Connie Dickinson and Florence Arkell’s more than 20 years working in community theatre in Elora hasn’t gone unnoticed. The dynamic duo, from Not So Grand Players, was presented with the Lis Pieper Memorial Plaque to recognize their dedication to playwriting, directing, and producing quality entertainment for the community.
Gary Bryant received the award last year and said Dickinson and Arkell are involved in all facets of the theatre community.
“Their most recent collaboration was a Remembrance Day show at the Elora Legion (War Time Musical Memories) which consisted of a series of popular war songs connected by a radio broadcast, which more or less described goings on during the Second World War and then the 20 or so members of the group would burst into song at appropriate moments,” Bryant explained. “Recently too, the group did a medley of World War One songs at the Wellington County Museum as part of their seasonal Christmas activities.”
The award is given out each year on behalf of the Elora Community Theatre, On the Spot Productions, Centre Wellington Children’s Theatre, Fergus Grand Theatre Volunteer Group, Vision Theatre Productions, Assembly Hall Theatre and the Not So Grand Players. It was originally created by ECT after Pieper passed away.
The two were previously both employed at Wellington Terrace, a long-term care home, when it was in Elora and have since retired. While their most recent productions would appear to be a tad on the depressing side, Bryant said that’s not the case.
“Their writing and their productions are fun-filled because they are both upbeat personalities and they aim to give pleasure to the audiences that they write for,” Bryant said. “Their works are not at all somber, they are fun-filled.”
He says the two ladies typically do their productions in the fall or winter.
Each theatre group gets to nominate someone from their group for the award annually and a committee of all the groups decides who’s most deserving.
“Because these two often work together I think they found it difficult to separate them,” Bryant said. “I say this because a couple of years ago I received this award as a member of the Elora Community Theatre and I’m not sure how they picked me exactly.”
Bryant said this is the third year for the award. ECT created the award because Pieper was someone who did a whole lot of different roles for them, from backstage to administration, and she didn’t get much credit for it. She also was a member of the Elora Community Theatre Board of Directors.
“The group decided because of her hard work and the longevity of her work over the years that they would create an award which goes to people who have labored for many years on behalf of local theatre,” Bryant said. “Lis Pieper was an excellent stage manager but she did venture on stage once or twice but she didn’t like that. She preferred to be on the backstage side of theatre life.”
The plaque with their names hangs in the lobby of the Fergus Grand Theatre. They were also given individual plaques to keep. Other productions they’ve done include musical comedies Show Me the Money, which they both wrote and Arkell directed, and All Sales Final, written by Dickinson, Arkell, and Linda Dolinsek.
“Music and laughter seem to be the two components of most of their collaborative efforts,” Bryant said.
