The Peterborough Theatre Guild (PTG) thrives on the support and talent of its enthusiastic volunteers. For many decades, that hard-working team included Joan McRae and Margaret Carley. The sisters-in-law left the limelight and footlights to others, and shared their expertise behind the scenes.

Joan McRae was a longtime volunteer and worked in several areas, including backstage and props. She served on the PTG’s Play Selection Committee, where she was able to draw on her extensive knowledge of literature. Joan was very active as the Guild’s representative at the Eastern Ontario Drama League and, in 1988, received the EODL’s Outstanding Service Award for her many contributions at that level.

Like her sister-in-law, Margaret Carley greatly enjoyed her years as a PTG volunteer. Among other tasks, she did props and was the Treasurer for a number of EODL and Theatre Ontario festivals. Possibly her greatest ongoing contribution was co-ordinating the PTG’s ticket sales. This was in the pre-computer era, when all the seating requests and sales were done by cheque, mail and phone call. Margaret’s dining table was regularly a mass of incoming mail orders – all sorted and fulfilled with precision.

These two dedicated volunteers are being remembered with the ‘Joan and Margaret Fund’, administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough. The mandate of the Fund is focused on ‘skills development’ at the PTG, both on and offstage.