Leadership
Kelly Thornton has been the Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre since 2001 and has been directing for the stage for over 20 years. In 2003 she was honoured with the prestigious Pauline McGibbon Award as well as being nominated in 2010 for a Siminovitch Prize in Theatre. At Nightwood she co-spearheaded Equity in Canadian Theatre: the Women’s Initiative, a national study with Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, which examined the status of women in Canadian theatre. Directing credits at Nightwood include The Danish Play (which toured Aveny-Teatret, Copenhagen, Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Edmonton and National Arts Centre and was nominated for 2 Dora Mavor Moore Awards), That Face, Wild Dogs, (both in association with Canadian Stage), Bear With Me, (Grand Theatre, Magnetic North tour), Mathilde, and the world premiere of China Doll (Governor General’s Award Finalist). Other credits include The Comedy of Errors (Canadian Stage, Dream in High Park); This Hotel (Theatre Passe Muraille/Planet 88-6 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations including Outstanding Direction); So Many Doors (Yukon Arts Centre/Sour Brides/Magnetic North, Vancouver); Peep Show (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), The Dumb Waiter (SummerWorks), and The Visit (Alumnae Director’s Award) among others.
Her recent undertaking of Nightwood’s 4x4 Festival and Directors Summit saw over 150 inter/national delegates descend upon Toronto to network, train and engage in a discourse on the nature of the director’s practice. She has taught at various institutions and was recently named Associate Director of The National Theatre School of Canada’s Directing Program. In 2008, Kelly was recognized for her commitment to training and mentorship of young women in the performing arts by being named a YWCA Woman of Distinction (Arts & Letters).
Denyse Karn has been working in the Canadian theatre for over 25 years as a producer and designer. Her history with Nightwood Theatre goes back to the 1980’s when she designed the original production of Good Night Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet. She was Artistic Producer of In Good Company Theatre, who toured the award-winning play God’s Middle Name to the Magnetic North Theatre Festival and across the country. Denyse was the Associate Producer at Eastern Front Theatre as well as Producer and Programmer of their SuperNova Theatre Festival. Her experience with touring and festival planning led her to sit on the national board of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, where she is Chair of the Industry Relations Committee. She is a recipient of a Chalmers, Dora Mavor Moore and five Theatre Nova Scotia Merritt Awards and was nominated for the Siminovitch Award in Theatre in 2006.
