Jenna Rodgers on mentorship, inclusion, and keeping the Roxy’s spirit alive
Originally an Art Deco-style movie house, the iconic Roxy Theatre opened its doors in Edmonton in 1938 and operated as a cinema until 1989, when the Theatre Network took over the space to create a live theatre venue. Through its work with Nextfest (Edmonton’s young and emerging multi-disciplinary arts festival), the Roxy Theatre became synonymous with birthing new artists and being the first theatre where many would have their “big break.” Halfway through the Theatre Network’s 40th season, in January 2015, the beloved theatre burned down. As the saying goes, the show must go on, and so, the team at Theatre Network wasted no time finding alternative venues to finish off the season. More than seven years later, in April 2022, the new theatre opened in the same spot as the original venue — marking a fresh start to an already well-developed legacy.
More recently, the theatre appointed Jenna Rodgers as its new artistic director. Born and raised in Edmonton, Rodgers earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Alberta before founding Chromatic Theatre in Calgary, where she helped develop and produce work for and by artists of colour. Now, in her new role with Theatre Network, Rodgers plans to lead the artistic vision with a focus on diversity and inclusion while striking a balance between honouring history and helping new artists thrive and new stories emerge.
The Roxy has become a symbol of resilience in Edmonton. As you step into this role, how do you plan to honour the old Roxy’s legacy while establishing a new identity for the space?
I think the question we need to consider is, “What is the heart or essence of the Roxy Theatre, and how do we pay homage to it through creative practice?” There’s something so essential in our partnership and relationship with Nextfest and nurturing a new generation of artists. I think about the time I spent on Nextfest and my time in the Roxy as being my first gritty, real theatre experience. It felt like, “I’m with real artists and yeah, this building’s old, but we’re really doing it!” Now we have a shiny new building, but what good is a building if we’re not inviting people in? We will never survive into the future if we aren’t listening to the voices of the up-and-coming. So I think paying homage to the Roxy is knowing that even though the building is nice and new, everyone belongs here. Everyone is welcome, and I genuinely want to hear the voices of our community members and our young artists. I want to make sure they don’t ever feel alienated from that space.
What’s your strategy for scouting and cultivating
local playwrights or actors who haven’t yet found a mainstream stage?
I think the strategy remains rooted in community building. I am active in the theatre community and go to one or two shows a week just to get out and see what is out there.
Growing up in Edmonton, it’s easy to get caught working with the people I already know, but I’m making an effort to see new work. I’m also involved with our provincial arts service organization, Theatre Alberta, and have run the Artstrek summer camp for teens for the last five years, so it’s safe to say I have a finger on the pulse of what is happening in terms of new talent.
But I would be remiss to not say that part of Theatre Network’s history has been about creating a home for mainstay Canadian artists like Karen Hines, Ronnie Burkett, Colleen Murphy, or Brad Fraser. So, while I think it is important to develop new relationships, there are significant long-term relationships too, and we mustn’t neglect the extraordinary work of the past. I don’t want those artists to feel like their time’s over. I think there is also a great opportunity for mentorship. We can ask our artists, “How can we build a meaningful relationship, or who would you like to connect with?” There is a lot of meaningful thought work to happen in that conversation, which will hopefully result in exciting things to come.
Your background at Chromatic Theatre was rooted in racial diversity. What does a diverse story mean specifically to you, and how do you avoid the trap of performative representation?
Diversity is messy and imperfect, and while most of my experience has to do with racial diversity, there are many other forms of diversity. Going in with an awareness that I’m not going to get it perfect, and being willing to listen when someone tells me where we may have misstepped (or even a perceived misstep) is important. For instance, if we are only doing three shows in a season, we know there’s more than three communities that need representation. But over time, I want the pattern to skew more to diversity. I’m excited to be working in a theatre company that allows me to tackle diversity from a broader perspective. I don’t want to do things sloppily, and so there may be a good reason why I’m not representing a certain community in one season, and maybe we can work together to make that community representation meaningful in the years ahead. Being intentional is so important.
For anyone walking through the theatre doors this year, what can they expect to feel and experience differently under your artistic direction?
I think what you’ll see next year is a reinjection of energy. We will be having some bigger shows in partnership with other organizations as a way to kick off the theatre season and welcome folks back to the theatre. We have several exciting shows coming up, including Oh, Anne!, a four-person adaptation of the Lucy Montgomery classic Anne of Green Gables with an East Coast twist. It is a presentation by Carter Ryan Productions, where Bridget Ryan is the director and Jason Carter is our set designer, so those are some familiar names Edmontonians will recognize. That show runs from September 17 until October 18, 2026. This show will also be happening in tandem with an art and sculpture presentation of Jason Carter’s work at the Miller Art Gallery. We think theatregoers will really get a sense of these true-blue Alberta artists and their deep love for this city. In the 2027/2028 season, you’ll get a clearer sense of my artistic voice and vision, and of my curatorial practice.
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