Jerri Southcott resigns as executive director of Astor Theatre

Jerri Southcott has resigned from her job as executive director of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad / File photo)

The Astor Theatre will soon be without an executive director for the third time in the past 15 months.

Jerri Southcott, who took over the top job at the historic Liverpool theatre in February, recently tendered her resignation.

Her last day at the Astor will be Aug. 9.

In a letter to members of the Astor Theatre Society, the board said Southcott is resigning for personal reasons.

In an interview on Tuesday, Southcott told QCCR she didn’t want to go into details. But she said she decided to return to her career with the federal government.

“At this point, it’s a personal decision and it’s the right one for my family and me right now.”

Before she took the Astor job, Southcott worked in communications for Health Canada and with other federal departments. And before that, she worked as a journalist with CBC and Advocate Media.

Southcott, who lives in Mahone Bay, was in the job for just over a month when associate artistic director Ashley-Rose Goodwin resigned. That set off a firestorm among some in the community, angry that Goodwin was no longer at the theatre.

Some of Goodwin’s supporters vowed to oust the Astor board. That didn’t happen and the controversy eventually died down. 

But the episode at times was heated and personal.

Southcott said that did not play a part in her decision to leave.

“I have a real passion for the organization, for the Astor Theatre. I see a lot of potential and hope there is somebody who will take over and realize its potential.”

John Simmonds, chairman of the Astor Theatre Society, said Southcott did a lot of great things in her short time as executive director.

“She’s been a stalwart and accomplished some significant things with grants and operations and community outreach and contact. So we’re very sad to see her go.

“Jerri was very much happy in her job. She loved what she was doing and she saw the contributions and she had the support, for the most part, of the board. But I think she decided maybe this is a better route for (her) to go.”

Simmonds said the board hasn’t decided yet when or if it will search for a new executive director. It’s been difficult for the theatre to find and hang on to one.

When Southcott was hired, it had been four years since the Astor had had a full-time executive director. Jean Robinson-Dexter filled in on an interim basis at various times since September 2020.

In May 2023, the theatre thought it had found a new manager, but that person decided not to take the job after all. Another search resulted in the hiring of Lesli Chandler, who began the job in July 2023 but resigned that September.

“We’re going to regroup,” Simmonds said. “We’re going to do some fundamental thinking, both staff and board, to determine what our best next approach should be.

“Our staff is very loyal and committed to doing what they need to do to get us through this. … We can take the time with a clear head and sort out what the best future for the Astor might be and how to prepare for that future, whether it be staffing or organizational change.”

Simmonds said that Southcott has committed to do what she can before she leaves to ensure the transition is smooth. And he said regardless of what happens, the board wants to make sure the Astor continues to serve the community.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com