EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Fringe Theatre's executive director, Adam Mitchell, is stepping down.
The organization's board of directors made the announcement Tuesday.
“Adam has provided admirably calm and steady leadership during his five-year tenure with Fringe,” Fringe Theatre board chair Shivani Naidu-Barrett said in a news release. "He will be greatly missed by the organization and the community, but we are excited to see what the future holds for him.”
In a written statement, Mitchell said he's proud that the organization has returned to its roots as the place where international artists "thrive" in Edmonton.
“I have been a fringer for more than 20 years,” he said. "I have been a proud agent, advocate and supporter of the organization."
"In my time as executive director, I have seen the Fringe experience for artists, staff and patrons grow as we’ve transformed its operations, governance structures, artistic pursuits, and community connections. We’ve renewed commitments to long standing relationships and built new ones.”
Megan Dart has been named interim executive director by the organization's board and will oversee the production of the 40th Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival.
“I am honoured to support Fringe in this time of transition,” Dart said in a news release. “I am incredibly grateful to the Board for the opportunity to collaborate with Fringe’s passionate and talented team in the coming months as we navigate an uncertain Festival season due to evolving health restrictions and pandemic realities.
The process of finding a permanent successor will begin in the fall.
Mitchell and Dart will work with the Edmonton Fringe's artistic director, Murray Utas, along with the board on the succession timeline and recruitment process.
