Shining Star

Doug Holder

The Holder family has been with Theatre Ancaster longer than it has been around! When Janet, Doug’s daughter, got involved in her high school musicals at Ancaster High, no one could have known that three of the school’s teachers – Gord Conroy, Al Croxall, and Ralf Hakenberg – would end up founding Theatre Ancaster! From there, it was just a matter of time before her father, Doug, and her mother, Doris, decided that joining up would be a fun and interesting new hobby to take up.

Doris has been a Board member and has done set design and painting for the company. Janet has done many lead and ensemble roles over the years (including, most recently, Divas – In Concert). In 2009, Doug and Janet performed together in Come Together: The Music of the Beatles. What a treat for father and daughter!

Over the past couple of decades, Doug has been busy both onstage and off. He’s a founding member of the Theatre Ancaster Chorus. And this year, TA started the Classics Company (ages 55+) and Doug happily got involved. He is thrilled to be in South Pacific in Concert and very much enjoys experimenting with the team and seeing everyone band together to make something meaningful and entertaining. South Pacific, Doug says, has terrific lead voices and an incredible team behind it. It also has Doug as Captain Brackett, and the director says Doug is doing his usual excellent job.

The Holders, who are long-time Ancaster natives, also have a commendable employment history outside of the theatre company. Janet is a school teacher, Doris a retired school teacher, and Doug is a retired cardiologist whose work at Hamilton General Hospital has literally saved lives. As a cardiologist, Doug’s time was never completely his own, but he gave it as a gift and changed lives and families forever.

Yet somehow, Doug has still made time to be busy with TA. Doug is a self-taught musician and has played his guitar in TA performances and been part of a number of major spring and fall shows. Doug would come directly from hours and hours on call to attend a rehearsal. He made all his commitments work—no job is too big or too small. Doug has moved and painted sets as well as erected and dismantled them. If you need help with something, you call Doug—he always finds the time, like the deeply committed community person he is.

Despite their busy lives, the Holders always bring 110% to the table and are never short in their passion for the stage and, most importantly, their love for family and each other. The kindness and generosity radiates from them wherever they go and it definitely shows on stage!

Thankfully for Theater Ancaster, Doug and his family do not show signs of stopping anytime soon!

Written by Dawson Nyffenegger