Doug and Margaret Hatlelid are longtime patrons, volunteers, and supporters of Bard on the Beach—in fact, it’s where they met and fell in love! Their contributions have been instrumental in many significant ways. Specifically, their donation in 2017 to the Audrey and Robert Denison Music Fund augmented the music at Bard in honour of Doug’s late aunt and uncle, who were avid music lovers.

Doug and Margaret Hatlelid at a Bard event.

When did you each get involved with Bard?
DOUG HATLELID: I’ve been involved since the very first year as a patron. I was living about a mile away in Kits, and they announced that there was going to be a short season of “Bard on the Beach.” I didn’t think I liked A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but after the show, I could best describe my reaction as, “Oh, it was a dream!” I’ve loved it ever since. What really sold me on Bard was how much they cared that I would “get” the story.
MARGARET HATLELID: The first year I went to Bard, it was when they did a show up on Grouse Mountain. I took the kids, and we went to the show up there. Then the next year I took the kids down to the site and we went to a play.  And every year since, we go to Bard—as part of the tradition, I always make Cornish pasties.

Can you tell us the story of how you first met?
DH: We both started volunteering [at Bard] in 1999. I met Margaret there in 1999, and she met me in 2000. But in 2000, we got to know each other reasonably well. By 2001, within a month of having exchanged phone numbers, we’d been on several dates, had a weekend on Galiano, and started spending time at each other’s houses. Then we went to England for Easter, and we agreed, “We’ll just alternate paying for stuff and then when we get home, we’ll sort it all out.” We’d been back for three or four weeks and were sitting in Margaret’s kitchen, and I said, “We’re never going to sort out the bills from England, are we?” She said no. And I said, “Oh… you want to look for a house?”
MH: So, we got a house in May, and then we started volunteering again in June. We were with all the volunteers in the Mainstage tent and Christopher was doing his pep talk, and he looks across at us and says, in front of everyone, “You two, are you married yet?” I said, “No, we’re not married… but we’re in debt together!” Because we’d just bought the house. We eventually got married in 2005.

What’s your favourite thing about volunteering at Bard?
BOTH: The community.
DH: The staff are so pleasant and friendly and supportive, and the actors—when you meet them—are also just wonderful. And then there’s the patrons. I like to talk about the happy buzz at Bard: before the play, at intermission, and afterwards. It always gives me a boost. And that’s circular, right? The volunteers have fun, so we greet the patrons with a smile, and that makes them have more fun.
MH: And the fact that Bard is reliable for putting on good shows. As a volunteer, you feel that you’re doing something worthwhile because the product is so great. When you go to the theatre, it can make you think about stuff that you wouldn’t normally think about, in a safe space because it’s just you and your thoughts. You’re not having to express an opinion or anything. You can just sit there and watch.

There have been a couple of occasions when you two have come into some additional means, and you’ve immediately thought about contributing some of that to Bard. What inspires you to think of us in those times?
DH: You know, there’s two ways you can go if you get a bit of extra money. My observation is it makes some people greedier, which is odd, but I’ve seen it. But another thing that can happen when you have good fortune is that you want to share it.
MH: And if you’re looking for a cause that needs money because otherwise it’s not going to exist, it’s going to be theatre. When we think about what gives people good health, I think that if people go to the theatre and have a good time, they leave with good feelings. It gives them a different view of the world, and that is a very positive thing.

What has been the most impactful change that you’ve witnessed over the years at Bard?
DH: Well, it’s very gratifying how much more music there is.
MH: And the other thing has been the accessibility for people. That’s huge for getting people in who wouldn’t normally think they could. And Bard is constantly trying to improve it.

Finally, what are some changes you’d like to see at Bard in the future?
DH: Draft beer!
MH: Or fizzy mead, like we had in Stratford once.

Thank you, Doug and Margaret, for sharing your story and supporting Bard for so many years! To make a gift to Bard on the Beach, visit us online here or contact our Individual Giving Manager, Jillian Reynolds, at 604-737-0625 ext. 2224.