Ivan Habel

Ivan Habel is the General Manager of the Belfry Theatre, in Victoria, BC. He was interviewed in March 2009, while he was the General Manager of the Green Thumb Theatre Company, in Vancouver.
You are originally a Montrealer; what brought you to Vancouver?
Green Thumb Theatre! I had worked in a number of theatres throughout eastern Canada after graduating from the NTS, including working for three seasons as Director of Planning and Education at the Stratford Festival. At that point, however, I felt that I wanted to make a major shift in my life and was planning to leave the business altogether. It was then that Green Thumb Theatre offered me the opportunity to come to Vancouver head up the administration of the theatre. So while it meant that I would remain in the business, moving to the west coast was definitely the major shift I was looking for!
What would you have done if you hadn’t been approached by Green Thumb Theatre?
I was actually thinking of going back to school. I was contemplating law school!
What aspects of your job do you most enjoy?
I enjoy working with all the staff on planning both the upcoming season and the long-term vision for the company. We work in a solid team environment and, as a result, people are free with their views; that freedom helps the company formulate very strong directions for itself. In the end though what brings the most enjoyment are the shows. Most of the work we do is new and newly commissioned. It’s enjoyable watching a piece grow from an idea into a full production. We’re also fortunate in having Patrick McDonald as our Artistic Director, as I think he is an exceptional dramaturge/director with playwright and script. His clarity adds to the excitement of watching a new play come to full life. His ability to work with both new and experienced playwrights and his care and patience with the many young actors we work with are unparalleled in my experience.
What aspect of your training at the NTS did you find most useful when you began your career?
I think it’s the fact that all aspects are covered at the School. Being at the NTS is like being in a company; this gives students a real taste of how the industry works. Because the NTS is a specialists’ school, everyone concentrates on their specialty, but there’s interaction and engagement between the sections. This constant interaction enables students to get a complete idea of how to produce a work and gain an understanding of all of the components of theatre.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in today’s market?
There’s definitely an active demand out there. If you’re in it for the love of theatre, you can do something you really enjoy and make a pretty good living out of it. Keep an eye out for opportunities for technical direction and production management, because there’s a real need for qualified people.
Finish this sentence: “If I’d known then what I know now…”
I would have stuck with university or better yet entered an abbey! It would also be nice to not be on the “Freedom 135 plan,” but you can’t have everything (and retirement is highly overrated … isn’t it?). Seriously though, I think I wouldn’t have changed anything. I’ve traveled the world and worked in every major city in the country, so what’s not to like about that?