This is the first in a series of six bimonthly articles highlighting how the power of giving is creating positive and lasting change for Perchance Theatre and the arts and cultural community.
Our first is the power of creating a living legacy through the gift of a bequest. It is said one person plants the tree so that another may enjoy the shade. A gift through your will tells your personal story of passion and commitment to Perchance and the arts, inspiring others and providing the gift of performance theatre for generations to come.
Artistic Director Danielle Irvine sat down with long-time donor and supporter Frankie O’Neill to ask why she is committed to supporting Perchance Theatre with a Legacy Donation.
Tell me about your history with the Arts? What are your most enduring memories?
The memory that is embedded in my mind is my first performance onstage when I was around five years old. I played a teddy bear and rolled and rolled across the stage. I went to school at Mercy Convent which had an arts heavy curriculum of music, elocution and recitation so I came out of school knowing the joy of being onstage. From there it was on to Memorial University and the MUN Dramatic Society under Brian Reardon, the Professor of Classics, for my roles in The Crucible, Antigone and Playboy of the Western World. Acting is my passion. It gives me the freedom to be someone else.
My most enduring (and frightening) memory was playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice onstage at the Arts and Culture Centre in 1972 or 73. I was downstage left on the apron starting into my monologue “the quality of mercy” when I looked down into the audience to see someone pointing a double barrel shotgun at me! What could I do? I was panicked but had to go on and try to keep calm! It turned out a friend with very bad eyesight was watching the stage using a set of large binoculars instead of opera glasses! In the third row!
You’ve been giving very generously to many charities for quite some time. What inspired your gift to Perchance? Do you remember that first gift?
Danielle, I’ve been following your career for a long time. From the time I saw The Tempest in 2009 in Logy Bay I’ve had such an admiration of how you have given us new ways to view Shakespeare. Throughout your career, you have never failed to entertain.
The way you have developed a community of actors in Cupids (even though I wish it was closer to town) has made Perchance even more valuable.
What is the impact you wish to inspire with this transformational gift?
Frankie: From the time Premier Smallwood built the Arts and Culture Centres there has been a sense of value to the arts but no deep appreciation of what this community has done. The provincial government benefits by the revenue generated by the arts and has for years. The arts need more support and deeper commitment by both private and government organizations to maintain this strong artistic tradition. For such a culturally rich province, the arts deserve better backing.
In 2019 I chose my three favourite creative bodies in the province. I wanted to support their operational base, not just individual projects, so the staff could have more stability. This was before COVID-19 struck. Now we understand how fragile the theatre arts are. The pandemic robbed thousands of actors and artists the ability to work and support a meaningful way of life.
My major motivation is so you can have a fair and decent wage. It is disrespectful and not fair to view the arts any differently than any other industry. There needs to be more money given to core funding so you can work all year to plan and grow and not just on the special events the audience sees. Science is funded for research -why not the arts?
What do you tell others about Perchance?
Simply, I tell everyone they MUST go to see Perchance!
How do you make decisions about your giving? What is your process in making a decision to give?
It’s not complicated. If I have a great experience, I need to support the company so I can keep having these great experiences. By becoming a Legacy Donor my contribution will be matched by the federal government through the Canada Cultural Investment Fund. Legacy donations are particularly useful for older people who are making final decisions about the distribution of their estates. And, you don’t need to give millions to make a difference. Even a modest amount when matched by the government will make a big difference. Just think of how $10K when matched becomes $20K. This type of donation builds a foundation, rooting Perchance to the community.
