Arts Club Theatre Company facts for kids
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| Location | BMO Theatre Centre, 162 W 1st Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia V5Y 0H6 |
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| Type | Non-profit theatre company |
| Capacity | Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage: 650 Granville Island Stage: 440 Goldcorp Stage: 250 |
| Opened | 1958 |
The Arts Club Theatre Company is a professional theatre group in Vancouver, British Columbia. It started in 1958. It's the biggest non-profit theatre company in Canada. It's also the largest in Western Canada.
The company puts on shows at three main places. These are the 650-seat Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, the 440-seat Granville Island Stage, and the 250-seat Newmont Stage. They also take their shows on tour around the province. The Arts Club celebrated its 50th year in 2014. In 2017, they put on their 600th show!
The Arts Club loves to show new Canadian plays. They also put on many comedies, musicals, and drama shows. A big goal is to help local and Canadian actors and writers grow. Besides plays, they offer fun educational programs and special events.
From 1972, Bill Millerd was the artistic director. He helped the company grow for over 45 years. In 2017, he announced he would retire. Ashlie Corcoran took over as artistic director in 2018.
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History of the Arts Club
The Arts Club began in 1958. It was a private club for artists, musicians, and actors. In 1964, Yvonne Firkins helped change the club. She renamed it the Arts Club Theatre Company. She also opened a new theatre. It was in an old gospel hall on Seymour Street in Downtown Vancouver. The first play they put on was Light Up the Sky.
When Bill Millerd became the leader in 1972, the company put on four plays a year. They had a budget of $150,000. About 29,000 people came to see their shows each year. The Arts Club became known for new and exciting plays. They also put on Shakespeare plays. A popular show called Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris helped make the Arts Club famous early on.
The Seymour Street Theatre had 250 seats. Many Canadian performers started their careers there. These included Michael J. Fox and Bruce Greenwood. New plays by writers like Nicola Cavendish also started at this theatre.
In 1979, the Arts Club grew even more. They started putting on shows at the 450-seat Granville Island Stage. This stage is on Granville Island. Later, in 1983, they added the smaller 193-seat Revue Stage nearby.
The 1990s brought big changes. In 1991, the Seymour Street Theatre closed. It was torn down to build the Vancouver International Film Centre. In 1997, the Revue Stage was rented out for 13 years. It reopened as an Arts Club stage in 2010.
In 1998, the Arts Club took over the 650-seat Stanley Theatre. It was an old movie theater. It was renamed the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage in 2005. This became the company's main theatre. It allowed them to put on bigger musicals. These included Les Miserables and Mary Poppins. Buying and fixing up this theatre cost almost $9 million. This was a huge amount for the company at the time. But in the first year, their income almost doubled!
In 2015, the Arts Club moved its shows from the Revue Stage. They moved to the 250-seat Goldcorp Stage. This is at the BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village. This centre is shared with another theatre group, Bard on the Beach. It has big rehearsal rooms, costume areas, offices, and a modern theatre space.
By 2016, the company was putting on up to 18 shows a year. Their budget was over $16 million. More than 255,000 people came to their shows each year. This growth was largely thanks to Bill Millerd's leadership.
Arts Club Leaders
Artistic Directors
- Yvonne Firkins (1964–1966)
- Bill Millerd (1972–2018)
- Ashlie Corcoran (2018–Present)
Bill Millerd: Artistic Director Emeritus
Bill Millerd was the artistic managing director from 1972 to 2018. He was the longest-serving artistic director of a theatre company in Canada. During his time, Millerd helped the Arts Club grow a lot. They started having shows all year round. They also began touring their plays across Canada.
Millerd helped build new stages. These included the Granville Island Stage and the Revue Stage. He also helped reopen the historic Stanley Theatre and create the BMO Theatre Centre. He oversaw over 600 plays. He directed more than 100 of them himself. Millerd has won many awards for his work in theatre. He is also a member of the Order of Canada.
Executive Directors
- Howard Jang (2000–2014)
- Peter Cathie White (2014–Present)
Famous Shows
The Arts Club Theatre Company has put on many memorable shows. Here are a few examples:
- Light Up the Sky (1964): This was the very first play at the Seymour Street Theatre.
- Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1972): This was the first musical the company produced. It ran for seven months!
- It's Snowing on Saltspring by Nicola Cavendish (1985): This play was so popular it was performed many times.
- 7 Stories by Morris Panych (1989): This play had its first show ever at the Granville Island Stage.
- A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (1991): This play had its first show ever at the Revue Stage.
- Swing (1998): This was the first show at the Stanley Theatre. Michael Bublé was in the cast!
- Girl in the Goldfish Bowl by Morris Panych (2002): This play won a big award called the Governor General's Award for Drama.
- Les Miserables (2009): This musical was the highest-earning show the company ever put on.
- Hairspray (2011): This popular musical was performed at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.
- Onegin (2016): This play won a record 10 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. It toured across Western Canada.
- Angels in America (2017): A powerful play directed by Kim Collier.
Gallery
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Granville Island Stage Exterior
See also
- Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
- Theatre of Canada
- Bard on the Beach
- Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company
- Firehall Arts Centre
