John "Jack" Paterson (born May 25, 1974) is a Canadian director, dramaturg, actor and theatre creator who works across the country. His favourite credits include directing the instillation of The List (BoucheWHACKED!), the site specific The Women of Troy (Canadian Stage) and F. Garcia Lorca’s The Love of Don Perlimplin for Belisa (Shaw Festival); production dramaturgy on the English language premiere of H. Muller’s Mabeth: nach Shakespeare; and playing Adolf Hitler and Walt Disney in The Blue Light (Firehall Arts Centre) and Scheffler in The Ugly One (Plan B Collective).
He is the founder of multi-award winning Mad Duck Theatre Collective for whom he adapted and directed Coriolanus, the Vancouver premieres of Shakespeare’s R&J and Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar and Vancouver’s first female Prospero in The Tempest. Other directing credits include The Hobbit and The Odyssey (Carousel Theatre) and Banana Boys (Firehall Arts Centre). A graduate of Circle in the Square (NYC), he has performed with The Arts Club, Chemainus Theatre and as a regular performer in Savage God’s The Shakespeare Projects.
Jack was recently completed a series of Artistic Director Residencies with the mandate of Three Provinces, Three Companies and Three Mandates with Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal (Quebec), Theatre Conspiracy (B.C.) and The Magnetic North Theatre Festival (Ontario/ Alberta). He is currently the Co- Artistic Producer of BoucheWHACKED!, the West Coast Ambassador for Playwrights Workshop Montreal and an Associate Artist with Theatre Conspiracy. His work has been nominated for over twenty Jessie Richardson Awards including four for Outstanding Direction and two for Outstanding Production. He is the recipient of the Ray Michal Outstanding Body of Work by an Emerging Director Award.
Selected Directing Credits: Classical
The Women of Troy, Canadian Stage: Festival of IdeasThe Love of Don Perlimplin for Belisa in his Garden, Shaw FestivalCoriolanus*, Mad Duck Theatre CollectiveShakespeare’s R & J*, Mad Duck Theatre CollectiveTitus Andronicus*, Mad Duck Theatre CollectiveJulius Caesar *, Mad Duck Theatre CollectiveHenry 6 Parts 2 & 3, Savage God: Shakespeare ProjectThe Tempest*, Mad Duck Theatre CollectiveA Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mad Duck Theatre CollectiveMacbeth, Square Pegs TheatreSelected Directing Credits: New Works and Translations
The List, BoucheWHACKED! Theatre CollectiveWet, Workhorse TheatreThe Centre of Everything Civilized, Winterbird ArtsRock Me Sweet, Passe Muraille: Buzz FestivalOut Like Flynn, Fugue Free TheatreBanana Boys, Firehall Arts CenterSuddenly, Useless Shoe’s Co-opThe Unbreakable Popsicle Stick Gang, One Crazy French Man Pro.The Love I Made to the Man with No Legs, Walking Fish FestivalSelected Directing Credits: TYA
The Hobbit*, Carousel TheatreThe Odyssey*, Carousel TheatreSelected Directing Credits: Modern Classics
Hosanna, Saving Metropolis CollectiveMoon for the Misbegotten, United PlayersThe Real Inspector Hound, Esdecy Arts & Presentation HouseNon Theatre or Cross Disciplinary:
Molino Rouge, Stage Director Created and Choreographed by Karen FlamencoWreckage, Contributing Director Created and Choreographed by Nita BowermanStaged Readings:
Howl Red, BoucheWHACKED! Theatre CollectiveEncore, BoucheWHACKED! Theatre CollectiveUnstuck, Foundry TheatreSuicide Corporation, Firehall Arts Centre: BC BudsSelling Radio, Construction Inc.Not About Nightingales, Mad Duck Theatre CollectiveThe Tempest, Silly Billyz Workshop Series (NYC)Merchant of Venice, Silly Billyz Workshop Series (NYC)Two Gentlemen of Verona, Silly Billyz Workshop Series (NYC)The Winter’s Tale, Silly Billyz Workshop Series (NYC)Loves Labor’s Lost, Silly Billyz Workshop Series (NYC)As You Like It, Silly Billyz Workshop Series (NYC)Measure for Measure, Silly Billyz Workshop Series (NYC)Youth and Outreach Programs:
Daily Mischief, Richmond Gateway Theatre AcademyHigh School Musical, Richmond Gateway Theatre AcademyStraga Nona, Arts Umbrella, Strathcona OutreachAs You like It, Carousel Theatre Teen Shakespeare ProgramRomeo and Juliet, Carousel Theatre Teen Shakespeare ProgramMuch Ado About Nothing, Carousel Theatre Teen Shakespeare ProgramComedy of Errors, Carousel Theatre Teen Shakespeare ProgramSelected Assistant Directing Credits:
Champ de Mars, Imago Theatre: Micheline ChevrierDon Quixote, Arts Club, Axis Theatre & The Centaur Theatre: Roy SuretteSchwartz’s The Musical workshop, The Centaur Theatre: Roy SuretteThe Canterville Ghost workshop, Shaw Festival: Jackie MaxwellThe Devil’s Disciple, The Shaw Festival: Tadeusz BradeckiIn Good King Charles’s Golden Days, The Shaw Festival: Eda HolmesThe Amorous Adventures of Anatol, The Playhouse: Morris PanychLoves Labor’s Lost, Savage God: John JulianiA Midsommer Night’s Dream, Savage God: John JulianiWorkshop and Production Dramaturg:
Macbeth: nach Shakespeare by Heiner Muller, translated by Carl WeberTheatre Conspiracy/ Gas Heart - English Language Premiere
Selected Development Workshops:
Intrusion, Screaming Locomotive: Emerging PlaywrightsSanctuaire by Lucia Frangione, Screaming LocomotiveTwo Part Invention by Dorothy Dittrich, Screaming LocomotiveUnstuck by Evan Tsitsias, Foundry TheatreGalatea by Lawrence Aronovitch, Screaming Weenie: Clean SheetsPlaywrights’ Workshop Montreal, Associate Dramaturg:
Sal Capone by Omari Newton (w Urban Ink & Black Theatre Workshop)Four Minutes if You Bleed by Alexandria Haber & Ned CoxConcordia 10 Minute Plays by VariousStrange Land by Alexis DiamondMembers of the Band by Lionel SiegelPWM Translation Workshops:
THE POSTER by Philippe Ducros, translated by Shelley TeppermanThe Carrousel by Jennifer Tremblay, translated by Shelley TeppermanCurrently:
West Coast Representative, Playwrights’ Workshop MontrealThe Blue Light - Adolf Hitler/ Walt Disney (The Firehall Arts Centre/Donna Spencer)The Oresteia: The Agamemnon - The Chorus (PAL Benefit/ [Torquil Campbell)Spice of Life 4 - Cumin/ Curry (Husky Guy.& Novus Pro/ Maryth Gilroy)The Party - Hitler in a Dress (One Crazy French Man/ Jacques Lalonde)Tis Pity She's a Whore - Soranzo (Ensemble Theatre/ Tariq Leslie)The Rivals - Bob Acres (Restoration Project/ Bill Millerd)A Streetcar Named Desire (play)|A Streetcar Named Desire - Pablo/ Ensemble (Chemainus Theatre Festival/ Jeremy Tow)Of Mice & Men - Slim (Mice & Men-Tors Equity Co-op/ Bert Steinmanis)Othello - Ensemble (The Arts Club Theatre/ John Cooper)Awards and nominations
Recipient of:
The Ray Michals Award for Outstanding Body of Work by an Emerging DirectorJessie Richardson Award Nominations:
Outstanding Artistic Creation - Direction (The Odyssey)Outstanding Direction (Shakespeare's R&J)Outstanding Direction (Titus Andronicus)Outstanding Direction (Julius Caesar)The Hobbit
4 Jessie Richardson Award Nominations including Outstanding Production, TYAThe Odyssey
Winner – Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Production, TYA7 Jessie Richardson Award NominationsShakespeare's R&J
Vancouver Courier: Top 10 pick for Best Theatre of the YearVancouverplays.com: Best of 2006 ListVancouverplays.com: Play of the Month AwardXtra West Live Performance of the Year Nominee2 Jessie Award NominationsTitus Andronicus
Vancouver Courier: Top 10 pick for Best Theatre of the YearVancouverplays.com: Best of the YearVancouverplays.com: Play of the Month Award5 Jessie Richardson Award NominationsJulius Caesar
Vancouver Courier: Top 10 pick for Best Theatre of the Year2 Jessie Award Richardson Award NominationsThe Tempest
1 Jessie Award NominationResidencies and Development
Artistic Director Mentorship 2011/ 2012:�Three Provinces, Three Mandates, Three Companies
The 2011/ 2012 season was dedicated to developing a working understanding of the diverse artistic and administrative theatre production, presentation and development practices of Canadian Theatre. Each company presented a different form Canadian Theatre production. The residencies included New Play Development, Production and curation of a National Festival, meeting with Artists, PACT Meetings, Season Budgeting and Programing, Grant Writing and Fundraising, Board Development and Management.
Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal, Emma Tibaldo (Montreal, Quebec)Theatre Conspiracy, Tim Carlson (Vancouver, British Columbia)The Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Brenda Leadlay (Ottawa, Ontario & Calgary, Alberta)BASH Emerging Director Residency 2010, Canadian Stage (Toronto, Ontario)
BASH! is Canadian Stage's program for professional directors to explore approaches to contemporary performance practice, production and administration. The 2010 focus was on directing large-scale works.
Artist in Residence 2009, The Centaur Theatre (Montreal, Quebec)
Two months were spent with Executive Artistic Director Roy Surette and General Manager Chuck Childs researching the roles and responsibilities of the AD and administrative team of large regional theatre.
Neil Munro Directors’ Project 2009, The Shaw Festival (Niagara on the Lake, Ontario)
Each season, the Shaw Festival hires two promising professional directors in an extended residency. Jack was the assistant director on Eda Holmes’ In Good King George’s Golden Days, Tadeusz Bradecki’s The Devil Disciple and Jackie Maxwell’s workshop of The Centerville Ghost. Additionally, Jack lead Audience pre-show chats, took part in Shaw Academy and ran an informal play reading serird. The residency finalised by directing The Love of Don Perlimplin with the Shaw company.
