Theatre By The Bay will prepare for a new season under new but familiar leadership.
Alex Dault has stepped down as the TBTB’s artistic director after four years in the position and having been with the company since 2003. Dault posted his announcement on Oct. 18 and in a heartfelt letter stating he was “stepping down as artistic director of Theatre by the Bay to pursue other opportunities” and that “the chief joy of the job has been to inspire the next generation of actors, directors, stage managers, designers, producers and to give them a great place to work. I'm really proud of how we won back the trust of Barrie audiences to come out and see shows they'd never heard of (Faust, Northern Lights, Mary of Shanty Bay, etc.).”
TBTB put the search out to find a suitable replacement and in what should not seem a surprise to anyone who follows the arts scene in Barrie, the organization went with trusted and passionate executive director Iain Moggach. Moggach has been with the organization for just over three years and has been a well-known face for TBTB in that time. Moggach spoke to BarrieToday and said that this is a long-time dream come true for him.
“I have wanted to be an artistic director since high school and this really is a dream come true for me,” said Moggach. “The idea of pushing forward with on this great group of people and continuing to tell the stories that this city has grown to love is very exciting for me. I plan on meeting with everyone involved over the course of the next little while and get input on what they think about where we should go and be.”
Moggach admits there won’t be massive change in the way business is handled and that the plays that theatre lovers have grown accustomed to will continue.
“We have become a trusted source of not only entertainment for the community but also a source of telling the stories that shaped and continue to shape our city,” said Moggach. “The next season is already laid out and I’m very grateful that Alex will stay on in an advisory role for that as he was obviously instrumental in designing the 2019 season.”
The role of artistic director is to choose the artistic direction of the company with regards to the plays and work that the community will see, but also is to handle a lot of behind the scenes jobs like applying for the grants that keep theatres alive.
“The beauty is that I have lots of experience having been here and helping in an executive position already,” said Moggach. “Alex and I have different strengths in that he was very much a playwright who can create a great original work, I will be turning to the community for those stories and plays that will continue the strong local tradition that we have really become known for. It is important for myself and everyone that I add a personal touch to the position but we’re not re-inventing the wheel here, Theatre By The Bay has been growing steadily and has started to bring in art lovers from outside the city as well. The goal is and continues to be to make Barrie a strong theatre town and I feel we’re doing that.”
The change is effective immediately and you can follow along with any news from TBTB at their website.
