A familiar face in 91原创鈥檚 community theatre scene is headed for retirement, after directing a final production called Let There Be Love that starts Wednesday, Feb. 20 in Abbotsford.

Faith Toronchuk, a 70-year-old resident who lives in the Aldergrove area, is finally retiring after being a show director since her mid-30s, beginning in Grand Prairie, Alta., and ending in the Fraser Valley.

The show is produced by the Fraser Valley Stage.

Let There Be Love is the third show in a series called The Starlight Radio Series 鈥� a series of radio plays 鈥� that Toronchuk has been involved with since 2009.

Toronchuk describes the latest production as a 鈥渟tep back in time to the fabulous late 1940鈥檚 era when jazz is king and swing鈥檚 the thing, and 鈥榖ebop鈥� is knocking on the door.鈥�

鈥淭his is a delightful vintage musical 鈥� one to be enjoyed by anyone from five to 95 years. It鈥檚 exciting and there鈥檚 lots of stuff going on on stage,鈥� she added.

Prior to working with the Fraser Valley Stage, Toronchuk was known as the founder, producer, and director of Imagine That! Productions in 91原创 that ran for 15 years, and closed last year.

Toronchuck explained her production company had lost their performance space, and said the time had come to 鈥渟ay goodbye,鈥� to that part of her life. At the time, she was also considering retiring, but felt there was something more to be done as a writer and director.

Within a week, the Fraser Valley Stage in Abbotsford called Toronchuk, who had worked with them in the past, and invited her to write and direct another episode in the Starlight Radio series.

Since last spring, Toronchuk has been working to make Let There Be Love come alive.

鈥淚 am very proud of this production and can鈥檛 think of a better way to say farewell and close the curtain on my 41 years in the world of community theatre,鈥� added Toronchuk.

Toronchuk has always 鈥渓oved all of the arts genres,鈥� but said she wasn鈥檛 encouraged to pursue it as the majority of parents in her era thought there was 鈥渘o tangible future with it.鈥�

While living in Grand Prairie and raising three children as a single mother, Toronchuk came across an ad in the paper for auditions for a community production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

And the rest was history, as Toronchuk landed a role and said she was 鈥渉ooked.鈥�

After her first performance, Toronchuk took various theatre classes, and eventually enrolled in a directing program.

鈥淲hen I took the directing course, I loved it. By that time I was 32 years old, and I鈥檇 been busy being a single mom,鈥� she explained.

Toronchuk鈥檚 family moved to the Fraser Valley, and she started directing shows through local churches before starting Imagine That! Productions.

鈥淚 really enjoy working with people particularly who are on the shy side and not sure what they have. I love drawing the treasure out of them and that鈥檚 kind of been my thing. When I write I like to write for the people who are going to be performing,鈥� Toronchuk elaborated.

While Toronchuk is finished with her theatre days, one of her younger family members is following in her theatrical footsteps.

Toronchuk鈥檚 19-year-old granddaughter Miranda Croft also lives in 91原创 and was involved with Imagine That! Productions since she was five.

Croft is singing and tap dancing in the upcoming production of Let There Be Love.

鈥�I鈥檓 really excited. This is going to be a great show for her [Toronchuk] to end her career on. The cast and the crew are great and I鈥檓 really excited for her. She definitely introduced me to theatre,鈥� explained Croft.

Croft added Toronchuk鈥檚 shows have a 鈥渨holesome鈥� feel, and provide a 鈥渇amily atmosphere.鈥�

During her retirement, Toronchuk plans to spend time travelling around Vancouver Island and the Oregon coast.

Toronchuk added she may continue writing theatre scripts, and working on visual arts such as painting, and crafting.

鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed every minute and I don鈥檛 regret a thing, but it鈥檚 time [to retire] and I know it.鈥�

Starlight Radio Theatre鈥檚 Let There Be Love runs from Wednesday, Feb. 20 to 24 at the Abbotsford Arts Centre

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