Draft:Workshop West Theatre

Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre is a new writing theatre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that was founded in 1978 by director by Gerry Potter. Subsequent Artstic Directors have been David Mann (1994–2000), Ron Jenkins (2000–2006), Michael Clark (2006-20014) Vern Theissen (2015–2019) and Heather Inglis (20019-present).

The company primarily produces new plays written by emerging and established playwrights from the city or province where it is based, and has a long history of presenting leading Canadian works on tour.

After beginning in Potter's apartment, Workshop West operated out of offices in the McLeod building, a centre operated for not-for-profit organizations run by the province of Alberta in downtown Edmonton from 1980-1994. It moved into "Third Space" a decommissioned Lutheran Church that operated as offices and rehearsal space just north of downtown Edmonton in 1994. The company shared this space with Northern Light Theatre until that company left in 2010, then operated the facility solo until for 12 more years. In 2022 Workshop West leased its first dedicated theatre in a space originally developed by Catalyst Theatre in Edmonton's Old Strathcona district.

Founding

Gerry Potter, the company's founder, served as its Artistic Director for its first 16 years. Potter's vision in founding WWT was originally to bring to Edmonton audiences the (at the time) novel concept of new Canadian plays that at the time were being written primarily in Toronto and Montreal. Productions in the first years of the company included: Carol Bolt's (Montreal) One Night Stand, David Fennario's (Montreal) On The Job and Balconville, Michel Tremblay's (Montreal) Hosanna, John Gray's (Toronto) Billy Bishop Goes to War, Sharon Pollock's (Toronto) Doc, and David French's (Toronto) Of The Fields Lately.

The company also began developing and producing it own new works for the stage. This work took several forms: play workshops, the establishment of the Playwrights Circle, playwrighting courses, and experimentation with various forms of collective creation. In the mid-eighties Potter created the "Playmaking Ensemble", which delivered several productions.

Workshop West's premiere productions of new plays established its reputation as a vibrant Edmonton theatre with relationships with Alberta playwrights at the centre of its operations. Productions during this period included Frank Moher's Prairie Report, Sliding For Home and Kidnapping the Bride, Stewart Lemoine's Hopscotch Holiday, and When Girls Collide, Raymond Storey's The Saints and Apostles, Blake Brooker's Barbarians. The most notable play Potter developed during this period was Brad Fraser's Unidentified Human Remains and the True Meaning of Love. The company also worked with Fraser on The Ugly Man and Poor Superman.

Potter also developed a strong presenting tradition at WWT. Tours of important Canadian works works including those of Robert Lepage, Theatre Smith-Gilmour, Theatre Columbus', and others came to Edmonton courtesy of Workshop West.

Potter also continued to produce works from the Canadian repertoire, including Wendy Lill's The Fighting Days, Norm Foster's The Melville Boys, Arthur Milner's Learning to Live With Personal Growth and Joan MacLeod's The Hope Slide.

Subsequent Artistic Leadership

In 1994, David Mann became the Artistic Director. WWT remained steadfast in its dedication to the production and presentation of Canadian work and new play development. Mann continued with play development through programs a variety of programs including the Springboards New Play Festival, initiated by Potter. Mann developed the Mentor Program, continued with the Playwrights Unit and the establishment of a part time Playwright in Residence during the last two years of his tenure. Also during Mann's tenure, cuts to provincial funding began to erode WWT's production capacity. WWT shrank from a full time staff of 5 to 2.5 and from four productions or presentations per year to two.

In January 2000, Ron Jenkins became WWT's fourth Artistic Director. In June 2000, Shona Neil took over General Manager duties from Jacquie Richardson, who had worked with Mann for 3 years. Jenkins vision for the company focused on the development and production of Alberta playwrights. Playwright development continued. Garage, an emerging playwrights' course, was developed in 2001 with WWT's Playwright in Residence Vern Thiessen. Through the Springboards Festival, WWT continued to present new plays in staged reading presentation. Plays produced during Jenkins' tenure were Ilsa, Queen of the Nazi Love Camp, Respectable, Mesa, Apple, Mary's Wedding and The Red Priest, The Blue Light by Mieko Ouchi. In 2004 Jacquie Poissant became GM. She and Jenkins struggled with funding problems Mann encountered, producing two productions each season. Jenkins briefly moved Workshop West's presenting activity to a new level, creating the KaBoom! Performance Festival. It presented plays by Daniel MacIvor, Marie Brassard, Daniel Danis, Sue Huff, Lyle Victor Albert and Joan MacLeod. KaBoom! ran until 2005.

In summer 2006 Michael Clark became WWT's fifth Artistic Directorand Shannon Paddon started as General Manager. During his eight year tenure as AD at Nakai Theatre Whitehorse, Clark grew Nakai from an audience of under 1000 to over 6000, building its budgeted activities from $168,000 to $412,000 while retiring a retiring a $40,000 deficit.As GM at Fringe Theatre Adventures, Paddon, navigated FTA through a $100,000 post-festival debt load and helped lead that company through its transformation from the former Chinook Theatre. 2006/7 was a low production activity year during which Clark and Paddon focused on solving several WWT's long standing financial challenges. The company now has a sizeable operating surplus. WWT co-produced one production, The Enchantment with Theatre Yes and Azimuth Theatre. Playwright Elyne Quan, as Artistic Associate, worked with Clark on the company's play development initiative, Pitch to Play, which focused on 5 emerging playwrights.

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