Arts and Culture
Kelly Thornton, Artistic Director, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre By Shauna Dobbie
“I
love it!” says Kelly Thornton, the Artistic Director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, about Winnipeg. “I love the size of the city because it’s kind of a bigcity-small-town,” she says. “I’m really happy to get out of the overly congested City of Toronto. I just think this is a healthier, happier city.” The decision to move to Winnipeg was a major one. Thornton knew that everyone had to be on board, including her daughter Chloe and husband Josep Seras, of course, but also her exhusband, Alex Poch-Goldin, who is father to their 12-year-old. Both husband and ex have found meaningful work and daughter Chloe regularly comes home from school and says: “I love my life here!” Thornton is enamoured with the cultural vibrancy of the city, not just with the theatre but with its symphony orchestra and top-notch ballet. “They’ve been around for a very long time and the identity of Winnipeg is really wrapped up in these cultural institutions.” The engagement, cultural literacy and sense of philanthropy have amazed her. “There’s also a huge indie scene here, which is great.” We spoke on one of the coldest days of winter, so the question of the weather had to come up. “It is really true that the dry cold is a different cold,” she says. “The great big bright blue prairie sky, it keeps us happy. The vitamin D that we get from the sunny days and the crisp cold… I love it.” It’s no small thing to follow up a 30-year Artistic Director at Canada’s oldest regional theatre company, but Kelly Thornton is taking on the task 24 • Spring 2020
Kelly Thornton is the Artistic Director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.
with confidence. She started in June, receiving the helm from the esteemed Steven Schipper, who has moved to the Brampton Rose Theatre, north of Toronto. Thornton brings with her a wealth of experience, having been the Artis-
tic Director of Toronto’s Nightwood Theatre Company for 18 years. During her tenure, she launched festivals and special projects for young or emerging directors, writers and actors. She has similar ambitions at The Hub
