Jean Betts

Jean Betts is a London born New Zealand playwright , actor and director. She emigrated with her parents, both founders of Unity Theatre, London, to Christchurch, New Zealand. She obtained a degree at University of Canterbury in English Literature and New Zealand and Pacific History. and graduated from the New Zealand Drama School (now Toi Whakaari) in 1970, the inaugural year when its founder, Nola Millar, was principal. During her time as actor and director at Gateway, BATS, Downstage and Circa Theatres, she became a foundation member of Playmarket (New Zealand, 1975), Circa Theatre (Wellington, 1976) and Taki Rua/The Depot Theatre (Wellington, 1983). In 1979 Jean worked at ESTA (English Speaking Theatre Amsterdam) as actor/director, and was a founding member of the expatriate (New Zealand) group 'The Heartache and Sorrow Company' (directing) which presented work in Amsterdam, Germany, London, and at the Edinburgh Festival, where the group received a 'Fringe First' and a Scotsman's Award. In 1993 she co-founded the Women's Professional Playwrights Association (WOPPA) which premiered her play Ophelia Thinks Harder, and established The Women's Play Press with Lorae Parry, Cathy Downes, Viv Plumb and Fiona Samuel. (Ophelia Thinks Harder has subsequently been translated in German and Italian and produced over 160 times.) In 2005 she set up a small NZ play publishing project, The Play Press (www.playpress.co.nz). She has been a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize twice; and in 2015 received the Playmarket Award of $20,000 for her contribution to New Zealand Theatre.