Patrick McDonald has been the Artistic Director of Green Thumb Theatre since 1988; prior to that he was the Artistic Director of Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. He has directed over 75 productions for Green Thumb and has overseen the commissioning and development of more than 50 new plays for children, teens and young adults. He has commissioned work from emerging writers like Dave Deveau and Michelle Riml and established writers Morris Panych, Joan MacLeod and George F. Walker. During his tenure Green Thumb productions have won numerous Jessie Richardson Awards, several Betty Mitchell Awards, and three Canada Council Awards for Outstanding Production for Young Audiences. McDonald has been nominated for many awards and has received Jessie Richardson Awards for both directing and “continued excellence in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences”. In 2009 he received the Jessie Richardson Award for Career Achievement, and in 2013 he was a recipient of the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award. He has directed across the country at theatres including The Belfry, The Grand Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, National Arts Centre, Vancouver Playhouse, Gateway Theatre, Manitoba Theatre for Young People and Arts Club Theatre. He has been a two time member of the Canada Council’s Theatre Advisory Committee and has sat on many peer juries at the provincial and federal levels.
Linda Gorrie has been working as a professional arts administrator since 1984: as General Manager of the Vancouver Fringe Festival (1984-1988), Interim Executive Director of Open Space Gallery (1989), Executive Director of the Women in View Festival (1990-95), Administrative Director of Playwrights Theatre Centre (1998 to 2013), and Director of Finance and Administration for the Vancouver International Film Festival Society (2013 to 2017).
Business Management consultant to the PuSh International Festival and grunt gallery (2004 to present).
She also works as a consultant, mentor and business manager to arts and other not-for-profit organizations, such as the PuSh International Festival and grunt gallery (since 2004), which sometimes takes her to such far flung locations as Halifax and Winnipeg. Ms. Gorrie attended the University of Western Ontario, University of Waterloo, participated in the Banff Centre School of Management Arts Management Program (1987), was a member of the Executive Director’s Learning Circle (Vantage Point) and was awarded the Mary Phillips Prize at the 2005 Jessie Theatre Awards. Linda was the Treasurer of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) (2005-2015),Past Chairperson of the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation (2008 - 2015) and currently a board member for Neworld Theatre.
Rachel is an actor, playwright and now administrator born and raised in Vancouver. She made her professional acting debut with Green Thumb in their production of Souvenirs, and since then has appeared on stages across Western Canada. Her work as an actor has included new works, classics, musicals, and has taken her everywhere from a sold out 700 hundred seat theatre to a stage on the back of a flatbed pickup truck, performing in public parks for free. Rachel has been featured playing the cello, singing her heart out, and jumping onto a moving, four-horse chariot. Rachel’s first play, Still/Falling appeared in Green Thumb’s 2015/16 season, after comprehensive dramaturgical input from Patrick McDonald, and her second play, The Code will premiere with the company in 2018. Throughout her time as professional theatre artist, Green Thumb has always felt like home to Rachel, and has offered constant support to her in her artist endeavors, as an actor, playwright, and now arts administrator.
Born and raised in Richmond, BC, Breanne has worked as a professional Stage Manager for close to ten years. She graduated with honours from the University of British Columbia with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Production/Design, where she was the recipient of the Norman Young Scholarship for Theatre and the Dean of Arts Scholarship; while also completing the Fine Arts Program in Visual Arts at Langara College. Breanne has had the pleasure of working for various theatre companies across Canada, including; The Shaw Festival, Arts Club, National Arts Centre, among many others. She was also the Production Manager at Presentation House Theatre for the 2013/14 Season. Breanne is excited to bring her touring knowledge and experiences to Green Thumb Theatre, having completed many cross province and Canada tours. Breanne sits on the GVPTA’s Theatre Engagement Project board, has sat on the Jessie Richardson Theatre for Young Audiences jury and was a Stage Management Mentor with the Cultch’s Ignite program. Breanne is also the resident Set Designer for Beach House Theatre.
Ruth grew up in Steveston, British Columbia. In 2014 she graduated from the Production Program at Studio 58, where she was awarded the John F. Parker scholarship for Demonstrating Exceptional Promise. Since .graduation Ruth has worked as a professional stage manager in Vancouver for companies including Bard on the Beach, Neworld Theatre, Theatre Replacement, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Full Circle First Nations, Gateway Theatre and most recently Green Thumb Theatre for the 2016/2017 season tour of Alone Together. Ruth was awarded the Mayors Art Award for Emerging Theatre Artist in 2016
Aliya is a director, creator, producer, front of house manager, and arts administrator with a keen interest in socially engaged theatre. Previously, Aliya has worked administratively for the Leaky Heaven Performance Society, as rental manager for the Russian Hall in Strathcona, and as Program Coordinator for ROARS; an arts camp run by Leave Out Violence and Little Mountain Neighbourhood House. She is the founder and Artistic Director of The Troika Collective, a multi-disciplinary performance collective that uses Eastern European history and culture as a lens to explore universally resonant stories and themes. Aliya also performs with her own vocal group Vostok, specializing in music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Aliya holds a BA in theatre performance and political science from SFU
Shawn is a playwright and actor who has lived and worked in Vancouver since 1988. His work has been produced by Vancouver TheatreSports, The Arts Club, The Vancouver Playhouse, Touchstone Theatre and Pacific Theatre. His play Prodigal Son won the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award for Outstanding original Script. As an actor, Shawn has worked for most of Vancouver’s professional theatre companies, and performs regularly as a company member of Bard on the Beach. Shawn is the Instructor and Program Leader for the LEAP Playwriting Intensive for Teen Writers at the Arts Club Theatre, and aside from assisting Green Thumb’s Artistic Director, for the past four years he has facilitated the creation of The Edge Project, Green Thumb’s youth driven collective creation for high school students.
Susan has been an accountant for over 15 years, and with Green Thumb since 2011. She makes her home in Richmond, BC, with her husband and two twin boys.
