International Women’s Day 2025 Spotlight: Anne Brown

“Anne Brown has been more than a supporter of Alberta Theatre Projects. She has been its greatest champion, its strongest advocate, and its unwavering backbone.” – Haysam Kadri

With International Women’s Day around the corner, the ATP office staff was brainstorming ideas for someone tied to the organization we wanted to highlight and celebrate. It was a short meeting. The first name suggested was agreed upon, unanimously.

Anne Brown. Or, as she’s known in her professional life, The Honourable Justice Anne J. Brown. Provincial Court Judge, Alberta Court of Justice.

Her friends and colleagues recognize her as an ambassador for justice, a champion for arts and culture; generous, community-minded, driven by civic duty.

And an absolute theatre nut.

Anne’s passion for justice and empathy is wildly evident when talking to her. A voracious reader with a curious mind, her desire to always better understand this world and the people in it is apparent, as seen through her love of theatre, languages and travel; chances to “[see] the world through someone else’s eyes,” as she puts it.

Her career in criminal justice and her love of theatre are connected. And her ambassadorship for both indicates a heart driven toward seeing a world set right; one of empathy and understanding, fairness and justice.

Her support of Alberta Theatre Projects is unparalleled, subscribing for decades and donating generously in support of new Canadian works, youth programming, and bringing quality theatre to the Martha Cohen stage. She has brought countless people to this theatre, sharing ATP with as wide a network as she can. She has been a strong and stabilizing presence through times of economic downturn and uncertainty, through tragedy, and through the frightening years of the pandemic.

“Anne Brown has been more than a supporter of Alberta Theatre Projects,” says Artistic Director Haysam Kadri. “She has been its greatest champion, its strongest advocate, and its unwavering backbone. Through her leadership, generosity, and deep love for this organization, she has helped shape ATP’s legacy and ensured its continued success. Her impact on our theatre community is immeasurable, and her passion will be felt for generations to come.”

So, on this International Women’s Day, it is our great privilege to introduce you to Anne Brown – the person, the force, the friend. We hope you’ll be as inspired as we are.

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Anne Brown was born in England, moving to Canada before the age of 2. Her father was an engineer and a member of the Royal Navy in Britain (Plymouth), and met Anne’s mother, a Canadian, in Bermuda. The two decided they wanted to live in Canada, so her father transferred to the Canadian Navy and came over to his first posting in Halifax on the HMCS Bonaventure. Anne and her mother followed on a passenger ship. Anne’s brother was born in Halifax, and the family eventually settled in Ottawa when Anne was part way through grade 2.

Her first experience with the theatre was when she was only 11 years old. Her parents had taken Anne and her brother back to England for the first time since moving to Canada, and the family went to see Oliver! the musical in the West End. She absolutely loved it.

The next year, the Charlottetown Festival brought Anne of Green Gables the musical to Ottawa. Anne was never much interested in reading the book, so her mother proposed a deal:

“My mother, knowing how much I enjoyed Oliver!, said, ‘I will take you to see Anne of Green Gables the musical – but ONLY if you’ve read the book!”

That did the trick. And by then, Anne was hooked, attending shows and performing in plays at school. In grade 9, she acted in her high school’s production of Edward Albee’s The Sandbox. Anne played Grandma, the play’s main protagonist.

As much as she enjoyed acting, she never wanted to make it her career, deciding from an early age that she wanted to be a lawyer.

“I think I was about 15 when I read the Steven Truscott story by Isabel LeBourdais. Infamous wrongful conviction, terrible story… [LeBourdais] was a journalist, and really, it was because of her work that, eventually, years later, [Truscott] was exonerated. But at the time (1959), he was 15 years old, and he was actually arrested, charged and convicted in very short order and sentenced to death! So really, that’s what made me want to be a lawyer, and it was always criminal law that I wanted to do… I wanted to do something where I felt I was making a difference.”

Anne came west in 1977 after graduating from Queen’s University with a degree in Economics. After working for a year in England, she sent her resume off to the Banff Springs “I figured I could always go west and ski and wash dishes!” She was offered a position in payroll. She then worked as an income auditor and personnel manager, moving from the Banff Springs to Lake Louise to the Palliser. But before long, she started along the path of fulfilling her dream of becoming a lawyer.

She attended law school at the University of Calgary from 1981-1984. Then, after graduating and working with a litigation firm, then in the Prosecutor’s Office, then at the Securities Commission doing enforcement work, her love of Criminal Law saw her return to the Prosecutor’s Office where she became the province’s first Organized Crime Prosecutor. Three years into this, she was appointed.

When asked whether she thought there was a connection between her passion for the law and justice, and her love of theatre, she agreed wholeheartedly that there was.

“Oh yes. And it saddens me so much to watch the world today. There’s such a lack of empathy, and lack of understanding… lack of care for other people. If you can get people in a theatre, you can move them, I think.”

“[Theatre] is the most awesome empathy-builder you could ever find… [it] has that in spades, because if you really are prepared to willingly suspend that disbelief for the next hour, hour-and-a-half, two hours… you can inhabit someone else’s world.”

An arts lover and huge fiction reader, she comments on why she thinks theatre – being there, live, in the room – is different than reading a story.

“I think it’s because you also have to engage in wordless communication with other people. It’s really interesting because there are two ways that’s happening: because you’re not just using your own imagination – you’re being given little prompts in terms of the setting and […] set design and props – it almost invariably requires that you suspend your disbelief. So, there’s that element of it – you’re working with the people on the other side of the fourth wall. And there’s also this fascinating thing that’s going on with you as a member of the audience. Because that’s the other character. But it’s a multifaceted character.”

It is difficult not to be completely pulled in when hearing Anne talk about theatre. She lit up when recounting some of the details from one of her favourite ATP’s productions: Oliver Twist (1998).

“There was a scene when someone was being lashed, so, on stage left was the person administering the lashing, and what he was doing was just holding the handle of the [whip], and he [made the motion to lash], and there was a sound cue for the crack… and it was so timed that the person being lashed would wince when the lash would have hit his back. That is classic theatre! Because you’re requiring the audience to get on board and put the pieces together. That’s the magic of the theatre.”

To Anne, so much of this magic is the playful working partnership between the play and the audience.

“That’s why I think [Robert] Lepage is such a genius. Because he does that game where he’s also letting you into this totally immersive experience.”

Anne is a huge fan of Robert Lepage’s work, a renowned Canadian playwright, actor, film director, and stage director known for his highly original stage and film productions.

“[Lepage] understands how to enhance live theatre. There was a big rush to embrace all sorts of technology as it became more accessible. And I saw some awful things! It was as if, ‘Oh, I’ve got to use the technology because it’s there!’”

She recalled a production of Les Mis where the character Jean Valjean is running through the sewers, and the scene was accomplished entirely through light and sound. And then, seeing another production, was disappointed when the same scene simply placed a projection of the sewers behind the character. “It was as if we were watching a film. We were no longer in the Paris sewer.”

Anne attends a multitude of theatre and arts performances in Calgary, but there was something about ATP that caught her attention. As someone with wide and eclectic tastes, and not one to shy away from darker material, ATP felt more like Anne’s type of theatre.

“It wasn’t staid. It really engaged. There was always something interesting. Lots of different styles too.”

The play at ATP that prompted Anne to become a subscriber was Candide (1990), a co-production with Calgary Opera. Following that production, she became a subscriber to both ATP and the Calgary Opera.

As a subscriber, donor, and superfan, Anne’s experiences at ATP extend far beyond just seeing the shows. She was a member of the Board of Directors and served as Board President for 7 years, and continues to serve as a theatre ambassador.

“I give theatre tickets to people whenever I think they might be interested. That usually does the trick. Or I’ll bring them along with me.”

More than that, Anne runs an annual fundraiser during ATP’s Family Holiday Show, selling 150 tickets to her colleagues of the Criminal Bar and Bench in order to raise much-needed funds for the Calgary Drug Treatment Court.

During ATP’s 2013 playRites production of Joan MacLeod’s The Valley, a play inspired by the 2007 death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport, dramatizing the often volatile relationship between law enforcement and people in the grip of mental illness (Courtesy: Talonbooks), Anne organized a seminar for ATP audiences and the public about PACT (Police and Crisis Team), a partnership between Alberta Health Services and Calgary Police Service that responds to situations involving individuals experiencing a mental health, addictions, or psycho-social crisis (Courtesy: AHS).

Anne has attended special events and fundraisers (from ATP’s previous annual fundraiser, Celebrity Hors d’Oeuvres to the new-last-season summer event, Backyard Bash), joined in ATP’s summer trips to the Stratford Festival, and contributed packages to ATP’s Extraordinary Experiences Online Auction – bidding on and winning more than a few.

One such package saw her win a walk-on role during the 2024 production of Charlotte’s Web – a walk-on role that coincided with her CBA fundraising event!

Laughing, she recalled, “It was fabulous! It was so much fun! Those actors, they were so generous. I have this walk-on, with three words to say, and so, of course, I’ve got 150 people in there who know me, so they cheer when I come on. It was hilarious. And then, I took a bow at the end. Anyway, it was loads of fun. I’m certainly hoping the same package is up for sale this year.”

She mentions this and special events like the River Cafe donor dinner and the Backyard Bash when asked about her favourite memories at ATP.

But ultimately, for Anne, of course, it all comes back to one thing:

“I just… I like the plays! I like the plays.”

A few final rapid-fire questions for Anne:

What have been some of your favourite shows at ATP?

• The Valley (2013 playRites) – “A really powerful play”
• Butcher (2014) – “I really like dark. I watch a lot of dark stuff.”
• Ghost River collaborations The Highest Step in the World (2010) and The Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst (2015) – “Crowhurst was very Robert Lepage-esque”
• Angels in America (Part 1 & 2, 1996, 1997)
• Falsettos (1999) – “Terrific. I did that terrific solo, I Am Breaking Down, for my singing teacher’s year-end recital… As with anything, I like musicals that have a bit of an edge, and it had an edge.”

Is there a show you’ve always wanted to see at ATP on the Martha Cohen stage?

“One I really remember was Dana H. [at Crow’s Theatre, Toronto]. It was unbelievable. It was one of the most shattering things I’ve ever seen.”

“I saw another [show] of [Crow’s Theatre] that was done in Farsi (Persian) with Opera titles, and it was incredible too. Just astonishing.” (Editor’s note: the play is called, Earworm)

“And, I’m an enormous fan of Miriam Toews. Women Talking would be fabulous onstage.”

Half-joking, she adds, “I’d think I’d died and gone to Heaven if you could get Lepage here to [direct] something for the Martha Cohen! That would be so magical and boy, you could sell that one out!”

What are your hopes for ATP’s future?

“I’d really like to see the return to being well-known in the whole country for presenting Canadian new work, and new work from around the world that speaks to people and moves people.”