Kelly Thornton (director)
{{short description|Canadian theatre director and dramaturge (born 1965)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kelly Thornton
| image =
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| other_names =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1965}}
| birth_place = Brockville, Ontario
| death_date =
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| nationality = Canadian
| alma_mater = University of Guelph
| occupation = Director
| years_active = 1994-present
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Kelly Thornton is a Canadian theatre director and dramaturge. She has served as artistic director of Nightwood Theatre and is the current artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Thornton was the co-head of Equity in Canadian Theatre: the Women's Initiative.
Early life
Thornton was born in Brockville, Ontario in 1965 and was the youngest of four children.{{Cite web|title=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia - Thornton, Kelly|url=http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Thornton,%20Kelly|last=Scott|first=Shelley|website=www.canadiantheatre.com|access-date=May 18, 2020}} At age nine, she moved with her family to Melbourne, Australia, but returned to Canada six years later.{{Cite news|last=King|first=Randall|date=October 3, 2018|title=Oct 2018: Royal MTC hires first female artistic director|language=en-CA|work=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/royal-mtc-hires-first-female-artistic-director-495078871.html|access-date=May 18, 2020}}
Thornton began university at the University of Western Ontario, where she considered studying psychology before changing her focus to English and philosophy. Thornton transferred University of Guelph where she double-majored in theatre and English. She graduated in 1994.{{Cite web|title=Women of the Northern Stage: Gender, Nationality and Identity and the Work of Canadian Women Stage Directors|url=https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/40117/research.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|last=Rollie|first=Emily A.|date=2013|publisher=University of Missouri|page=175-176|access-date=May 19, 2020}}
Career
In 1998, Thornton directed This Hotel starring her then husband, Alex Poch-Goldin. She directed This Hotel again in 2001 with Theatre Passe Muraille at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Thornton was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her direction of the 2001 production.{{Cite web|title=Women of the Northern Stage: Gender, Nationality and Identity and the Work of Canadian Women Stage Directors|url=https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/40117/research.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|last=Rollie|first=Emily A.|date=2013|publisher=University of Missouri|page=182|access-date=May 19, 2020}}
In April 2000, Thornton became the artistic director of the Rhubarb! Festival in Toronto. She held this position for the 2000 and 2001 festivals.{{Cite web|title=Women of the Northern Stage: Gender, Nationality and Identity and the Work of Canadian Women Stage Directors|url=https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/40117/research.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|last=Rollie|first=Emily A.|date=2013|publisher=University of Missouri|page=181|access-date=May 19, 2020}}
Thornton was appointed artistic director of Nightwood Theatre in 2001.{{Cite web|title='There is so much culture here': Incoming Royal MTC director making history|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4516408/new-royal-mtc-artistic-director/|last=Pfeifer|first=Sharon|date=October 6, 2018|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=May 18, 2020}} One of her first productions with the company was Djanet Sears' The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God. Adventures of a Black Girl was performed in 2001 with a budget Thornton has described as being larger than the entire seasonal operations budget of Nightwood at the time.{{Cite news|date=October 3, 2018|title=Kelly Thornton hopes to bring more diversity to Royal MTC as 1st new artistic director in 30 years|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/kelly-thornton-royal-manitoba-theatre-centre-1.4849074|access-date=May 18, 2020}}
Thornton was heavily involved in launching Equity in Canadian Theatre: the Women's Initiative with the Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. Equity in Canadian Theatre focussed on addressing the gender imbalance in leadership positions in Canadian theatre.{{Cite web|title=Nightwood Theatre bids a fond farewell to Artistic Director Kelly Thornton|url=https://www.nightwoodtheatre.net/blog/Farewell_Kelly|date=October 3, 2018|website=www.nightwoodtheatre.net|access-date=May 18, 2020}} Thornton served as co-head of the initiative.{{Cite web|title=Women making and attending theatre up. Women in charge of theatre still down.|url=https://praxistheatre.com/2009/12/women-making-and-attending-theatre-up-women-in-charge-of-theatre-still-down/index.html|last=Schwietz|first=Lindsay|date=December 18, 2009|website=Praxis Theatre|access-date=May 19, 2020}}
While Thornton was Nightwood's artistic director, she directed several productions including Véronique Olmi's Mathilde (2006, translated by Morwyn Brebne),{{Cite news|last=Scott|first=Alec|date=2006|title=Theatre|volume=40|page=111|work=Toronto Life|issue=5|issn=0049-4194}} Polly Stenham's That Face (2009),{{Cite news|last=Nestruck|first=J. Kelly|date=October 31, 2009|title=Close to overdosing on sensationalism|page=R10|work=The Globe and Mail|issn=0319-0714}} Jennifer Tremblay's The List (2010),{{Cite news|last=Nestruck|first=J. Kelly|date=October 16, 2010|title=Performed live in Toronto|page=R18|work=The Globe and Mail|issn=0319-0714}} Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad (2012),{{Cite news|last=Nestruck|first=J. Kelly|date=January 14, 2012|title=Fine female cast makes for magical myth|page=R9|work=The Globe and Mail|issn=0319-0714}} Anupama Chandrasekhar's Free Outgoing (2014),{{Cite news|last=Crew|first=Rober|date=February 2, 2014|title=Viral video tale turns soaplike|page=E2|work=Toronto Star|issn=0319-0781}} and Mary Vingoe's Refuge (2016).{{Cite news|last=Maga|first=Carly|date=April 24, 2016|title=An important and timely story, but something is missing|page=E4|work=Toronto Star|issn=0319-0781}}
In 2019, Thornton left Nightwood to become the artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Thornton is the first female artistic director of the RMTC. In the fall of 2019, Thornton directed Kat Sandler's play Bang Bang with RMTC, marking her Winnipeg directorial debut.{{Cite news|last=Koncan|first=Frances|date=October 1, 2019|title=Royal MTC artistic director Kelly Thornton on her new job and directing debut|language=en-CA|work=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/leader-of-the-pack-561890982.html|access-date=May 18, 2020}} As part of her tenure as artistic director, Thornton created RMTC's Bridge Festival. The Bridge was created to supplant the RMTC's Master Playwright Festival and was supposed to launch in 2020. However, due to COVID-19, the Bridge launched in 2021 with the theme Art and (re)Conciliation.{{Cite news|last=King|first=Randall|date=2021-03-12|title=Theatre fest brings together thinkers, doers, innovators|language=en-CA|work=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/theatre-fest-brings-together-thinkers-doers-innovators-573968052.html|access-date=2021-03-13}}
Thornton's inaugural season (2020/21) as artistic director was set to include the Canadian premiere of Network and a production of The Sound of Music, the latter of which she was to direct.{{Cite news|last=Thompson|first=Sam|date=February 3, 2020|title=Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre releases 'thrilling' 2020-21 playbill|work=Global News|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6499246/royal-manitoba-theatre-centre-2020-21-playbill/|access-date=May 18, 2020}} In June 2020, Thornton announced a "reimagined season", which included cancellations of Network and The Sound of Music, due to COVID-19 restrictions.{{Cite news|date=2020-06-27|title=RMTC plans 'reimagined season' for January: artistic director|work=CBC|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/rmtc-covid-season-january-plays-1.5630107|access-date=2020-08-14}}{{Cite news|last=King|first=Randall|date=2020-06-26|title=RMTC hoping shows can go on in January after scrapping fall slate owing to pandemic|language=en-CA|work=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/new-year-to-ring-in-half-salvaged-season-571505172.html|access-date=2020-08-15}} Thornton directed Sarah Ruhl's adaptation of Orlando in late 2021 as the RMTC's first in-person production in the pandemic.{{Cite news|last=King|first=Randall|date=2021-05-14|title=Daring RMTC season proceeds with caution|language=en-CA|work=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/daring-rmtc-season-proceeds-with-caution-574421082.html|access-date=2021-11-17}}
Personal life
Thornton was previously married to actor Alex Poch-Goldin. The two have a daughter named Chloe.{{Cite news|last=Ouzounian|first=Richard|date=August 8, 2013|title=SummerWorks' really big show: Alex Poch-Goldin's 'haunting' story has been 12 years in making|page=E1|work=Toronto Star|issn=0319-0781}} Thornton is currently married to Josep Seras.
Awards
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Award !Category !Work !Result !Notes !Ref. |
| 1997
|Alumnae Theatre Director's Award (University of Toronto) | |The Visit |{{won}} | |
| 2002
|Outstanding Direction of a Play/Musical |This Hotel |{{nom}} | |
| 2003
|Pauline McGibbon Award |Director |N/A |{{won}} | |
| 2004
|Harold Awards |House of Don McKellar |N/A |{{won}} | |{{Cite web|title=Tonight: The 2013 Harold Awards|url=https://www.mooneyontheatre.com/2013/05/13/tonight-the-2013-harold-awards/|last=Stein|first=Lauren|date=May 13, 2013|website=Mooney on Theatre|language=en-US|access-date=May 19, 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Harold Awards|url=https://www.haroldawards.com/|website=haroldawards.com|language=en-US|access-date=May 19, 2020}} |
| 2008
|Toronto YWCA Women of Distinction |Arts and Letters |N/A |{{won}} | |
| 2010
|Director | |{{nom}} | |
| 2012
|Dora Mavor Moore Awards |Outstanding Direction of a Play/Musical |The Penelopiad |{{nom}} | |