February 3, 2019

4 Questions: Sue Edworthy

50 Years of Disruption
This article is part of our series 50 Years of Disruption, in celebration of the Department of Theatre’s 50th Anniversary. In it, we’ll ask each participant four questions about themselves and their time at York.

1. Who are you?

Sue Edworthy
Sue Edworthy

 

Sue Edworthy (BFA Spec. Hons 1995) I’ve worked in the non-profit performing arts for nearly twenty years and am a self-described city enthusiast. I’ve had stints in theatre, dance and opera organizations in and around Toronto such as Luminato, Opera Atelier, and Theatre Passe Muraille. I am a 2010 Harold Award recipient and recipient of the CharPR Prize for best publicity 2012 and 2013, and the 2015 recipient of the Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Arts Leadership. I am a former Board member for The Toronto Fringe (7 years!) and The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, and a current Board member for the Canadian Dance Assembly and Expect Theatre. I’ve also worked on the 2010, 2014 and now 2018 editions of Artsvote.

I’m currently a part time instructor at Ryerson Theatre School and Humber College, and I run Sue Edworthy Arts Planning, a freelance marketing/PR, producing and strategic planning company for the Toronto independent arts community. I’m also a member of Arts Consultants Canada.

For more info or to contact me, visit www.sueedworthy.ca, or you can find me (Sue Edworthy Arts Planning) on Facebook or follow me on Twittter @sueedworthy.

2. What was your favourite moment during your time in the Theatre Department, and why?

Greek and Medieval stagings, hands down. They stopped doing them after our year – they were a real eye-opener to the 163 first year theatre folks on putting together every element of a show. “you want to be an actor? Nope – you’re stage managing this.” Costumes designed and made with  – borrowed – sheets, lunch orders in iambic pentameter to practice. We survived Greek Weekt-shirts.  It was so much fun and so much stress and we were all in it together supporting each other and our class.  A definite bonding moment, for better or for worse!
And just so everyone knows – there is no placefor a couch onstage in a Greek tragedy. Are we clear?

3. What comment, quotation, statement, or action that a professor—or classmate—offered had the greatest impact on you?

You know what the problem is? You don’t want to be a director, you want to be a producer. You are a producer. You think like one. We have a good directing program, so stay in it—but keep producing.” – Professor Joseph G. Green.

Joe was the first person to recognize these traits in me; prior to him saying this they were “director” traits, or “stage manager” traits. He saw the whole picture and in his gruff yet somehow endearing way, made me realize where I really wanted to be.

4. Is there a way you incorporate a particular aspect of your theatre training in your current work?

I am never late. Thank you, Jeff Henry.

Sue Edworthy at work
Sue Edworthy at work!