Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival has just named the stage in the Douglas Campbell Studio Theatre tent for long-time theatre donors.

The new Howard Family Stage is named in honour of Vancouver philanthropists Darlene and Paul Howard.  

Their financial contribution is to be used to support the festival’s artistic and educational activities in Vanier Park. The stage’s name is meant as a complement to the name of the tent itself, whose title memorializes Shakespearean actor and Bard company alumnus Douglas Campbell (who died in 2009).

Darlene Howard served as a board member with the Vancouver Playhouse from 2003 to 2005, and as its chair from 2006 to 2010. She now sits on the Bard board and chairs its Education Committee.

Earlier this year, the Howards donated the Playhouse Theatre’s expansive costume collection to Bard. (When the Playhouse company went under in 2012, the Howards became the custodians of its costumes.)

The Howard Family Stage will be home this season to two plays performed in repertory: the political drama Equivocation, by Bill Cain, officially opening July 10 followed by a coproduced run at Victoria’s Belfry Theatre and Shakespeare’s Cymbeline starting on July 17.