Rainbow Stage parts company with artistic chief

Rainbow Stage’s artistic director Ray Hogg last week took to Facebook to announce he is leaving his position at the Kildonan Park venue after five years to move back to his hometown of Montreal with his husband and two children.

Hogg said he was "entirely motivated" by the needs of his "ailing family in Montreal needing more support than my sister can give all by herself."

But Hogg’s departure presented an opportunity to save costs going forward, acknowledges Rainbow’s executive director Julie Eccles, who says the position of artistic director will be made into a part-time position.

"Ray’s departing has given me an opportunity to revisit the structure here at Rainbow Stage," Eccles says.

"We are on the very low end of government funding and the majority of our funds are revenue-generated," she says. "So it does give me an opportunity to look at the team complement within the budgetary structure we work within.

"The AD position was part-time to begin with, so I am comfortable contemplating going back to part-time."

On his heartfelt post, Hogg said: "This was such a bittersweet moment for us. The connections we’ve made here are prairie-strong, and we hope lifelong.

"I’ve loved every moment of my time at Rainbow Stage, particularly the impact that I’ve been able to have on local artists," Hogg said. "So we’re really sad to be leaving. On the other hand, we’re excited to reconnect with family out east."

Hogg’s final season of programming will continue as planned next year with the Neil Sedaka jukebox musical Breaking Up Is Hard to Do opening in July and the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast opening in August.

randall.king@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @FreepKing

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