progress report (fwd)

[Don Perkins]

At Moira Day's request, I'm forwarding this bit of sad news.

Don Perkins
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 10:00:32 -0700 (MST)
From: Norman Gee <normang at gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
To: Don Perkins <dperkins at gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
Subject: Re: progress report

Don,
        I'm off the Candram line this year, but I'm wondering if you will
send a message down it to all members.  I'll try to phone Diane as well -
if I can do it without bursting into tears.

        People will likely be saddened to hear that one of our honorary
members, Elsie Park Gowan passed away quietly in her sleep at the age of 93
on Saturday January 23.  She was given the membership at our Calgary
meeting at which we honoured Joyce Doolittle as well, and while Elsie's
health was too poor for her to attend, she taped an acceptance speech for
us.  When I last visited her at Christmas, she still our honorary
membership certificate on the wall in her room.  I think it meant a great
deal to her to have the value of her work recognized and honoured by
another generation of her peers in the Canadian theatre.
        She was one of an important group of women pioneers, including Gwen
Pharis Ringwood, Pauline Boutal, Florence James, Mary Ellen Burgess,
Elizabeth Haynes, Betty Mitchell and Dorothy Somerset, who helped build the
stages on which the professional and educational theatre in Western Canada
now performs - and she will be missed by all of us.

Moira

Moira Day (on sabbatical July 1998 to June 1999)
Associate Professor of Drama
University of Saskatchewan
moiraday at duke.usask.ca           normang at gpu.srv.ualberta.ca
1-403-466-8957          1-403-492-3438 (message)