The Grove Theatre — a new outdoor performance venue in Fenelon Falls in the City of Kawartha Lakes — has announced the hiring of Nicole Myers-Mitchell at its first general manager.
Myers-Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a degree in acting from the University of Windsor. In 2006, she moved to Toronto where she worked as an actor and stage manager, as communications and enrichment manager with Volcano Theatre and Peggy Baker Dance Projects, and as development coordinator and manager of corporate development and special events with Opera Atelier out of the Elgin Theatre.
She was also producer and then general manager for Shakespeare in the Ruff’s 2014 and 2015 seasons. Most recently, she has worked as associate producer at Roseneath Theatre in Toronto.
“I am thrilled to be working with Nicole as general manager,” says Christy Yael, artistic director of The Grove Theatre. “Nicole comes with a wealth of experience in the performing arts that lends itself perfectly to the long-term vision of The Grove Theatre.”
Myers-Mitchell will be relocating to Fenelon Falls with her husband and two-year-old son. While she has worked in Toronto for the past 14 years, she is also familiar with small-town life, having been born and raised in Wallaceburg in southwestern Ontario.
“We are all very excited by the appointment of Nicole to The Grove Theatre,” says Tim Wisener, co-founder of The Grove Theatre.
“Nicole’s experience in arts leadership and administration is exactly what the organization needs to continue its growth. Nicole’s passion for the good the arts can do is infectious and her excitement about living in a small town made her the perfect fit for the organization.”
VIDEO: Introducing The Grove Theatre in Fenelon Falls
The only outdoor performance venue in Kawartha Lakes, The Grove Theatre was created with the help of the Kawartha Works Community Co-operative, a collective that supports a wide range of not-for-profit initiatives that benefit the local community.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation provided the co-op with a $143,700 grant for the construction of the amphitheatre, with members of the local community providing additional support.
The potential audience for The Grove Theatre includes the 75,000 residents in the surrounding community, along with the area’s additional 31,000 seasonal residents, as well as visitors from elsewhere in the Kawarthas and the GTA. Organizers believe the new attraction will provide a substantial economic benefit to the local community, especially Fenelon Falls.
Built into the garden grove of the Fenelon Falls fairgrounds, the 450-seat open-air venue will host professional performances ranging from musical theatre to Shakespeare plays. Although construction of the amphitheatre was planned well before the pandemic, the outdoor venue also allows for COVID-safe performances.
The Grove Theatre is currently planning its inaugural production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – The Musical! for summer 2021.
For more information about The Grove Theatre, visit www.grovetheatre.ca, where you can also order tickets for the upcoming summer production.
