Join the Atlantic Presenters Association for their latest PD session, The Weird and the Messy: The Art of Programming Challenging Work, on Monday, November 23, 11:00 am–12:00 pm AST or 8:00 am–9:00 am PST.

Register here!

Ever wondered how to program a show that might fall just outside what your audiences are accustomed to? Join three APA member presenters as they discuss what that process looked like for their organizations—the good, the bad, and everything in between. We will also dive into a curated list Q&A-style discussion on the topic, as well as opening the floor for any questions you might have!

About the panellists:

Janet Larkman (she/her) is Executive Director of King’s Theatre, a 220-seat historic venue in the Kespukwitk region of Mi’kma’ki/Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Janet has worked in community and the arts for the past 30 years, with a focus on diversity, community engagement, and the performing arts.

Kat McCormack (she/they) is a theatre artist from Dartmouth/Punamu’kwati’jk with a passion for playful, devised work and collective creations. As the Artistic Director of Eastern Front Theatre, Kat aims to create a supportive and accessible environment for artists to push the boundaries of Atlantic Canadian storytelling, as well as their own artistic practice. Through EFT, Kat has spearheaded an Industry Series for independent producers, an annual micro/MACRO creation unit for collaborative design of digital and non-traditional interactive installations, a Design Mentorship Program for underrepresented artists, and a series of accessible Study Groups for community learning. As an artist, Kat has helped to create new works with companies such as ZUPPA, Shakespeare by the Sea, Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, The Villains Theatre, Eastern Front Theatre and others. Kat has been named Best Theatre Actor in The Coast’s Best of Halifax issue five times, and is a four-time nominee for the Theatre Nova Scotia Merritt Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Direction, and a two-time nominee for the Screen Nova Scotia Award for Outstanding Performance. In 2025, Kat was awarded the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal for service to arts and accessibility, and was recognized in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for exceptional contribution to theatre in Nova Scotia.

Bethany Stout, Assistant Executive Director, in charge of Communications & Programming at Imperial Theatre in Saint John, NB. Bethany has been working in the arts for over 25+ years; first in the urban weekly newspaper world and then in theatre. She now programs annually 35 to 40 multidisciplinary shows at an 840-seat traditional proscenium theatre, as well as a small, on-stage, 120-seat series. Claim to fame: having the longest title in theatre history.