ROSS MANSON
SELECTED DIRECTING EXPERIENCE:
SHINE YOUR EYE Part of The Africa Trilogy, Volcano, presented
By Binyavanga Wainaina by Luminato, Toronto 2010 (World Premiere)
GOODNESS Volcano, at Prairie Theatre Exchange, Winnipeg
By Michael Redhill
TABLE TALK Theatre@York, in association with Volcano
By Deborah Pearson Joseph G. Green Theatre, York University, Toronto, 2009 (World Premiere)
GOODNESS Volcano, at the Festival Arts Azimuts, Huye
By Michael Redhill and Kigali, Rwanda, 2009 (African Premiere)
THE FOUR HORSEMEN PROJECT Volcano, in assoc. with Crooked Figure Dances
Created by Kate Alton & Ross Manson and Global Mechanic Animation, at the Kesselhaus Theatre, Berlin, 2009(Part of the PoesieFest at Literatur Werkstatt, German Premiere)
GOODNESS Svenska Theatre, Helsinki, 2008
By Michael Redhill (Scandinavian Premiere)
THE FOUR HORSEMEN PROJECT Volcano, in assoc. with Crooked Figure Dances
Created by Kate Alton & Ross Manson and Global Mechanic Animation, at The Project Arts Centre, Dublin (part of the Dublin International Fringe Festival – Irish Premiere), and Thousand Islands Playhouse, Gananoque, 2008 (Winner of Best Design Award, Dublin International Fringe)
THE FOUR HORSEMEN PROJECT Volcano, in assoc. with Crooked Figure Dances
Created by Kate Alton & Ross Manson and Global Mechanic Animation, at the Factory Theatre, Toronto 2007, and Great Canadian Theatre Co, Ottawa, 2007
(Winner of 4 Dora awards, incl. Best Play, Best Production, Best Direction)
GOODNESS Volcano, at Performance Space 122, New York
By Michael Redhill City 2006 (US Premiere)
GOODNESS Volcano, at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 2006
By Michael Redhill (Carol Tambor “Best of Edinburgh” Award, Fringe First Award - UK Premiere)
ZOO STORY Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania 2006
By Edward Albee University Drama Department Production (Visiting Director)
LETTERS FROM LEHRER Canadian Stage Company, Toronto 2006
By Richard Greenblatt (World Premiere)
GOODNESS Volcano / Tarragon Theatre, Toronto 2005
By Michael Redhill (World Premiere)
MY PYRAMIDS Volcano, at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 2005
By Judith Thompson (Amnesty Int. Freedom of Speech Award shortlist - World Premiere)
HEDDA GABLER Volcano, Toronto 2005
By Henrik Ibsen, (4 Dora nominations, 1 Award – World Premiere
adapted by Judith Thompson of this adaptation)
THE ARABIAN NIGHT Volcano, at SummerWorks Festival, Toronto 2004
By Roland Schimmelpfennig (NOW people’s Choice Award for Best Play – Canadian Premiere)
VARIÉTÉ Volcano/Art of Time, at Gladstone Hotel,
Music by Mauricio Kagel Toronto 2004 (5 Dora nominations, 1 Award – N. American Premiere)
TWO WORDS FOR SNOW Volcano, Artword Theatre, Toronto 2003
By Richard Sanger (6 Dora nominations, 3 Awards, Governor General’s Award short-list – Toronto Premiere)
WEATHER Volcano/The Moving Co. at the Traverse
By Rebecca Hope Terry Theatre, 02/03 Edinburgh / England Tour / Toronto (World Premiere)
MORTALITY Volcano, at the Theatre Centre, Toronto 2002
By Carol Shields, Tomson Highway, (1 Dora nomination – World Premiere)
Paul Quarrington & Stephen Dobyns
LAMBTON, KENT Volcano, at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
by André Alexis 2001 (UK Premiere)
CORKER Blyth Festival, Ontario, Season Opener 2000
by Wendy Lill
NERD Overall Dance, at the Canada Dance Festival
created by Kate Alton Ottawa 2000
BUILDING JERUSALEM Volcano, at the Factory Studio, Toronto 2000 &
By Michael Redhill the On-The-Waterfront Festival in Halifax, N.S. 1999 (Dora-nominated for Direction – plus 6 other nominations, Chalmers Award Winner, Dora Awards for Best Play and Best Production, Governor General’s Award short-list – World Premiere)
LAMBTON, KENT Volcano, a staged reading to open the
by André Alexis 1999 International Authors' Festival
at the Premiere Dance Theatre, Toronto
GHOST STORY Volcano, at the 1998 Toronto International
by Sean Reycraft Fringe Festival
3 BY E.E. Volcano, at fFIDA : fringe Festival of
text by e.e. cummings Independent Dance Artists, Toronto 1997 Director, co-creator (with Kate Alton)
LAMBTON, KENT & OTHER VISTAS Volcano, at Tarragon Theatre Extra Space,
by André Alexis Toronto 1995 (World Premiere)
THE THIRD LAND Volcano, at Factory Theatre Studio, Toronto
by Susanne Fritz Director, Translator (World Premiere) 1994
DESPAIR: THREE STORIES OF OTTAWA Volcano, at Du Maurier World Stage Festival
by André Alexis & The Tarragon Spring Arts Fair, Toronto Director (a short piece)
WOYZECK Equity Showcase Theatre, Toronto 1993
by Georg Büchner Director, Translator
WER WEINT UM JUCKENACK? Stadttheater, Freiburg, Germany 1992
by Hans Rehfisch Apprentice Director
KÖNIG OTTOKARS GLÜCK UND ENDE Stadttheater, Freiburg, Germany 1991
by Franz Grillparzer Apprentice Director
ALBERTINE, IN FIVE TIMES University of London, England 1986
by Michel Tremblay Director (MA Project)
IN DEVELOPMENT
THE AFRICA TRILOGY (for Volcano)
By Christina Anderson, Roland Schimmelpfennig and Binyavanga Wainaina, conceived by Ross Manson
INFINITY (for Volcano)
By Hannah Moscovitch, conceived by Ross Manson
UNTIL WE SAY YES
Dance Theatre Project, co-created by Kate Alton and Ross Manson
FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of VOLCANO (1994 - present)
AWARDS:
Dora Award (as “Best Director” – shared with Kate Alton) for The Four Horsemen Project, 2007
Dora Award (as “Best Playwright” – shared with Kate Alton, Bruce Alcock, Rafael Barreto-Rivera, Paul Dutton, Steve McCaffery, & bp Nichol) for The Four Horsemen Project, 2007
Dora Award (as “Best Producer”) for The Four Horsemen Project, 2007
K.M. Hunter Award in Theatre (an “emerging artist” award), 2002
Dora Award (as “Best Producer”) for Building Jerusalem (also won Best Play, 2000)
Harold Award (for Arts Community service), 2003
Lady Henrietta Banting Award, Mount Allison University (top of class, biology, 1986)
EDUCATION:
Master of Arts (specialty in Directing), The University of London, England
Baden-Wurttemberg Theatre Residency Programme — Directing Apprenticeship at the
Stadttheater Freiburg, Germany
Bachelor of Science with Distinction, Mount Allison University
Banff School of Fine Arts: Advanced Actors' Workshop and Musical Theatre Training
Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache, The Goethe Institut, Germany
Acting Resume is available on request.
OTHER:
An actor – resume available on request
A translator (from German) – 3 projects to date – all 3 produced
Co-founder of The Wrecking Ball – a political theatre initiative
Founder of the Volcano Conservatory – an advanced training program in international performance techniques for theatre makers.
Founder of Go7 – a joint marketing initiative for independent performing arts companies (1995 to 2003).
Finalist for Toronto's 2009 Rita Davies and Margo Bindhardt Cultural Leadership Award
AGENT:
Pam Winter at Gary Goddard and Associates, Suite 305, 10 St. Mary St., Toronto, Ontario, Phone (416) 928-0299, Fax (416) 924-9593
CONTACT: ross@volcano.ca