Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Canadian Stage is delighted to announce that following an extensive search, Monica Esteves has been appointed as the Company’s new Executive Director. Monica brings exceptional experience, energetic leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, and passion to Canadian Stage.
“It’s with great excitement that we welcome Monica to Canadian Stage. She is a highly accomplished Canadian arts leader and institution builder whose operational strength, collaborative spirit and deep community roots will be leading Canadian Stage into a bold and impactful future,” said Tony Baylis and Alexandra Baillie, Co-Chairs of Canadian Stage.
Monica Esteves is currently the Managing of Director of Crow’s Theatre in Toronto. During her tenure, the organization experienced tremendous growth, most notably following the successful $12M development and opening of Streetcar Crowsnest, the first performing arts facility of its kind in Toronto’s east end, and consistently delivered consecutive operating surpluses, increased earned revenues, expanded its artistic mandate and programming, and received top ratings from its public and private sector contributors.
“I am thrilled to join Canadian Stage at this exciting time. In the early years of my career, Canadian Stage provided me with generous mentorship and some of my first employment in the performing arts. Returning to Canadian Stage as Executive Director is an honour that is very meaningful to me. For over 30 years, the organization has been one of Canada’s most vibrant and largest not-for-profit theatres and has been a vital artistic institution for Toronto audiences, artists and communities,” said Monica Esteves. “I am committed to contributing to the growth of Canadian Stage’s artistic legacy in partnership with the wonderful Brendan Healy and the organization’s fantastic team of staff, Board and artists.”
Monica will be joining Artistic Director, Brendan Healy and Executive Producer and Director of International Partnerships, Sherrie Johnson, in forming the Company’s executive team. Building on the Company’s strong legacy and successful past, Monica, Brendan, and Sherrie will shape a bold and exciting vision for Canadian Stage’s future and deliver a strategic and energetic plan that will strengthen the organization’s artistic impact and financial sustainability.
“I am thrilled to be sharing the leadership of this extraordinary organization with Monica. She brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record as a leader. Her particular history with Canadian Stage is an added bonus. The Company has much to benefit from her organizational memory,” said Brendan Healy. “I look forward to continuing Canadian Stage’s legacy of artistic excellence and community investment with Monica, Sherrie, and the amazing team here.”
Previously, Monica was the Producer and General Manager of Nightwood Theatre. Monica has also worked for a variety of professional theatres including Canadian Stage, The Company Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, The Stratford Festival, Mirvish Productions, Theatre Passe Muraille, and various festivals and productions. She has served on numerous boards and advisories, including the Professional Association of Canadian Theatre and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts. Monica is a frequent mentor to
emerging arts managers and producers, an advocate for gender equity and inclusivity in the sector, and an enthusiastic community organizer.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director works in partnership with the Artistic Director to create, lead and execute the Company’s strategic plan. The Executive Director is responsible for leading the administrative, financial, and general operation of the company, including business planning, financial management, sales and marketing, development, human resources, government relations, facility management and community engagement.
Monica assumes her position on December 3, 2018 on a part-time basis while she transitions out of her role at Crow’s.
Monica joins Canadian Stage hot off the success of the 2017/2018 season that saw the Company win a Toronto Theatre Critics Award, receive 27 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations, and awarded the Globe and Mail’s Best Theatre of 2017, and the 2018/2019 season is off to a thrilling start. The summer productions of Shakespeare in High Park received crowds of over 30,000, and the Company roared into fall with the Canadian premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s critically acclaimed play, The Children, starring Canadian theatrical greats Fiona Reid, Laurie Patton, and Geordie Johnson; followed by XENOS, dance legend Akram Khan’s final full-length solo piece; the world premiere of contemporary Indigenous performing arts company Red Sky Performance’s Trace; and Grand Finale by the exhilarating internationally celebrated choreographer Hofesh Shechter.
As Monica begins her new role at Canadian Stage, the Company will be presenting the internationally celebrated play, turned HBO documentary, Every Brilliant Thing, November 27-December 16 at the Berkeley Street Theatre. Starring Gemini and Genie award-winner Kristen Thomson, Every Brilliant Thing marks Brendan Healy’s directorial debut at Canadian Stage. Joyous and uplifting, this unique immersive storytelling experience reminds us of all the thousands of things that make life worth living.
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Photo: Monica Esteves.
2018-11-20
Toronto: Monica Esteves has been appointed as Canadian Stage's new Executive Director