As general manager of Theatre Newfoundland Labrador (TNL) Gaylene Buckle is well known for her contribution to theatre within Newfoundland and Labrador.
On Thursday, the contribution she’s made at home and on a broader national level was recognized when she was awarded the Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award at the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres annual conference in Ottawa.
Gilbert was the general manager of Tarragon Theatre in Toronto for 34 years and is a founder and past president of the association. When she retired in 2006 the association put together the award in her honour.
“She was one of the first people I met when I joined TNL and came to my first PACT meeting,” said Buckle of the woman she’s learned a lot from.
And so, for her it was “amazing” to be named this year’s recipient.
Buckle started with Theatre Newfoundland Labrador in 1995 and in her acceptance speech recalled how it was a big learning curve for her as she tried to figure out everything from royalties to equity contracts.
The following year she attended her first Professional Association of Canadian Theatres conference.
“And all of a sudden it’s like holy Moses. There’s a whole room of people who know the things that I need to know.”
People from across the country working in theatre big and small and no matter the size all shared the same issues, the same concerns and were there to ask questions of.
“There’s so much knowledge and generosity in that room and it still is.”
Buckle was the association’s region representative for Newfoundland and Labrador for 10 years and spend six years as vice-president with some involvement in the membership committee.
She played a part in changes that opened up membership to more professional theatre companies as affiliates, something that has changed the face of the organization.
And she’s shared her knowledge with members across the country.
“There’s certainly not a week of the year that somebody is not calling me from somewhere, whether it’s from St. John’s or Stephenville or somewhere else to say how do I do this.”
She said part of who Theatre Newfoundland Labrador is as an organization is it’s there to help others.
“It’s not all about TNL. It’s about the greater community across the country.”
She said it’s about what’s good for theatre.
Part of the award is about passing on knowledge and so Buckle got to name a protégé, someone she’s worked with who can be considered the next generation of theatre leaders.
She chose Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s assistant administrator Natasha Butt to receive the award.
Butt has worked with Theatre Newfoundland Labrador for 11 years and Buckle said she is always ready and willing to help others in the community that approach Theatre Newfoundland Labrador for help.
