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To the Membership of Theatre Saskatchewan Inc,

We are pleased to announce that our board has hired a new executive director who will join our team this month.

Nena Hawkes (she/her) is a theatre artist and nonprofit professional. Born and raised on Treaty 4 territory, where she lives with her partner, Derek, and three children, Nena has long been passionate about the importance of the arts in building community, and has invested much of her theatre practice in exploring the interconnection between creative expression and mental health. Most recently, Nena served as the Communications Coordinator of Common Weal Community Arts, Saskatchewan’s only arts organization devoted solely to socially-engaged practice. She also maintains a freelance healing arts practice where she incorporates techniques honed through her experience with full mask theatre (her first love). When she isn’t working, Nena can be found creating something messy, playing board games, exploring the beauty of Saskatchewan, or instigating spontaneous kitchen dance parties.

Of her new role, Nena said: “I feel incredibly fortunate to join the team at Theatre Saskatchewan as we continue to build upon the organization’s rich 90-year legacy. I am looking forward to working alongside our dedicated board, and getting to know our members throughout the province. I am delighted to have the opportunity to utilize my administrative strengths, passion for community-building, and years of experience in communications and fund development to amplify and champion community theatre in Saskatchewan.”

Nena will be transitioning into her new role over the coming weeks, and is grateful for your patience and support as she gets settled in. You can join us in welcoming Nena by sending her an email at nena@theatresaskatchewan.com, or saying hello on Facebook or Instagram.

Sincerely,

Theatre Saskatchewan Board of Directors

Imogene Schick is a proud member of Melfort Amateur Dramatics Inc. (MAD).  She humbly boasts that she is one of the founding members that created the fledgling amateur theatre group in January 1975.  She held the position of Secretary-Treasurer on the original executive board formed and held that position for a number of early years.

She fondly remembers MAD’s inaugural production of See How They Run, written by Philip King. It is a delightful farce, playing heavily on mistaken identities, slamming doors, vicars and comic situations.  She was honoured to be cast as Penelope Toop, the vicar’s wife.  The slapstick production generated an environment of great fun with much laughter for the cast and crew during rehearsals.  This environment is MAD’s shining jewel for community members to test their imaginations and resourcefulness to bring the playwright’s tale to fruition. She believes amateur theatre provides a platform to develop confidence in such real-world endeavours as public speaking and employment and provides an outlet for a person’s creativity.  As such, forty years later, she remains a member of MAD.

Her favourite play was Nothing in Common by Jennifer Fell Hayes.  In this moving drama, Imogene portrayed a successful businesswoman who cannot have children and offers to adopt the baby born to a young woman whose boyfriend has flown the coop.  It was this touching tale where she discovered and recognized an actor's power on stage, telling the character’s emotional narrative to a captivated audience.  The audience’s reaction was visible and tangible.  This validated her resolve to strive to honestly portray a playwright’s story, humourous or serious, to keep the playwright’s message true.

Records indicate that around 1994, Imogene resumed her involvement with MAD.  She has held the club executive positions of Vice-president in 2001, Publicity and TSI Club Representative for MAD in 2002 and Member At Large in 2003.  To date, she continues to hold the TSI Club Representative position on MAD’s Executive.  She enjoys attending, when possible, the annual Theatre Saskatchewan Inc. provincial festival, alternating between TheatreOne and TheatreFest.  There is always so much to learn, and it is always great fun to visit with other thespians on a personal and a theatre level.

Over the years, she has participated in many comic and serious amateur theatre productions, handling various roles on stage and behind the curtains as a make-up artist, costumer, sound tech, props person and generally holding the fort behind the scenes.  She has a Directorial Portfolio of two productions for Melfort Amateur Dramatics, Me Too Then by Tom Dudzick and Stephen Smith in 2004 and Looking by Norm Foster in 2009. She also directed the production of Phantom of the Opry by Tim Kelly for the Melfort United Church. 

Imogene states that she plans to remain a MAD member to contribute to the community effort to keep “live theatre alive in rural Saskatchewan.”