By Jennifer Higgs
The new artistic director for the Great Canadian Theatre Company, Lise Ann Johnson, says changes are in the works in the Ottawa theatre scene.
“There are lots of plays that I’m dying to put on the stage,” says Johnson who is leaving her job at the National Arts Centre (NAC) as the artistic associate and literary manager for the English theatre, to lead the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC).
“I think it’s not just a new era for GCTC, I think it’s a new era for theatre in Ottawa, and it’s a really exciting one,” says Johnson. “I think it has a fantastic mandate to produce contemporary Canadian writing … and to produce really important plays, plays that talk about things that matter.”
Johnson, 38, grew up in cities across the country, but ended up in Ottawa with her family.
She started theatre while at university and has a master’s degree in drama.
She began working at Playwrights Workshop Montreal and later worked in Alberta, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
“I think what I will plan to do is make sure it holds onto its roots of developing and premiering new work, that it holds onto its roots of producing provocative theatre, and that it holds onto its roots of producing primarily Canadian work,” she says.
“I think that my appointment represents not so much a new change but a continuity of the theatre’s history and identity,” Johnson says.
“I think what I bring to (the GCTC) is a passion for play development that hasn’t been perhaps as present in the company for a number of years.”
Johnson was involved with GCTC in the past — she was a resident drama consultant working with playwrights from 1996 to 1999.
“It was three of the best years, both professionally and personally of my life and I absolutely love that theatre,” says Johnson.
The company is scheduled to move to a new, larger theatre space in 2007, and Johnson says the move will allow more space for the local theatre community.
Arthur Milner, the interim artistic director at the GCTC since April and the company’s artistic director from 1991 to 1995, says anything the public sees on stage is the artistic director’s responsibility.
“Every time you hire a new artistic director it’s kind of exciting, because the artistic director really gives the company its identity,” says Milner, adding it will be a treat to find out what Johnson will choose for the new season.
Larry McDonald, chair of the GCTC artistic director search committee and a founding member, says Johnson was chosen out of around 50 applicants from across the country.
“We were universally impressed by her dynamic personality and her energy,” says McDonald.
She’s known and respected by most of the artistic directors and playwrights in the country,” he says.
McDonald says the GCTC is in a period of growth and expansion, and the areas that may need work include fundraising and a possible increase in staff for the new location.
Victoria Steele, managing director of English theatre at the NAC, says Johnson has been working with them for nine years.
“She’s basically the right hand of our artistic director,” says Steele. “Lise Ann has a fabulous knowledge of Canadian playwrights.”
But GCTC is not the only theatre in town that’s changing leadership. The National Arts Centre is getting a new artistic director, Peter Hinton.
“He will, I think, bring fantastic artists to live and work in Ottawa,” says Johnson about Hinton.
The University of Ottawa Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in theatre directing is another change to the Ottawa theatre landscape.
“Hopefully our directors can come out and create high-quality performances,” says Kevin Orr, assistant professor in the department, adding he would like to see an increase of alternative theatres in the city.
Orr said he hopes the graduates will “fill the void between the wonderful community theatres and the big houses.”
Orr says one of the two students of this program is currently supervised by Johnson, who he says is “huge in play development.”
“I think the GCTC made a good decision,” says Orr.