History of Theatre Network
The Highlights
2008/2009 - Theatre Network's past president Nancy Power receives the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre in Edmonton. Theatre Network is nominated for eleven Sterling Awards including Outstanding New Play (Buddy). Natasha Girgis receives the Sterling Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Palace of the End).
2007/2008 - Jill Roszell is appointed General Manager. Theatre Network's infamous publicist Kevin Hendricks receives The Margaret Mooney Award for Outstanding Achievement in Administration.
2006/2007 - Theatre Network breaks all previous subscription records. Ronnie Burkett's 10 Days On Earth marked Theatre Network's longest running production and breaks all box office records. Theatre Network takes the hit production Summer of My Amazing Luck on a Western Canada tour
2005/2006 - Theatre Network receives Sterling Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role (Caroline Livingstone, Girl in a Goldfish Bowl) and Outstanding Set Design (Roger Schultz, The Leisure Society)
2004/2005 - Theatre Network receives 18 Sterling Nominations and 8 Sterling Awards, including Outstanding New Play for Summer of My Amazing Luck and Outstanding Production of a Musical for Black Rider.
2003/2004 - David Cheoros is appointed General Manager. Theatre Network receives the Sterling Award for Outstanding New Play (Provenance), Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Vanessa Holmes, Vincent in Brixton and Outstanding Set Design (Roger Schultz, A Skull in Conemmara)
2002/2003 Theatre Network receives 8 Sterling Awards, including Best Production of a Play for Perfect Pie, and Best Production of a Musical for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Hedwig is held over for a week and breaks all Box Office records.
2001/2002 – General Manager Jacquie Richardson receives the MacLab Enterprises Award for Excellence in Arts Management. Theatre Network begins a feasibility study of the Roxy Theatre with Proscenium Architecture + Interiors Inc. NextFest expands to a 10-day festival format. And yellowpencil.com develops Theatre Network's web site www.attheroxy.com.
2000/2001 - Jacquie Richardson is appointed General Manager. Steve Pirot is appointed Festival Director of Nextfest. Theatre Network breaks previous box office records and wins the Sterling award for Outstanding Production of a Play for Ronnie Burkett's marionette production of Happy. NeWest Press publishes the NeXtFest Anthology, edited by Festival Director Glenda Stirling.
1999/2000 - Theatre Network announces Bradley Moss as its new Artistic Director. Theatre Network celebrates its 25th Anniversary Season and invites past artistic director Stephen Heatley to direct Your Wildest Dreams by Marianne Copithorne & Murray McCune. NeXtFest 2000 – Syncrude NeXt Generation Arts Festival goes world wide with its CKUA Live Theatre Broadcast. Theatre Network continues to break box office records with the success of Ronnie Burkett’s Street Of Blood and High Life by Lee MacDougall.
1998/99 - Glenda Stirling is appointed Festival Director for NeXtFest'99. Theatre Network breaks all previous box office records with the successful runs of; Marty Chan’s Mom, Dad, I’m Living With A White Girl (Sterling winner for Outstanding New Play).
1997/98 - Theatre Network appoints Bradley Moss as their interim Artistic Director on the eve of the third annual Next Fest’98.Theatre Network takes the initiative to expand its mandate to include contemporary works without geographic borders, and incorporates the artistic vision of the Phoenix Theatre – to provide the very best of contemporary theatre from around the world. Theatre Network receives a Sterling award for Outstanding Production of a Play for Ronnie Burkett’s Tinka’s New Dress. David Hennessey - General Manager - wins a Sterling for Outstanding Administration.
1997 – Theatre Network’s The Stone Angel based on the novel by Margaret Lawrence receives an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Production of a Play.
1996 - Theatre Network creates their annual NextFest - the Syncrude NeXt Generation Arts Festival, under the founding Festival Director/Producer Bradley Moss.
1995 - Scraping The Surface by Lyle Victor Albert receives a Sterling for Outstanding New Play.
1994 - David Hennessey is appointed General Manager.
1993/94 - Ben Henderson is appointed Artistic Director.
1992/93 - Castrato by Greg Nelson receives a Sterling for Outstanding New Play, and Skippy Gets A Boner by Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie wins a Sterling for Outstanding Production of a Musical.
1991 - The Other Side of the Pole by Stephen Heatley and Others receives a Sterling for Outstanding Production for Young Audiences.
1990 - Theatre Network finds a new home in the historic Roxy Theatre. Built in 1938, the Roxy had become an alternative second-run movie house by the 1970's. See Roxy history.
1988 – Haunting Melody by Marianne Copithorne & Murray McCune receives an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical. The Third Ascent by Frank Moher wins a Sterling for Outstanding New Play.
1985/86 – Odd Jobs by Frank Moher and Walt and Roy by Michael McKinlay are nominated for the Governor General’s Award for Drama.
1983 – Due South and Men with Brooms actor Paul Gross premiere's his new play The Deer and Antelope Play.
1982 - Theatre Network launches the world premiere of Wolfboy by Brad Fraser.
1982 - Country Chorale by Raymond Storey makes its musical debut at Theatre Network, and it also marks the stage debut of future Grammy Award winner kd Lang.
1981 – Stephen Heatley is appointed Artistic Director. Under Heatley, Theatre Network's new mandate or artistic mission statement becomes "to assist, develop, and perform original plays by Alberta playwrights". Theatre Network on their Dark Monday's launches Theatresports.
1980 – Andras Tahn serves as interim Artistic Director while on leave from 25th Street Theatre
1977/78 - Hard Hats and Stolen Hearts: A Tar Sand Myth (Collective/Gordon Penguilly), a play about life in boomtown Fort McMurray, was Theatre Network’s (and Edmonton’s) first professional play to grace the off-Broadway stages of New York City at Richard Schechner’s Performance Garage.
1975 - Theatre Network (1975) Society was founded in 1975 as a co-operative; headed by Artistic Director Mark Manson, with Jonathan Barker, Jeurgen Beerwald, Theresa Bryson, Shay Garner, Dennis Robinson, Tanya Ryga, Gerry Zelinski. The original objective was to produce plays “about Alberta for Albertans” with an overall mandate to foster the development of original regional theatre, and to promote the arts in Alberta through the medium of Theatre.