About Us

Stage 43 Theatrical Society is a not-for-profit community theatre group that has been producing quality, affordable theatre in the Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody area of British Columbia since 1983. We produce three shows each season at the Evergreen Cultural Centre - one in October, one in January, and one in the spring.

We are an active member of the Theatre BC Fraser Valley Zone, where we can be seen competing with other community theatre groups each year for a place at the provincial Mainstage Festival. Stage 43 has taken home numerous awards over the years for all aspects of theatre – overall production, direction, acting, sound design, lighting design, set design, set decoration, backstage cooperation, and more.

Stage 43 survived the pandemic arts venue closures and returned to the Evergreen Cultural Centre last year to celebrate our 40th anniversary with a blockbuster season of shows: Footloose the Musical, Calendar Girls, and God of Carnage.

We are proud to call the Tri-Cities our home, and we continue to make our community connections a priority. We are very grateful for the ongoing support of our season sponsor The Saint St. Grill.

We wish to give a special thank you to the City of Coquitlam for financial assistance during the pandemic.

CLAIRE PINKETT - President
Claire has been on the Board of Directors of Stage 43 for more than 20 years. She is passionate about keeping community theatre in the community and making it accessible for all. She is a producer, a stage manager, a set builder/painter, a set dec artist, a props mistress, an actress, and anything else a production requires. Most likely place to be found in the theatre: In the lobby greeting patrons or selling 50/50 tickets, or onstage before the show telling everyone to turn off their mobile devices…lol! Favourite green room food: Anything Michelle brings in. Favourite theatre quote: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

SHARON NOTARRIGO - Vice President (social media, marketing, website)
Aside from taking one year off to plan her wedding, Sharon’s been part of the Board since 2011, not long after she was cast in her first Stage 43 play – Hobson’s Choice. She continues to be amazed and inspired by all the hard working and creative people that come together to bring a production from script to stage. Most likely place to be found in the theatre: Either onstage or front-of-house. Most memorable production mishap: Forgetting to check her props (ALWAYS CHECK YOUR PROPS!), then having about 10 seconds to find a pair of shoes before going onstage. Thank goodness Joy-Ann was there – she kicked of her own shoes and handed them over without a second thought! Favourite green room food: Tortilla chips and salsa, or anything chocolate!

JOY-ANN LEE - Treasurer (membership coordinator)
Joy-Ann has been on the Board of Directors of Stage 43 for over 10 years and is currently the Treasurer. She loves community theatre and all the joy it brings to those who support it. Ever since she joined Stage 43, she has been the Costume Mistress, selecting, creating, fitting, taking care of costumes for cast members, and assisting with multiple costume changes during performances. Most likely place to be found in the theatre: Backstage. Best theatre memory: Bringing a tent trailer on stage. Another favourite memory was creating and sewing five identical bridesmaid dresses for Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. Favourite green room food: Michelle’s “Crack” (disclaimer: not actual crack!) Miss most about theatre: The camaraderie with the cast and crew, and the satisfaction of seeing the production coming together on opening night.

SUE DAVEY - Secretary (volunteer coordinator)
Maritza Zitzen, Baroness von Blitzen, aka Sue Davey, has been with Stage 43 for three years. Favourite characters she has played include the Baroness and the Queen of Hearts. Where does Sue hope to be in a year’s time? Backstage working on a show! Theatre quote: “Theatre is made up by a multitude of little moments.”

COLLEEN BIGNELL - Board Director (locker manager)
Colleen has been involved in community theatre longer than she dare admit. Most likely place to be found in the theatre: When she’s not treading the boards, she can been found creating and running sound in the booth, as well as being a board member and anywhere else she is needed. Favourite green room food: Anything not chocolate. Favourite theatre quote: “Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” - Sanford Meisnet

KATE DU CRÔS - Board Director (Front-of-House understudy)
Bio coming soon :o)

SHANNON DUMAS - Board Director (volunteer coordinator understudy)
Shannon joined Stage 43 as an assistant stage manager for The Creature Creeps and for the unfortunately cancelled The Elephant Man. Shannon had previously been a member of RCMT's crew and board and the Millennium Theatre Group. Shannon was thrilled to be an assistant stage manager for The 39 Steps and a stage manager for Skin Flick. Her favourite place to watch any show is from the wings! She is looking forward to many more productions with Stage 43!

JILL MENKVELD - Board Director (social coordinator)
Jill made her Stage 43 debut in the 2015 production of Steel Magnolias where she had the pleasure of meeting (and sharing the stage with) many of today's board members. Jill loves acting and will mostly be seen onstage, but she does really like painting and building the set come load-in day. Favourite theatre/play quote: From Steel Magnolias, "Laughter through tears is my favourite emotion". Miss most about theatre: Hell week (no lies!!) The week of load-in and tech and dress rehearsals where we live at the theatre at least 6 hours a day is the absolute best! Best theatre memory: Her first Zone Festival. Jill was in one of the shows and was able to take time off work to be there every night to watch every other show and learn from the adjudications. It was an incredible experience.

JENNIFER STRAZHNIK - Board Director
Bio and pic coming soon :o)

MARGIE TAYLOR - Board Director
Margie grew up in Thunder Bay, attended Lakehead University, and began her radio career there. As a CBC Radio host and producer, she worked in Vancouver and Calgary, hosted regional and national radio programs, wrote a syndicated parenting column, and appeared regularly on arts and entertainment programs across the country. Her book reviews and op-ed articles have appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Calgary Herald, and Active Adult, and she’s the author of four novels as well as a collection of humorous essays: 60 is the new 20: a boomer’s guide to aging with grace, dignity, and what’s left of your self-respect. Her collection of book reviews is called I’ll Read That for You: A bluffer’s guide to 101 books you should read before you die, and her most recent novel, Rose Addams, was published in April by NeWest Press.

OCEANNE TRUDEL - Board Director (social coordinator)
Océanne has been passionate about acting for as long as she can, and being involved in community theatre has kept that passion alive for years. From Quebec to British Columbia, she has taken on the roles of actor, director and producer on more productions than the number of years she’s been alive. Most likely place to be found in the theatre: On stage of course! Favorite green room food: Candies and chocolates of all kinds - anything to get that sugar level uncomfortably high. Favorite theatre quote: “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” ― Oscar Wilde