MICHAEL O’BRIEN
Creator/Writer/Lyricist/Teacher
Member: Playwrights’ Guild of Canada
c/o Kensington Literary Management
kensingtonlit@rogers.com
WORKS PUBLISHED / AVAILABLE:
MAD BOY CHRONICLE— Playwrights Canada Press. 1996, 1997, 2009
THE BLIND ASSASSIN (CD) — Dramatization, BTC Audio Books, 2005
THE HANDMAID’S TALE (CD) — Dramatization, BTC Audio Books, 2004
WINTER’S TALES (CD) — CBC Audio, 2004
EDUCATION:
NATIONAL THEATRE SCHOOL OF CANADA— Graduate, Directing and Playwriting, 1990
(Teachers include: Nick Hutchinson, Perry Schneiderman, Pierre Lefebvre, Brian Dooley, Kurt Reis)
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA— Honours B.A. Theatre and English, 1987
(Teachers include: Peter Froehlich, Lea Usin, Roy Robitschek, Cynthia Grant, Stephen Malloy)
EMPLOYMENT/EXPERIENCE:
GUEST SPEAKER/TEACHER (Writing/Theatre) – King’s Christian Collegiate, Oakville Ontario, Sept 2019
WEBSITE/BLOG CREATOR – “RELLA’S CAMBRIAN DREAM” (Theatre Project) – Aug/Dec 2019
BANFF ARTS CENTRE—PLAYWRIGHTS’ COLONY/LAB (PARTICIPANT)—1992, 1994, 1999, 2019
GUEST TRAINEE/ARTIST/BLOGGER, Digital Theatre Direction—SpiderWebShow Performance,
Mentor: Sarah Garton Stanley. Theatre Ontario Professional Training Prog, Nov 2016-Feb 2017
PLAYWRIGHTING MENTOR/TEACHER—Soulpepper Theatre (Academy)— Sept 2016
OAC PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE—National Arts Centre of Canada. Autumn/Winter 2009-10
STRATFORD PLAYWRIGHTS’ RETREAT (MEMBER)—Stratford Festival, Ontario, 2008
CBC RADIO DRAMA—WRITER/DRAMATIST—Six Radio Dramas 2001-2005 (See next page).
Active collaborations with producers James Roy, Ann Jansen, Gregory J. Sinclair, Sally Han
GUEST SPEAKER/PLAYWRIGHT—McGill University, Bishops’ University (North Hatley, PQ),
Fanshawe College (London, Ont), and St Clair College (Windsor, Ont)—Various Dates
ADJUDICATOR, SEARS DRAMA FESTIVAL—Northeastern Ontario, 2008
ASSISTANT TO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / PLAYWRIGHT-IN-RESIDENCE
Young Peoples Theatre (YPT) 1993-1997, Toronto, Ontario (Maja Ardal, Artistic Director)
FOUNDER/DIRECTOR—SCREWTAPE THEATRE, May 1990
Director/Manager of Screwtape Theatre Canadian Tour. Fringe Festivals, June-Sept 1991
RADIO &THEATRE—AWARD NOMINATIONS:
ROBERT MERRITT AWARDS (Nova Scotia) (6 noms)—The Miracle Man (2015)
DORA MAVOR MOORE AWARDS (Theatre/Toronto)—The Barber of Seville (2014)
Restitution: An Irish-Canadian Rhapsody (2004) - Oliver Twist (1997) – A Christmas Carol (1994)
“AUDIE” AWARD (World Radio Drama) The Blind Assassin (2006)—The Handmaid’s Tale (2005)
WRITERS’ GUILD OF CANADA AWARD (Radio)—The Blind Assassin (2004)
GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S AWARD (Canada/Drama) Mad Boy Chronicle (1996)
CHALMERS AWARD (Theatre/Toronto) A Christmas Carol (1994)
DRAMATIC WORKS FOR CBC RADIO (Selected:)
CASTLE GROVE (Pilot) – dir. Gregory J. Sinclair. CBC Radio One, 2008
HEARTS OF THE WORLD – dir. James Roy. CBC Radio One (WorldPlay Series), 2005
WINTER’S TALES, Episode One – dir. Gregory J. Sinclair, CBC Radio One, 2004
THE BLIND ASSASSIN (ad. Margaret Atwood) – dir. Ann Jansen, CBC Radio One – 2003
THE HANDMAID’S TALE (ad. Margaret Atwood) – dir. Ann Jansen, CBC Radio One – 2002
SHORES OF WONDER – CBC Radio One – dir. Sally Han. 2000, 2001
TELEVISION PROJECTS
(*LIST OF COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS IN PROGRESS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST *)
SELECTED WORKS FOR THEATRE
RELLA’S CAMBRIAN DREAM (in progress) – The Rella Collective (Toronto), First Preview Event, Dec 2019
THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW, ad. C.S Lewis. dir Tim Carroll. Shaw Festival—Apr-Oct 2018
THE HOUSE AT POE CORNER (w/Eric Woolfe)—dir. O’Brien—Eldritch Theatre (Toronto)—Oct/Nov 2015
THE MIRACLE MAN; a Musical (w/ Allen Cole) dir. Ken Schwartz, Two Planks & a Passion, July/Aug 2014
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE! (ad. Rossini/Beaumarchais) dir. Leah Cherniak—Soulpepper Theatre, 2013
THE RUNCIBLE LEAR (ad. Edward Lear)—Workshop, dir. Leah Cherniak, Soulpepper, April 2012/14
GOD’S WOUNDS, a dark comedy about the English Civil War— 2011 (OAC/Canada Council)
THE PASSION OF MR GRIFFITH; about the opening week of “The Birth of a Nation”, 2010 (OAC/CCA)
HEARTS OF THE WORLD; about the relationship between Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith—2006/7
THE INVISIBLE MAN (ad. H.G. Wells)— dir: Neil Munro. The Shaw Festival—2006
RESTITUTION (An Irish-Canadian Rhapsody)—dir. Sarah G. Stanley, Factory Theatre—2004
MAD BOY CHRONICLE—24th Street Theatre, Los Angeles, USA, 2001
– Trinity Repertory, Providence RI, USA, 1997
– Kingston Summer Festival, Ontario (dir. Peter Hinton) 1997
– Alberta Theatre Projects (Premiere, dir. Bob White) 1995
HARD TIMES (ad. Charles Dickens)—dir. Marti Maraden, Mainstage, National Arts Centre, 2000
TREASURE ISLAND (ad. Stevenson)—dir. Alison Sealey-Smith, Young Peoples Theatre (Toronto) 1999
OLIVER TWIST (ad. Dickens)—Young People’s Theatre (Toronto). Dir Maja Ardal, 1998
– Alberta Theatre Projects (Calgary) dir. Bob White, 1998, 2007
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (ad. Dickens) – Young Peoples Theatre (Toronto). Dir Maja Ardal. 1993, 1994
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRISTOPHER ROBIN— dir. O’Brien. NAC & Fringe Canada Tour, 1991/2