John Paterson (born May 25, 1974) is a Canadian director, devisor, dramaturg, translator, actor and theatre creator who works across Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. His favourite credits include directing the installation 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 Macbeth: 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 has 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! and the West Coast Ambassador for Playwrights Workshop Montreal. His work has been nominated for over twenty-five 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
Selected Directing Credits: Classical
The Women of Troy, Canadian Stage: Festival of Ideas
The Love of Don Perlimplin for Belisa in his Garden, Shaw Festival
Coriolanus*, Mad Duck Theatre Collective
Shakespeare's R & J*, Mad Duck Theatre Collective
Titus Andronicus*, Mad Duck Theatre Collective
Julius Caesar *, Mad Duck Theatre Collective
Henry 6 Parts 2 & 3, Savage God: Shakespeare Project
The Tempest*, Mad Duck Theatre Collective
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mad Duck Theatre Collective
Macbeth, Square Pegs Theatre
Selected Directing Credits: Contemporary
The Pitmen Painters, United Players (Vancouver, Canada)
The Love of Don Perlimplin for Bellisa in his Garden, The Shaw Festival (Niagara on the Lake, Canada)
A three-month professional development residency to study the structures, practice and theory underpinning the German Innovation incubator Flausen +.
Shakespeare's Globe - Directing Studio 2018 (London, UK)
Offered to a selected 10 professional directors, a masterclass series focused on Shakespeare's plays in the Globe Theatre including original practice; actor's voice and physical practice on the bare stage.
The Young Vic Genesis Director's Network 2016 – Ongoing (London, UK)
As the only scheme of its kind in the UK, the Directors program provides proactive support for professional directors including skills workshops, peer-led projects and paid assistant directing roles.
Theatre503, Resident Producer 20116 (London, UK)
A residency with Olivier Award-winning London new play development theatre. Key members of the producing team responsibilities included: producing; contracting; marketing and social media; and grant writing.
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.
