curious about
Director Lead Devisor Teacher Performer Playwright
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
As a theatre artist, director, devisor, actor and teacher with over 20 years of experience, my training and practice lies in physical transformation. Applied not only to theatre, my work urges and pushes the creative spirit in all who witness, participant and engage. The performer is both pedestrian and poetic as their body transforms into varying aspects of the human condition. Body, voice and imagination are the only tool the performer has to engage and the rules of engagement for the public lie in the connection of performer to the audience. And in this crucial time of crisis, distance has no barring.
BIO
Plum and Other Colours - 2000
Susan is a Vancouver based professional theatre artist. Her directing, performance and teaching work explores poetic and pedestrian moments while her artistic leadership has been described as “engaging, encouraging and disarming”. Susan's devised work is extensively movement-based and includes many solos. She directs diverse and multi plat-formed shows from youth engaged theatre to professional ensemble productions; as well, works collaboratively with fellow theatre colleagues in devising new shows. Training: BFA in Theatre Acting from UBC and advanced studies in commedia dell’arte and physical theatre from international institutions like Dell’Arte School; Ill Piccolo Teatro (Milan); One Yellow Rabbit; Frantic Assembly (UK); Jeremy James.
PROFESSIONAL THEATRE EXPERIENCE (highlights)
2020
Project Chair (teacher/devisor) On-going devising on-line program
Curious Through IT (director/devisor) On-going Collaboration with myself
2019
Adjunct Professor - UBC Theatre Department - (director/teacher) Isle dell'Arte Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Bicycle Thieves (actor) at PuSh International Performance Festival; Dir/Composer: Joelyca Pankanea
Rewire (script consultant/movement direction) Some Assembly Theatre (RHYTAG); Dir: Valerie Mathot
The Reluctant Diva (playwright/devisor) Work in progress; co-director James Fagan Tait
2018
Adjunct Professor - UBC Theatre Department - (director/teacher) Forgotten Proposal Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Ice That Breaks The Night(director/adapt.) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
2017
Adjunct Professor - UBC Theatre Department - (director/teacher) Hotel Amore Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Tales of the Grove (director/teacher)Collaboration with Youth at Shadbolt Centre, Surrey Arts Centre, PuSh Festival
2016
The CT Project (Critical Thinking): (director/devisor)Riverside Secondary (Port Coquitlam) Teacher: N. Roberge
*Winner of METFEST went on to Perform at BC Provincial School Theatre Festival 2016 - DOUGLAS COLLEGE
Project Chair (teacher/devisor) On-going devising on-line program
Curious Through IT (director/devisor) On-going Collaboration with myself
2019
Adjunct Professor - UBC Theatre Department - (director/teacher) Isle dell'Arte Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Bicycle Thieves (actor) at PuSh International Performance Festival; Dir/Composer: Joelyca Pankanea
Rewire (script consultant/movement direction) Some Assembly Theatre (RHYTAG); Dir: Valerie Mathot
The Reluctant Diva (playwright/devisor) Work in progress; co-director James Fagan Tait
2018
Adjunct Professor - UBC Theatre Department - (director/teacher) Forgotten Proposal Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Ice That Breaks The Night(director/adapt.) Hastings Elementary School, Vancouver
2017
Adjunct Professor - UBC Theatre Department - (director/teacher) Hotel Amore Collaboration with Theatre students at UBC
Tales of the Grove (director/teacher)Collaboration with Youth at Shadbolt Centre, Surrey Arts Centre, PuSh Festival
2016
The CT Project (Critical Thinking): (director/devisor)Riverside Secondary (Port Coquitlam) Teacher: N. Roberge
*Winner of METFEST went on to Perform at BC Provincial School Theatre Festival 2016 - DOUGLAS COLLEGE
ACCOLADES/AWARDS
- Awarded: Outstanding Performance Actress -Lead Role– Jessie Richardson Award (Mambo Italiano)**
- Published: FUTURISTI paper presented at International Conference Futurist Drama + Dramaturgy
- Awarded:Gordon Armstrong Theatre Artist Award(Jessie Richardson’s Award)
- Canadian Association for Theatre Research, Ottawa, ON. Co-Presented Paper: Multicultural Theatre – BellaLuna Productions(w/ Francesca Marini)
- International Conference Futurist Drama + Dramaturgy, University of Toronto.Presented Paper: Legacies of Futurisim and Contemporary Interpretations of Futurist Drama in the BellaLuna and UBC Theatre Production of FUTURISTI (published 2011)
