Small group looks to bring Lucknow's HAWK Theatre back to previous glory
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
There’s a well-worn joke that tells the listener the best way to get to Carnegie Hall is practice. In the village of Lucknow, however, there’s a different answer entirely: just head up the stairs to the second floor of the local library. There, tucked right above the stacks, is one of the community’s best-kept secrets: its very own Carnegie Hall.
This little theatre’s story began in 1883, when industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie decided to use a small portion of his immense fortune to fund the construction of public libraries all over the world. Any community desiring its very own library could apply for funds from Carnegie’s foundation. Such applications were rarely denied.
The result was a network of Carnegie libraries across North America - many of which still stand today! The Brussels Branch of the Huron County Library is a classic example of a Carnegie-funded space.
Like many other communities, Lucknow had the foresight and the wherewithal to apply for funding to build a public library. Unlike many other communities, Lucknow chose to include a performance space in its plans and, in 1910, the library opened with a theatre on its second floor - one of the only Carnegie libraries in Canada to boast such a space. There is even a long-standing rumour that Lucknow’s ambitious inclusion of a theatre helped prompt changes to the library grant process itself, narrowing future applications to exclude such additional features.
From the very beginning, the community made full use of its elevated stage. The hall hosted public meetings, community dances and travelling performers. It also nurtured homegrown theatrical productions - according to an issue of the Lucknow Sentinel from 1918, the local high school’s production of Blundering Billy, was a must-see.
Well over a century has passed since Blundering Billy, and the theatre once known by locals as “Carnegie Hall” is still going. Since 2002, the Huron Ashfield Wawanosh Kinloss (HAWK) Theatre group, originally known as the H-K Players, has been staging both original and well-loved shows in the space.
It’s been a few years since the HAWK Theatre put on its last show, but on Sunday, Apr. 12, a small but determined group of board members and volunteers arrived at the library to tidy up the storied space in preparation for a well-deserved next chapter: its re-introduction to the community at large.
Its first event will be a free, family-friendly afternoon of Bingo on April 18, designed to welcome locals back to the theatre. Plans are also underway for a possible variety show in the near future, to showcase both local talent and the capabilities of this unique performance space.
Through events like the upcoming Bingo afternoon, the HAWK Theatre hopes to spark curiosity and involvement, particularly among younger residents who may be discovering Lucknow’s very own Carnegie Hall for the first time.