The Gladstone seeks help to upgrade facility
By Justin Dubois
After years of being on her feet in the hospital, retired nurse Gwen Taylor often looks to The Gladstone as a source of entertainment. But since her knees have grown weaker, she said, she has found it increasingly difficult to navigate the theatre.
The Gladstone marks its 10th anniversary this fall, and the 230-seat theatre just off Preston Street has big plans to improve accessibility and other features of the venue to better suit patrons like Taylor.
In response to concerns around safety and comfort, theatre manager AL Connors has created a gofundme.com page with a target goal of $12,000 to help renovate the space. The money would be used to install large fans to help with air circulation problems, to place hand-rails along the aisles to help with accessibility, and to incorporate lighting on the stairs for added safety.
Taylor attended No Way to Say Goodbye: Songs of Leonard Cohen in early November, but struggled to climb the steep stairs without rails. Taylor said this inspired her to hand-write a letter to Connors.
“Without any railings, I didn’t know if I was going to make it up there or not,” said Taylor. “That’s when I decided I was going to write.”
Connors said he has always recognized the need for improved accessibility and temperature control in The Gladstone, where patrons in the front row can be shivering from cold while those in the upper seats swelter from the rising heat generated by intense lighting.
But the urgency of making changes was reinforced when he received the note from Taylor.
“You don’t have to work here for very long to watch some people struggle with those stairs, with nothing to hang onto,” said Connors. “We’re lucky there haven’t been any serious accidents.”
The fundraising page launched late last year and had raised $1,750 by early February through nine donations. Upon hearing of the response by the theatre, Taylor was encouraged.
“I was excited! You know I really like that little theatre,” said Taylor. “It’s very cozy and you’re a part of the whole business. I was quite impressed by it, other than the stairs.”
Heather Jamieson, a 65-year-old journalist from Orleans, is one of the donors. She gave $100 last month to the cause. Her daughter, Louisa Haché, was stage manager for several productions at The Gladstone.
Jamieson said that The Gladstone opens doors for independent theatre companies.
“You have the NAC, you have the art galleries, you have the museums. But that’s overarching as the capital of Ottawa,” said Jamieson, “as opposed to nurturing the smaller theatre companies, emerging artists and mid-career artists who need venues and places to learn their craft.”
According to Connors, The Gladstone is the only theatre in Ottawa that doesn’t receive financial support from the city. It rents out its space to a diverse group of smaller independent theatre groups.
Cynthia Bates is the director-at-large on the recently formed board of directors for The Gladstone. They meet once a month to plot a successful course for the business.
The board plans to conduct more fundraising, but has not outlined specific plans to date. Bates said that in an environment that involves so many different people, the survival of the theatre relies on the broad community.
“It is all about these passionate people, talented and creative people that are willing to do what needs to be done to ensure that The Gladstone survives and goes forward successfully.”