Elsa Pihl

Eastern Front Theatre was founded in 1993 as a Dartmouth-based company supporting the work of Atlantic Canadian playwrights. The original founders, Gay Hauser, Wendy Lill, and Mary Vingoe, brought a wealth of experience and nationally recognized talent to the company. They led the organization for nearly 10 years. Eastern Front Theatre was the resident theatre company at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth from 1999 to 2009. In 2009, Eastern Front Theatre relocated to Halifax where Neptune Theatre’s Scotiabank Stage became its home performance venue before moving home to Alderney Landing in 2021 under the guidance of Artistic Director Kat McCormack and General Manager Elsa Pihl. Over its 30+ year history, EFT has championed countless Atlantic Canadian artists through commissions, workshops, their annual Stages Theatre Festival, and development efforts like their Design Mentorship Program, Playwrights Unit and Creation Unit. EFT has produced or presented over 200 original Canadian plays, 32 of which were World Premieres. EFT has four Governor General Award nominations, one Nova Scotia Masterworks nomination, and 19 Robert Merritt Awards (out of 79 nominations).