For 25 years the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama was the premier performing arts school in the Capital.
But its abrupt closure has left parents and performers in the lurch and left a hole in Ottawa's arts community.
“The teachers who worked there already knew…it was a matter of time,” said Kate Hurman who taught at the school for the past 10 years. She said she stopped teaching in October after she and other teachers had not been paid for their work.
“It [the school] provided an arts education at a time when arts education is diminishing in the public school system, a safe place for children to go to explore ideas…now that's gone and it's gone as a direct consequence of mismanagement,” Hurman said.
Calls to the school for comment were not returned Saturday.
Thousands of students were trained at the school over the past 25 years, including David Coomber who has starred alongside actor Woody Harrelson and singer Jackie Neville, who is performing with her band on stages across North America.
Parents say the closure is a huge loss to the arts community.
“I think it's going to be really disappointing and sad for Ottawa because I think it was a great place for the kids to go,” said Tom Lupiano, whose daughter started acting classes at the school when she was six. She is now performing in the National Tour of Godspell.
“I think it gave her the confidence to continue pursuing her dream,” said Helen Lupiano.
