliers and Others”, as members were drawn from all the neighboring districts).
The group disbanded during the Second World War and, during the fifties and sixties, members dispersed among a number of other local groups but came together in the founding of the Mid-Island Drama Festival that ran from 1947 to 1958. In 1974 the present group was formed under the name ECHO Players, and we have been operating continuously since then.
The Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach was originally built in 1949 as a movie theatre and was purchased by ECHO Players in 1974 for $37,000 – a large amount of money for a small group to raise in those days.
It was then converted into a working theatre, with major renovations required including the building of a stage, acquiring second hand seating, renovating washrooms and creating dressing rooms, all of which was undertaken by members themselves and many volunteers from the community.
The group worked hard to have the theatre completed by a deadline of March 31, 1975 when they hosted one of the largest North Island Zone Festivals ever with nineteen one-act plays presented over eight nights.
Our Volunteers
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Mike Andrews
Vice President:to be appointed
Treasurer: Colin Lloyd
Secretary: Jay Newman
Members-at-Large: Charlie Whelton, Linda Bezooyen, Calvin Tyndall, Roxanne Kehler, George Opacic, Sven Sander
Past President: Don Harper
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
- Artistic Direction Commitee - Lynn Walker (acting)
- Archives - Mark Hutchinson
- Box Office Coordinators - Judi Andrews, Linda Attley, Felicity Blaiklock, Tricia Browne, Lesley McVey
- Concession - Barb Sander, Brigitte McDonough
- Costume Rentals - Pam McCready & Lucy Churchill
- EYT Youth Liaison - vacant
- Front of House Coordinator - Lorraine Vermeulen
- Health & Safety - Alistair McVey
- Marketing - Barbara Hicks
- Membership - Tricia Browne
- One Act Play Festival - Charlie Whelton
- Props Coordinator - Judi Andrews, Tricia Browne
- Set Coordination & Hilliers - Don Punter
- Script Librarians - Jan Taggart and HM Randall
- SocialCommittee - Linda Attley
- Theatre Management & Technical - Gary Ridout
- Theatre BC/NIZ - Charlie Whelton (alternate Lesley McVey)
- Wardrobe - Celia Wesselman
- Youth Education and Training - vacant
HONOURARY LIFE MEMBERS
- Tricia Browne
- Werner Koch
- Ken McCready
- Pam McCready
- Len Mustard
- Judi Andrews
- Mike Andrews
- Linda Attley
- David Attley
- Pat Bolton
- Eileen Butts
- Lucy Churchill
- Paul Churchill
- Phil Copple
- Ann Gates
- Kathy Harper
- Don Harper
- Doug Klassen
- Dori McGarrigle
- Alistair McVey
- Lesley McVey
- Sue Murguly
- George Murguly
- Jay Norton
- Eileen Pope
- Wendy Punter
- Don Punter
- HM Randall
- Jean Smith
- Doug Toombs
- Yvette Toombs
- Jim Windsor