Prairie Theatre Exchange GM Cherry Karpyshin to retire after 50 years in Winnipeg theatre

She has been called the human encyclopedia of Winnipeg theatre and after 50 years in the business, Cherry Karpyshin is retiring as general manager of Prairie Theatre Exchange on Dec. 21.

Karpyshin arrived on the doorstep of 160 Portage Avenue East on Dec. 6, 1965, where she crossed paths with John Hirsch and went on to meet a number of people who enriched Winnipeg's theatre community. She sat down with CBC's Terry McLeod to talk about her life and career in the city's theatre community.

Was your dream to work in theatre?

I had a real love of ballet. I had dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. My dad put up a ballet barre downstairs and I would work really hard … I used to go [to ballet classes] every Saturday. I practiced at home but I think it just wasn't in the cards for me.

My dad actually took me to the Chrysler Corporation head office [in Toronto, where he worked] and outside all of the managers' offices was a secretary in either a pale blue or pale pink suit … I thought, 'I want to be one of them. I want to be the best executive secretary or executive assistant that one could imagine.'

Did you and John Hirsch cross paths after you started at the Manitoba Theatre Centre, now 50 years ago?

Yes. When I arrived on the doorstep of 160 Portage Avenue East on Dec. 6 1965, I walked in and I was greeted by Linda Trott, the then-administrator of the school. Eddie Gilbert was resident director and John was still there, John Hirsch, but he was going to be leaving the post and Eddie had been appointed artistic director.

So, John and I — very briefly — crossed paths but we would cross paths again as the years went on in that space that Linda Trott introduced me to staff.

What made you go to Prairie Theatre Exchange in 1981?

December and me seem to have a connection because I left MTC, I believe it was around mid-December of 1975 because I was very pregnant and daughter was impending. She was supposed to be born mid-January but surprised us on Jan. 3 so I had left MTC in order to have a baby, delightful little creature she was.

I was a stay-at-home mom for nearly six years. I did freelance work. I worked for the ballet, I worked for contemporary dancers, MTC … Colin Jackson, who was a teacher in the MTC theatre school called me in the summer and said, 'So, Cherry, are you interested in coming back to work?' and that was in August 1981. I said I would be delighted to have the conversation so we chatted and he offered me the position of office manager and I started at what was then Manitoba Theatre Workshop in 1981.

You were there in the transition to the new identity of the theatre, right?

In a way I was, yes. MTC closed the theatre school in the spring of 1972 and I sat with parents … because they really didn't want the school to end. Charles Huband, who is a life member on our current board had three children in the school. David Huband is a very successful actor in Toronto, so it's lovely to see students who have actually made their career in theatre.

How many artistic directors have you worked with in the span of 50 years?

Probably 10.

Do you remember how many plays in total you helped … along in one way or another?

I actually had been thinking about that. As one approaches retirement, you reflect a lot, I think, on the past. At least I have, and for me, with great delight … If I saw at least six plays a year — and when I was at MTC I probably saw 12 plays a year because we had the warehouse series as well as the main stage — I don't know, 500 plays.

The human encyclopedia of Winnipeg theatre. What achievements in your 50 years are you most proud of?

The behind-the-scenes support to ensure that the artists are supported, the directors are supported, that we give them all the tools that they need in order to bring what I call the magic of theatre to life, to share with the audiences … I think about that all the time, and I think that's what's really been special to me.

In more recent years one of your great accomplishments is the PTE Capital Campaign and what that allowed that theatre to do.

Yeah, absolutely ... We raised 2.7 million dollars. We were on budget, on time, all the bills were paid. We were absolutely delighted.

Carman Johnston, your communications managers at PTE now, told me a story about you and a special donation campaign that was started at PTE in your name with modest but good target.

Carman came to me and he said, 'Cherry, we need to do something for your retirement … what do you think about a dinner?' I said, 'Carman, you won't sell any tickets,' [laughs]. But, I also said all the people I want there to do it as a fundraiser couldn't afford it. Like, all the artists and the emerging artists that I'd love to have there, they couldn't afford it. So, we have to do something else. So, then he went away and he came back and he said, 'Okay, what if we do a legacy campaign?' … I've been at PTE for 34 years. [He said], 'Let's make it $34,000 and I'll send out the letters and make the request.' ... Well, we are now — I was gobsmacked — we are now over $46,000 dollars, I think.

So, you have to stay for another 12 years.

Yeah [laughs]. I'm so glad that people value PTE the way they have that they support us by buying tickets but they also have contributed to the PTE foundation trust, which was amazing.

You are such a gregarious soul. I'm surprised that you've never been on the other side of the curtain.

No. It's never been an attraction for me, I'm kind of like the behind-the-scenes girl … That works for me.

What will you miss most?

The people, absolutely. Without question.

I don't regret for a second making my decision with the board .. telling the board this was going to be my retirement. That's fit really well both in my professional and personal life but I am desperately going to miss the people. It's what live theatre is; it's live theatre on stage, it's living people in the audience. When we do a school tour, I often visit a school and see those little smiling faces like oh, my god. That, to me, is what theatre is about.

The interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.