In a letter to members of the Astor Theatre Society, the board said Southcott is resigning for personal reasons.
In an interview on Tuesday, Southcott told QCCR she didn’t want to go into details. But she said she decided to return to her career with the federal government.
“At this point, it’s a personal decision and it’s the right one for my family and me right now.”
Before she took the Astor job, Southcott worked in communications for Health Canada and with other federal departments. And before that, she worked as a journalist with CBC and Advocate Media.
Southcott said that did not play a part in her decision to leave.
“I have a real passion for the organization, for the Astor Theatre. I see a lot of potential and hope there is somebody who will take over and realize its potential.”
John Simmonds, chairman of the Astor Theatre Society, said Southcott did a lot of great things in her short time as executive director.
“She’s been a stalwart and accomplished some significant things with grants and operations and community outreach and contact. So we’re very sad to see her go.
“Jerri was very much happy in her job. She loved what she was doing and she saw the contributions and she had the support, for the most part, of the board. But I think she decided maybe this is a better route for (her) to go.”
Simmonds said the board hasn’t decided yet when or if it will search for a new executive director. It’s been difficult for the theatre to find and hang on to one.
When Southcott was hired, it had been four years since the Astor had had a full-time executive director. Jean Robinson-Dexter filled in on an interim basis at various times since September 2020.
In May 2023, the theatre thought it had found a new manager, but that person decided not to take the job after all. Another search resulted in the hiring of Lesli Chandler, who began the job in July 2023 but resigned that September.
“We’re going to regroup,” Simmonds said. “We’re going to do some fundamental thinking, both staff and board, to determine what our best next approach should be.
“Our staff is very loyal and committed to doing what they need to do to get us through this. … We can take the time with a clear head and sort out what the best future for the Astor might be and how to prepare for that future, whether it be staffing or organizational change.”
Simmonds said that Southcott has committed to do what she can before she leaves to ensure the transition is smooth. And he said regardless of what happens, the board wants to make sure the Astor continues to serve the community.
More than 70 people turned out for the Astor Theatre Society’s annual general meeting on Monday evening in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
After years of discussing the need for it, the board of the Astor Theatre says that 2024 will be the year that they get serious about securing funding for a modern HVAC system.
The 122-year-old building has only ceiling fans in its performance space, making it pretty steamy in the middle of the summer.
The Astor Theatre Society board announced at their annual general meeting on Monday night that it plans to go after federal and provincial funding this year to make the whole building more energy-efficient and to install a state-of-the-art heat pump system.
That system would keep the Astor cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They also plan to replace windows, reinsulate the roof and change all lighting to energy-efficient LEDs.
Board member Lynn Cochrane told about 70 people gathered for the AGM that the board will work with the Region of Queens, which owns the building, to ensure they maintain the structural integrity and acoustics of the Astor.
She said it’s part of a major capital campaign that the Astor will launch this year.
They also plan to create an endowment fund, supported by corporate and individual donations, to ensure the Astor’s financial security.
“It is our Astor,” Cochrane said. “So this endowment will protect it for many years, and hopefully save us from having to go hand to mouth with our finances every year.”
The Astor also got a $100,000 donation from the Greenfield-based sawmill Harry Freeman and Son Limited.
Board chairman John Simmonds told members that the Astor is in good financial shape, even though it reported a $40,393 deficit for the nine months ending Dec. 31.
The theatre’s total audience last year from April 1 to Dec. 31 was about 12,000, with 60 per cent of that coming from Queens County and 40 per cent from outside the region.
“So we’ve had a lot of people through these doors,” Simmonds said.
The first four months of 2024, however, were stronger, with 18 events bringing almost 3,750 people to the theatre, and a net gain of $27,900.
The Astor hosted many popular concerts and events from January to April, including the late February/early March production of Follies, its first adult musical production since 2018.
“The last few months have been very important to the Astor, we’ve been so successful, we’ve had so much going on,” Simmonds said.
He said the board plans to sign a 10-year lease with the region, which will help the Astor in its fundraising goals.
“It also gives us an opportunity to go after grants that require a 10-year lease so that we can establish to the grantors that we are going to stay around for a long time. So that could bring in some fairly big numbers to allow us to do some of the things we want to do.”
The Astor’s net assets as of Monday’s AGM are $232,000, according to treasurer Loris Azzano.
The Astor Theatre Society’s members also voted to add three new people to the board of directors, bringing the total to 11.
They are Melanie Atkinson, who also volunteers at QCCR, Terri Faber and Cynthia Walker.
They join Simmonds, Azzano, Cochrane, Anne Espenant, Willo Treschow, Dan Williams, Heather White Brittain and Colleen Wolfe.
John Simmonds, chairman of the Astor Theatre Society, addresses a members’ meeting on Thursday at the Liverpool theatre. (Rick Conrad)
The board of the Astor Theatre Society on Thursday clarified who can vote and who can be nominated to its board at its upcoming general meeting.
Some members who signed up in the past two months were concerned that the Astor would not allow them to vote.
About 50 people turned out for the members meeting on Thursday evening at the theatre. Board chairman John Simmonds explained that all members in good standing will be able to vote at its upcoming annual general meeting.
“There’s been controversy over conflicting bylaws and conflicting interpretations and we’ve tried to remain as quiet as we could on those issues. But it was necessary to do a lot of research to make sure we were on good ground in what we were proposing. Every member who is in good standing who is over 18 years of age and a resident of Nova Scotia can vote at the AGM.”
The meeting was held in response to a request from the ad hoc group Queens County Community Theatre Advocates. That group was formed after the resignation of associate artistic director Ashley-Rose Goodwin in March.
The group said it was concerned about recent decisions made by executive director Jerri Southcott and the Astor Board. The group said that as Astor members they wanted to hold the board accountable.
In an April 25 update to the group’s members, one of the founding members of the group Kevin Colwell wrote that the Astor appeared to be taking a “restrictive” approach to voting at the upcoming AGM. He said that in discussions with the Astor, it appeared they were planning to prevent anyone who became a member after Dec. 31, 2023 from voting.
He called on group members to attend the May 2 members meeting and the May 9 AGM.
About 50 people were at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool on Thursday evening for a meeting on voting at the upcoming annual general meeting. (Rick Conrad)
The issue over voting arose because of confusion about which set of bylaws was valid.
Simmonds said Thursday that until the board did a “deep dive” into their archives, even they were unsure of the proper voting procedures. So they hired Marjorie Hickey, a lawyer with McInnes Cooper in Halifax, to look into it and give an opinion.
“It outlines in great detail exactly what all the steps were, how the three sets of bylaws compare and contrast, where we stand legally now. And she has confirmed through case law and others that we are in good position now using the 2017 bylaws.”
As a result of that legal advice, the Astor has also changed the date of the May 9 AGM to June 24.
According to its most recent bylaws, the Astor will appoint people to replace three directors who resigned in the past couple of months.
There will be four open spots on the board of directors at the June AGM. Any member can be nominated to sit on the board.
“So hopefully this will set the record straight on where we stand and where we propose going with all of this,” Simmonds said. “It will be a true democratic process at the AGM in terms of nominations. We look forward to having many of you putting your name forward.”
Some members of the Queens County Community Theatre Advocates were at the meeting. But they didn’t want to comment until they could read the lawyer’s report to the Astor.
Simmonds said after the meeting that he believes it addressed many concerns from community members. He said the board believes it’s on solid legal ground.
“We’re very comfortable that we’re in good shape now with our current bylaws. And that allows us to move forward and alleviates a lot of the issues and controversy brought to us by the community,” he said in an interview.
“It clarified things that we didn’t know ourselves. So it was new to us. So once we digested it all ourselves and came up with a final conclusion verified by the lawyer, … all the rest of what went on in the past is not really relevant now.”
Simmonds said the Astor will announce the new appointed members of the board in the next week. He said it will also send notice about the June 24 annual general meeting to all members and advertise it in local newspapers and online.
Howe of the Astor Theatre, the Liverpool Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre. Photo Ed Halverson
UPDATED 8:33 p.m.
The Astor Theatre is holding an information session on Thursday in advance of its annual general meeting on May 9.
Thursday’s meeting is for members of the Astor Theatre Society. It will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Astor.
It’s in response to a request from the ad hoc community group Queens County Community Theatre Advocates, according to Astor board chairman John Simmonds.
“The meeting was requested by a group of community members which we’ve agreed to, and the purpose of the meeting is to clarify voting procedures and entitlements, and nomination procedures for new directors at the AGM.”
The group was formed after Ashley-Rose Goodwin resigned as the theatre’s associate artistic director in mid-March.
The group said it was concerned about recent decisions made by executive director Jerri Southcott and the Astor Board. It said it was worried how those decisions affected the Astor’s legacy as a community-based theatre. As Astor members, it said it was trying to hold the board accountable.
Simmonds said Wednesday he couldn’t say much more about the meeting on Thursday.
“It’s an information meeting basically. There’s no motions. There’s nothing that’s going to take place other than questions and answers.”
The meeting was originally scheduled for Queens Place Emera Centre, but Simmonds said late Wednesday they were able to juggle the schedule at the Astor and have the meeting at the theatre.
The Astor put out a call in April for nominations to its board. Simmonds said the Astor has a slate of possible candidates for vacant board positions. He said that will also be discussed at Thursday’s meeting.
About 25 people showed up at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool on Saturday to discuss the Winds of Change relationship with the Astor Theatre. (Rick Conrad)
The Winds of Change theatre group has voted to end a short-lived relationship with Liverpool’s Astor Theatre and re-form as an independent society.
About 25 people showed up at a meeting on Saturday at Queens Place Emera Centre and voted to reverse a February 2023 decision to become a subcommittee within the Astor.
Nick Moase was the acting chairman of the Winds of Change. He chaired the meeting on Saturday. He is also the technical director for QCCR.
“The decision is what I expected,” he said in an interview after the meeting.
“With everything going on and the comments that have been said to me privately, I was aware that people weren’t comfortable with what the Astor Theatre was doing and that they wanted to separate the Winds of Change again to re-form.
“For 25 years, this has been on the books to discuss. We gave it a try. Things didn’t go as expected, so now we just continue on as the Winds of Change as a separate entity.”
Under the arrangement, the Winds of Change was to use its $29,000 legacy fund for theatrical productions at the theatre. That fund would then be reimbursed from ticket sales, and the Astor would keep any profit.
But recently, members of the group wanted to re-examine the relationship.
Ashley-Rose Goodwin resigned as the Astor’s associate artistic director this March, shortly after the wrap of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies. That was a Winds of Change-Astor co-production. Goodwin was the director of that show.
After her resignation, some in the community, including Winds of Change members, were upset at how the Astor was being operated by the board and recently hired executive director Jerri Southcott.
They were also annoyed when Southcott and the Astor decided not to pay for a Follies cast party at the Liverpool Curling Club. The relationship soured further when the Astor forgot to mention and thank the 70 members of the Follies cast and crew in its monthly newsletter. Southcott quickly sent out an apology the next day in another email to newsletter subscribers.
John Simmonds, the chairman of the Astor Theatre board of directors, was at the meeting on Saturday. He couldn’t comment on Saturday, but in an interview on Sunday, he said the group’s decision was unfortunate but not surprising.
“Maybe taking a long-term view, it’s probably the best for all concerned right now so that we can continue to do our thing and Winds of Change can re-form, get back and do the things that they were doing before, hopefully with the Astor. And as things cool down, we can re-examine the thing and take a look at it down the road.”
Simmonds said the Winds of Change will always be welcome at the Astor.
“We wish the Winds of Change well. That long history between the two organizations is not going to go away. Hopefully, everybody will feel comfortable working with each other again. I know I would. I was just thinking how important it would be to be able to meet people on the street, give them a smile, a handshake, a hug, whatever, and just continue on as friends as we were before.”
Moase said on Saturday that he will not remain on the board.
A slate of 10 people was nominated to form a new board for the Winds of Change. They must re-form as a legally recognized non-profit society through the registry of joint stocks.
Moase said he believes that the arrangement with the Astor for the past year worked well. But he said the Winds of Change is in good shape, especially given the level of participation in Follies.
“I think the interest is there, the people are there again. This issue with the Astor Theatre will come to a conclusion at some point and things will continue. Amateur theatre in Liverpool isn’t going anywhere. And I think we’re probably in good shape to have another production when folks are ready again.”
More than 100 people attended a meeting at Liverpool Regional High School on Monday evening to address community concerns about the Astor Theatre. (Rick Conrad)
Updated April 10, 9:05 a.m.
Community members finally got some answers on Monday night about the recent conflict that has engulfed the Astor Theatre in Liverpool.
More than 100 showed up at a meeting at Liverpool Regional High School called by supporters of former Astor employee Ashley-Rose Goodwin.
The two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting was at times raucous, revealing the rifts that have rocked the Astor over the past month since Goodwin resigned as associate artistic director.
The meeting was originally called to dissolve the current board and elect an interim one until the annual general meeting in May.
The first 45 minutes of the meeting were consumed with arguments between the organizers, who claimed it was a legitimate meeting of the Astor Theatre Society, and board members, who said it wasn’t. The meeting went ahead anyway.
Goodwin has led many popular youth-focused theatre camps, workshops and productions at the theatre over the past few years.
She resigned from the Astor in March. That was shortly after the large-scale adult musical Follies wrapped. Goodwin directed that production.
Her resignation upset many parents whose kids participated in her workshops and productions. It quickly erupted into a sometimes very personal and public fight.
They alleged that the Astor board and recently hired executive director Jerri Southcott made it impossible for Goodwin to stay.
Other people claimed that the Astor was “changing direction” under Southcott and alleged she was trying to engineer a merger with her Mahone Bay-based South Shore Summer Theatre.
At a town hall meeting on Sunday, Astor board members and Southcott refuted those allegations. They said the direction of the Astor has not changed and that they are still committed to involving the local community. The board also said that talks with South Shore Summer Theatre predated Southcott’s hiring, but that they are now off the table.
On Monday evening, it was obvious that many parents and others want Goodwin back at the theatre. Parents spoke about how their kids have benefited from being involved in Goodwin’s productions, how great she is with youth and how she ensures all kids feel respected and included.
Also on Monday evening, it became obvious that many of the issues around Goodwin’s employment and eventual departure were festering long before Southcott even applied for the job.
Goodwin has been silent publicly since her resignation. But she broke that public silence on Monday, explaining why she left the Astor.
Long before Southcott was hired, Goodwin was asking the board for more money. She said her productions were generating a lot of revenue for the Astor and her salary did not reflect that extra benefit to the theatre.
She was also holding private voice and music lessons at the Astor as part of her Mersey Rose Theatre Company
She told the crowd Monday she was being paid $1,200 every two weeks, and that as a single mother, that wasn’t enough to support herself and her four sons.
“Money was being brought in and all that was from my students that I made relationships with, that I brought in, and they wouldn’t put it on top of my salary, even though I was begging for them to give me more money because it wasn’t enough to live off of.”
Late last year, Goodwin mounted a winter solstice show at the Astor, which she created with her youth theatre group.
“I didn’t see any of those donations at the door. Nothing. And I was the one that wrote the show, I wrote the show with the kids. It was all me, I did it by myself. And I don’t see any of that. And I don’t think it’s fair that an entrepreneur who agrees to work at the Astor doesn’t see any of the money that comes in to boost her salary. How is that OK? It’s not OK.”
After Southcott was hired, Goodwin claims she was told she could no longer give private lessons at the Astor.
It appears the breaking point finally came near the end of the Follies run. Goodwin and the Astor planned another youth production, Oliver, Jr. Goodwin says the Astor wanted a quick turnaround. To have the show ready in three months, they wanted auditions to begin before Follies wrapped.
The Astor disputes this, and says their staff were working with Goodwin on her schedule to make sure she wasn’t overwhelmed during Follies.
Goodwin said she told them that was a short timeframe to get kids ready for a show. But she agreed to do it. Unfortunately, she got sick. She says she asked Southcott to hold off on auditions until she was feeling better.
“I begged her not to do the callbacks because I wanted to be there for the kids. She did them without me, and she cast the show without me. And then she told me what the rehearsal schedule would be. Monday to Thursday, 3 o’clock to 5:30 every day for a full cast of kids, that is crazy and that is not how you direct children. And that is why I quit.”
Liverpool parent Crystal Doggett speaks at a public meeting on Monday evening about recent controversy surrounding the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
John Simmonds, chairman of the Astor board, was also at the meeting on Monday and responded to Goodwin’s claims.
He said he and Goodwin had been talking about her role at the Astor in January and February.
“And the salary that you are receiving, we have it from every possible source that is very competitive in this field, in this area. So to say that we need to give you more money because you need it, unfortunately, as a businessman, as an employer, that shouldn’t enter into the equation. We did talk about down the road finding some way of bonusing you, profit-sharing, whatever. But that was still in discussion.”
Simmonds said Goodwin was also worried about a clause in her contract that she interpreted to be a non-compete clause. He said it was actually permission to work outside the theatre.
“You and a couple of your colleagues that you had spoken to said that’s a hard and fast non-compete. That’s not how we saw it. Those same people asked you to contact me or Jerri to discuss that clause. You failed to do that. I called you twice on that Friday afternoon when this whole thing blew up. You didn’t call me back. We’ve been asking to have a meeting with you since then.”
Simmonds said that most of the furor around the Astor happened when Goodwin resigned.
“The whole community rallied behind her and became totally outraged. We received 100 (Facebook) posts, emails, letters, at the Astor. We were totally overwhelmed and we couldn’t understand why. We’ve come to realize it’s support for Ashley and what she’s done. We appreciate all of that. We want her back. All of this rhetoric is not conducive to making that happen. If you want Ashley back and Ashley wants to come back, let’s talk sensibly about what the future holds and not what the past is.”
Others who attended the meeting said they just want both groups to come to terms and stop all the public bickering. Some criticized the group that called the meeting, saying that threatening to dissolve the board only inflamed tensions further.
The board and Goodwin’s supporters agreed to meet as a smaller group to hash out the concerns raised over the past month. The board pledged to hold a special meeting before the annual general meeting, which is scheduled for May 9.
“We’re looking forward to getting seven or eight from the different viewpoints in a room, talk about the issues and most importantly, moving forward, what do we do?”
Rebecca Smart was one of the organizers of Monday’s meeting. She said in an interview after the meeting that it was unfortunate it took a threat to dissolve the board to have her and others’ concerns heard.
“So I feel it was productive overall. Even though it was rough, but it was cleansing in a way because so much that’s been unaddressed and unspoken finally got out there.”
But it may take some time for the rifts around the Astor to heal. Southcott left the meeting early because she was upset by some of the accusations being hurled by one of the parents, who claimed they were threatened with legal action.
Simmonds said in an interview after the meeting that as somebody new to the community and as a new employee at the Astor, she has been unfairly targeted.
“She’s been under tremendous pressure because she recognizes from the get go that as much about Ashley it’s about her. People were out to trash her career.
“Give the lady a chance. We all make mistakes when we’re in a new job. I’m sure you have. I know I have. Let’s figure out what needs to be done to make things better in the future so everybody’s more comfortable.”
About 70 people turned out to the Astor Theatre in Liverpool on Sunday for a community town hall meeting. (Rick Conrad)
Updated April 10, 9:12 a.m.
The board and staff of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool held a community town hall on Sunday afternoon to try to clear up some of the controversy that has recently swirled around the historic theatre.
About 70 people showed up for the two-hour long session. It was at times heated, with some very pointed questions from audience members. Others were supportive of the board, while others showed up to get more specifics on what has apparently divided the Astor community.
Five board members as well as recently hired executive director Jerri Southcott and employee Malcolm Freeman took questions from the audience.
Chairman John Simmonds tried to clear up some things off the bat.
“We see no change in the direction of the Astor Theatre in terms of our instructions to Jerri. There’s been no change in our strategic plan or our mission or values,” he said.
“So we think that things have been going along well and will continue to go along well. And we would hope that the community would trust that whatever has occurred is just something that happened along the way. It’s not a pattern. It’s not a change in direction. There’s no regime change. So we hope to continue what has been the success of the Astor using community members, volunteers, as many people who are interested in coming in and joining in that.”
Simmonds also reminded people that Southcott has been on the job for only two months, and appealed to people for patience.
Astor Theatre Society board members Lynn Cochrane, Loris Azzano, Tina Tucker and Anne Espenant, employee Malcolm Freeman and executive director Jerri Southcott took questions from the audience at the Astor Theatre on Sunday. Chairman John Simmonds is shown standing. (Rick Conrad)
The misunderstandings and concerns appeared to start shortly after the musical Follies wrapped in early March. The director of that play, Ashley-Rose Goodwin, announced that she would be mounting another youth production, Oliver Jr.
Goodwin had produced numerous youth productions at the Astor in the past few years, both in her duties with the Astor and under her own company, Mersey Rose Theatre Company. She also led many youth theatre workshops and summer camps.
But shortly after the announcement of Oliver, Goodwin resigned as associate artistic director of the Astor.
That appeared to set off a cascade of events that eventually led to the resignations of two Astor board members.
Many parents and other community members were upset that Goodwin was no longer with the theatre.
A group of community members created the ad hoc group Queens County Community Theatre Advocates to “hold the board accountable,” according to a Facebook post. They said they were concerned about the “new direction” of the Astor.
They sent an open letter to the Astor board, saying they were shocked and dismayed at recent alleged decisions by the board and executive director Southcott.
They claimed that there was a sudden change in direction, that the local community was being shut out of Astor productions, that certain people were being paid to work on Astor productions instead of using community volunteers, and that Southcott was trying to engineer a “merger” between her Mahone Bay-based company South Shore Summer Theatre and the Astor. The group offered few specifics publicly about their concerns.
Things soon got heated and personal, with many people accusing the Astor or Southcott of various things on the Astor’s Facebook page. Members of this group also made accusations on their own public Facebook posts.
The group encouraged people to become members of the Astor Theatre Society so they could vote in a new board at an upcoming annual general meeting.
They have also organized a special meeting for Monday at 7 p.m. at Liverpool Regional High School. Their original purpose was to elect an interim board of directors and to set a date for the annual general meeting.
At the meeting on Sunday, however, Astor board members said that they will be at that meeting and that chairman John Simmonds will chair it.
The Astor board called the community meeting on Sunday to explain what has happened in the past month and to answer any questions from residents and Astor supporters.
“One of the questions that was asked online, ‘What is so heinous about the things that are going on that we need to replace the board?’” Simmonds said Sunday.
“And we would question and say, we don’t know. We don’t know. So we were hoping to sort of reveal these things now and bring them out into the light so people can make their decisions as to what direction they would like the Astor and this board and our current staff to go in.”
Betsy Hartt said she was upset at Goodwin’s departure, saying the “magic changed in this theatre when Ashley was running those programs”. She said she was also worried about rumours that the Astor would no longer be dedicated to community theatre.
“The concern I have is if there is going to be a refocus on spreading our wings, that’s great. But the centre of the focus still has to be on the activities in this building. So, Winds of Change, local theatre. And I’m hearing that that’s not the case.”
Southcott replied to Hartt that the Astor’s focus hasn’t changed.
“There are no changes in direction planned. There were no changes made. We did have a change in personnel. When Ashley resigned, we respectfully accepted her resignation and then we did our best to get the show on the road by posting positions, filling them, and putting together a production team. We have a group of kids that’s really excited. We have a production team that’s working really well together. But we are wide open to more volunteers, more cast members, all of the people here in Liverpool and Queens County are more than welcome to be involved. We were simply getting the next production on the go.”
Liverpool resident Sandra Atkinson speaks at the community meeting at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool on Sunday. (Rick Conrad)
As for the supposed merger with South Shore Summer Theatre, board member Anne Espenant said that was not the intent.
Espenant said the Astor had already been in discussions with that theatre company before Southcott was hired. South Shore Summer Theatre brought a play to Liverpool each of the past two summers that generated $10,000 in revenue for the Astor.
Espenant said the board hoped to bring that company under the Astor umbrella in the same way Liverpool theatre group Winds of Change had been part of the Astor.
“I just want to make it clear that that was not Jerri coming in and saying I’m going to bring in South Shore Summer Theatre. It was us talking to her about that. We were just having initial conversations with their board about whether they thought, just like with the Winds of Change board, that might be something they want to consider. Now it’s off the table. But that (discussion is) not on Jerri. It’s on us.”
Queens County resident Kristopher Snarby, who is the vocal coach for the upcoming musical Seussical, also sat on the Astor board for 12 years.
He echoed many in the audience on Sunday when he said he wasn’t clear what the online “uproar” was about. Snarby said the group of community members who wrote the letter to the Astor kept deflecting questions about their specific concerns.
“Like so many of you, I don’t think anybody really knows exactly what the problems are or were. And that’s a big problem in itself. … You read the letter and it says, I don’t know. It just says we’re mad, we’re angry.”
He said the accusations that the Astor or Southcott are trying to exclude local residents from productions is wrong, especially what he’s experienced since he’s been involved with Seussical.
“When I walked into this place, every kid who wanted to be there were there on the stage. There were no auditions. It’s the first show I’ve done where there were no auditions. So how can you be more inclusive than saying, ‘Come on the stage, we’re going to have fun. We’ll figure out the parts along the way.’ I’ve never seen that before. It’s the first time. You can’t get more inclusive than that.”
Snarby also said that another concern he saw online was that people are being paid for some productions.
He reminded people that when Winds of Change produced Les Miserables at the Astor in 2013, the musical director was paid and the musicians were given an honorarium. And he said they brought in actors from Halifax and Windsor to play two of the leading roles. They did not pay those actors, Snarby clarified later.
“There has been a history in this community of paying professionals for their time to do the job,” Snarby said. “Sometimes you have to pay professionals to do the job.”
Liverpool parent Lori Smyth said her two kids have attended the Astor theatre camps and they are also in Seussical. She says the apparent divide over the Astor has her kids worried.
“I just want to say that as a parent I’m very impressed with the team,” she said. “I am very grateful that there is a group of people that want to develop community theatre for the youth in this town. I think some of the parents are concerned, our kids are stressed. They love the theatre, and they love the Astor. With meetings happening tomorrow, and meetings all over the place, how is this going to affect their ability to finish the production that they have started?”
Southcott said the past month has taken a toll on her and the board.
“But even more importantly, I’m realizing the effects it’s having on your children,” she said.
“And it’s heartbreaking. I can tell you that we are committed as a production team to the kids and committed to providing this type of programming free of charge to everybody. I come to rehearsal and I feel better. I feel better because these kids are so incredibly talented, they’re nice, they are working together really well as a team. And I am committed to continuing that, so I hope that all of this can be resolved quickly.”
Board members and many in the audience said they’re also hopeful the rift can be repaired soon.
Liverpool resident Sandra Atkinson, who appeared in Follies, applauded the board for holding the information session.
“I just want you to fix it. I applaud you for being truthful, sharing your information, letting us know, letting us talk. And I applaud all the people for coming up here and saying whatever they felt they wanted to say. Thank you for doing this. And really just get to the table and fix it, please.”
The Astor recorded the town hall meeting and plans to post it on its Facebook page.
Jerri Southcott is the new executive director of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. (Submitted photo)
By Rick Conrad
The Astor Theatre in Liverpool has hired a new executive director.
Jerri Southcott takes over the full-time position on Feb. 5, the theatre’s board of directors announced Tuesday
Southcott is no stranger to the Astor. As the founder of South Shore Summer Theatre, she brought two productions to Liverpool — Jesus Christ Superstar in 2022 and Pippin in 2023.
She says she’s excited about her new role.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting some of the patrons and working with the board of directors and the staff. I really do have a passion for the arts and for this building and the theatre itself. … I’m very excited.”
Southcott has experience on stage, and behind the scenes. She is a professional actor, with voice-over work in commercials, documentaries and animated series.
She has a family background in theatre. Her parents ran a renowned music theatre program for young people in North Bay, Ont. She says that program is still going strong after more than 40 years.
She has also worked in various communications roles with the federal government, along with stints in journalism with CBC.
It’s been four years since the Astor has had a full-time executive director. Jean Robinson has been filling the role on an interim basis for almost three years, since September 2020, and plans to help with the transition.
The theatre began its most recent search for a permanent executive director in March 2023, when Robinson announced she was stepping back from the temporary role for health reasons.
In May 2023, the Astor announced that its successful candidate would not be taking on the role after all.
Another search resulted in the hiring of Lesli Chandler, who began the job in July but resigned in September for personal reasons.
Robinson returned to her role as interim director in the meantime, helping with the search for someone to fill the job permanently.
John Simmonds, the chairman of the Astor board, says Robinson played a vital role in the past few years in keeping the Astor afloat.
“She kept our doors open,” Simmonds said. “The good news is that through all this, the staff pulled together extraordinarily well. And Jean, as a part-timer, was putting in a full-time load. If it needed to be done, she would be here doing it.”
He says the board is excited about what Southcott will bring to the job, especially with what promises to be a packed 2024 season, starting with the Winds of Change production of the musical Follies in February.
“She will bring that leadership component which she has had before,” he said.
“She has done an awful lot on the artistic side. She’s run programs, she’s an actor, she’s done all of the things that we do in the theatre, plus she has had a strong administrative component in her various businesses that she’s run. So we think that will stand her in good stead to hit the ground running in February.”
Simmonds added that one of the things that most impressed the board was Southcott’s background in communications, which he hopes will help boost the Astor’s considerable promotional efforts.
Southcott and her husband moved to Mahone Bay three years ago. She said she plans to commute to Liverpool for now, but that she and her family may consider moving closer as she gets comfortable in the job.
“I do see the benefits of living in the community and working in a position like this one,” she says.
“And I also feel like the South Shore as a whole, it’s a great opportunity for me to introduce the Astor to people in this area who maybe haven’t really experienced the theatre.”
As she takes over from Jean Robinson, Southcott says she has “big shoes to fill”, but that she’s up for the challenge.
“I feel confident that it will be a wonderful experience thanks to the support from the board and from the outgoing executive director.”
The group running the Jack Fancy dog park in Milton wants to turn calendars into comfortable seating.
Queens Community Dog Park Association is selling calendars featuring pictures of member’s pets in the hopes of raising $4,000 towards the installation of new shaded benches along the park trail.
Association president John Simmonds anticipates the calendars will be in high demand.
“We have a lot of people in Queens County and South Shore generally, where, they’re not into smart phones and computers and what not,” said Simmonds. “They just love to have a calendar up on the wall.”
Since the dog park was officially opened last September the number of members has fluctuated between 50 and 100.
Simmonds says the park was designed for pets but has also allowed their owners to come play.
“The thing with the dog park, I’ve found, is it becomes a social gathering place for the owners,” said Simmonds. “The dog is almost an excuse for the owners to get out and have a chat with their friends and the dogs benefit as well.”
Simmonds says production of the calendar was paid for through advertising, leaving all the proceeds to go directly to the park.
They will be sold at retailers throughout Queens at a cost of $15.
Astor Theatre, Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Photo Credit: Ed Halverson
After months of inactivity due to COVID-19, Liverpool’s Astor Theatre is once again opening to the public.
The Astor had cancelled or rescheduled every performance this spring and summer because of the lockdown and precautions against spreading the coronavirus.
Chairman of the Astor Theatre Society John Simmonds says as those restrictions have started to ease, he’s hearing from the community they want to see live shows again.
“The desire is certainly there. From what I’ve been able to ascertain, in myself and our other board members and people in the community that we interact with, the desire is certainly there,” said Simmonds. “What may not be there is the comfort level. So, it’s going to have to happen slowly.”
Chairman John Simmonds sits in the balcony of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. Photo Credit: Ed Halverson
Simmonds says the Astor is following all the safety protocols set out by the health department, including: hand sanitizing stations, social distancing, mandatory wearing of masks, directing the flow of people and limiting the number of patrons who can attend events.
The Region of Queens mayoral candidates debate being held Sunday at 3:00pm is the first function to be held under the new protocols. The first run of 80 tickets sold out in less than a day and more had to be added. In all, the event will have a capacity of 128, a far cry from the 348 the Astor could hold.
Simmonds says the debate will be a good opportunity to test new ways of presenting entertainment.
“We’re going to be considering some live-streaming as we’re going to be doing with the debate, and perhaps other events, maybe get into a few movies now and then and just see how it goes. It’s a learning proposition. None of us have ever been in this before, so we’re learning as we go and we think we’re going to be okay. The main goal, of course, is to keep the theatre operations viable,” said Simmonds.
The theatre let their two staffers go once their contracts expired during the COVID-19 shut down. Simmonds says spending less on those salaries and other day-to-day expenses while still being able to access funding from various levels of government has put the Astor in a good financial position.
“We’ve been able to maintain those grants, so right now, we’re in as good a financial position as we’ve ever been which allows us the luxury of going slowly and carefully as we reopen.”
The Astor Theatre society is also diversifying what they have to offer and will be providing more than entertainment to Liverpool going forward.
The group reached an agreement with the Region of Queens last year to manage the adjoining meeting spaces and art gallery. Simmonds would like to see community make use of the additional space.
“We will do what we need to do to try and promote the different rooms and the different activities. I have a meeting here tomorrow night with my dog park association. I want to start a chess clubs and teach kids chess. Those kinds of things, just to bring a wide variety of activities.”
Simmonds is hopeful the province’s COVID-19 numbers remain low so the Astor will be allowed to resume their usual programming later in the fall.
