Curtain Falls on Vancouver's Blackbird Theatre

Vancouver theatre company Blackbird Theatre announced on April 25 via a press release that it has ceased operations. The company formally closed its doors in December 2016.

In the release, the company pointed to lack of support from funders as the cause: "Despite excellent critical response and audience retention, and despite strong support from the City of Vancouver, Blackbird was never able to secure consistent support from other key public funders and ultimately was required to cease operations due to lack of resources."

Blackbird Theatre was founded by artistic director John Wright in 2004 and, for 12 years, staged productions of classic theatre pieces, from Euripedes's Hecuba to Beckett's Waiting for Godot. The company's statement ends that it "remains hopeful that members of the next generation will pick up the torch, ensuring that classical theatre continues to live in the hearts and minds of Vancouver audiences."