The Show Must Go On. Diane Scott chose to include that line under her name on a Belfry theatre seat plate recently, alongside another seat dedicated to the memory of her late partner Shelley Deglan. Shelley was a fearless and passionate jeweller, craftsperson and gardener (to name a few of her talents) but it was Diane who first introduced her to the theatre.
Frequent business trips from the Lower Mainland when Diane was Island District Manager for London Drugs led to the couple settling here in 2015. Naturally, with their preference for intimate theatre spaces, visits to Belfry shows soon followed. Having attended shows in Vancouver, New York, Chicago, and Sydney, they noticed right away how unique, professional and very Canadian the Belfry programming was, rather than simply “catering to popular demand.” The Mom’s the Word series (“I loved how engaged the audience was”) and Bears are some of the memorable productions Diane recalls attending. She also fondly recalls the experience of attending a matinee together several years ago when former Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon made one of her exciting entrances to a Belfry show with her bagpiper procession.
With a love of old buildings and a keen awareness of the need for arts funding, they first started their charitable giving to the theatre motivated by the Belfry Capital Campaign. They soon after joined the Director’s Circle, the Belfry’s major donor group.
The Show Must Go On sentiment is both a nod to the pandemic reality for theatre creators, as well as Diane’s journey of living after the loss of a partner of four decades. The Belfry seat dedication, as well as naming a bench on the Songhees walkway, is Diane’s way of continuing to honour Shelley’s legacy in the places she most loved. Diane has also created a fund in Shelley’s name at the BC Cancer Foundation.
Diane is now planning to update her will to add the Belfry to the charities that had been chosen before their move to Victoria: “Shelley first taught me to start supporting the arts by always making sure to buy something at an art show to support the artist, even if it’s just a $10 card. I want to continue to support the Belfry as it is just a gem in this community, the calibre of the theatre first class, and I’m very conscious of the fact that throughout the ages we have always needed patrons of the arts on every level.”
For more information on ways to support the Belfry including naming a seat or including the Belfry in your will, contact: development@belfry.bc.ca
Susan Stevenson, Director of Development 250-385-6835 ext. 229
Kate Barry, Development Coordinator 250-385-6835 ext. 240
https://www.belfry.bc.ca/name-a-seat