Donation allows expansion of Rosebud Theatre’s wardrobe facility

Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor

 

A donation from long-time Rosebud Centre of the Arts supporters, Terry and Laura Bachynski, has enabled Rosebud Theatre’s wardrobe department to move out of its cramped, outdated facility into a spacious, well-equipped building.
For decades, two small trailers were crammed with sewing equipment and thousands of costumes, with limited workspace for staff and Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA) students who came to learn costume construction. The trailers had mice, mould and roof leaks, but no washroom or laundry.
“We would sometimes have five or six people working in that tiny little space,” said Amy Castro, wardrobe manager. “You’re wanting the help, but you don’t have room for help.”
It was difficult to find room to store things, she said, and stored items weren’t easy to access.
The new facility is a building that was moved into Rosebud, refurbished, and connected to a building already onsite, across from the BMO Studio Stage.
“I feel so blessed to have this,” Castro said, after a few weeks in the new space. “You feel more creative when you have the room to move and grow. Just the workshop itself has probably tripled in size.”
The new facility also has washrooms and laundry.
Terry and Laura Bachynski, whose donation made the new facility possible, have a history of supporting theatre. They met 39 years ago as actors in Windsor Light Opera, have attended Rosebud Theatre for over 30 years and are monthly donors to RSA. Three of their four adult children also work in the arts.
“We’re at the stage in our life where giving is an important part of our life,” Terry said.
“We’ve had some business deals that went right and we just said, ‘We need to give,’ ” Laura added. “Because we’ve so enjoyed the messages [of Rosebud plays] and the people that we’ve met in Rosebud, we just thought, and with our background, this would be a perfect fit.”
“The mandate of the Rosebud School of the Arts really resonates with me,” Terry said, “to provide a great learning experience for young people in a Christian environment and pursuing the arts. And I just thought we could make a difference in helping make that experience better for the kids that will go through this school.”
They toured the wardrobe facility several years ago.
“We basically felt sorry for the people who had to [squeeze] between the costumes, trying to work in that tiny, tiny space,” Laura said. “We thought it would be wonderful to have the [students] working in an environment that perhaps doesn’t have mice or mould. This is something that is almost tangible for us. We can not only help someone but we can see the results of it.”
Castro said it’s affirming that the Bachynskis recognize and support her role, and she’d like them to know how much she appreciates their generosity.
“For somebody else to appreciate us and see the need, I feel very thankful for that,” she said.
“We’d be hopeful that others would say, ‘this Rosebud School of the Arts is worth existing and its mandate is important and we want it to succeed,’” Terry said.
“It’s not just about the costumes or the sets,” Laura said. “It’s about the people who are not only getting an education in theatre. The education they get there is also spiritual and affects their faith and their hope and their love. And so it’s a full-spectrum school.”
The Bachynskis will have an art exhibit in Rosebud’s Akokiniskway Gallery, Sept. 9 to Oct. 29, giving the profits to RSA. On Sept. 9, they’ll be in the Gallery, meeting patrons and performing original music.
“If God keeps blessing us, then we’re going to keep giving,” Laura said.