Who We Are
About ECT
Essential Collective Theatre is a not-for-profit registered charity located in St. Catharines that exists to produce contemporary Canadian theatre with a focus on new plays and Niagara work. ECT prides itself on mentoring local emerging artists, supporting playwrights, and of course, telling stories that hold up a mirror to the Niagara Region.
Mission
We create intimate and compelling theatre performances that reflect our region’s unique identity and provoke conversations about our past, present, and future. At the core of ECT’s vision is further developing the Niagara Region’s performing arts community by supporting and retaining local theatre professionals and emerging artists with artistic collaboration and mentorship to inspire creative energy and fresh perspectives.
Values
History
Before incorporating as a not-for-profit in 2006, ECT operated as a partnership between founders Jason Cadieux and Stephanie Jones (1998 to 2005). Under the name “The Essential Players” the co-founders mounted three productions collaborating with a variety of theatre practitioners including Carol Bolt (One Night Stand), Michael Healey (Scenic View), and Sarah Stanley (17.5).
These projects and the artists who worked on them were extremely influential in the formation of our current mandate to create original works and present contemporary Canadian playwrights. Upon incorporating we became Essential Collective Theatre (ECT) and the company has continued to produce two full productions per year along with special projects to reflect, engage and give back to the community.
In 2014, Artistic Director Monica Dufault launched into a “Season of Change” with ambitious growth moving ECT from a project-based model to a company with annual activities engaging professional artists under the ITA. She established two annual education/outreach programs: Playwriting for Youth and Senior Stories.
In 2018 Colin Bruce Anthes, with a career emphasizing new, innovative, and collaborative works became our Artistic Director. After Colin’s departure, the board and various former ADs have continued the work of ECT, focusing on “Niagara First” in our programming and working with various community organizations to produce innovative programming that engages local audiences.
Our intergenerational annual project Senior Stories, which ran for several years thanks to support from the Government of Canada’s Canada Student Summer Jobs program, gave voice to Niagara’s older adult population and had an enormous community impact on both local and regional seniors and the next-generation artists who created an original play out of their stories.
With the high-risk health implications for our senior community during the pandemic, we altered the program in 2020 and 2021. Throughout the summer, emerging artists conducted interviews with a wide range of community members safely outdoors in downtown St. Catharines. A new play was created out of these interviews under ECT’s guidance and direction and through the use of our space and resources, was presented in a live dramatic reading during Culture Days.
Since 2020, ECT has produced everything from an award-winning documentary (during COVID) to a drag cabaret to a lecture/reading series that leveraged the rich content of The Welland Canal Play to commemorate 200 years since work began on Lock 1. ECT’s artistic content has been managed by a committee consisting of board members and past ECT artistic directors.
Board of Directors
Cindy Goldrick
CHAIR
Cindy has chaired the board of ECT since 2018. She is retired from her job as a consultant now and focuses on her passions of making art – from junk journals to art jewellery to painting. She had a long career in arts organization administration in publishing, film/television and outdoor cultural festivals.
Kevin Hobbs
Artistic Chair
Kevin Hobbs is an actor, director and writer, known for his collaborative approach to theatre-making. His work as an artist is focused on community engagement through story-telling and story-sharing. He has been a theatre artist since 1990.
His plays have been produced in St. Catharines, Toronto and across Canada. He produced Labbit Night in Toronto, an annual event to provide new playwrights the opportunity to write short plays for on-site performances (think stairwells and elevators). Audiences in the Niagara region will best know his writing through “The Welland Canal Play”, a work produced by Essential Collective Theatre in 2017.
He is also a researcher and educator, employing narrative theory, social justice perspectives, and theatre/performance methodologies in his academic work.
But most importantly, he likes to play. And theatre is a sandbox of infinite possibilities!
Miao Zhang
Treasurer
Miao Zhang is a proud new Canadian, bringing both creative passion and a financial background to ECT as its Treasurer. With an accounting degree and experience in the staging business, they are uniquely positioned to support the company’s artistic endeavors and its financial aspects. Miao is thrilled to be a part of the vibrant Niagara arts community and is dedicated to helping bring captivating stories to the stage.