Theatre community mourns former Studio 58 and Caravan Farm Theatre artistic director Courtenay Dobbie
Director, playwright, choreographer, actor, and teacher worked on stages from Green Thumb to the Arts Club and beyond
Courtenay Dobbie.
TRIBUTES ARE STARTING to pour out for theatre artist and former Studio 58 and Caravan Farm Theatre artistic director Courtenay Dobbie, who passed away November 22.
“Her tenure as Artistic Director was marked by a seamless blend of tradition and creativity, as she brought new life to productions while honouring the land’s inherent magic,” David Hudgins, who has taken over the helm at Studio 58, posted in a tribute today. “Her loss is deeply felt across the Canadian theatre community, where her contributions will continue to inspire future generations. May her memory be a blessing.”
“At Studio 58, Courtenay became a vital mentor to a new generation of theatre professionals, fostering a spirit of creativity and resilience,” Studio 58 posted today.
Born in 1978, Dobbie was a Mount Royal College and Studio 58 alum who also held an MFA in directing from UBC. Dobbie fell for the natural landscape and sense of community at the outdoor Caravan Farm Theatre near Armstrong, B.C. when she played the lead in its Joan Henry in the summer of 2003. She later became artistic director of Caravan from 2010 to 2016, before beginning to teach acting back at Studio 58 in 2017. In January 2021, she stepped in as artistic director of Studio 58 to steer it out of the pandemic following the departure of Kathryn Shaw after 35 years. She had been on leave before she passed away; no cause of death has been released.
When her artistic directorship was announced at Studio 58, Dobbie said: “It is my goal to work with our students, staff, and professional colleagues in the global movement to find greater equity in our industry, while innovating in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Studio 58 graduate will remain the same: a highly skilled and creative professional responding to their world by making and participating in dynamic and inspired art.”
At Caravan Dobbie commissioned, created, developed, and directed 15 original Canadian world premieres as well as classic productions. Dobbie performed, directed, choreographed, or created for companies including Green Thumb Theatre (where she was artistic associate from 2008 to 2010), Theatre Melee (which she cofounded), the Arts Club Theatre Company, Vancouver Playhouse, Belfry Theatre, Axis Theatre, Neworld Theatre, Touchstone Theatre, Carousel Theatre, Great Canadian Theatre Company, Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Electric Company Theatre, Regina’s Globe Theatre, Alberta’s Vertigo Theatre, and Saskatoon’s Persephone Theatre.
Just a few of the productions she helmed include a version of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town at the outdoor Caravan Theatre that included local community members; Sleeping Beauty, Shout Sister, and The Hobbit at the Globe; the apocalyptic, satirical comedy Cozy Catastrophe (codirected with Craig Hall) at The Cultch with Theatre Melee; and a raucous Urinetown: The Musical at Studio 58.
“Courtenay's tenure ushered in a youthful energy and playful spirit, with summer shows like the spectacular The Notorious Right Robert and His Robber Bride (Sean Dixon), the hilarious Head Over Heels (Peter Anderson) the provocative The Tragical Comedy of Punch and Judy (Jacob Richmond), the luminous The Night’s Mare (Kevin Kerr), and the haunting and elegiac Our Town (Thornton Wilder),” Caravan Farm Theatre posted today. “She was a champion of new plays and playwrights, and deftly honoured this company’s legacy while adding to the canon.”
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched to support Dobbie’s surviving husband, Kim White, and two daughters through their time of loss.
“Courtenay Dobbie was a very amazing human, full of humour and depth and talent and heart and a truly grounded soul. She will be loved and missed by all,” award-winning actor Rebecca Auerbach posted on social media today.
Hudgins recalled Dobbie as a “beacon of inspiration, whose passion for the arts transformed those around her.” Dozens of respected theatre artists have expressed condolences to both her family and the Studio 58 community on the tribute so far today.
“Her calm warmth and deep curiosity made her an exceptional collaborator that always brought out the best in the artists she worked with,” Caravan posted. “To work with Courtenay was to feel part of a grand adventure lead by a steady, caring and joyful guide.”
In an interview on Studio 58’s site, Dobbie once recalled a moment as a young theatre student at the school that revealed the magic of stage performance that she would spend a lifetime passing on to others. “I remember hearing the audience murmuring as the lights went down, my heart full of energy feeling my nerves and passion. I remember hearing the opening music over my shoulder played on a violin by one of my fellow classmates—soft, serene, moving—and I remember believing that I was doing something important. That this story I was about to tell, being together with my fellow comrades, was important. It was a powerful moment for me.” 
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