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Artistic Director
Stafford Arima
Artistic Director
"Our theatre will forever be a home that reflects the communities, the country, and the world we live in – a diverse, complex, stimulating world."
Born and raised in Toronto, Arima thrived in the New York theatre scene for over 20 years. In 2015, he became the first Asian Canadian to direct a musical on Broadway when Allegiance opened at the Longacre Theatre, starring George Takei and Lea Salonga. Arima was also nominated for a 2004 Olivier Award for his direction of the West End premiere of the musical, Ragtime. Some additional directing credits include productions of Altar Boyz (Off-Broadway) Carrie (MCC Theater, Off-Broadway), The Tin Pan Alley Rag (Roundabout Theatre Company), Red Velvet (The Old Globe Theatre), Poster Boy (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris (Stratford Festival), Abyssinia (Goodspeed Musicals), A Tribute to Sondheim (Boston Pops), and Forgiveness, Billy Elliot: The Musical, The Secret Garden, Mary and Max - A New Musical, and A Christmas Carol (2019, 2021), and the online filmed version of A Christmas Carol (2020) (Theatre Calgary). Arima has shepherded new musical development at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Toronto Fringe Festival, New York Stage and Film, and the SPF Festival. He is a graduate of York University, where he was the recipient of the Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Creative Work. He also serves as Artistic Advisor for Broadway Dreams, and is an Adjunct Professor at UC Davis. staffordarima.com
Interim Executive Director
Steve Schroeder
Interim Executive Director
Steve Schroeder has worked professionally in arts and culture for almost three decades.
From 2012 to 2023 he was Executive Director of the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF). During his tenure CIFF achieved record audiences, became an Oscar-qualifying festival for short film, and was named multiple times as one of the world’s "50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" by MovieMaker Magazine.
From 1998 to 2010 Steve was Managing Producer at one of Canada’s best-known performing arts companies, One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre (OYR), where he produced over a dozen new works, managed the company’s national and international touring, helped establish the Summer Lab Intensive school of performance creation, worked to build The High Performance Rodeo, Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts, into the largest annual event of its kind in Western Canada, and established the company’s endowment fund.
In 2006 Steve was honoured with the Rozsa Award for Excellence in Arts Management.
He is a proud father and cultural omnivore, with a love of, and wide taste in, the arts, travel, and learning.
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Theatre Calgary Staff
Administration Office: 403.294.7440
Audience Services: 403.294.7447
- Administration & Finance
Administration & Finance
- Stephen Schroeder
- Interim Executive Director
- Mitch Lavallee
- Director of Finanace & Administration
- 587-441-9272
- Brit Anweiler
- Production and Payroll Accountant
- 587-441-9648
- Vanitha Manickam
- Senior Accountant
- Maddy Quinn
- Administrative Coordinator
- 403-294-7490
- Todd Pannett
- HR Advisory Services - Cenera
- Artistic
- Stafford Arima
- Artistic Director
- Anna Cummer
- Associate Artistic Director
- 587-441-6674
- Alex Currie
- Director of Artistic Operations
- 403-294-7487
- Andrea Bradley
- Company Manager
- 587-441-9384
- Jennie Esdale
- Education & Outreach Associate
- Jane MacFarlane
- Resident Voice Coach
- Ellen Sullivan
- Wrap-Around Programming Facilitator
- Box Office
- Jennifer McKenzie
- Box Office Manager
- 403-294-7470
- Virginia Rempel
- Assistant Box Office Manager & Student Matinees
- 587-441-9060
- Joelene Mills
- Box Office Associate & Group Sales
- 403-294-7594
- Paula Sundby
- Box Office Associate
- 587-441-9396
- Ashley Soles
- Box Office Associate
- 587-441-4744
- Luke McKeown
- Box Office Associate
- Kyla Meipoom-Jones
- Box Office Associate
- Drew Kennedy
- Box Office Associate
- Development
- Derek Moser
- Associate Director of Development
- 587-441-9641
- Taylor Hicks
- Manager, Donor Relations
- 587-441-9018
- Christa Merrell
- Manager, Leadership Giving
- 587-441-9044
- Ashley Menzies
- Grant Writer
- Rosemarie Johnston
- Bingo Volunteer Coordinator
- 403-998-2712
- Marketing and Communications
- Christopher Loach
- Director of Media Relations
- 403-990-8496
- Hannah Unterschultz
- Associate Director of Marketing
- Cecilia McKay
- Social Media Coordinator
- Adam Schrader
- Video Content Manager
- 587-441-9046
- Front of House
- Natasha Brocks
- Front of House Manager
- Production
- Emma Brager
- Production Manager
- 587-441-9603
- Graham Kingsley
- Technical Director
- Thomas Geddes
- Assistant Technical Director
- Trisha Herbert
- Production Assistant
- Bronwyn Bowlby
- Head of Sound
- 587-441-9695
- Michael Gesy
- Assistant Head of Sound
- 587-441-9695
- Catharine Crumb
- Head of Lighting
- 587-441-9614
- Mike Booth
- Assistant Head of Lighting
- Joshua Semos
- Head Stage Carpenter
- Chip Off The Block Scenic Construction Inc. & Andrew Rafuse
- Co-Head Scenic Carpentry
- 403-294-7412
- Rachel Michelle Sheridan
- Head Dresser
- 587-441-9238
- Katie Klingvall
- Head of Wardrobe & Wardrobe Rentals
- 587-441-9325
- Juli Elkiw
- Assistant Head of Wardrobe
- Christa Hoefling
- Head of Wigs
- Chelsea Brewer
- Assistant Head Dresser
- Lillian Messer
- Head of Props & Property Rentals
- 587-441-9594
- Ventura Jones
- Head Scenic Painter
- Theatre Calgary Stage Managers
- Stage Management Office
Board of Directors
Theatre Calgary is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who are passionate about the arts and bring unique knowledge, skill sets and valuable networks to Theatre Calgary. The Board is elected each October at the Annual General Meeting.
- Theatre Calgary Society Board Members 2024-25
- Joy Alford,
- Co-Chair
- Catherine Samuel,
- Co-Chair
- Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
- Stephen Curran,
- Vice Chair, Governance & Nominating Committee Chair
- Chadwick Newcombe,
- Corporate Secretary
- Counsel, Kahane Law Office
- Kate Abbott
- Matthew Ball
- Vice President, Global IT Operations, Long View Systems
- Shalini Bhatty,
- HR Committee Chair
- Partner, Leaders International
- David Bradshaw,
- Artistic Committee Chair
- Co-Founder, NNBB Consulting
- Kimiko Comeau,
- Audit & Finance Committee Chair
- Director, Business Advisory & Transition Wealth, BMO Private Wealth
- Brad Crilly
- Principal and Founder, Norquay Capital Partners Inc.
- Sade Laleye
- Cherry Ma
- Principal & Manager of Investor Reporting, Azimuth Capital Management
- Jill Mackenzie
- President, Hopewell Residential
- Nairn Nerland
- Fund Development Committee Chair
- Norman Schachar, MD
- Professor Emeritus of Surgery, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine
- Craig D. Senyk,
- Past Chair
- Board Chair, Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
- Mathew Stone
- Co-Founder, Stone-Olafson
- Charissa Wangsawidjaya
- VP Finance, Professional Services - Quanta Canada
- Theatre Calgary Endowment Foundation Board Members 2024-25
- Tricia Leadbeater,
- Chair
- Portfolio Manager, Investment Advisor, Wealth Management, Richardson Wealth
- Margo Randles,
- Vice Chair
- Kelly Bernakevitch,
- Secretary / Treasurer
- Andrew Bateman
- Partner, Miller Thomson LLP
- Paul Beitel
- Cherry Ma
- Principal & Manager of Investor Reporting, Azimuth Capital Management
- Nairn Nerland