An in-depth exhibit of UBC’s first student club will be on display from Monday, November 24 to Friday, November 28 in the UBC AMS Gallery, located in the Student Union Building on the Point Grey campus. This show is part of UBC’s Centenary Celebration (http://www.100.ubc.ca/welcome.html).
The group’s rich legacy of archives is also being digitized, thanks to a grant from the B.C. History Digitization Program, an initiative of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. For more on this program, please visit http://www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca/ps/BCDigitInfo.html.
The UBC Players’ Club was one of the most prestigious students clubs at UBC. It was founded by Professor Frederic Wood in 1915 as a means to inspire his students with the power of dramatic literature thorough production and performance. The club provided audiences with the latest plays from Broadway, the West End and cutting-edge American theatres including the Provincetown Playhouse and Players Workshop, Chicago; mainstream modern fare from British theatre; and new Canadian work.
Over its 51-year lifespan, the club impacted the cultural life of the UBC campus and the city of Vancouver. The club’s influence was also felt in communities throughout B.C. thanks to annual spring tours. The club has been revived in recent years.
The UBC display will feature more than a half a century’s worth of memorabilia including programs, photos, scrapbooks, programs and audio clips. The curators are Norman Young, assisted by BFA Design candidate Ellie Kim, and presented by the Department of Theatre and Film with help from students who are active in the Players’ Club 2008.
Talks with past and present members will be held and recorded on-site. The Alumni Forum takes place on Wednesday, November 26 at 2 p.m., and the Member Forum takes place on Friday, November 28 at 2 p.m. To attend these, please RSVP by November 20 to 604-822-2678.
For more information, please visit www.theatre.ubc.ca/players_club_dramatic_impact.shtml.