Theatre History in Colchester County
by Brian Sears
I have been with Hubtown Theatre Society almost from the start. In 1996 I decided to write a history of the group, mainly to preserve a record of activities. People sometimes express an interest in what plays we have done and so on. It seemed reasonable to publish the record on the Internet. My intent, with a few exceptions, was to prepare a record of facts and not anecdotes or opinions.
Besides my own recollections, and my wife Marlene’s, I have drawn on play programs (I have them all) and the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors and the General Membership. Almost all of these survive.
Later on I decided to write a history of the Colchester Players. The predecessor of Hubtown Theatre Society was in the memories of a few of those involved with the group. Then I came in contact with Holly Irving. Her parents, Patricia and Alden Irving, had been major movers within the group. Holly provided me with most of the resources I needed, including the minutes of the group, from 1965 to 1974, and an array of newspaper clippings.
Sometime later I decided to add as much information as I could on theatre in the Truro area before 1960 (when the Colchester Players was formed). At first I used some information I had and also scanned some old copies of The Daily News at the Colchester Library.
Eventually I got around to checking the Archives at the Colchester Museum. Here I found a hand typed document titled Drama in Truro in the Early 1900s, by Vera Parker Fairweather. It was written in 1963. This document provided my source material for the section on St John’s Dramatic Club.
In 2018 I did a major rewrite and added photos. I also expanded it to cover other groups. If you are interested in the final document, follow the link below. Who knows, perhaps I will find time to add to it sometime in a couple of years.