Drew Facey, celebrated set and interior designer, mourned by Vancouver arts community
Colleagues and friends are taking to social media to remember award-winning talent
Drew Facey put his creative stamp on shows across the Arts Club, Bard on the Beach, and far beyond.
FRIENDS ACROSS Vancouver’s arts community are mourning the reported passing of Drew Facey, a set and production designer who brought his distinct creative visions to the Arts Club Theatre Company, Bard on the Beach, and far beyond.
He had moved to Merida, Mexico, during the pandemic to launch a new career as an interior designer and was working for a firm out of New York City,
“We are devastated to share that beloved designer Drew Facey has passed away. Drew was a great friend and artistic collaborator to so many of us at the Arts Club and his work was always steeped in beauty,” the Arts Club Theatre Company posted this afternoon. “He most recently designed our new Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage lobby refresh. But you will also be familiar with his work designing sets for productions like Cost of Living, Onegin, and Calendar Girls, and the sets and costumes for productions like The Sound of Music, The Matchmaker, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
“He will be greatly missed, not only for his stunning contribution to our art form, but also for the positive spirit and love he brought to his work here at the Arts Club and to so many companies locally and across Canada.”
Facey’s standout credits include the Shaw Festival’s Me & My Girl, the Arts Club’s hit Onegin, Bard on the Beach’s Timon of Athens and Lysistrata, and Vancouver Opera’s Marriage of Figaro. He was as adept at bringing to life the graceful Von Trapp mansion in the Arts Club’s Sound of Music, the slick modern elegance of Timon of Athens’ table set, or the retro-chic Italian costumes for Merchant of Venice at Bard as he was at conjuring the grimy, sinister apartment of Arts Club’s The Humans or the rundown Kolkata quarters of Touchstone Theatre’s Brothel #9.
Arts Club artistic director Ashlie Corcoran remembered him today on Facebook as a “genius artist” and “my main creative partner”. Like many others pouring their condolences out on the web today, she also recalled him as “fun, fun, fun” and a loving friend.
Across his stage career here he took home an astounding 18 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards for outstanding design, with more than 30 nominations. In 2014 alone, he was nominated for seven Jessies and won four. He also received a Jessie for Significant Artistic Achievement for a body of work.
Born and raised in Kelowna, Facey studied at Concordia University in Montreal, at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and at Studio 58, graduating in 2007.
In 2020, he, like so many performing-arts creatives, saw the bulk of his jobs evaporate with the pandemic. That’s when the avid globetrotter took the bold step of pivoting, launching Drew Facey Interior Design & 3D Visualization, while renovating an old home in the atmospheric Yucatan colonial city of Merida into a showpiece.
His alma mater Studio 58 posted: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of friend and collaborator Drew Facey, who graduated from our production program in 2007. Drew went on to have a prolific career as a set and costume designer across Canada. As a student he was known for his kindness, generosity, wit, and unquestionable artistic sensibility.
“Drew came back many times to design for our mainstage productions. You’ll remember his stunning design work for Cabaret (2019), Angels in America (2016), and Oklahoma! (2015). Not only did he design these beautiful sets, but he provided mentorship, support, and inspiration to many students.
“Our thoughts and love are with his husband, family, and friends during this time. Thank you Drew for your immeasurable contribution to our community. You will be dearly missed and forever remembered.”
Facey’s influence on the arts crossed this country. Rosebud Theatre artistic director Morris Ertman, whose company is based in Edmonton, posted today, “Drew Facey, extraordinarily talented Scenic Designer, passed away this week. Rosebud Artists and Patrons will know him from his stunning design for Ron Reed’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol, starring Nathan Schmidt.
“Drew was not just talented. He was generous. He donated the use of his design when we produced the show during COVID and when we remounted it just a few months ago. He was more than an artist. He became an artistic donor and patron of the art we staged together. He supported us when we needed a hand.”
Update: A GoFundMe page has now been set up to support Facey’s surviving partner Kelly Murphy. It attributes Facey’s passing to complications from a full body inflammation that began in October, causing a low red blood cell count and a serious form of anemia.
The page has already raised more than $21,000.
Drew Facey’s design for the Arts Club’s acclaimed production of Sound of Music. Photo by Emily Cooper
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