Andrey Tarasiuk would give a young artist a chance, inspiring confidence and helping launch careers.
A former associate artistic director and head of new play development at the Stratford Festival, Tarasiuk's penchant for accepting new and emerging talent and encouraging their growth was perhaps his best gift to others through five decades in the arts.
Tarasiuk died at his Stratford home on June 28 at the age of 71. Tarasiuk and his husband, John Miller, shared 40 years of life together, living in their oft renovated circa. 1865 home in Stratford for more than three decades.
"He was always looking for the talent that was not always seen, and not seen because of an uncommon surname or skin colour," Miller told StratfordToday. "There are many, many performers, who would say for that reason...they would not be where they are if not for Andrey bringing them on, giving them a chance."
Born in Manitoba, Tarasiuk graduated from the National Theatre School in Montreal. He was a young dancer with the inaugural company of the Rusalka Dance Ensemble.
He produced summer regional productions of Canada's national multiculturalism shows, including Just A Kommedia, which received widespread acclaim at Vancouver's Expo 86. He also produced the one-woman show, Luba, Simply Luba, featuring comedienne Luba Goy.
Tarasiuk held the position of founding producer for Toronto's Dream in High Park.
At Theatre Direct, his productions were often controversial yet consistently captivated educators and students alike.
At the Stratford Festival, former artistic director Richard Monette appointed Tarasiuk as his associate artistic director and head of new play development for eight seasons.
He was a guest director, instructor and lecturer at the National Theatre School of Canada, The University of Winnipeg and the National Arts Centre.
Tarasiuk served as a board member for numerous Canadian organizations including Stratford Arts Foundation/Stratford Summer Music, Toronto Alliance for Performing Arts and the Professional Association for Canadian Theatres.
He received awards and distinctions including both the Derek. F. Mitchell artistic director’s award and the Tyrone Guthrie award from the Stratford Festival and was the co-recipient of the Kobzar literary award for Luba, Simply Luba.
“With sudden alacrity the curtain has descended on a genius in the artistic community," said Luba Goy. "As a former dancer and founder of the Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, he was a handsome and elegant man in both speech and manner.
"I had the joy of knowing Andrey for many decades and working with him on some of our most personal pieces. We both shared a love for our Ukrainian heritage and in Luba, Simply Luba, we put that history at the centre of it. He was a great listener, so collaborative, and he inspired the best in the performers he worked with. He was a born storyteller, a beautiful soul, a social butterfly and had a great sense of humour."
Tarasiuk joined Pleiades Theatre in 2009, becoming the company’s first artistic producer in 2017. He commissioned and produced award-winning multicultural dramas in new translations, including The (Post) Mistress by Tomson Highway, Shakuntala by Kalidasa translated by W. J. Johnson, The Post Office by Rabindranath Tagore translated by Julie Mehta, The Sound of Cracking Bones by Suzanne Lebeau translated by Julia Duchesne and John Van Burek, and Besbouss: Autopsy of a Revolt by Stéphane Brulotte translated by John Van Burek.
Tarasiuk was about to retire from active theatre leadership at the end of June.
"His leadership with Canada's leading theatre companies is well documented," said Ash Knight, artistic producer, designate, Pleiades Theatre. "However, his greatest gift was giving people hope and encouragement. He loved theatre practitioners and always wanted them to feel as passionate about their art as he did. One always left a conversation with him smiling and feeling inspired. I am sorry that another generation won't benefit from his wisdom, experience, and love.”
Miller told StratfordToday that he is heartened by the number of messages and responses pouring in for his late husband. They include a message from Spain, where a friend of Tarasiuk's will light a candle in a cathedral, he said.
"He was a beautiful, generous, kind, creative man and incredible partner for 40 years and a man who lived his heritage, spent all of his career having it framed by the fact that he believed in the variety of Canada and the multicultural advantages we have in Canada," Miller said.
His acceptance of talent and hard work, regardless of race, gender or other factors, was ahead of its time, he said.
"It was well in advance of today...it was groundbreaking."
Miller recalled a young playwright presenting an idea to Tarasiuk that was rejected by a number of directors.
"Andre said yes, we are going to do it and it was a very successful production, but Andre was the one guy who gave this young man a chance and gave him an opportunity. That playwright is now the leader of a Canadian theatre company."
Miller, the founding artistic director of Stratford Summer Music and its AD emeritus, said the couple lived for the arts, and life in Stratford.
"We have a home here that we loved. He loved Stratford. It was just quite wonderful."
A celebration of life will be held at the Studio Theatre at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10 in Stratford.
