Quick As A Wink Theatre Society
A Brief History
Quick As A Wink Theatre Society was founded by Michelle Herx in 2003 as a means to produce her original musical, scored by Roger Taylor, Glory Days: The True Story of the Great Windsor Fire of 1897. After being turned down by other theatre groups, Herx concluded she would have to produce the show herself in order for it to make it to stage. In 2003, Herx gathered up local actors and volunteers to bring the first scene of Glory Days to life on Gerrish Street in Windsor. That same year the society produced another original piece, The Sunken Punkin, written by Pat and Jim Gould-Thorpe, under the direction of Herx with Barb Hughes, as musical director. Local talent and volunteers descended on the dining room of the Gladys M Manning Retirement Home with their second original musical! As of 2017, Quick As A Wink Theatre Society has produced over 50 full-length plays and musicals ranging from small cast productions, such as Rumors, The Odd Couple: Female Version, The Long Weekend, and Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, to large-scale musicals, including Grease, Annie, Cinderella: The Musical,You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, The Secret Garden: The Musical,Oklahoma!, 42nd Street, Jane Eyre: The Musical, and A Little Princess: The Musical.
For the last 15 years, Quick As A Wink has been operated by volunteers who provide a wide range of skills including acting, musical direction, musicianship, stage management, set design and construction, marketing, public relations, business planning, branding, arts education experience, fundraising, property management, and administrative duties. Recently, Quick As A Wink took advantage of several generous donations to purchase a plot of land on Wentworth Road and build a two-storey building to house props, sets, costumes, and a small workshop. The ultimate goal of the society has always been to find a permanent home with a small theatre. Building construction and land ownership has been a major step in the right direction. QAAW is currently debt-free and owns and maintains tens of thousands of dollars worth of costumes, props and sets, a two-storey building, a plot of land, and a half-ton truck. Quick As A Wink is proud of the progression over 15 years that has allowed the society to exist at this level with a purely volunteer operating base.
In the summer of 2013, Quick As A Wink started the long process of re-branding. Josh Smith, graphic designer based in New York City, led the team tasked with this re-branding. By the end of 2013 Quick As A Wink archived its old logos and launched a new set of logos, a refreshed website, marketing assets, and a new Facebook page. Tickets, posters, front of house programs, and advertising were re-worked with the new branding. With the release of the 2014 production of Oklahoma!, the new branding was officially in place. A fresh look caught the attention of new audience members, and with a new system for data analysis, an ever increasing presence on social media, and improvement to ticket sales processes, Quick As A Wink re-established its name and position within the Annapolis Valley theatre community. As new data surfaced, the board of directors was able to determine the time was right to launch Season Ticket Packages for the 2016 calendar year, and sales have been consistently increasing in Season Ticket packages each year. QAAW continues to analyze data and look for new ways to reach audience members all over the province.
Programs and Activities
Theatrical Performances
Musical Theatre Productions
Dramatic Plays
Biennial Winkie Awards Gala and Fundraiser
Performing Arts Education
Summer Theatre Camps (Youth and Teen)
Tech and Backstage Seminars
Acting and Performance Seminars
Hands On Shadow Opportunities
Outreach and Community
Partner with Local Businesses
Pay It Forward Ticket Opportunities
Fundraising Partners with Community Groups
Free Tickets to other Non-Profits
Group Ticket Rates for Large Organizations
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