Pumpjack Players votes in a new board at its annual general meeting

 

For more than 30 years, Pumpjack Players has been bringing live theatre to Whitecourt. On Thursday, August 30, the group met up for its annual general meeting at the Forest Interpretive Centre where members voted in a new board. The meeting was combined with a barbecue to show appreciation for those who take part and the work they have done. The meal was made possible thanks to a donation of a large mobile barbecue from Scott Safety.

Carol Carlson was re-elected as president and said she hopes to see the club continue to grow. Currently the club puts on two shows a year with a Spring Children’s Production and a Fall Dinner Theatre. “We would like to see the group grow with folks who are keen on getting involved and joining in on the fun. It’s not just a lot of work; there is a lot of fun, too. The adage applies that many hands make light work so we would like to get some new people involved.”

She said she was very happy to see the turnout at the barbecue and to see so many people stay for the elections. “It looks like we have over 30 people here which is great.” Membership for the group is only $1. “There has to be a fee. It has to do with really interesting and creative things like insurance and that sort of thing,” smiled Carlson.

There are lots of things people can do to get involved in Pumpjack Players from behind the scenes to selling tickets, helping with costumes, doing hair or makeup and, of course, acting. The club offers a fun way to volunteer and can become a family hobby, too. “The first job I ever did was to collect props for a play and that was my first involvement in Pumpjack Players,” said Carlson.

Prior to the elections, the club had six to eight active members and Carlson was hoping to increase that by a half a dozen or so. “Right now, we’re trying to improve our service to the community outside of just producing plays for people to come and pay money to see. We have a scholarship program where we allot $500 to students who are entering theatrical arts programs. The other thing we’ve started doing, for the last couple of years, is sending two students to ArtsTrek which is a wonderful little drama camp program at Red Deer College. It’s open to students 12 to 17 and we choose them from our Children’s Production cast. We pay for them to attend and it is a phenomenal program.”

The newly-elected board features Carlson at the helm, vice-president Sharlene Munday, treasurer Shannon Roberts, secretary Marie-Jane Bujold-Vallee, and directors James Duane Miller, Brigette Moore, and Serena Lapointe. For anyone who was unable to attend the elections meeting but who would like to join Pumpjack Players is invited to reach out through the Facebook page, Pumpjack Players Whitecourt Drama Society.