Leslie Lester Awarded TAPA's 2012 Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award
By: Kelsey Denette Jun. 05, 2012
The Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award (LMJH Award) was inaugurated in 2008 and recognizes the important work of theatre, dance and opera administrators. Recipients of the LMJH Award have at least 10 years of demonstrated commitment to the performing arts, in addition to having made an impact on the industry in Toronto. The award is named after Leonard McHardy andJohn Harvey, the celebrated owners of Toronto's Theatrebooks, which they co-founded in 1975, and now stands as one of the longest surviving independent bookstores in the country.This year's recipient is Leslie Lester, a deeply committed and extraordinary administrator and producer who has had a profound impact on Toronto's performing arts community. For more than two decades, Leslie Lester's rare combination of artistic sensibility and show-business savvy has enhanced the work of hundreds of theatre artists and many companies - from novices to our greatest stars, from the newest plays to the classics. She has supported the work of artists with both passion and joy, and has been a willing and active mentor to many, perhaps her greatest legacy. She brings confidence and passion to each theatrical enterprise, inspiring and nurturing the same in her colleagues.
Her tenure with Michael Hollingsworth and Deanne Taylor's VideoCabaret from 1991 to 1998, first as Stage Manager and soon after as Contract Producer, saw her pour her creative energy, humour, fine aesthetics and natural leadership into the daunting logistics of the company's multi-character and multi-media productions, helping to produce twelve new plays, two remounts and, as a peerless volunteer, organize major annual fundraising events. During her time there, VideoCabaret won 12 Dora Awards, with a further 20 Dora nominations.As Producer for Nightwood Theatre (1994-2001), she guided the creation, with Artistic Director Alisa Palmer, of over a dozen productions including the world premieres of Anything That Moves by Ann-Marie Macdonald (Dora Award for Outstanding Production), Harlem Duet by Djanet Sears (Dora Award for Outstanding Production) and Random Acts by Diane Flacks.Lester first joined Soulpepper Theatre Company in 2001 as Producer, was named Executive Producer in 2004, and has been in her current position as Executive Director since 2006. That same year, she also took on her concurrent and ongoing role as Managing Director of theYoung Centre for the Performing Arts. Not only has she helped create a New Theatre Company and a training ground for younger artists with Artistic Director Albert Schultz, she headed the design and building process for the Young Centre handling architects, engineers, consultants, construction budgets, timelines, and the thousand details that constitute the creation of a 50,000 square foot multi-venue arts complex, proving she can work on any scale.
Using her experience and expertise in the building of the Young Centre, Lester was able to play an invaluable role on the Community Advisory Committee (2009-2011) for the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre, due to open Fall 2012.The previous winners of the LMJH Award are Jim Lefrancois, Naomi Campbell, Natasha Parsons and Ghislain Caron. The LMJH Award is administered by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). Candidates for the LMJH Award are nominated by TAPA members and then reviewed by a committee. Chaired by Sandy Tulloch, the LMJH Selection Committee is Derrick Chua, Leonard McHardy, John Harvey and Jacoba Knaapen. The award winner receives a plaque and a cheque for $1,000 through the generous sponsorship of Elizabeth Comper.The Dora Mavor Moore Awards is a program of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA).TAPA represents nearly 200 professional theatre, dance and opera companies in Toronto. In addition to the Doras, other programs and services provided by TAPA include: T.O. TIX - Toronto's Official One Stop Ticket Shop at Yonge-Dundas Square and online at www.totix.ca; Toronto's official Theatre Guide; hipTIX, offering $5 tickets to students between the ages of 15 and 29; citySPECIAL; the Commercial Theatre Development Fund; and the Travel Retreat Initiatives Program. For more information visit www.tapa.ca and www.totix.ca.
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