In Memoriam: A tribute to Lucille Wagner

It is with sadness, that I am writing to let all the friends of ATP, and of theatre in Calgary and Canada, know that on January 2, 2012, Lucille Wagner passed away in Guelph, Ontario. A celebration of her life was held in Guelph recently.

With Douglas Riske and Paddy Campbell, Lucille Wagner founded ATP in 1972 as a theatre for children devoted to telling Canadian stories. 40 years later we're still going strong. Our first home was the Canmore Opera House in Heritage Park. Though ATP's programming mandate changed several years later to include work for adults and non-Canadian material, Lucille & Doug's daring vision for a bold, frankly Canadian contemporary theatre in Calgary inspires us still. 

Please find an obituary for Lucille Wagner attached. I hope you will help distribute this news widely so all who knew Lucille and all who continue to enjoy the fruits of her vision and contribution will know of her passing.

On Friday March 2, 2012, we will dedicate the performance of Thinking of Yu by Carole Frechette, translated by John Murrell, to Lucille's memory. Former board president and long-time donor and supporter Jock Osler has written a short reminiscence about Lucille that will appear in our playbill for the Enbridge playRites Festival.

Please raise a glass to Lucille Wagner, and pioneers like her. We all stand on their shoulders.

All the best,

Vanessa

Artistic Director ATP

Co-founder of ATP, Lucille Wagner, passed away on January 2, 2012

Former board president, honourary director, and ATP donor and supporter Jock Osler remembers:

In the early 1970s, I met two delightful, committed people who had created a new theatre for young audiences, presenting original Canadian historical plays,  in Calgary at the old Canmore Opera house at Heritage Park.

One was Douglas Riske, the brilliant young director who now is executive director of the Manitoba Arts Council in Winnipeg.

The other was the incomparable Lucille Wagner, producer and just about everything else.

They were aided and abetted from the start by the playwright Paddy Campbell.

And the theatre was Alberta Theatre Projects, 40 years old this year and still going strong in the Martha Cohen Theatre at the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Calgary.

Lucille died on January 2 in Guelph, Ontario, where she had moved some time ago to be close to family.  Canada’s performing community has lost a true pioneer and builder and ATP has lost a dear friend. 

She did all kinds of other things in her career besides dedicating 10 or more years of her life to ATP– commercial theatre in London, fund raising and audience development and much more -- but fondest of all for me were her ATP years.

All those decades ago, I was smitten by what Doug and Lucille were doing.  I had access to the donations budget of my then-employer and I was able to send some funds ATP’s way.

In view of my evident interest in ATP (and perhaps the dollars!), Lucille early on invited me to attend a board meeting.  I left the meeting as president of that board!  If that was a kangaroo court, I was one happy marsupial. 

At first, student audiences came by bus to the theatre, thanks to support from Calgary schools and the federal government.  After three or four years, ATP began producing for adult audiences, still respecting its mandate for original Canadian works.

My recollection is that we were perpetually broke. I’m sure there were times when Doug and Lucille were not paid. But “no” and “can’t” weren’t in her lexicon and she became adept at staring down creditors and bankers and equally, romancing politicians.

I was a willing acolyte.  I learned so much about theatre from Lucille that my developing appreciation became a passion, a true avocation. I moved on from the board to become and honorary director.  So my devotion to ATP is undiminished . I call it my spiritual home.

My dear Lucille, I will always cherish your great gift to me.

Break a leg, dear friend.

- Jock Osler.