The show must go on: Historic Indian Head theatre raising money for improvements

More than 120 years ago, the Grand Theatre in Indian Head was a jewel in the prairies – the only opera house between Winnipeg and Vancouver, according to the town history.

Since then, it’s had new names, new owners and has hosted everything from ‘Faust,’ to Australian theatre troupes, school plays and Hollywood blockbusters.

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Meagan McEwen is the treasurer for the volunteer board in charge of the theatre, and the community development officer with the Town of Indian Head. She said that as far as she can tell, it’s the oldest continuously operating theatre in Western Canada, and the board wants to keep the doors open for as many people as possible.

“The theatre has seen so many politicians and opera companies, and we were here at the start of the silent film era, and still here when it became the talkies and digital equipment,” said McEwen.

“The amount of history that has taken place in the building is pretty remarkable for Saskatchewan.”

(The Grand Theatre/Facebook)

The front entrance to the theatre is just a small storefront in a row of shops on Grand Avenue, distinguished by its elegantly flourished sign.

The narrow entryway has a classic reel projector the size of a small adult on one side, and the opposite wall is lined with the names of people and businesses who’ve donated to the theatre in the past.

Ahead is the concession with washrooms on either side, which were added in the ’80s, according to McEwen.

The front entryway of The Grand Theatre in Indian Head was renovated in the ’80s to add a concession and washrooms. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Around either side is the entrance to the auditorium. The walls, the ceiling and the seats are all a deep, rich red, facing a screen set at the back of a stage.

“The history book talks a lot about live music and dances that would go on until all hours of the morning, and quite the party place this would have been in the day,” explained McEwen.

The theatre still hosts live music, as well as stage productions.

(The Grand Theatre/Facebook)

It was built in 1904 by Arthur J. Osment, and started out as an opera house – where the stage sits now is where the orchestra pit was, and it can still be found with a trip into the basement.

The building has undergone a number of renovations over the years, from adding the screen, a projector and sound equipment, to simply installing permanent seating.

What was the backstage is now a bar and hangout space set up after events, called ‘Badass Billy’s Backstage Bar.’

Opened up after events and shows, the backstage at the Grand Theatre is called ‘Badass Billy’s Backstage Bar.’ (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

McEwen said years ago, for a community fundraiser, the board brought a medium into the theatre.

“After his first visit he said, ‘You know, there’s a fellow in the back, he kind of hangs out around the catwalk. He’s not dangerous but he’s mischievous… And Billy doesn’t understand that he’s dead,’” she explained.

She said there’s another ghost in the basement under the stage. McEwen said it’s the ghost of Arthur J. Osment’s son Walter, who drowned shortly after the theatre opened.

The basement of the Grand Theatre includes storage and the former orchestra pit. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

“Whenever we go over there, we have to reassure Walter that we’re just here to look after the theatre, and we’re just looking around,” she said.

The history of the theatre is written on the very walls. Backstage, alongside a series of posters, there are signatures from many of the artists and shows that have come through.

There are signatures from The Pall Brothers and Wizards of the North in March 1920, but the oldest is the Liliputian Opera Company in 1914. McEwen said the company was an Australian family with more than a dozen children that travelled around performing.

A signature from the Lilliputian Opera Company at the Grand Theatre Indian Head (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

On the opposite side of the building is the projector room, only accessible up a narrow, creaky stairway. The sound equipment is spread out on an open platform from which you can look out and see the entire auditorium.

The new projector is nestled in a small room, a modern piece of equipment at odds with the building around it.

To put in the projector room, they took space away from what McEwen called the apartment up top. It’s seen better days – bare framing is visible on one side and layers of wallpaper are peeling from the other.

The board that runs the Grand Theatre hopes to renovated the apartment upstairs to be able to rent it out for things like dance classes and house concerts. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

In some areas, construction has obviously been done. McEwen said when previous renovations were done, the workers didn’t necessarily know what they were doing.

“In some places they’ve cut through supporting trusses and whatnot, so we’ve done a fair amount of work now to support this end of the building again,” she explained.

She said the board would like to be able to renovated the apartment and rent it out for things like yoga, dance classes and house concerts.

Meagan McEwen and the rest of the Grand Theatre’s board are looking to make the theatre safer and more accessible with a new renovation project. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

The community group that owns the theatre has its eye on a number of changes and renovations, McEwen said, including things like shoring up safety in the building and making it more accessible.

There’s a step up into the building right now, another in the narrow bathrooms, and the floors need to be level – all thing which can cause problems for people with mobility issues.

In 2022, the theatre was awarded an ICIP grant, which includes money from the federal government and provincial government, but the theatre needs to come up with the third chunk of cash, which adds up to $250,000.

McEwen said the plan has had to change a bit since then, as construction costs ballooned following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The plan that we had at the time just became completely unattainable. It went from $1 million to over $3 million,” she explained.

She said they had to go back to the drawing board and try to get the same outcomes with a different design.

Time is running out for the project, however. Under the terms of the grant, the money needs to be raised and construction finished by the end of next year, so the board and town have been raising money furiously – holding a chase the ace lottery and a fall art auction and gala. A sponsorship campaign is also in the works.

Besides the historic significance of the theatre for both Saskatchewan and Western Canada, McEwen said the venue is an important part of the town, boosting the local economy and helping foster the arts for adults and kids alike.

“It really is important and we just want to make sure that it’s here for generations to come,” said McEwen.