On a warm Sunday in early October, Freedom Theatre Eindhoven buzzed with the warmth of old friendships and a shared love of the stage. Friends, family, actors, and directors had gathered to celebrate Jan de Becker’s 25 years with Ariëns Toneel and his starring role in Festen. Then the afternoon took a royal turn.
Eindhoven’s deputy mayor Mariëlle Giesbertz stepped forward and named Jan as Lid (Member) in the Orde van Oranje-Nassau, honoring his decades of dedication to amateur theatre in Eindhoven. Visibly moved, Jan was the center of attention as his friends and family raised the roof with applause and cheers.
The quiet force behind Eindhoven’s amateur theatre scene
Jan joined Ariëns Toneel in 2001 and soon took on a leading role offstage too. As chairman from 2004 to 2017, he guided the association through new productions, new members, and all the challenges that come with community theatre.
His influence grew further in 2018, when he became chairman of our own International Theatre Collective Eindhoven (ITCE), helping bring diverse voices and global perspectives to the city’s cultural scene.
Presented just before his 60th birthday, the decoration recognizes the countless rehearsals, meetings, and quiet acts of service that keep amateur theatre alive. Jan may share the spotlight as an actor, but behind the scenes he is often the person making sure the show goes on – especially at ITCE, where his dedication has helped our foundation grow steadily.
We asked Jan what this honor means to him: “I was completely surprised to receive this award. I didn’t expect it at all. It means a great deal to me. To receive this award, people around you, such as members of AriĂ«ns Toneel and ITCE, must nominate you and support the application with evidence. I feel honored that people took the time to nominate me and made the effort to compile a supporting dossier. People within ITCE contributed to this as well. I am deeply grateful to everyone who played a part in receiving this award, a “lintje” as the Dutch say”. And just to check, do we need to call you “sir” from now on? “Of course not, I will keep on doing what I did before and stay Jan as before. But getting official recognition obviously feels great.”
Jan, we’re proud to have you as a founding member of ITCE. Thank you for your continuing commitment.