Theatre Calgary
Encyclopedia
Theatre Calgary, theatre company in Calgary
, Alberta
, established as a professional company in 1968.
, established an amateur group known as "Workshop 14." In the 1960s, they merged with a second amateur group, the "Musicians' and Actors' Club" (MAC), to become "MAC 14" under the direction of Kenneth Dyba. On July 1, 1968, MAC 14 became Theatre Calgary, a fully professional theatre company, and Christopher Newton
was appointed the first Artistic Director, quickly establishing a reputation for artistic excellence.
Newton was succeed in 1971 by Clark Rogers, who was swiftly followed by Harold G. Baldbridge in 1972, and in 1979 by Rick McNair
. Under McNair, Theatre Calgary became an important venue for new Canadian drama, presenting premieres by John Murrell
, W.O. Mitchell, and Sharon Pollock
, who would become Artistic Director in 1984, but as with Rogers, for one year only. Martin Kinch succeeded as Artistic Director in 1985. During this time Theatre Calgary became the resident company of a state-of-the-art theatre in the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts
. Designed in conjunction with Theatre Calgary, the Max Bell Theatre came to completion as a striking performance space. Every seat is within 60 feet of the stage so audiences can enjoy the kind of intimate rapport with the actors that serves to enhance the magical experience of live theatre.
In 1991 Brian Rintoul came to Theatre Calgary as Executive Producer. Rintoul directed plays including ON GOLDEN POND and BETRAYAL for Theatre Calgary in the QR Centre prior to his appointment. In 1996, James Brewer was appointed Acting Artistic Director, and Richard C. Dennison, the company’s Founding Administrator, was appointed Interim General Manager. On June 18, 1997, Ian Prinsloo was named Artistic Director after working as an Assistant Director at the Shaw Festival under Christopher Newton. On July 10, 1997, Tom C. McCabe was named President. Following the competition of the 2004-05 season, Dennis Garnhum is named the 10th Artistic Director in Theatre Calgary’s history on July 27, 2005.
.
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, established as a professional company in 1968.
History
The origin of the company dates back to the 1940s, when students of Betty Mitchell, a drama teacher at Calgary's Western Canada High SchoolWestern Canada High School
Western Canada High School is a public senior high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has classes for grades 10 through 12. Western is located in the 17th Avenue business district of the Lower Mount Royal community, and is the most centrally located public high school in Calgary.-History:The...
, established an amateur group known as "Workshop 14." In the 1960s, they merged with a second amateur group, the "Musicians' and Actors' Club" (MAC), to become "MAC 14" under the direction of Kenneth Dyba. On July 1, 1968, MAC 14 became Theatre Calgary, a fully professional theatre company, and Christopher Newton
Christopher Newton
Christopher Newton is a Canadian director and actor and served as Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival from 1980-2002.Newton was born in England and educated at Sir Roger Manwood's School in Kent, the University of Leeds, Purdue University in Indiana and the University of Illinois, where he...
was appointed the first Artistic Director, quickly establishing a reputation for artistic excellence.
Newton was succeed in 1971 by Clark Rogers, who was swiftly followed by Harold G. Baldbridge in 1972, and in 1979 by Rick McNair
Rick McNair
Rick McNair , was a playwright, author, director, actor, storyteller, librettist, bibliophile, basketball player and coach. He was the former Director of Theatre Calgary and the Manitoba Theatre Centre and the founder of the Winnipeg Fringe Festival...
. Under McNair, Theatre Calgary became an important venue for new Canadian drama, presenting premieres by John Murrell
John Murrell
John Murrell may refer to:*John Murrell , 19th century river bandit*John Murrell , 1990s author and playwright...
, W.O. Mitchell, and Sharon Pollock
Sharon Pollock
Sharon Pollock is a Canadian playwright, actor, director, who lives in Calgary, Alberta. She has been Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary , Theatre New Brunswick and Performance Kitchen & The Garry Theatre, the latter which she herself founded in 1992. In 2007, she was made a Fellow of the Royal...
, who would become Artistic Director in 1984, but as with Rogers, for one year only. Martin Kinch succeeded as Artistic Director in 1985. During this time Theatre Calgary became the resident company of a state-of-the-art theatre in the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts
EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
The EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts is a multi-venue arts centre in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada, located in the Olympic Plaza Cultural District.-History:...
. Designed in conjunction with Theatre Calgary, the Max Bell Theatre came to completion as a striking performance space. Every seat is within 60 feet of the stage so audiences can enjoy the kind of intimate rapport with the actors that serves to enhance the magical experience of live theatre.
In 1991 Brian Rintoul came to Theatre Calgary as Executive Producer. Rintoul directed plays including ON GOLDEN POND and BETRAYAL for Theatre Calgary in the QR Centre prior to his appointment. In 1996, James Brewer was appointed Acting Artistic Director, and Richard C. Dennison, the company’s Founding Administrator, was appointed Interim General Manager. On June 18, 1997, Ian Prinsloo was named Artistic Director after working as an Assistant Director at the Shaw Festival under Christopher Newton. On July 10, 1997, Tom C. McCabe was named President. Following the competition of the 2004-05 season, Dennis Garnhum is named the 10th Artistic Director in Theatre Calgary’s history on July 27, 2005.
Artistic Directors
- Christopher NewtonChristopher NewtonChristopher Newton is a Canadian director and actor and served as Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival from 1980-2002.Newton was born in England and educated at Sir Roger Manwood's School in Kent, the University of Leeds, Purdue University in Indiana and the University of Illinois, where he...
(1968–1971) - Clark Rogers (1971–1972)
- Harold G. Baldridge (1972–1978)
- Rick McNairRick McNairRick McNair , was a playwright, author, director, actor, storyteller, librettist, bibliophile, basketball player and coach. He was the former Director of Theatre Calgary and the Manitoba Theatre Centre and the founder of the Winnipeg Fringe Festival...
(1978–1984) - Sharon PollockSharon PollockSharon Pollock is a Canadian playwright, actor, director, who lives in Calgary, Alberta. She has been Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary , Theatre New Brunswick and Performance Kitchen & The Garry Theatre, the latter which she herself founded in 1992. In 2007, she was made a Fellow of the Royal...
(1984–1985) - Martin Kinch (1985–1991)
- Brian Rintoul (1991–1996)
- James Brewer (1996–1997)
- Ian Prinsloo (1997–2005)
- Dennis Garnhum (2005–present)
2008-2009 Season
- A Raisin in the SunA Raisin in the SunA Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes...
- by Lorraine HansberryLorraine HansberryLorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays... - Skydive - by Kevin KerrKevin KerrKevin Kerr is a Canadian playwright, actor, director and founding member of Electric Company Theatre. From 2007 to 2010, he was Lee Playwright in Residence at University of Alberta....
- A Christmas CarolA Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
- by Charles DickensCharles DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, adapted by Jerry Patch - FrankensteinFrankensteinFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
- written, composed and directed by Jonathan Christenson, adapted from the novel by Mary ShelleyMary ShelleyMary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley... - Doubt: A Parable - by John Patrick ShanleyJohn Patrick ShanleyJohn Patrick Shanley is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He also contributed articles on the performing arts to The New York Times among other publications.-Life and career:...
- An Ideal HusbandAn Ideal HusbandAn Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour...
- by Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s... - Dirty Rotten ScoundrelsDirty Rotten Scoundrels (musical)Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane; it is based on the film of the same name...
- book by Jeffrey LaneJeffrey LaneJeffrey Lane is an author, television scriptwriter, film producer and actor. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University.-Broadway:Lane wrote the book for the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which ran on Broadway in 2005 and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical...
, music & lyrics by David YazbekDavid YazbekDavid Yazbek is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown ....
.