Ever since Between Shifts Theatre was founded in 1993, with an initial mandate of doing contemporary plays by Canadian playwrights, they’ve been operating on a shoestring budget in less-than-ideal circumstances.
It’s been a labour of love, giving generations of local actors a chance to express themselves creatively and find their community, but it never accumulated significant revenue and failed to find a dedicated performance space—instead, they’ve made do with the high school theatre, which has been in need of upgrades for decades.
Then came the latest blow in 2024, when key members of the production team were forced out of the community by rising housing costs. The non-profit theatre company was preparing for a production of Peter and the Starcatcher, a musical prequel to Peter Pan, when they realized that the show couldn’t go on.
“In the last few years, we’ve lost a few key players who contributed lots of skills and time and energy to make Between Shifts Theatre what it is today. They moved away due to the issues of Squamish, rising costs and the housing crisis,” said company chair Sara Marrocco.
“We found ourselves in a situation where we had a grant from the Squamish Youth Council to put on a show in November, and then the lighting designer and stage manager [left] at the last minute and we knew that if we go ahead, the remaining crew would be so overwhelmed. We didn’t want to burn people out. So, we made the call to cancel the show.”
Graciously, the youth council agreed to reschedule the play for November 2025. In the meantime, the folks behind Between Shifts, who have also shelved changing its name for now, are focused on building capacity and attracting new talent.
They’re calling it a rebuilding phase.
“That’s just the transient nature of this town, unfortunately. We have people with amazing skills who devote their free time, but then they move away or can’t commit or are inundated with work, so we find ourselves back to square one," Marrocco said.
32 years of theatre
Between Shifts Theatre was born in a gymnasium.
Kathy Daniels still has the posters from that first show, which was thrown together on a budget of $300. As one of the founders, she was there every step of the way as the company mounted a series of one-acts that culminated in their first full-length show Leaving Home in 1996, which she directed. Since then, she estimates she’s been in 35 of the company’s 70 plays.
In that time, she’s been inspired by how the company impacts those involved.
“We put on a Christmas play one year, and there was this young girl who was really struggling. When she first came out, she could barely speak and was emotionally traumatized, but by the end of the production, she was speaking and onstage doing her role, and her mother came up and said, ‘I can’t believe what you’ve done for my child’,” Daniels told the Chief.
“It’s a safe place to be, and a place of respect, where people can be where they belong and let their creativity shine.”
One of those people was Marrocco, who joined the company after moving from Whistler. She auditioned for The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble and landed the lead role. It became one of the many Between Shifts shows that have been taken to festivals and have come back with awards.
“I feel like the world needs theatre right now. We’re moving towards a more technological world and that has its perks, but something is being lost. We’re losing connection to each other,” Marrocco said.
Having been on the board for six years now, she’s well aware of the challenges they’re facing.
“Theatre can’t be done alone. It can’t be done in solitude. It’s hard to stay optimistic, especially when it takes a lot of work—not just the productions, but also behind the scenes work like board governance.”
According to Marrocco, there are some privately owned venues in town, but they are out of the price range of a non-profit. The group has been trying to brainstorm ways to think outside the box, maybe performing in cafes or even outdoors.
They’re also hosting a series of workshops so people can learn about different aspects of theatre, such as acting, directing and stage management. A play reading club is helping them identify future scripts worth producing.
“I’m a big team player. I love discovering other people’s arts and skills and finding those connections between people. We create something from scratch, from words on paper, and bring love and emotions to it. Sharing that with the audience is so special,” Marrocco said.
Find out more or get involved with Between Shifts by visiting the theatre company’s website.
