The Hamilton Spectator

Aquarius executive director rings down the curtain

Lorna Zaremba retires after 20 years at Theatre Aquarius

GARY SMITH

“I’ve attempted to make sure every moment of my life would be well lived.”

Lorna Zaremba, retiring executive director of Theatre Aquarius, is sitting in the sun outside the Hamilton theatre she has helped run for 20 years. She’s talking about how much passion she has found in life.

She’s also talking about new roads to be taken.

“I was born in Scotland. With a name like Zaremba, not MacDonald, not MacDougall, I must have seemed out of place.”

Zaremba says she had a chaotic childhood but that actually accounts for her strength and resilience now.

“My mother died when she was 30. My father had three little ones on his hands. He kept us together as long as he could, then we were taken to foster homes for care. When I was eight years old, I made a commitment to give myself a life of adventure. And yes, I have I walked the road less travelled.”

At 13, Zaremba worked in an Italian Café in St. Andrews, Scotland. “I’ve always worked. I eventually landed up working at the Royal Golf Course and that proved to be my ticket overseas. Who knew I would end up in the theatre?” she says.

“The arts were considered a frill in my family’s world. I’d never even stepped into a gallery, or a theatre. I’ve learned since how important such places are. They can challenge our assumptions and remind us of our common humanity.”

When Zaremba came to Canada in her early 20s, she knew no one and had $1,500 in her purse. She won’t tell you the year.

“Don’t even think of figuring out my age,” she laughs.

But, when she got here, her hoped-for job fell through.

“I spent two years punching out metal address plates in Oakville before Aquarius director Max Reimer asked me if I would like to be a consultant for fundraising. Then, when Ron Ulrich took over as artistic director in 2008, he asked me if I wanted to be general manager. He knew he needed to focus on artistic matters and he thought I could manage the governance of the theatre, and I’ve been here ever since.”

When COVID-19 imposed itself and the theatre was forced to close, things were tough.

“I came everyday and did my regular routine. I needed that consistency. I was determined not to lay

off any full-time staff. Thankfully, the government was a godsend with financial help.”

Still, she had no idea what the fallout of the pandemic would be.

“I couldn’t promise that the theatre would be here at the end of the closures. But, our subscribers are loyal. They stayed with us. Fifty per cent of them are still here.”

But, shows were announced then cancelled.

A new artistic director, Mary Francis Moore, arrived to replace Ron Ulrich. Issues of more diversity in programming and casting were addressed.

“The arts organizations have always led the way in diversity,” Zaremba says.

“But, the world has changed and we need to be changing, too. We need to be telling new stories. I think we’ve been pretty one-sided until now. I believe in equal opportunity for all. Being a woman, I know what it means not to be invited to be heard. Everybody belongs at this theatre.”

Zaremba agrees there will be rough times for theatre ahead.

“We need the community to support us. We’ve lost two years of revenue. So, when people ask us when we are going to do a big musical, we have to say, not right now. A musical, even a cheap one, costs about $700,000 to produce. We can’t take that kind of risk right now.”

She sees Theatre Aquarius as an important cultural anchor.

“The area around us is changing. We were orphaned off in a corner. Now new opportunities are coming. There will be retail and restaurants here and condos and apartments. This is a happening area around Aquarius. I’m just sorry I won’t be here to see it when it all happens.”

ARTS&LIFE

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2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

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