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Flora Yetman
Flora first became involved with the Esperance Theatre Guild in 1981. She has been a dedicated member since that time with her special love of costumes and accessories.
Flora has researched, designed, cut, made (and supervised the making of) many costumes in our much admired Theatre Guild wardrobe. She has also assisted with stage direction and choreography.
Flora has also been a committee member for many years and has demonstrated her artistic talent both on and off stage.
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Andrew Bounds
Andrew first became involved in the Esperance Theatre Guild in 1986. There would be very few people who have spent more time behind the scenes at the theatre than Andrew.
He is a man of few words, but is extremely knowledgable when it comes to all things theatrical. Primarily the "lights man", but also backstage worker extrordinaire and dedicated set builder.
Andrew has been a committee member for 11 years and his involvement continues into the new millennium.
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Heather Timms
Heather Timms - our dedicated pianest and musical director since the beginning of the Esperance Theatre Guild in 1968. What would we have done without her?
Nearly every musical production in the 60's, 70's and 80's and even some in the 90's was supported (every rehearsal!) by Heather playing her piano; watching and waiting for cast errors; ready to compensate with her amazing musical ability.
The composer also of the score for"Cheap at Half the Price" - the very popular (and oft repeated) musical production telling the story of the history and boom times of Esperance.
Her talent also extended to the occasional use of a paint brush colouring the backdrop!
Heather was a committee member for at least 30 years and her involvement still continues into the new millennium.
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Marie and Doug Slater
Marie and Doug Slater have been members of the Esperance Theatre Guild since its inception in 1968. They have taken active roles both on and off stage, also held positions on the committee over several years, especially during the 1970-80 era. Doug was very involved with the initial leasing and susequent purchase of the Bijou Theatre from ROAB Lodge. Marie served a long term as wardrobe mistress in the developing years.
A highlight of their acting career was when they had opposite roles in "The Gondoliers" in 1973.
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John Crawley
John Crawley was first "co-opted" to join the Theatre Guild in 1985 because of his expertise with hammer and chisel!
Little did he know what he was letting himself in for - initially designing and supervising the busy bees for the "John Crawley Extension" which was no mean feat, adding 14 squares to the original building, making "life at the Bijou" so much better - least of all was the new toilets!!!
Once this was completed John was hooked and many an hour has been spent back-stage, designing and constructing sets and accessories for many productions.
In the late 1990s he was co-ordinator of the "work for the dole" scheme which assisted in the complete re-construction/modelling of the exterior of the Bijou Theatre.
John's dedication continues into the new millennium.
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Dale Johnson
Dale became involved in the Esperance Theatre Guild almost from its inception, while it was still operating out of the old RSL Hall. Her husband David was roped into “Whitehorse Inn” in the late 60s, as the Guild was always short for men (and still is). She directed her first play in the early seventies and went on to direct many more over the next two decades. Her other love was stage management and set design and she assisted in that capacity on a number of occasions for other productions.
In 1984 she wrote the musical “Cheap At Half The Price” in collaboration with Heather Timms, who wrote the music. Based on the history of Esperance, the play had a season of 9 nights that year and was repeated in 1988 for the Bicentenary. Other revue style pieces were written for such productions as “Sin On The Sandplain” and “The Starz Awards”.
Dale served on the committee in every capacity at one time or another. During her time as Treasurer she says that her friend Jane Ratten did more balancing of the books than she did, "owing to my inability to add up".
Dale says that she gained a great understanding of theatre from the many visiting directors the Guild employed, received tremendous artistic satisfaction and had the best of fun times at the Bijou Theatre.
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Raleigh Sellars
Raleigh Sellars joined the Esperance Theatre Guild in 1971 and became a committee member in 1972. He has been president of the Guild on three occasions, last in 1996. He has served as a committee member for many more years. Raleigh has participated in many facets of the theatre and in some twenty seven plays and revues, while also being heavily involved with the purchase, maintenance, upgrading and expansions of "The Old Bijou".
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Jane Ratten
Jane Ratten was secretary/treasurer when the Esperance Theatre Guild first started in 1968. She held this position over many years. Her artistic abilities started in make-up, then continued into stage management, directing, and an occasional appearance on stage. Jane's forte in later years was set design and this she continues to do in Perth. Jane was delighted to be invited back to Esperance to open the "John Crawley Extention" in 1986 and was recently invited back to design the set for the 1999 production "On Our Selection".
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