Location: Chief Dan George Theatre
Abstract
In his provocative American Theatre op-ed, “Boards Are Broken, So Let’s Break and Remake Them,” Michael J. Bobbitt laments spending “three whole months every fiscal year” on board duties—time he wishes he could reclaim for artistic work. His critique is not unique but pointed: the current governance model for not-for-profit theatres is not merely inconvenient; it can be toxic, obstructing organizations from fulfilling their primary mission.
Canadian theatres face legal restrictions on restructuring boards, yet these limits should not freeze outdated practices. Governance is more than bylaws—it encompasses culture, functionality, and relationships. Bobbitt asks the pressing question: “In our current structure, boards of directors for nonprofits don’t work…How do we fix this?”
This roundtable brings together Yvette Nolan (award-winning playwright and consultant), Jennifer Brewin (Artistic Director of Globe Theatre), and Wes D. Pearce (Globe Theatre board chair and designer) to explore critical questions around Canadian theatre governace: Does the board model create systemic disorder? Is partnership beyond reach? Is “liking theatre” enough? If both regional theatre and board structures are colonial constructs, do we need to rebuild them entirely? And how do boards learn—who owns that responsibility?
This is not simply a forum for criticism. It is a candid, necessary conversation about power, purpose, and the future of governance in Canadian theatre.
Biography
Born and raised in Treaty Four territory Wes D Pearce continues to be inspired by this place of awesome skies and contested lands. A professor at the University of Regina he is published in a number of anthologies, is a member of IATSE local ADC659, and board chair of Regina’s Globe Theatre.