2008
Addy Doucette came to Antigonish with her family in 1979 and worked for St. Francis Xavier University, where she ran Theatre Antigonish for 29 years, producing an annual program of classics, musicals, modern plays and a One Act Play Festival. Theatre Antigonish, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2015, has introduced numerous young people to careers in theatre and music, hosted many touring companies, and fostered an integration of town and gown.
In 1988 Addy founded Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre, a professional company producing a mixed repertory Main Stage program, as well as a Concert Series and drama workshops for young people. FAST expanded to include a Children’s Series, often producing new work for young audiences, as well as a Late Night program which gave first productions to primarily Nova Scotian plays, premiering work by Daniel Macivor, Sheldon Currie, Mary-Colin Chisholm, Yvette Nolan, Carol Sinclair, Mary Ellen Maclean, Bryden
MacDonald, Wanda Graham, Mike Petersen and others, many of which went on to subsequent productions, toured widely, and are still being regularly produced. FAST furthered the careers of a generation of Nova Scotia’s actors, playwrights, stage managers, directors, designers and other theatre artists. In the early 1990’s Addy oversaw a major renovation of the Bauer Theatre.
