Ruth Francoeur & Moulan Bourke

Ruth Francoeur and Moulan Bourke may be from different generations, but they share a similar love and passion for the stage. More specifically, for teaching youngsters the magic of performing. "I met my husband, Norm, through the Sarnia Little Theatre in 1987," Ruth says. "He was doing a show and I was looking for something to do so he said I should come and watch a rehearsal. As soon as I walked into the building, I felt a warmth like I had never felt before. Not long after that, I did my first show as an adult. Then I got encouraged to come and help with the youth group."

Ruth worked with children eight and older, doing improv and putting on shows, until 1994 when she and Norm moved to Alberta. Upon moving back to Sarnia in 2011, she became reacquainted with the local theatre scene. "We had a junior youth group and senior youth group and it quickly expanded." Prior to COVID-19, Ruth, alongside Ryan Metzler and Kate Hardy, were running theatre groups to accommodate kids of all ages."

While still involved in local theatre production, Ruth has given way to Moulan Bourke, 27, who is Youth Engagement Education Coordinator for the Imperial Theatre. "I grew up in Sarnia and have been involved with the Imperial Theatre and performed on that stage since I was seven," Moulan says. "When I was in high school, I volunteered for the youth group to help out with one of the younger groups."

Moulan was living and working in Toronto when COVID hit. So when the work dried up, she decided to take an acting course in Ireland. She eventually saw a job posting for the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia and jumped at it. "I had never been able to put into words what my dream job would be, but this is it," Moulan says. "I think enriching the youth is the most important thing because they are the future of entertainment. If we are not cultivating that, what will we have to show in 10 years?"

Moulan is working towards virtual programing and hopes to be able to do in-person programming in the spring. "For me, it is about encouraging individuals through love and care — reminding kids there are no choices that are good or bad; it's only different. Giving that sense of encouragement gives them the freedom to make choices and pick characters and find different aspects of themselves by not putting them in a box. When you are a kid you self-identify and put yourself in a box. You know, I'm the pretty one or the smart one or the class clown. I want to encourage kids to pick things they feel are outside their box."

Both Ruth and Moulan have seen youngsters transform themselves through acting. "We had one little girl join us when she was in grade 5 and she was as quiet as a mouse," Ruth recalls. "She started in the junior youth group, then intermediate and finally the senior group and she finally got a lead role in a play. Her mom said her daughter was grateful that through theatre, she found her voice."