Shining Stars

Dianne Collinson and Emma Tiede

If you’ve ever attended a Theatre Ancaster production, chances are you’ve been greeted with a warm smile and gracious hospitality by Dianne Collinson and Emma Tiede. The mother-daughter team has been integral to Theatre Ancaster’s Front of House operations for a whopping two decades. This remarkable act of volunteerism speaks to the outstanding work ethic and community-minded ethos Dianne and Emma share.

“Dianne and Emma are wonderful. If we need something done, we call Dianne and she calls Emma and we double the helping hands,” says Theatre Ancaster co-founder Gord Conroy. “We are so grateful to them both for their commitment and caring. They are a marvellous team.”

Long-time Theatre Ancaster company member Laura Bottrell echoes this sentiment: “Dianne and Emma’s friendly, greeting faces are a huge part of the Theatre Ancaster experience that our audiences have come to know and expect at all of our performances. For many years, they have made sure that everyone attending one of our shows feels welcome and accommodated. Dianne and Emma care deeply about everyone they work with—from our patrons, to fellow Front of House volunteers, to everyone else involved in our company. Their dedication and hard work are greatly appreciated by everyone at Theatre Ancaster.”

Dianne got involved as a volunteer with Theatre Ancaster when her eldest daughter, Heather, started as a youth performer. “I really liked a lot of the people and just started helping,” explains Dianne. This commitment soon became a permanent position as an usher. “I can’t sing. I can’t dance. I don’t have the technical skills to help backstage. But I can smile and bring people in.”

For her part, Emma couldn’t wait to join her mom and sister at Theatre Ancaster. “You had to be 14 to start as an usher. I was only 12,” explains Emma. “But they let me help with programs. I used to help staple them together. As soon as I was 14, I started doing Front of House.”

Dianne currently splits Front of House leadership with her close friend and “partner in crime”, Sandra Gibel. This is a big job that includes training and coordinating the many dozens of volunteers that make up the Front of House team. “Dianne has been instrumental in the organization and improvement of Front of House over the years,” says Sandra. “She is professional, friendly, calm, organized and I am certain everyone finds her a pleasure to work with.” As for Emma, “She can always be relied on to do a great job in all aspects of Front of House. She is especially helpful with a cast or audience that has young children.” Indeed, Emma’s warm personality and ever-present smile make her a certified hit with Theatre Ancaster’s youngest patrons.

With Theatre Ancaster’s move to the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre, the scope of Front of House has expanded due to the larger venue and potential for overlapping productions in the same weekend. For Dianne and Emma, it’s an exciting and welcome change. “It’s wonderful,” says Dianne. “It’s been interesting to watch the growth at Theatre Ancaster. It’s just been this exponential growth over the last 10 years especially.”

Still, the packed houses can mean there’s a lot to juggle to ensure audiences are happy and taken care of night after night. Recently, a father and his two young children had shown up on the wrong date for the sold-out run of Matilda. Their tickets, in fact, were for the previous night’s performance. Instead of turning them away, the Front of House team quickly came to the rescue and procured some extra folding chairs so the family could enjoy the show after all. “I couldn’t disappoint them and send them away,” says Dianne.

For both Dianne and Emma, their longstanding commitment to Theatre Ancaster stems from the feeling of community within the company. “It’s just the people I’ve met and the friendships that mean so much,” says Dianne. Likewise, Emma relishes the feeling of belonging: “I’ve always liked that everybody here has always known who I am.”