In 2011, the Shaw Librarians prepared a History of Volunteering at The Shaw, in recognition of the volunteers who have been such an integral part of the theatre over the past 50 years (cover design at right).
Preparing the document, information was gathered from many sources, including early newspaper articles, The Shaw archives, Brian Doherty’s Not Bloody Likely, A. R. Day’s The Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake, 1962-1981 and approximately 40 oral histories which have been collected by Nancy Butler over the past 25 years.
This document, which has been adapted to focus more specifically on volunteers, has been prepared for the Shaw Guild in response to a request for a history for their records.
The Shaw Festival’s beginnings date back to the 1960s, with a small group of volunteers and a big idea. As the Festival grew, so did the group of volunteers.
Land Acknowledgement Statement
Niagara-on-the-Lake is situated on the historical land of the First Nations people. In fact, there is evidence that the area around the Shaw Festival Theatre was once an ancient site for Indigenous rituals, ceremonies and storytelling. Theatre is based on gathering people for a communal experience.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the First Peoples of this land and especially thank the Neutral Nation, Mississauga, Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe for their continued stewardship over the millennia.
PRESIDENTS OF SHAW VOLUNTEER COMMITTEES
| Small groups of volunteers, no formal organization | 1962-1963 |
THE WOMEN’S COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE: NIAGARA PENINSULA |
|
| Marjorie Rand | 1964 |
| Audrey Wooll | 1965 |
| Unknown | 1966 |
| Marjorie Rand | 1967 |
| Betty Mitchell | 1968-1969 |
| Grace Moogk | 1970 |
| Jean Gent | 1971-1973 |
1974: SHAW FESTIVAL GUILD FORMED: List of Presidents |
|
| Lillian Magder (1st President) | 1974 (160 members) |
| Jean Gent | 1975 |
| Christine Elder | 1976-1977 |
| Eric Monks (1st male President) | 1978-1979 |
| Grace Wildfong | 1980-1981 |
| Audrey Storey | 1982 |
| Ken Gent | 1983-1984 |
| Lorraine Rayment | 1985-1986 |
| Elfie Northey | 1987-1988 |
| Howard Martin | 1989-1990 |
| Keith Norman | 1991-1992 |
| Robert Aylesworth | 1993-1994 |
| Marybeth Moyer | 1995-1996 |
| Shirley McKeown | 1997-1998 |
| Kelvin Service | 1999-2000 |
| Gail Nagley | 2001-2002 |
| Ron Dagleish | 2003-2004 |
| Faye Goodwin | 2005-2006 |
| Suzanne Hebert | 2007-2008 |
| Carol Reid | 2009-2010 |
| Peter Barwell | 2011-2012 |
| Peter Gill | 2013-2014 |
| Arlene Carson | 2015-2016 |
| Julian Rance | 2017-2018 |
| Laurie Harley | 2019-2020 |
| Alan Walker | 2021 - present |