Companies see Soulpepper scandal as wake-up call

TORONTO — The sexual misconduct lawsuits filed this week against Soulpepper Theatre Company and its founding artistic director are serving as a wake-up call to similar organizations throughout Canada’s arts scene, industry members said Friday.

Companies said efforts to tackle sexual harassment in the field were underway long before four actors levelled explosive allegations against Albert Schultz and Soulpepper this week.

Diana Bentley, Hannah Miller, Patricia Fagan and Kristin Booth alleged in their statements of claim that Schultz groped them, exposed himself, pressed against them, or otherwise behaved inappropriately.

Schultz, who resigned from Soulpepper on Thursday, said he will “vigorously defend” himself against the allegations, which have not been tested in court.

While concerns about harassment were already on the industry radar, the Soulpepper situation will likely ensure they receive more attention in the coming months, said Mark Aikman, director of development and communications at Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

“Certainly it’s a wake-up call and a reminder that no place, no industry, is immune from that kind of thing,” he said.

Aikman, who said his organization is still reeling from the shock of the Soulpepper news, did not speculate on whether concrete changes were coming at the company. But he said Buddies in Bad Times will continue with a monthslong initiative to provide resources to performers who have concerns or anxieties about sexual harassment on the job.

Those resources are provided as part of a campaign launched by the Canadian Actors Equity Association, working in conjunction with the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. The antiharassment effort, dubbed Not in Our Space, followed a survey of performers across the country.

Equity said in a statement that the results clearly indicated action was needed. Half of all participants reported experiencing some form of inappropriate behaviour in their workplace, with women twice as likely as men to report they’d been sexually harassed.

Not in Our Space promotes a zero-tolerance approach, with participating theatres adopting a statement to that effect on the first day of rehearsal for any new production. Theatres in the program must also prominently display brochures and posters that let performers know what help is available. Equity said the number of people coming forward has increased since the campaign began, but did not provide specific figures. Equity also said a meeting of people involved in the live performance sector will take place later this month to discuss an industry-wide response.

Numerous theatre companies, including Toronto-based Factory Theatre, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Company and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, have signed up for Not in Our Space program.

Meanwhile, playwright and author Ann-Marie MacDonald says she experienced “exploitation, bullying and harassment” while working as an actor with the Soulpepper Theatre Company in 2009.

MacDonald has published a letter on Facebook recounting her experiences while staging Top Girl, a high-profile production launched by one of the country’s leading theatre companies.

MacDonald was the production’s equity deputy, responsible for raising workplace issues that arose among union members.

She alleges Soulpepper leaders “laughed off” concerns over a fundraising event where dinners with female cast members were auctioned off.

She said the cast did not know about the fundraising idea in advance and there was “a sense of outrage and disbelief” and “a strong wish” to skip the dinners, although the actresses were concerned about repercussions.

MacDonald said she was “surprised and distressed” to find her concerns were rebuffed.

MacDonald also filed a formal complaint with her union, the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. She said Soulpepper ultimately issued an apology to the cast, although the dinners went ahead as planned.

Soulpepper did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

MacDonald said she decided to release the letter publicly after hearing about the sexual-assault and harassment allegations levelled against Schultz.