Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Facey, Drew
Set and costume designer, Drew Facey was born and raised in Kelowna, British Columbia; died in May, 2022 at the age of 39 of complications from anemia. He studied at Concordia University in Montreal, at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and at Langara College’s Studio 58 theatre school in Vancouver, graduating in 2007. He worked for a wide range of theatre companies across Canada, designing over 170 productions, from musical theatre to Shakespeare’s tragedies to opera.
Following his graduation from Studio 58, he designed imaginative sets for Théâtre la Seizième, and continued to do so during his career, including sets for À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou by Michel Tremblay in 2014, Bonjour, là, bonjour by Tremblay in 2017, and Le Soulier by David Paquet in 2019.
For Arts Club Theatre, he designed the set for Onegin (2018), The Matchmaker (2019), The Sound of Music, and The Humans; for Bard on the Beach, he designed Lysistrata, The Merry Wives of Windsor (2012), The Merchant of Venice ( 2017), Timon of Athens (2019); for Touchstone Theatre, Brothel #9; for Shaw Festival, Me and My Girl ( 2017); for Citadel Theatre, The Silver Arrow (2017), The Tempest (2019), and Cost of Living (2020); for Vancouver Opera, The Marriage of Figaro.
He won a total of eighteen Jessie Richardson Awards during his career in theatre; in 2014 alone, he was nominated for seven Jessies and won four. He was also awarded a Jessie for Significant Artistic Achievement for a body of work. In 2020, he was awarded a Jessie for outstanding set design (large theatre) for Cost of Living at The Arts Club Theatre.
Facey left theatre design in 2020, and moved to Merida, Mexico to begin a new career in interior design, when the Covid-19 pandemic eliminated all design work in theatre.
Christopher Gaze, the Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach, particularly valued his optimism and creativity: “So when you talk to him, you just feel that almost anything is possible and won’t it be fun to do it” (quoted in Marsha Lederman, Globe & Mail 12 Aug 20). Following his death, Théâtre la Seizième expressed its gratitude and admiration on its Facebook page: "While working with some of the largest theaters in the country, Drew continued to be involved in the success of smaller companies, like ours. His rigor, positivity, and generosity were appreciated by all. He was part of our art family and we loved him" (13 May 2022).
Last updated 2022-05-16
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