Robert Kenneth Baker (born May 11, 1952) is a retired Canadian theatre director most known for his work as the artistic director of the

Citadel Theatre The Citadel Theatre is the major venue for theatre arts in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located in the city's downtown core on Churchill Square. It is the third largest regional theatre in Canada. History It began in a former Salvatio ...

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, from 1998 to 2016.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Baker completed his bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre at

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...

in 1974.

Career

In 1972, during his undergraduate studies Baker co-founded Alberta Barter Theatre in 1972. He worked at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, from 1974 to 1979. Baker returned to Edmonton in 1982 as the artistic director of Phoenix Theatre. While there, he guided the company towards contemporary works featuring social commentary and a strong visual element, both of which still characterize his work.

Canadian Stage Company

In 1990, Baker became the artistic director of

Canadian Stage Canadian Stage is a non-profit contemporary performance arts company based in Toronto, Ontario, ''Canada''. About Canadian Stage Canadian Stage is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies, based in Toronto, Ontari ...

. While there Baker directed ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' by Stephen Sondheim. In 1997, he directed the entire seven-hour

Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...

epic ''

Angels in America ''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award f ...

''.

Citadel Theatre

In 1998, Baker moved back to Edmonton to become the 12th artistic director of the

. He would serve as the artistic director from 1999 until 2016, becoming the longest serving AD of the company. One of Baker's most lasting impacts was the direction of a new adaptation of the

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

holiday classic '' A Christmas Carol written by Baker's partner Tom Wood. This production was one of the

's most ambitious. Playwright Tom Wood would also play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. The production involved a large cast that included over a dozen youth performers. Baker and Wood's adaptation would become an Edmonton holiday tradition, lasting 19 years. During his tenure at the

, the company developed several unique programs supporting artists, these included the Foote Theatre School and the Robbins Academy. Baker also oversaw the development of an advanced training program for theatre professionals at the

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...

. Bakers time at the Citadel ended in 2016 when he stepped away from his role as artistic director. He was succeeded by

Daryl Cloran Daryl Cloran (born July 30, 1974) is a Canadian theatre director and, currently, the artistic director of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta. Formally the artistic director of Western Canada Theatre, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada ...

. Baker would remain with the Citadel in the role of artistic director emeritas until 2018. In June 2019, Baker was expelled from the

Canadian Actors' Equity Association Canadian Actors' Equity Association (CAEA) is an association of performers in English Canada who are engaged in live performances before paying audiences in theatre, opera and dance. It negotiates agreements and working conditions for its members ...

, in response to complaints from actors in Edmonton.

Awards and honors

Honors

Bob Baker is a member of Edmonton's Cultural Hall of Fame, a recipient of the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

for exceptional service, excellence and community involvement; the University of Alberta's Distinguished Alumni Award; and a PACE award from Alberta Association of Colleges and Technical Institutes.

Awards

* Dora Mavor Moore Awards - 4 nominations & 1 win *

Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award (also known as the Sterling Award) is a local Edmonton, Alberta award presented annually which honours excellence in theatre. The award covers a number of categories, including production, performance, direction ...

s - 8 nominations & 5 wins

Personal life

Baker's partner of over 40 years is playwright Tom Wood. They have collaborated on many productions, including Wood's adaptation of '' A Christmas Carol'' and original plays ''Make Mine Love'' and ''B Movie''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Bob 1952 births Living people Canadian theatre directors People from Edmonton Canadian artistic directors