Founders Story

Let’s go back in time. It was summer 2021. In plain words, Krista was not doing okay. Feelings of boredom, apathy, and disconnection from her community were at an all time high. To make her feel better, her sister Cat put on show tunes. When “Open the Window” from “Anne of Green Gables” played, Krista was hit with a lightning bolt: “It’s time to start THE theatre company” (...of course that’s hyperbolic, but you’re reading the About Us page for a theatre company, so kindly bear with us).

Theatre has been an outlet through Krista and Cat’s entire lives to express, connect, and grow. After growing up in the arts, doing Shakespeare since we were 4 years old, and musicals since we were 12, the sisters knew they wanted to continue to put time and energy into theatre. However, when approaching university graduations, they were faced with a difficult decision. It was time to either go professional or give it up. Friends who did sports growing up had a plethora of intramural options to turn to, but what did artsy-fartsies have? How do folks interested in the arts continue their passions extracurricularly in “the real world”?

And turns out they weren’t alone in these thoughts. During Hillcrest Village Community Player’s first season, the community showed up… and then some. And after one season it became clear: there was a gap for local arts and local involvement, and Hillcrest Village Players was filling it.

With a few seasons under their belts, building such an outlet in their own backyard has been an inspiring labour of love. They wanted to create a place for those who are passionate about the arts to gather and explore. Explore the excitement of trying a new art form, or feel the joy of returning to the comfort of practicing a beloved art form, perhaps after years away. And by art form, they mean every aspect of the production. You cannot put on a show without visual arts for sets and costumes, technical arts for lighting and sound, digital creativity for marketing, financial creativity to make ends meet, business relations, community engagement, not to mention dancing, acting, instrumentation, singing, AND MORE!

Krista and Cat are so proud to see how this dream has created a space, and this space drew in a community. A community that is eager to give their time and energy to mentor and grow others, or listen and learn humbly from those around them.

…this is just the beginning.