Michael Healey
Encyclopedia
Michael Healey is a Canadian
playwright
and actor. He graduated from the acting programme at Toronto's Ryerson Theatre School
in 1985. His acting credits include the plays of Jason Sherman
(The League of Nathans, Reading Hebron and Three in the Back, Two in the Head) and George F. Walker
(The End of Civilization, Better Living).
His plays include The Drawer Boy
, Plan B and Rune Arlidge. The Drawer Boy has received international acclaim and productions all over the world, most notably by Chicago
's Steppenwolf Theatre Company
, and earned Healey the 1999 Governor General's Award
for Drama. Healey is currently a writer-in-residence at Tarragon Theatre
and a star of This Is Wonderland
.
With his play Generous, in 2007 Healey won Canada's leading theatre awards, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play. The European premiere of Generous was presented at London's Finborough Theatre
in August 2009. The Australian premiere of Generous was presented at Melbourne's Chapel-off-Chapel by PMD productions in June 2010.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and actor. He graduated from the acting programme at Toronto's Ryerson Theatre School
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
in 1985. His acting credits include the plays of Jason Sherman
Jason Sherman
Jason Sherman is a Canadian playwright and screenwriter.After graduating from the creative writing program at York University in 1985, Sherman co-founded What Publishing with Kevin Connolly, which produced what, a literary magazine that he edited from 1985 to 1990...
(The League of Nathans, Reading Hebron and Three in the Back, Two in the Head) and George F. Walker
George F. Walker
George F. Walker, CM is a Canadian playwright and screenwriter. He is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian dramatists both in Canada and internationally.-Early years:...
(The End of Civilization, Better Living).
His plays include The Drawer Boy
The Drawer Boy
The Drawer Boy is a play by Michael Healey. It is a two-act play set in 1972 on a farm near Clinton, Ontario. There are only three characters: the farm's two owners, Morgan and Angus, and Miles Potter, a young actor from Toronto doing research for a collectively created theatre piece about...
, Plan B and Rune Arlidge. The Drawer Boy has received international acclaim and productions all over the world, most notably by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
, and earned Healey the 1999 Governor General's Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
for Drama. Healey is currently a writer-in-residence at Tarragon Theatre
Tarragon Theatre
The Tarragon Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Canada, and one of the main centers for contemporary playwriting in the country. Located near Casa Loma, the theatre was founded by Bill and Jane Glassco in 1970. Bill was the Artistic Director from 1971 to 1982. In 1982, Urjo Kareda took over as...
and a star of This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland was a Canadian television series which aired on CBC Television. The series is a legal drama with comedic elements, or a comedy-drama. It was created by playwright George F...
.
With his play Generous, in 2007 Healey won Canada's leading theatre awards, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play. The European premiere of Generous was presented at London's Finborough Theatre
Finborough Theatre
The Finborough Theatre is a fifty seat theatre in the Earls Court area of London, United Kingdom , which presents new British writing, UK and premieres of new plays, primarily from the English speaking world including North America, Canada, Scotland and Ireland, music theatre, and rarely seen...
in August 2009. The Australian premiere of Generous was presented at Melbourne's Chapel-off-Chapel by PMD productions in June 2010.