{"id":107332,"date":"2024-09-03T16:58:32","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T20:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=107332"},"modified":"2024-09-04T13:14:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T17:14:46","slug":"interview-ross-manson-and-andrew-adridge-talk-about-volcano-theatres-growth-international-productions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/09\/03\/interview-ross-manson-and-andrew-adridge-talk-about-volcano-theatres-growth-international-productions\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Ross Manson And Andrew Adridge Talk About Volcano Theatre\u2019s Growth & International Productions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Volcano
Volcano Managing Director Andrew Adridge (L) and Ross Manson, Founding Artistic Director (R) (Photo courtesy of Volcano Theatre)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toronto\u2019s Volcano Theatre recently announced the appointment of Joel Klein<\/strong> as the company\u2019s first ever Director of Touring and Global Collaboration, effective August 1, 2024. It\u2019s the kind of title and position that most Canadian theatre companies would have no place for, and that global vision is part of what sets Volcano apart.<\/p>\n

Joel\u2019s job will be to oversee and manage Volcano\u2019s national and international touring endeavours, of which there are currently several.<\/p>\n

One of the projects Klein will be responsible for is Volcano\u2019s new Standard of Care model. It\u2019s the result of an extensive review of their operations that took place during the pandemic, along the lies established by the We See You, White American Theater (WSYWAT) alliance of arts workers and their Principles for Building Anti-Racist Theatre Systems.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s particularly important when the nature of Volcano\u2019s projects are taken into account \u2014 performance projects that involve touring Black and racialized companies into spaces where the majority of the audience will be White. How artists are treated and supported during the process is crucial. The policies, which include what is called an Asymmetrical Co-production agreement, were created over an extended time period of consultation and collaborative work between diverse arts workers and other stakeholders.<\/p>\n

The new expansion has also included the hiring of Managing Director Andrew Adridge, and installing three new board members: Rose Genele, a strategic growth consultant; Melissa Chetty, a senior manager, whose CV includes working with The National Ballet of Canada and in the Ontario Public sector; and Adam Davids, a Toronto-based US entertainment lawyer.<\/p>\n

\"Soprano
Soprano Neema Bickersteth and baritone Cedric Barry in Scott Joplin\u2019s Treemonisha (Photo: Dahlia Katz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ross Manson, Founding Artistic Director, and Andrew Adridge, Managing Director, Volcano Theatre<\/h3>\n

LvT spoke with Ross Manson, Founding Artistic Director, and Andrew Adridge, Managing Director, Volcano, about the new appointments and directions for Volcano as the company expands.<\/p>\n

Current projects include\u00a0Scott Joplin\u2019s Treemonisha<\/a>,<\/strong> which, despite being composed in 1911, premiered at Luminato Festival 2023 in Toronto. Treemonisha is set for its international premiere at the Harris Theatre, in Chicago, on May 2, 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other productions in various stages of development or on tour include:<\/p>\n