THUNDER BAY - The new artistic director of Magnus Theatre is feeling the pressure as he prepares to take the helm of what he calls a gem in Northwestern Ontario.
Earlier this month, Thom Currie was appointed as the new artistic director of Magnus Theatre. Currie will be taking over for Mario Crudo, who announced his retirement from the position earlier this year.
Crudo said that after an exhaustive search, Currie stood out amongst all the other candidates because of his enthusiasm and personality.
“I think coming into this situation what one would need is great enthusiasm and great vision and plans for the future,” Crudo said. “I think that’s what cinched it for the committee.”
Currie arrived in Thunder Bay from Newfoundland and Labrador on Monday and will be working alongside Crudo to familiarize himself with Magnus before taking the reins himself on November 5.
Originally from New York, Currie has worked in theatre for more than 25 years as an actor, director, playwright, and producer.
This will be Currie’s fifth artistic directorship, having served in the role at the Showboat Theatre in Port Colburne, Ontario, the Georgian Theatre Festival in Meaford, Ontario, and most recently, the Stephenville Theatre Festival in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Currie said that his goal is to build and grow Magnus Theatre into not only one of the greatest theatres in Northwestern Ontario, but all of North America.
“I love it here,” Currie said. “I think this is a gem in Northwestern Ontario. What we have here at Magnus is a fantastic facility, a fantastic staff, and a fantastic opportunity to bring great art to this area.”
The new role does come with its fair share of pressures. Currie said that he is well aware of Magnus Theatre’s great history in the community.
“It has a history of being run by great artists and producing fantastic work here in Thunder Bay,” he said. “It also has a great history of touring and taking the work out of Thunder Bay and into the region and that’s the sort of work I want to continue as well.”
Currie hopes to continue the tradition of bringing live theatre to communities that do not have access to it through touring shows and workshops.
When it comes to programming on the main stage, Currie said he intends to keep things familiar for local audiences.
“I’m not going to reinvent the wheel right away,” he said. “I think that the work that Mario has been doing here has been absolutely stellar and I think his programming has been very good. So we are going to stay the course for a while and I will be putting my own personal stamp on it.”
While he may look to the national arts scene for potential productions, Currie said that he wants to foster local talent and artists as much as he can.
“I am a great champion of local work, local artists, and local talent and so I want to get to know everyone in town here and see what we can find to bring to the Magnus stage from Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario,” he said.
Currie will be taking his place in the director’s chair this December for the production of The Jungle Book by Greg Banks. For Currie, directing is all about using his imagination to bring a story to life.
“That’s how I got into this as a kid,” he said. “I would read a play and think to myself: how do I see this on stage? And to have that opportunity today to do that is like a dream come true.”
