Grand Theatre announces departure of artistic director
Grand Theatre announces departure of artistic director
Artistic director of London, Ont.'s Grand Theatre, Dennis Garnhum. (Source: Grand Theatre)
As the Grand Theatre celebrated an operating surplus on Tuesday during its annual general meeting, it also announced the departure of its artistic director, Dennis Garnhum.
According to a press release from the Grand Theatre, during its annual 2021/2022 general meeting, Anita Shah, president of the Grand Theatre Board of Directors announced an operating surplus of $14,486 for the 2021/2022 year – bringing the total accumulated surplus to a total of $599,110.
Most surprising of the general meeting however was the announcement from Dennis Garnhum, in which he is stepping down as the theatre’s artistic director at the end of the 2022/2023 season.
In a statement, Garnhum called the Grand Theatre a “special” place for him as it was where his professional production and theatre career first started. When he started seven years ago, he said he had an “ambitious plan” that involved making the theatre “world curious and London proud.”
“These four words encapsulated my dream for the theatre – to see us become a hub for generating bold, new productions from across the world and right here in London. And, more than that, to see the Grand become a place where all felt welcome: a true home to every Londoner,” he said.
Starting with the Grand Theatre in 2016, Garnhum spearheaded several theatre programs and fostered partnerships with theatre companies in Canada and across the globe, including the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ont., Mirvish Productions in Toronto, and the National Theatre in the U.K.
Garnhum’s inaugural playbill was in the 2017/2018 season and featured the world premiere of Silence: Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell, the North American premiere of Chariots of Fire, and a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which marked Dennis’ directorial debut at the Grand Theatre.
Closing out the 2022 holiday season was Elf – The Musical, in which Garnhum was at the helm of and was one of six productions he directed. It also became the Grand Theatre’s high grossing production, delighting more than 30,000 Londoners.
“These dreams are now becoming a reality, and will only continue to grow with our current Grand team – one of the best in the country,” said Garnhum. “I am so proud of all that has been accomplished in the past seven years, and feel as though my work here is complete. I look forward to new creative adventures.”
Garnhum is also a recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and a Calgary Award for community achievement in arts.
Over the coming months, the board of directors will conduct a nationwide search for a new artistic director, with the intention of having someone in the role by the season.
“If I were to describe Dennis’s tenure at the Grand in one word, it would be ambitious,” reflected Shah.
Overall it was a “historic” year for the Grand Theatre, marked by a return to live performances amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the completion of a $9.5 million renovation, and the retirement of long-time executive director, Deb Harvey.
“It has been an absolute privilege and the highlight of my career to be a part of the Grand’s story, and to work so closely with some of the most talented artists and administrators in the country,” said Garnhum. “The Grand’s future is brighter than ever before, and I am excited to see what it will bring.”
Police in Halifax say three people have been stabbed and a student is in custody following a weapons complaint at a high school in Bedford, N.S. The victims were taken to hospital for treatment, but the extent of their injuries is not yet known.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
In an effort to keep the foreign interference story at the forefront, and to do an apparent end run around the Liberal filibuster blocking one study from going ahead, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has forced the House to spend the day debating a motion instructing an opposition-dominated House committee to strike its own review.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for protests ahead of his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap.
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
Bargain hunters are one step closer to seeing sales at Nordstrom's closing Canadian locations. At a hearing at Osgoode Hall in Toronto on Monday, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice gave the U.S. retailer's Canadian branch permission to start liquidating its merchandise.
Some of the world's largest central banks came together on Sunday to stop a banking crisis from spreading as Swiss authorities persuaded UBS Group AG to buy rival Credit Suisse Group AG in a historic deal.
A community is in mourning after a 10-year-old girl was killed earlier this week when flames tore through her family’s camping trailer southeast of Brantford.
Waterloo regional police say they arrested nine people for impaired driving over the course of nine hours between 6:30 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day and 3:30 a.m. on March 18.
According to officers with the Huronia West OPP detachment, a search of the vehicle turned up a "substantial amount" of suspected drugs with a street value of roughly $20,000.
Police say they found the accused had been driving while under suspension and had an open liquor container in the vehicle, adding to the number of charges he faces.
A 46-year-old man has been taken to hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries after a single-vehicle crash on MR80 near Donaldson Crescent in Val Caron.
Bargain hunters are one step closer to seeing sales at Nordstrom's closing Canadian locations. At a hearing at Osgoode Hall in Toronto on Monday, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice gave the U.S. retailer's Canadian branch permission to start liquidating its merchandise.
Police in Halifax say three people have been stabbed and a student is in custody following a weapons complaint at a high school in Bedford, N.S. The victims were taken to hospital for treatment, but the extent of their injuries is not yet known.
Ontario employers who withhold foreign workers’ passports or work permits could face steeper penalties under new labour laws, with maximum fines setting them back up to $200,000.
Ontario employers who withhold foreign workers’ passports or work permits could face steeper penalties under new labour laws, with maximum fines setting them back up to $200,000.
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
Quebec provincial police (SQ) announced Monday morning that a third person has died in connection with the tragedy in Amqui, in the Lower St. Lawrence region, where a driver drove his pickup truck into pedestrians a week ago.
Police in Halifax say three people have been stabbed and a student is in custody following a weapons complaint at a high school in Bedford, N.S. The victims were taken to hospital for treatment, but the extent of their injuries is not yet known.
The University of Prince Edward Island Faculty Association says its staff has gone on strike after what it says are failed attempts to enter additional negotiations with the university's administration.
The student union president at Cape Breton University said food insecurity has become a concern for many students and the on-campus food bank cannot keep up with demand.
Police in Halifax say three people have been stabbed and a student is in custody following a weapons complaint at a high school in Bedford, N.S. The victims were taken to hospital for treatment, but the extent of their injuries is not yet known.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Jason Copping will give an update on the effort to import and distribute children's pain and fever medicine Monday afternoon.
The Town of Strathmore and Siksika Nation hosted the first Lead By Example Powwow this weekend in honour of a young Indigenous man who was shot to death four years ago.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Jason Copping will give an update on the effort to import and distribute children's pain and fever medicine Monday afternoon.
A vehicle burst into flames in South Vancouver after an early morning collision Monday, prompting police to shut down the intersection at Kingsway and Tyne Street amid an investigation.
People who rely on transit to get around parts of the Fraser Valley are scrambling to find alternatives as workers with BC Transit walk the picket line.
Police in Halifax say three people have been stabbed and a student is in custody following a weapons complaint at a high school in Bedford, N.S. The victims were taken to hospital for treatment, but the extent of their injuries is not yet known.
Artistic director of London, Ont.'s Grand Theatre, Dennis Garnhum. (Source: Grand Theatre)
