Wil ter Horst-Rep has passed away at the age of 87. The playwright was at the helm of the Shakespeare Theater in Diever for twenty years and received the Drenthe Cultural Prize in 1999 for her services to regional culture.
Ter Horst-Rep studied directing at the Theater School in Amsterdam and became involved in open-air theater in Diever. In 1976 she assisted Dirk Broekema, founder of the theater, with the production Learn for Learn and later again in the summer production of 1979. After his unexpected death that same year, she took over the direction of The cheerful ladies of Windsor completely over.
This was followed by a period of twenty years during which she artistically shaped the Shakespeare theater. She was known for her people-oriented approach, in which she actively involved actors in the creative process and gave room for their own input. “Just like you need an instrument to make music, you need your body to perform,” she said.
Because of her achievements in the field of training and direction for amateur theater in Drenthe, she received the Cultural Prize of Drenthe in 1999. “As director of the Shakespeare plays in Diever as well as a number of socially critical performances, he contributed to the quality improvement of amateur theater in Drenthe,” it says on the website of the province of Drenthe.
In 1999 she said goodbye to the Shakespeare Theater with the production The Storm. She was succeeded that same year by Jack Nieborg, who is still the theater’s artistic director. Yet she still often attended rehearsals and performances. “She was still a positive ambassador,” says Nieborg. “One of the pillars of the company. What we do now is also thanks to her. She has helped the company further.”
Nieborg announced the death via Facebook. Ter Horst-Rep’s farewell takes place in private. She will also be commemorated at the theater. “There is a wooden coat at the entrance. It symbolizes everyone who was involved in the theater, but is no longer there. She is now also part of that.”