Bio & Resume

 

FORMAL EDUCATION

• 1982 — Masters degree, Dramatic Literature. University of Calgary Department of Drama. Thesis title: “ Beverley Simons’ Giants on the Lawn: the Plays of Beverley Simons”.
• 1979 — BA hons. Drama. Manchester University, England

Distinctions and Awards

• 2008 — Atlantic Artists Center USA Residency Award, May-June 2008; Ontario Community Volunteer Recognition Award, May 2008
• 2006 — Brock University Internal SSHRC, Laidlaw Foundation and T.A.L.K Niagara grants for studying RSVP Creative Process in Niagara schools.
• 2001 — Brock University Humanities Research Institute Award for translation, adaptation development and workshopping of new full-length play, The Demi Monde by Dumas filsh
• 2000 — Queen’s University Creativity Award for original work Faust and the Human Genome
• 1998 — Cincinnati Critics’ citation for Best University production, The Trojan Women by Seneca
• 1992 — Michael Lukovich Heritage Trust Award for Career Recognition and Development
• 1991 — Chalmers New Play Award: translation of Polygraph by Robert Lepage and Marie Brassard
• 1988 — Canada Council Explorations Award for video/production Treacheries of the Blue Angel Alberta Culture: Arts Award for Polygraph
• 1987-1990 — Two Elizabeth Stirling Haynes Awards for Best Production, Best Direction, Edmonton, Alberta; annual awards
• 1983 — Alberta Culture Playwriting Award: Juggler on A Drum, $1500 cash award, national competition.

theatre positions held

• Artistic Director Northern Light Theatre, Edmonton Alberta 1987-1992. Produced four seasons of classics, new plays and plays from the international repertoire. Highlights included included Polygraph with Robert Lepage and Marie Brassard (winner of 7 Stirling Awards), Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Ray Bradbury and the Alberta Ballet (winner of 2 Stirling Awards, recipient of Canada Council Touring Office Award and a Western Canadian Tour) and Treacheries of the Blue Angel, a multi-media production with composer Jan Randall and videographer Gary Bruckner, recipient of Canada Council Explorations Award.
• Founding Artistic Director One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre 1981-1983, and co-Artistic Director 1984-1987, Calgary, Alberta. With One Yellow Rabbit I created the original Secret Theatre in the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts, 1986. I directed three seasons of new plays of which highlights were The Corporate Nightmare of Rembrandt Brown, and Ilsa, Queen of the Nazi Love Camp, by Blake Brooker. One Yellow Rabbit currently tours internationally and operates the High Performance Rodeo, Western Canada’s major festival of innovative theatre, which I began with Michael Green in 1984.

ART ORGANISATION SERVICE

• 2004 — Jury member, Ontario Arts Council Theatre Projects Awards.
• 2003-present — Board Member, Carousel Players, St. Catharines Youth theatre
• 1994-1996 — Member, Canada Council for the Arts Theatre Advisory Committee
• 1992-1996 — Chair, Atlantic Playwrights Resource Centre; Atlantic Rep. for PGC.
• 1986-1988 — Member, Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics Theatre Working Committee

NEW PLAY CREATION , DEVELOPMENT & ADAPTATIONS

• Dramaturge. I-Life, Inferno , Mad World and Spin Cycle. New Plays by Youth. Carousel Players Theatre, March 2005, 2006 and 2007.
• Director, Dramaturge. Fingers and Toes: a jazz-tap musical. Ontario tour of ten theatres in two seasons; selected for Canadian Series by Community Cultural Impresarios of Ontario, 2004.2005. Blue Water Playhouse, Kincardine; Port Stanley Festival Theatre; Theatre Orangeville Opera Playhouse; Lighthouse Theatre, Port Dover; Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton; Circle in the Square Theatre, Kitchener; Markham Theatre; Heritage Theatre, Peterborough; Sean O’Sullivan Theatre, Brock Centre for the Arts.
• Dramaturge. Workshop for Fingers and Toes: a jazz-tap musical. Stratford Festival. Supported by Stratford Company workshop program and Stratford Ensemble actors. Tanya Moisevitch Rehearsal Studio. (Oct.29, 2003).
• Dramaturge. Workshop/Public Presentation of Fingers and Toes: a jazz-tap musical. New Script Series, Theatre Orangeville. The Opera House, Orangeville. (Oct. 28 2002).
• Director, Dramaturge, Videographer. Fingers and Toes: a jazz-tap musical . Showcase Presentation of Act One. Sean O’Sullivan Theatre, Brock University, (invitation to CCI conference Jun 05, 2002).
• Director, Dramaturge. Quarry, by Mo Bock. Thousand Islands Playhouse, Gananoque. (Aug 30-Oct.16, 2001).
• Dramaturge. Workshop for Quarry, by Mo Bock. Toronto Theatre Alliance Studio (Jul 06-Jul 13, 2001).
• Director. Dramaturge. Skirmishes, by Elizabeth Logan Harris. Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati (Jun 08,2000).
• Dramaturge. Workshop for Skirmishes, by Elizabeth Logan Harris. Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati (Jan 08, 2000).
• Director. Moliere, by Sabina Berman, trans.Shelly Tepperman. National Theatre Centre, On The Verge Festival (May, 2000).
• Director, Dramaturge. Alice, by Maristella Roca. Young Peoples’ Theatre,Toronto (Mar-Aug 2000).
• Director, Dramaturge. Workshop for Alice, by Maristella Roca. Young Peoples’ Theatre,Toronto (Aug 1999).
• Director, Adaptor. The Rover, by Aphra Behn. Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Brock University. (Nov 16-19, 2001).
• Playwright, Director. Faust and the Human Genome. Xavier University Interdisciplinary Performance Festival, Cincinnati, Ohio (Sept.1999).
• Director, Adaptor, Videographer. The Trojan Women, Seneca, trans. Fred Ahl. Showcase for International Symposium Seneca in Performance, Xavier University, Cincinnati (Mar 1998).
• Director, Dramaturge. Beyond Zebra, by Torquil Colbo. Eastern Front Theatre, Dartmouth Nova Scotia (Oct 1996).
• Dramaturge. Beyond Zebra, by Torquil Colbo. RCA Theatre, St. John’s Newfoundland (Jul 16-20, 1996).
• Director, Dramaturge. The Emperor’s New Clothes, from Hans Christian Anderson. Blah Blah Troupe Street Puppet Theatre. Atlantic Summer Festival Tour to St. John New Brunswick, Sidney, Sackville, Antigonish, Halifax (Jul-Aug 1993).
• Playwright, Director. Music to Wreck Autos By. Eastern Front Theatre “On the Waterfront Festival” (May 1993)

OTHER THEATRE PRODUCTION

• Director. Kevin Kerr’s Unity 1918. Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Brock University. (Feb 12-15, 2007).
• Director. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in an Age of Terror. Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Brock University. (Nov 17-21, 2004).
• Adaptor, Director. The Demi-Monde by Alexandre Dumas-fils. Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Brock University. (Nov 16-19, 2003).
• Playwright. Workshop for The Demi-Monde by Alexandre Dumas-fils. Dramaturge, Kim Selody. Supported by Carousel Players, actors from the Shaw Festival Theatre and Brock Humanities Research Institute. Sullivan-Mahoney Studio Theatre, (Sept 28, 2003).
• Director. Experiment with an Airpump, by Shelagh Stephenson. Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. Brock University(Nov 16-19, 2002).
• Director. Tales of the Grotesque, by Eberle Thomas. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Studio Theatre and Youth Theatre Tour (Feb-Mar 2000).
• Director. Don Juan Comes Back from the War, by Odon von Horvath. George Brown Theatre Production, King Street Performance Centre, Toronto (Mar 16-30 1999).
• Director. Sabina’s Splendid Brain, by Carol Sinclair. Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati (Apr 1998).
• Director. Passion, Poison and Petrifaction, by Bernard Shaw. The Shaw Festival Royal George Theatre, Niagara on the Lake (Jun-Oct 1998).
• Director. Adaptor. An Interview with Mr. Shaw: a compendium of Bernard Shaw’s lesser known writings. The Shaw Festival Royal George Theatre, Niagara on the Lake (Aug 22 1998).
• Director. Adaptor. The Little Prince, by Antoine de St. Exupéry. Playhouse in the Park, Studio Theatre and Youth Theatre Tour (Jan-Mar 1998).
• Director. The Purging, or Baby Won’t Go, by Georges Feydeau. The Shaw Festival Academy Theatre Niagara on the Lake (Sept 1997).
• Director. Goodnight Disgrace, by Michael Mercer. Showcase for International Symposium on Malcom Lowry, The Shaw Festival Theatre (Aug 1997).
• Director. Albertine in 5 Times, by Michel Tremblay. Dept. of Drama, David McMurray Theatre, Dalhousie University, (Oct 16-26 1996).
• Director. Albertine in 5 Times, by Michel Tremblay.Showcase for“Quebec and Literary Canada” Conference, Dalhousie University, (Nov 10, 1996).
• Director. Fefu and her Friends, by Maria Irene Fornes. The Reeve Theatre, University of Calgary; graduating project Master’s degree (Apr.1992).

BROADCAST MEDIA

• 1. “An Interview with Mr. Shaw”. Bell Canada Reading Series. Broadcast CBC Radio Canada, (Feb 22, 1999).
• 2. “The Ecstacy and the Terror”. Talkin ‘Bout Aids. Prod. Paula Danckert. CBC Atlantic Radio Drama (Oct 15,1993).
• 3. “Dalhousie Today”. Four Promotional shorts for Television. Dir. Ted Hammond. Prod. Dalhousie University senate public relations (Mar 1994).
• 4. “Juggler On A Drum”. Alberta Anthology: Norman Bethune. Prod. N. Avies. CBC Radio Drama (Apr 06 1988).

OTHER PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTIONS OR TOURS OF AUTHORSHIP OR DRAMATURGY

• 1. Raby, Gyllian, dramaturge. Quarry by Mo Bock. Western Canada Theatre, Kamloops, BC. (Oct 2004). Sunshine Theatre, Kelowna BC; Arts Club Theatre Reading Series, Vancouver, BC (Sept 2003).
• 2. Raby, Gyllian, playwright Faust and the Human Genome. “Faustival” Conference Calgary, Alberta (Mar 2003). International Conference “Genome Ethics” .International Conference, Sidney, Australia (Feb 08, 2002 ). International Conference “2001 Human Genome Odyssey” Akron, Ohio (Apr 05, 2001).
• 3. Raby, Gyllian, trans. Polygraph by R.Lepage and M. Brassard. International Tour to London, Avignon, Berlin, Barcelona, Ostend, Prague, New York (BAM Festival), Chicago. Asian Tour to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka. Canadian Tour to Montreal, Edmonton and Vancouver (1990-2003).
• 4. Raby, Gyllian, adaptor, book lyrics. Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Ray Bradbury. Commissioned by Oracle and Unisys for Edmonton International Conference on Computer Programming, April 1989. Western Canadian Tour.1991: Banff Centre for the Arts; Vancouver East Cultural Centre; Gateway Theatre Richmond; A.C.T. Theatre Seattle; Yellowknife Arts Centre; Lethbridge University Theatre; Calgary University Theatre; Fort McMurray Centre for the Arts; Western Canada Theatre Company, Kelowna; Sunshine Theatre Company, Kamloops.
• 5. Raby, Gyllian, dramaturge. Beyond Zebra by Torquil Colbo. Theatre Labrador-Newfoundland (Jan 1997). Goose Bay Theatre, Newfoundland (Mar 1997). Tour 1997: Stephenville Festival Theatre; Trinity Bay; RCA Theatre, St. John’s; Sidney Summer Festival (May-Sept 1998).
• 6. Raby, Gyllian, playwright. The Dog’s Temper. Mile Zero Dance Company, John L. Haar Theatre, Edmonton (Nov 1991).
• 7. Raby, Gyllian, dramaturge. Ilsa, Queen of the Nazi Love Camp by Blake Brooker. International Tour to Edinburgh, Berlin, Avignon (1990) New York La Mama. Edinburgh Festival “Fringe First” Award. National Tour to Factory Theatre, Toronto, Manitoba Theatre Warehouse, Firehall Theatre Vancouver (1991).
• 8. Raby Gyllian with Kirk Miles. Pageant of the Comet. Expo ’86 Drama Series, Vancouver, BC. And Calgary, Alberta (June-Sept 1986).
• 9. Raby, Gyllian. Pandora. Wagonstage Children’s Theatre, Calgary (May-Aug 1985). Chinook Theatre, Edmonton (Sept-Dec 1986).

WORK IN PROGRESS

• 1. Moon Patent a drama about stem cell technology and its impact on us.
• 2. “Act Normal: Between Manners and Taboos”. Workshop, performance, DVD and text book to model the mindset and embodiment of manners from 1850-1950. Collaborators: Shari Flett, Guy Bannerman (The Shaw Festival).
• 3. Dramaturge on multi-media play Timeline, by Daniel Janke, a commission from Whitehorse Centre for the Arts and the First Night Festival, Yukon.

THEATRE TEACHING POSITIONS HELD

• 2001-Present — Assistant Professor /Director, Dept. of Dramatic Arts, Brock University
• 2000 —Assistant Professor, Dept. of Drama, Queen’s University, Kingston
• 1999 — Assistant Professor, Dept. of Communications, Xavier University, Ohio
• 1998 — Adjunct Lecturer, Dept. of Communications, Xavier University, Ohio
• 1998 — Lecturer, Dept. of Graduate Studies (English), University of Cincinnati
• 1993-6 — Joint Faculty, Kings Foundation Year Program, University of Kings College, and Dalhousie University Department of Theatre