Layne Coleman
Layne Coleman | |
|---|---|
| Born | North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Occupations | Actor, director, playwright |
| Notable work | Blue City Slammers |
Layne Coleman is a Canadian actor, playwright and theatre director, most noted as a former artistic director of Theatre Passe Muraille.[1] Originally from North Battleford, Saskatchewan,[2] he first became prominent as a co-founder and artistic director of the 25th Street Theatre in Saskatoon in the 1980s.[3]
Career
Directing
He briefly stepped in as interim artistic director of Theatre Passe Muraille in 1991 following the departure of Brian Richmond,[4] holding the role for about a year before he was succeeded by Susan Serran in early 1992;[5] he stepped in again as interim artistic director in 1997 after Serran left,[6] and was named the permanent artistic director the following year.[7] Michael Healey's The Drawer Boy, the first play he booked for the theatre, became one of the most critically and commercially popular Canadian plays of the decade.[8] Coleman held this role with Theatre Passe Muraille until 2007.[9]
In addition to 25th Street Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille, he has also directed plays for Factory Theatre, Canadian Stage Company and the National Arts Centre.[3]
Acting
Coleman's stage roles as an actor have included productions of Lips Together, Teeth Apart and Oleanna at Canadian Stage; The Life and Times of Mackenzie King, Inquest, Adult Entertainment, The End of Civilization and Escape from Happiness at Factory Theatre; The Ecstasy of Rita Joe for the Western Canada Theatre; Goodness for Volcano Theatre and Heaven Above, Heaven Below with Theatre Passe Muraille.[3]
He has also had supporting or guest roles in the television films War Brides,[10] Ready for Slaughter, Best of Both Worlds, A Matter of Sex, The Marriage Bed, Glory! Glory! and Giant Mine; the television series Harvest, Night Heat, Street Legal, E.N.G., Wind at My Back and This Is Wonderland; and the theatrical films Humongous and Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe.
Writing
As a playwright, his plays have included Blue City Slammers,[11] Tijuana Cure[12] and Highway 63.[13]
Coleman co-wrote the screenplays for the film adaptation of Blue City Slammers (1987)[14] and The Shape of Rex (2013), with the latter film serving as his film directorial debut.[15]
Awards
He received several Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for his performances in The Al Cornell Story,[16] Public Lies,[17] As I Lay Dying[18] and The Walls of Africa.[19] He has won two honorary Doras, including the George Luscombe Award for mentorship in 2005[20] and the Silver Ticket for outstanding contributions to the development of Canadian theatre.[21]
Personal life
He was married to writer Carole Corbeil before her death in 2000;[22] his theatrical play Tijuana Cure is about her treatment for and death of cancer.[12] Their daughter, Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, is an actor and playwright.[22]
References
- ↑ Wagner, Vit (September 19, 1998). "Theatre's man for all seasons". Toronto Star.
- ↑ "Local film wins praise at Madrid festival". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. February 28, 2014.
- 1 2 3 Nothof, Anne. "Coleman, Layne". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Coleman steps in". The Globe and Mail. January 31, 1991.
- ↑ Harris, Christopher (January 7, 1992). "Passe Muraille names artistic producer". The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ Kelly, Deirdre (October 3, 1997). "Theatre picks acting director". The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ Taylor, Kate (October 17, 1998). "Passing the torch at Passe Muraille". The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ Fuller, Cam (February 7, 2001). "Coleman picks a winner: Award-winning The Drawer Boy his first selection at Theatre Passe Muraille". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.
- ↑ Ouzonian, Richard (October 25, 2007). "Playing with time; Theatre Passe Muraille's outrageous productions stirred Toronto 40 years ago". Toronto Star.
- ↑ Powers, Ned (September 19, 1980). "25th Street director stars in CBC drama". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.
- ↑ "Cuts may give Slammers a hit". Toronto Star. October 20, 1985.
- 1 2 Crew, Robert (March 13, 2009). "Layne's play sadly misses Carole". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ DeMara, Bruce (February 10, 2011). "Fort Mac is a muddled road trip". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Blue City hits a bland slam". Toronto Star. April 29, 1988.
- ↑ "Saskatoon film up for award". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. January 6, 2013.
- ↑ "Dora Mavor Moore awards: Tamara paces the nominees". The Globe and Mail. October 1, 1982.
- ↑ "Dora nominations list". Toronto Star. May 18, 1994.
- ↑ Chapman, Geoff (May 17, 1996). "Canadian Stage, Tarragon lead Dora nominations". Toronto Star.
- ↑ Crew, Robert (May 17, 2002). "Dora names noms ; Tarragon Theatre leads this year's nominations with 16". Toronto Star.
- ↑ Crew, Robert (June 9, 2005). "\Urinetown gets stream of Dora nominations". Toronto Star.
- ↑ Ouzounian, Richard (June 26, 2007). "Write-in vote for Evil Dead Dora upset; Musical is favourite of city's audiences though it wasn't one of the jurors' picks". Toronto Star.
- 1 2 Ouzounian, Richard (October 4, 2008). "A very personal family drama". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
External links
- 20th-century Canadian male actors
- 20th-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights
- 20th-century Canadian screenwriters
- 21st-century Canadian male actors
- 21st-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights
- 21st-century Canadian screenwriters
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male stage actors
- Canadian male television actors
- 20th-century Canadian male dramatists and playwrights
- Canadian male screenwriters
- Canadian theatre directors
- Dora Mavor Moore Award winners
- Male actors from Saskatchewan
- Film directors from Saskatchewan
- Screenwriters from Saskatchewan
- People from North Battleford
- Living people
- Canadian artistic directors
- 21st-century Canadian male dramatists and playwrights