Persephone Theatre facts for kids

Persephone Theatre is a well-known theatre company located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It's a "regional" theatre, which means it's a professional company that creates and performs plays for people in its local area. The theatre was started in 1974 by director Brian Richmond and two sisters, Janet Wright and Susan Wright. They named it after Persephone, a goddess from ancient Greek stories.

In its early years, Persephone Theatre performed in different places. Their very first shows were at the Mendel Art Gallery. Later, they moved to the University of Saskatchewan's Greystone Theatre for their second season. For their third season, they performed at the St. Thomas Wesley Church hall.

A New Home for Theatre

Finding a Permanent Stage

In 1982, a talented director named Tibor Feheregyhazi, who was from Hungary, became the Artistic Director. He helped the theatre grow a lot. In 1983, Persephone Theatre found a more stable home. They moved into an old church building called the Westgate Alliance Church. This gave them a dedicated space to create and perform plays.

Moving to the Remai Arts Centre

After many years, the theatre needed an even bigger and better home. In 2007, after raising money from many supporters, Persephone Theatre moved to its current location. This new home is the Remai Arts Centre, which is part of the River Landing area in downtown Saskatoon. Sadly, Tibor Feheregyhazi passed away shortly before this big move.

What's Inside the Remai Arts Centre?

The Remai Arts Centre is a modern building right by the river in downtown Saskatoon. It has everything a theatre company needs to put on amazing shows.

• Main Stage: This is the biggest stage, with 421 seats for the audience. It's designed for large productions.
• Backstage Stage: This is a smaller, more flexible space with 150 seats. It's called a "black box" theatre because it's a simple, dark room that can be set up in many ways.
• Classrooms: There are two classrooms where people can learn about theatre.
• Rehearsal Halls: Two large rooms are used for actors to practice their lines and movements.
• Behind-the-Scenes Areas: The building also has offices for staff, a scene shop to build sets, a costume shop to create outfits, and storage areas.

Other groups often rent out parts of the Remai Arts Centre for their own events. This helps the centre be a busy hub for arts and culture in the city.

Leaders of the Theatre

Artistic Directors Over Time

From 2007 to 2020, Del Surjik was the Artistic Director. He was originally from Saskatchewan but had worked as an artistic director in Vancouver for 10 years before coming back home.

In 2021, Heather Cant, who is also from Saskatchewan, took over as the new Artistic Director. She helps decide which plays the theatre will perform and guides the creative vision.

Executive Leadership

In 2022, Breanne Harmon joined Persephone Theatre as the Executive Director. She used to be a manager at another theatre company in Vancouver. As Executive Director, she helps manage the business side of the theatre, making sure everything runs smoothly.

Programs and Activities

Persephone Theatre offers a wide range of programs for people of all ages.

• Mainstage Productions: They put on a full season of plays on their main stage. These are professional shows for the public.
• Youth Series: The Backstage Stage is used for plays specifically for young audiences.
• Community Programming: They also have programs that involve the local community.
• Youth Tours: The theatre sends shows to different places across Saskatchewan, so more young people can experience live theatre.
• Persephone School of Theatre: This school offers workshops and classes. They teach children, teenagers, adults who love theatre, and even professional actors.

Remai Arts Centre