Andy McKim has spent his professional life developing, dramaturging and directing new Canadian plays and has always valued the opportunity to tell resonant stories. He is known for his enthusiasm, fairness, good judgment and the ability to bring good ideas to the stage that are original in form and content. His contribution to Toronto theatre is unassailable.
In 1984, he arrived at Tarragon Theatre as an apprenticing dramaturge. From 1986 to 2007, he contributed to Tarragon’s growth as one of Canada’s premiere homes for new play development in his capacity as Associate Artistic Director, administering the Tarragon Playwrights Unit for over 20 years as well as its Spring Arts Fair. In that time he worked as a dramaturge with over 150 different writers, personally directing each of their public workshop readings.
In 2007, Andy McKim became the Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille where he has continued to nurture a great number of playwrights and demonstrated a singular talent in working with boards, communities and artists while producing memorable work. During his tenure, the theatre company has twice been recognized with the International Centre for Women Playwrights 50/50 Applause Award for gender equity. McKim has managed with thin margins of resources to continue the legacy of Theatre Passe Muraille, pushing the mandate and work into the present day.
Prior to moving to Toronto in 1984, McKim, who grew up in Quebec and attended Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, worked at Halifax’s Neptune Theatre (1976-1981) in a variety of capacities: house management, tour coordination, company management, stage crewing, audience development, assistant directing and, finally, directing on the main stage. From 1981-83 he observed, assisted and worked at a wide variety of theatres in the U.K., having been awarded a Gulbenkian Foundation Commonwealth Priority Grant for a two-year program as an apprentice director in both England and Scotland. He worked with over 40 directors including Sir Peter Hall.
Andy McKim has directed more than 50 different productions in Canada – nearly all of them world premieres. Most outstanding amongst them is 2 Pianos, 4 Hands by Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra which won a Dora Award for Outstanding Production (Tarragon Theatre), was nominated for a Chalmers Award, toured to a dozen communities in Canada, went to New York and has subsequently had numerous other productions around the world for the past 20 years.
McKim sat on the Dora Awards Board from 1993-1999 and the TAPA Board from 1993-1997. He served as TAPA President (then known as the Toronto Theatre Alliance) from 1997-1999, and sat on the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) board from 1993-2005, serving as President from 2002-2005. He has been recognized with a Harold Award, the Playwrights Guild of Canada’s Bra d’or award (for support of women playwrights) and TAPA’S George Luscombe Mentorship Award.