Brian Richmond

MA University of Toronto
Professor
Acting, Directing
brichmon@uvic.ca

Brief Biography

Brian Richmond received his training as an actor at Burnaby South High School, Vancouver’s Holiday Theatre, and at the École Lecoq in Paris. Changing his focus to direction and dramaturgy in the mid-1970s, he has since created over a hundred professional productions for most of the major theatres across Canada. As dramaturge he has nurtured many of the leading playwrights of his generation. As a teacher he has taught for numerous institutions including McGill, Concordia, Simon Fraser, York, Waterloo and Toronto universities as well as the National Theatre School of Canada.

Brian is the Founding Artistic Director of Saskatoon’s Persephone Theatre, and has also served as A.D. for Montreal’s Playwrights Workshop, Thunder Bay’s Magnus Theatre, and Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille. A four-time nominee for Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Direction, Brian won this award for his 1988 production of Fire. He has also won Dora Awards for Outstanding Production (Fire, as well as Lillies, 1991). Brian has received numerous grants for his creative work from the Canada, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec Arts Councils as well as from a broad range of Canadian foundations.

Brian's recent directorial projects include a Tex-Mex version of Mercedes Batiz-Benet’s Spanish translation of Ken Mitchell and Humphrey and the Dumptrucks’ Cruel Tears (which premiered in Xalapa, Mexico in June of 2006 and was invited to play at the Teatro Salvador Novo del Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City); a production of Joanna Murray Smith's play Honour (Belfry Theatre, Victoria and Winnipeg's Prairie Theatre Exchange, 2007); Harold Pinter's Old Times (Neptune Theatre, Halifax, 2007); and serving as dramaturge for Charles Tidler's new play Cross This Bridge at a Walk, Belfry Theatre, 2007.

Other recent professional achievements

• Trying. Director. Vancouver Playhouse (2005)
• Small Returns. Director and Dramaturge. Infinitheatre/November Company at the Monument Nationale, Montreal (2004)
• Proof. Director. Belfry Theatre (2003 )
• The Qualities of Zero. Dramaturge. November Company, Montreal (2001)
• A Lesson before Dying. Director. Florida Studio Theatre (2001)

Recent awards and honours

• Alumni Award - Burnaby South Secondary School (2007)
• Critics’ Spotlight Award for Best Production, Proof (2003)
• Nomination, Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Director, The Dogpatch  (2000)
• Nomination, Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Production, The Dogpatch (2000)