WJT’s purpose and mandate:
- To present plays on themes of Jewish interest and/or plays by Jewish playwrights.
- To reach across communities through the presentation of universal and socially relevant plays and engage our audience in dialogue.
- To provide a vehicle for neophyte actors, playwrights, directors, technicians to participate in professional theatre.
- To encourage the development and presentation of new Canadian plays of Jewish interest and/or by Jewish playwrights
Winnipeg Jewish Theatre was established in 1987 and is a non-profit, Canadian, professional theatre company. Bev Aronovitch served as the founding artistic director and was succeeded by Kayla Gordon, Mariam Bernstein, Michael Nathanson, and the current artistic director, Ari Weinberg. WJT began its life as a community theatre producing two plays a year. In 1992, WJT became a professional theatre company and a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. WJT operates under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Theatre Agreement negotiated with Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
- WJT opened in 1987 with an audience of 700 people.
- In February 2011, The Globe and Mail chose to recognize WJT as “one of the gutsier theatre companies in Canada.”
- At the inaugural Winnipeg Theatre Awards in 2017, WJT’s production of The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez received awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play (Ray Strachan) and Outstanding Design (Brian Perchaluk, Set; Scott Henderson, Lighting; Paul De Gurse, Sound). The production was also nominated for Outstanding Production.
- WJT celebrated its 30th anniversary during the 2017/2018 season.