ABOUT TKS

Since 1949 - The History of Theatre Kelowna Society

Before there was a floating bridge, even before the introduction of television to the Okanagan Valley, the pioneers of Theatre Kelowna Society were entertaining the members of our growing community. Spanning over six decades, Theatre Kelowna Society remains one of Kelowna's oldest cultural citizens.

As such we are proud to have made such a significant contribution to its storied history. As a major cultural contributor in the Kelowna community for many decades, Theatre Kelowna Society's roots go back to 1949 with the formation of the Kelowna Little Theatre by local volunteers whom we look upon today as some of Kelowna's most visionary cultural pioneers. Through the years challenging works from some of the world's most renowned playwright like Kaufman, Wilder, Simon, Chekhov, Miller and Pinter were produced.

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The year 1957 saw the birth of another local group comprised of amateur volunteers - Kelowna Musical Productions. Kelowna Musical Productions had great success producing shows like 'Oklahoma', 'Brigadoon' and 'Finian's Rainbow' at the old Empress Theatre in town. Both groups contributed valuable financing and hard work to the construction of the Kelowna Community Theatre which opened to a well received production of Kelowna Musical Production's 'The King and I' in 1963.

In 1972, Kelowna Musical Productions and Kelowna Little Theatre amalgamated. These two organizations brought almost 50 years of combined theatrical history, experience and skills under one banner. The organization was officially unveiled as Theatre Kelowna Society on January 25, 1973 - more than 40 years ago - longer than any other professional or non-profit theatrical society that exists in our community today.

Our Constitution calls for an annual staging of three productions (i.e., a fall show, a Christmas musical, and a spring show). Through the years Theatre Kelowna Society has presented extra productions, workshops and hosted Theatre BC's Zone and Provincial Drama Festivals. We also seek to educate younger generations of members and leaders through workshops, scene studies and one act productions.

Theatre Kelowna Society endeavours to maintain a high standard of excellence and serve as cultural ambassadors for the city of Kelowna. This commitment has resulted in numerous awards through its participation in the annual Theatre BC Zone and Provincial Drama Festivals. Theatre Kelowna Society has been lauded as one of the best community theatre groups in the province having received more awards for it's productions than any other theatre group, amateur or professional in the region, bringing well deserved recognition to the city of Kelowna.

We have been producing high quality and highly valued dramas. comedies, musicals and pantomimes for over a half of a century to the citizens of Kelowna. Our members are those who have a love for live performance and the power and immediacy of theatre, who labour each year to bring new productions to our local stages. We've created space for all of us to learn, to make mistakes, to celebrate our brilliant productions and to lament our flops. Theatre Kelowna Society is a family sharing a common dream, to make sure that theatre is alive and accessible in our community so that anyone who desires so can join us to learn, to teach and to share.

We invite you to join us as we continue our mission of enhancing the quality of like in our community by high quality, affordable entertainment to the citizens of Kelowna.

Our Mission

Since our inception in 1949, our mission has been to entertain, inform and educate, creating opportunities for community participation in enriching theatrical experiences.

TKS shall provide area residents the opportunity to attend and to participate in high quality amateur theatrical presentations.

TKS shall provide educational opportunities in the theatre arts to adults and children. In the pursuit of its goals,

TKS shall be mindful of the standards of its audiences and shall maintain fiscally sound management.

Theatre Kelowna Society endeavours to fulfill its mission by:

producing a broad range of theatrical presentation of the highest possible quality;
showcase local amateur talent;
encouraging development of area youth in the theatre arts at local schools via work shops and performances;
fostering and encouraging artistic and practical development of its membership through hands-on learning experiences in all aspects of theatre production and management;
being a valued 'cultural citizen' and providing a positive impact on the quality of life in our community; and
stimulating co-operation with other arts based community organizations for mutual assistance and enrichment