13 “In her impressive fourteen-year tenure, Maxwell has programmed with an ambitious and judicious hand, a balance of reinterpretations and restorations.” THE BUFFALO NEWS Clockwise from top left: Marcus Nance as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd; Donna Belleville as The Duchess in Alice in Wonderland; Jeff Meadows as Belvawney in Engaged; Natasha Mumba as the Black Girl in The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God; Jeff Irving as Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd; Kiera Sangster as the Black Mamba Snake in The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God; Patrick McManus as Astrov in Uncle Vanya; Catherine McGregor as Mrs Gibbs in Our Town; Moya O’Connell as the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. “Eda Holmes’s production plays CHAIR’S REPORT up the eye candy and posturing, but its strength is in moments of intimate honesty.” ToronTo STar A WOMAN OF What an outstanding season of plays Jackie Maxwell gave us as her last year as Artistic Director! NO IMPORTANCE From our first original mainstage production with Peter Hinton’s Alice in Wonderland to Jackie’s by Oscar Wilde, directed by Eda Holmes, designed by brilliant staging of Sweeney Todd – the year was one artistic triumph after another. Stand out Michael Gianfrancesco, light- productions for me included our remarkable productions of “Master Harold”...and the Boys, Uncle ing designed by Kevin Lamotte, Vanya and Lisa Codrington’s satirical reworking of Bernard Shaw’s The Adventures of the Black original music and sound Girl in her Search for God. Honestly, all of the season’s shows were really terrific. Jackie certainly designed by John Gzowski. left us on an artistic high note. Wade Bogert-O’Brien as Gerald Arbuthnot and Fiona For The Shaw, 2016 was a year of transition and investigation. While the season was playing out Byrne as Mrs Arbuthnot. under Jackie’s direction, Tim Carroll (TC), our new Artistic Director, was getting to know Shaw, Niagara and Canada’s artistic scene. TC began planning for the 2017 season in earnest, working with our new Executive Director, Tim Jennings, to plan what is be both men’s first full season. At the same time, Tim Jennings lead the board and staff through a series of educational sessions, delving into the business of Shaw, of the non-profit theatre industry and really analyzing the long term trends and issues facing both. The two Tims then worked together with the Board and the Shaw team to begin to create a new business framework for Shaw – one that will be discussed and reviewed throughout the first half of 2017 as we finish our strategic planning work for the future. While significant progress was made in 2016 in terms of revers- ing a downward trend in audience attendance and in reducing capital deficit issues and in Endowment fundraising, the ship has not yet fully righted. Operational issues that plagued The Shaw in 2015, and really for many years, are beginning to be cor- rected – but several of our new initiatives did not return at the budgeted levels even though they achieved their programmatic goals. More on that further on. As I complete my own tenure as Board Chair after serving with The Shaw for almost a decade, I must really thank again our Board for all of the remarkable work and support they have shown over the years – dedication shared by all of our staff and patrons. I am also enormously happy to welcome our Chair designate, Peter Jewett into the role of Chair. He’ll be a terrific leader for this organization and has already shown himself a dedicated ambassador and governor. Thank you for everything you do, and will do, to ensure the ongoing success of The Shaw. It is an organization worth believing in. andrew m. pringle EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT There are three financial legs to the stool that is Non-Profit Theatre. Operations, Capital and Endowment. All three must be healthy and solid for the organization to be in balance. In assuming the role of Executive Director last October, I inherited a large operational and capital deficit that had long been problematic for The Shaw. My task was to find our way out of it. Ongoing operational budget issues had kept the theatre from making needed capital investments and years of cost cutting measures had often also affected income, creating a cycle that had been hard to break. My task was to start to find our way out of it. 2016 was the beginning – but only the beginning – of a turn- around. Operating income came up $1 million over the previ- ous year, with revenue successes across all areas of the business. Spending maintained 2015 levels, albeit with different priorities, in order to make investments to increase audience atten dance and increase availability of accessible ticket pricing. Staff took companywide wage freezes and invested significantly in time and energy to re-examine all areas of the business with a view to our future success. I want to thank them all for that and their dedication and trust. Endowment fundraising, especially around the naming of the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre, was highly successful. Pledges for that will generate over $2 million in net effect over the coming years. In November we heard from the Ministry of Heritage that our request for a matching grant to help reduce our capital deficit was successful to the tune of $2.78 million over the coming 18 months – a grant that will effectively eliminate our historic $5.5 million capital deficit by the end of 2018, while creating more audience- and artist-friendly spaces and providing increased accessibility to our historic theatres. While audience numbers increased, average ticket price reduced by over $3 per ticket from the previous year. This, intentionally, created opportunity for increased access, but at a cost of over $800K in reduced revenues – an amount directly corresponding to this season’s operational deficit. Yet, as we can see, all three legs are much stronger than they were a year ago. Endowment will be up by $2 million, capital deficit will be resolved by the end of 2018 and operating revenues increased by $1 million. As much as I would have liked to have fixed all the issues of the past in a single season, I am heartened by the consistent and clear progress across all areas of The Shaw made in FY16, because I can see them all as real progress and not just short term fixes or one- “Smith’s production is a pitch-perfect choice to time bailouts. kick off the final season from artistic director In working with the staff and board to create our 2017 budget, my first for The Shaw, I feel that TC Jackie Maxwell” ToronTo star and I have made some excellent new investment decisions, re-branded effectively, and focused our investments on the areas of the business that work, while eliminating the ones that don’t. As I OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder, directed by Molly Smith, said last year, we need to continue to focus on fixing past issues, listening carefully to our current set designed by Ken MacDonald, costumes designed by William patrons and understanding and anticipating our future ones. I think we are getting better at all of Schmuck, lighting designed by Kimberly Purtell, music direction, original music and sound designed by James Smith. that. I hope you agree. Kate Besworth as Emily Webb with the ensemble. tim jennings ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S REPORT “One of Shaw Festival’s best: a “MASTER HAROLD”...AND THE BOYS strong telling of an unsettling by Athol Fugard, directed by Philip Akin, designed by story. It’s hard to imagine a Peter Hartwell, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte, dance sequences by Valerie Moore. stronger production of this play.” André Sills as Sam. The Globe and Mail It’s been an amazing year for me. The Board of The Shaw were far-sighted enough to give me this season to find my way into the company, and I am really grateful for that opportunity. I feel that it would have required a kind of foolish over-confidence to waltz in and say “Right, here’s what we are doing” without first getting to know who is here and what makes them tick. It has been truly humbling to feel the warmth of the people here and their readiness to make me welcome, and, while I may not yet know what makes everyone tick, I hope I am learning. Perhaps the steepest part of my learning curve has been figuring out the intricacies of cross- casting and scheduling ten or more plays in repertoire. For their help in making these and many other mysteries comprehensible to me, I especially thank Associate Director, Eda Holmes and Planning Director, Jeff Cummings. They have been incredibly patient and good-humoured with me, and working with them has been a joy. And what a joy to see the range of work in the season! There were so many marvellous shows that it seems unfair to pick any out, but I was knocked sideways by “Master Harold”... and the Boys and brought to my feet by Sweeney Todd. The brilliant work of all the artists and artisans in making these shows happen fills me with inspiration and anticipation for next year. As I write, my first season has been on sale for several weeks, and the signs are encouraging. I can’t wait to get into a rehearsal room with some of the brilliant actors we have in the company, and to see what the other directors in the season create with the rest of them.