Mirvish Productions to Dim Marquee Lights in Honour of Jon Kaplan

In the time-honoured tradition of acknowledging the loss of an important member of the theatre community, Mirvish Productions will dim the marquee lights of all its four theatres - the Royal Alexandra, the Princess of Wales, the Ed Mirvish and the Panasonic - on Tuesday, May 2nd, 8 PM, in honour of Jon Kaplan, who passed away on April 28th.

Mr. Kaplan was the founding theatre critic of the Toronto weekly publication NOW Magazine and remained with the publication until his death, a tenure of 36 years. He was instrumental in nurturing the careers of many theatre artists. Even when he was dispensing negative criticism, he was constructive and respectful - rarely choosing to score a funny barb at the expense of an artist's work. He championed original work, often from new artists and fledgling companies - he was one of the few people who would see everything at the Toronto Fringe from its inception. But he was as easily at home with classic work and established artists and companies.

David Mirvish adds: "It's never easy developing relationships with critics because you never want to feel as if you are influencing their opinions. Jon never compromised his opinions and always found a way to be truthful, thoughtful and gentle. He was a true man of the theatre."

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