Shirley Third-Genus has been appointed the new Executive Director for the Rebecca Cohn Auditorum at the Dalhousie Arts Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Originally from Vancouver, Shirley has a long and successful track-record in the area of theatre and arts management both in Canada and the U.S. Currently traveling the States with Elmo, the Cookie Monster, Big Bird and other stars of the Sesame Street Live: Make A New Friend tour as the show’s Company Manager, Shirley first entered the field of arts production in 1983, taking on stage management duties for such renown festivals and performance companies as the Stratford Festival, the Canadian Opera Company, the Charlottetown Summer Festival and others.
After working in stage management and other roles for the World’s Fair in Vancouver and the Moscow Circus, Shirley moved to Norfolk, Virginia, in 1999 to work as Operations Assistant for the 60-member Virginia Symphony Orchestra. This led to senior positions with the Virginia Arts Festival between 2003 and 2010, including Director of Facilities Management for two facilities and later as Co-ordinator of Special Projects, where she produced shows and outdoor events.
Shirley returned to Canada in 2010 to serve as Production Manager for York University’s Department of Theatre. Working with students was a highlight of her two-years in this position, which involved budgeting, overseeing operations and maintenance for the department’s studios and theatres, managing capital projects, along with co-ordinating publicity and productions.
An opportunity to return to theatre management prompted Shirley to return to the States in 2013, first as Theatre Director of the Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Utah, where she spent two years, then for a short stint as Interim General Manager for the historic National Theatre in Washington, DC. While in Utah, Shirley successfully lobbied the State governor to support a school program in a bid to build bridges among the diverse ethnic communities in the area.
A graduate of business, computer programming and finance from Centennial College in Toronto, Shirley Shirley looks forward to moving to Halifax, which she has visited several times over the years while on tour with various performance groups.
Shirley will begin in her new job on January 3, 2017.