The Archives of Up Start Theatre: A Guide
Collection Number: MS-3-34Fonds level desciption by Kelly Casey, May 2004
Electronic version prepared by Kathryn Harvey, June 2004
Collection Level Description
Title: Up Start Theatre fonds
Dates: 1989-1993
Extent: 1.4 m. of textual records
The idea for Up Start Theatre came from Tom Reagan who wanted to establish a theatre
in the Halifax area dedicated to performing new works by regional writers as well as
second productions of Canadian plays. The first step to achieving his goal had been in the
founding of Dark Night, a play reading group, with Martin Surrette, L. H. Paris, and Sharon
Kline. In 1988, Reagan, Paris, and Kline were joined by Iris Quinn, Lynn Ostergaard,
Pamela Robinson, Moira Dann, David Renton and Deborah Allen as the founding
members of Up Start Theatre. Sten Eirik and Jennifer Hogan joined the group shortly
thereafter.
In its first season, Up Start offered Lynn Ostergaard’s “Moving Day” and George Boyd’s
“Gideon’s Blues” and was praised for tackling thought-provoking material. Although the
company was an artistically acclaimed success, financial problems plagued it from the
start. Financial problems along with the loss of venue in 1991 caused the theatre to cancel
its 1991/1992 season. And although it was able to produce Betty Lambert’s “Under the
Skin” in the fall of 1992, it didn’t get back on its feet and was officially dissolved in
September 1993.
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The fonds remained in the custody of the Up Start Theatre Company until it was donated to
the Dalhousie University Archives in 2004.
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The fonds consists of administrative records, programs, scripts, posters, newspaper
clippings, news releases, newsletters, photographs.
All files are open.
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[Identification of item], Up Start Theatre fonds, MS-3-34, Box [box number], Folder [folder number], Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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