Allan Stratton

2 Pages 488 Words

Allan Stratton was born in Stratford, Ontario in 1951. As a teenager he lived in London, Ontario attending James Reaney’s school for writing. His first play, The Rusting Heart, was then published by James Reaney in a local magazine. After he travelled to Switzerland to study writing he was enrolled at the University of Toronto where he continued writing but became more interested in acting. In 1974 Allan graduated from The Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama, U. of T. receiving his M.A. After this, he appeared in various regional plays which brought him back to his hometown Stratford where he preformed in the Stratford Festival

He continued acting and writing on his spare time until 1977 where his first professional stage play, 72 Under the O, was produced at The Vancouver Playhouse. He then, once again switched his career motives and went back to writing full time. In 1080, he wrote a successful play, Nurse Jane Goes to Hawaii that has had over 300 productions throughout Canada and the United States. Many other plays soon followed including his famous play about Canadian Prime Ministers called Rexy! This play was brought out in 1981 and played across the country. It won him the Chalmers Award, the Canadian Authors’ Association Award and the Dora Mavor Moore Award, all for Best New Play.

In the 1990’s, Allan became head of the Drama Department at The Etobicoke School of the Arts, where he taught senior directing, acting and playwriting. He led many students to win various awards including three consecutive Best New Play Awards at the Sears Drama Festival provincial championships.

Now Allan has once again switched his career back to writing. He just published his newest novel The Resurrection of Mary Mabel McTavish, and has begun work on his new young adult novel, Behind the Curtain to be published in Canada and the United States by Annick Press, 2004.

Rexy! Is a play








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