As their 50th anniversary season comes to a close, Theatre Passe Muraille has announced the appointment of a new artistic director. In a press release, TPM has revealed that Marjorie Chan, former artistic director of Cahoots Theatre (2013-2019), will take the helm later this summer.
“I am ecstatic and humbled to be trusted with the artistic leadership of Theatre Passe Muraille,” says Chan. “It’s a company [that] has been at the forefront of collaborative and ground-breaking work for 50 years.”
An eye for accessibility
An award-winning actor, playwright, librettist, director, dramaturge, mentor, and artistic director, Chan has long prioritized accessibility and intersectionality in her work. During her tenure with Cahoots, Chan championed new artist works, while working towards the creation of the Deaf Artists Theatre Toolkit, a resource meant to foster closer relationships between arts organizations and the deaf community. She also spent time resurrecting Crossing Gibraltar, a performance program for marginalized communities, which won her a Canada’s Citizenship Award nomination in 2010.
Moving forward, Chan says her work towards accessibility and inclusivity will only continue with Passe Muraille.
“At the beginning of the year, I heard disabled artist and activist, Annie Segarra (@annieelainey) speak about the hashtag she created: #futureisaccessible. Ever since then, I have been whispering this anthem to myself. ’The future is accessible.’ To me, it is the driving aspiration of the next 50 years at TPM. I am so optimistic about the possibilities.”
In with the new
As the company readies for the transition, outgoing AD, Andy McKim says he’s excited about the future of the company under Chan’s leadership.
“I know that she will be bringing her progressive leadership skills, her boundless grace, her infectious humour and her big heart to this job,” he says.
Chan officially joins Theatre Passe Muraille on July 15.
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