McLean eager to join team at Theatre Projects

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This article was published 10/08/2023 (1166 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Theatre Projects Manitoba named Sam McLean as its new managing director this week, the latest major staffing change for the inventive, independent company as it readies for the 2023-2024 season.

McLean, 35, spent the past five years working with the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, beginning as the box office manager before becoming an assistant producer, producer and finally, general manager. As general manager, McLean played a key role in guiding the WJT through the pandemic and as the company underwent a shift in artistic direction.

He’s also an improviser, comedy writer and performer, known for his participation in the annual Dungeons and Dragons improv show at the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival.

“It’s a wonderful time to be joining (TPM),” says McLean, who hopes to help the company embrace its history while also evaluating its mandate and commitment to developing original, Manitoban work. Theatre Projects Manitoba, he says, always has a “different take” with its output, which drew him toward his new role.

“Sam brings a wealth and breadth of experience and ability to the position which will be a great benefit to the company as it strives to be both stable and nimble in the face of the challenges and opportunities to come,” TPM board chair Bill Kerr said in a news release. “Sam’s hiring marks a completion of a transition to a new leadership team.”

That transition began in 2021, when, after 15 years at the helm, artistic director Ardith Boxall announced her impending departure from TPM. Earlier this year, Rea Kavanagh wound up a 17-year run at the company, including 13 years as general manager. The duo left their mark on the company, which was founded in 1990, growing the budget four-fold while overseeing the development and production of over 20 Manitoban plays by writers such as Ellen Peterson, Debbie Patterson and Carolyn Gray.

In 2022, Suzie Martin was named Boxall’s successor, taking over the artistic reins as the theatre community entered a rebound year from the pandemic. Last season, Peterson’s None of This is Happening, and This is the Story of the Child Ruled By Fear from Edmonton’s David Gagnon-Walker were well-received, and McLean appreciated TPM’s ongoing commitment to original, boundary-pushing work, even as the theatre world continued to deal with the slow return of audiences.

Though he’ll have a different title than the one Kavanagh held, McLean will handle many of the administrative duties while also providing input and insight into the company’s vision and community outreach, working in tandem with Martin.

“I am so delighted that Sam is going to be my new partner in leadership at Theatre Projects Manitoba,” Martin said in a release. “I can’t wait to get into the work of co-leading with someone as thoughtful and enthusiastic as Sam, and I’m excited about what we will be able to build in TPM’s next chapter with his kind and dedicated hand guiding the organizational ship.”

This upcoming season will be a significant one for TPM, headlined by a historic collaboration with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. For the first time, TPM and RMTC will partner on a co-production, bringing the Governor General Award-winning playwright David Yee’s among men to the Tom Hendry Warehouse in February. TPM will also partner with the up-and-coming collective Walk&Talk Theatre Company to produce the world premier of their new musical End of the Line.

McLean begins work in his new capacity as managing director on Sept. 7.

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com