Principals
....................

 
Brian Quirt
Artistic Director

 
Naomi Campbell
Producer

Celebrating a decade of exploring the boundaries
of theatrical storytelling...

Nightswimming is an award-winning dramaturgical theatre company devoted, since 1995, to developing new plays, performance works and dance. We explore new forms by commissioning Canada's leading artists in the fields of theatre, music and dance. We create powerful, moving and beautiful works of performance, and pursue the study of stories and how they are told in the theatre.

Nightswimming commissions, develops and workshops these projects but does not produce them itself. We seek out established performing arts companies as partners in an extended developmental process leading to premiere productions by our partner companies. Nightswimming is devoted, through the creation of these new works, to advancing the field of dramaturgy and play development in Canada.

Nightswimming is dedicated to theatrical innovation. Our critically acclaimed plays-in-production explore challenging theatrical forms and emotionally rich stories with bold visual style. We commit to long-term relationships with our writers and provide them with the tools they need: substantial commissions; readings and workshops; high calibre actors; research; colleagues from the areas of design, choreography and music; on-going dramaturgical support; and a developmental process that is ideally suited to their requirements. We believe this approach will inspire these artists to create some of their best work.

Why Nightswimming is Unique
We give writers invaluable space in which to create, free from the pressure of most deadlines. While they're working, we act as a broker, seeking out the ideal theatre company for the new work, and convincing them to eventually produce it. We give the writer an unfettered opportunity to create and we offer producing theatres shows that they couldn't have developed themselves.

We work with established artists such as playwright Judith Thompson and choreographer Julia Sasso; award-winning novelists like Jane Urquhart and Michael Redhill (a Giller Award nominee); and new writers such as Anosh Irani (whose second novel - The Song of Kahunsha- was recently published by Doubleday), and Anita Majumdar, star of Bombay Black and the talented writer/performer of Fish Eyes.

Nightswimming offers these talented artists the rare opportunity to create a new piece through a substantial commission. We surround them with the best collaborators in the fields of theatre, dance, design and music and the means to work on their dream project.

A Commitment to research and dramaturgy
The Nightswimmming Pure Research program – in association with the University of Toronto's Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama – challenges artists from across Canada to investigate new ideas in dramaturgy. We provide space, money and resources for studio-based research into provocative theatrical questions of form and performance.

Educational Partnerships
Nightswimming is committed to mentoring students, providing internships to emerging artists and establishing partnerships with theatre training institutions.

City of Wine
Our major project from 2006-2009 is Ned Dickens' seven play cycle CITY OF WINE, which we are developing through an innovative partnership with nine theatre training institutions across Canada. Please see Current Events for the latest information.

Recognized by our Peers
Since 1995 Nightswimming has been recognized by the arts and cultural community with 7 Dora Awards, 3 Governor General's Award nominations, 17 Dora Award nominations, 4 published scripts and the Elliott Hayes Award for Outstanding Dramaturgy in North America.

Our works have premiered at Canada's leading theatre companies, toured the country and appeared at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, On the Verge, Canada Dance Festival, Alberta Theatre Project's playRites Festival and Harbourfront's World Moves Dance Series.

Visit Us
Our office is located in one of the most exciting urban developments in Toronto: Artscape's revitalization of the Distillery District. We are sharing with one of the city's most acclaimed theatre companies, DVxT Theatre, which Naomi also serves as Producer. As well as bringing us together in one complex with dozens of Toronto's performing arts companies, the new office enables us to hold play readings andmeetings in our own space. Visit us if you're in the area!

Please join us – as audience, patrons and colleagues – as we search for unique ways to tell powerful stories.

Brian & Naomi

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Company Principals


Brian Quirt
Artistic Director

In addition to his work with Nightswimming, Brian is President of LMDA (Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas). He received the LMDA's 2003 Elliott Hayes Award for Dramaturgy in recognition of his work in creating and directing Nightswimming. He was nominated for Dora Awards for Outstanding Direction for his work on Andy Massingham's ROUGH HOUSE (2005) and Don Druick's THROUGH THE EYES (2003) at Factory Theatre. He gave the keynote address at the 2007 PACT Conference (Professional Association of Canadian Theatres.

His production of Pierre Brault's PORTRAIT OF AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN premiered at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 2005, and has since been seen in St. John's at Magnetic North 2006, in Vancouver at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and at London's Grand Theatre. During the 2007/08 season, he will direct the premiere production of Brault's 5 O'CLOCK BELLS at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, and his productions of BOMBAY BLACK and ROUGH HOUSE will both embark on Canadian tours.

His writing and directing work includes Tarragon Theatre (directed Jason Sherman's AN ACRE OF TIME - Governor General's Award nomination; adapted and directed THE WHIRLPOOL, based on the novel by Jane Urquhart); Factory Theatre (directed Don Druick's THROUGH THE EYES, Jason Sherman's READING HEBRON and Sean Dixon's THE EPIC PERIOD); Theatre Passe Muraille (writer and director of THE DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE); The Hugh Bris Co. (directed Michael Healey's KICKED in Toronto and on tour across Canada and in Australia); Great Canadian Theatre Company (KICKED, Jason Sherman's AN ACRE OF TIME and Sean Dixon's FALLING BACK HOME); Modern Times Theatre (co-adaptor of AURASH; Dora nomination for new play; recently toured to Cuba and Iran) and Nightswimming (Don Druick's THROUGH THE EYES).

His Factory Theatre production of THROUGH THE EYES was showcased at the 2004 Magnetic North Festival in Edmonton following a second run at Factory, and then played for five weeks at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque.

Brian was Dramaturg at Toronto's Factory Theatre from 1998 - 2004 and at the Theatre Centre from 1992 to 1999; prior to that he worked at the Canadian Stage Company in a variety of dramaturgical positions. He has also worked as a dramaturg for many independent companies and artists and specializes in dance and choreographic dramaturgy. With Factory Theatre, his ongoing collaborations included new plays by Linda Griffiths, Claudia Dey, Michael 0'Brien, Hiro Kanagawa, Anosh Irani, Celia McBride and many others. He established the Factory Theatre Playwrights Lab, and helped create Factory's acclaimed CrossCurrents Festival devoted to writers of colour.

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Naomi Campbell
Producer

Naomi Campbell is an award-winning producer of over sixty new Canadian works. She has been Nightswimming's producer since 1994, a position she also held with Mammalian Diving Reflex from 1998 until 2007.

She took both companies from project-based groups to full-time, internationally acclaimed strongholds of contemporary Canadian theatre. She is the show producer for DVxT Theatre and coordinates Obsidian Theatre's Apprenticeship Program; she has consulted for Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, b current and Aluna Theatre as well as providing ad hoc assistance to dozens of theatre practitioners across the country.

She has produced tours to the UK, Denmark, the US and across Canada. She is the President of the Alexander Street Theatre Project, a board member of Susanna Hood's humdansoundart, and has sat on juries for the Canada Council for the Arts, the Toronto Arts Council, the Chalmers Canadian Play Awards and the Toronto Arts Foundation Awards. Naomi was also the Producer for the late Paul Bettis' Civilized Theatre from 1991 until 2005 and is leading an archival project to preserve his legacy, and the work of Theatre Second Floor and Civilized Theatre.

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Sandra Lefrançois
Associate Producer

Sandra is a graduate of McGill University, and of Humber College’s Cultural Management program. She has worked with the Toronto Arts Council Foundation, Theatre Ontario, Factory Theatre, Mammalian Diving Reflex, and was the Assistant Producer for the inaugural season of the Lab Cab Festival. She recently produced the Toronto premiere of Daniel MacIvor’s Marion Bridge and the remount of A Whistle in the Dark for The Company Theatre as well as Tony Nardi’s Two Letters. She is the Manager of the Dora Mavor Moore Awards and the General Manager of BirdLand Theatre, Sandra is also the President of the Board of Directors of fu-GEN Asian-Canadian Theatre Company and a member of the Performance Creation Canada Steering Committee.

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Ned Dickens
Playwright in Residence

As a Playwright Ned’s staged credits include: OEDIPUS (Under the Gardiner Expressway by DIE IN DEBT. 2 Dora Mavor Moore Awards including Outstanding Production); BEO’S BEDROOM (YOUNG PEOPLE'S THEATRE, GRAND LONDON, NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE, & THEATRE NEW BRUNSWICK; Dora Award, Chalmers Award nomination); ICARA (ANANKE THEATRE. Dora Award nomination. NOW Magizine's top ten of 2000.); THE STAR CHILD (A libretto for THE CANADIAN CHILDREN"S OPERA CHORUS, Harbourfront Centre. John Greer, Composer); HORSE (THE THEATRE CENTRE). For Television: six episodes of the highly successful ROLL PLAY series (Treehouse). For CBC Radio Drama: BEO’S BEDROOM, LUKE AND THE BIG CIRCLES (Gold Medal, The New York Festivals), CHEESE MAGIC, and LUKE AND THE TERRIBLE THING.

Ned was, for a while, a regular contributor to RICHARDSON’S ROUNDUP on CBC Radio 1. Ned taught high school for seven years. He has also taught Creative Writing at St Lawrence College, served as Playwright in Residence at the National Theatre School and at Nightswimming, amongst others, and designed and delivered innumerable workshops for groups including the Toronto District School Board, Queens University, George Brown College, the Green Party of Canada, and various corporate clients. He lives in Kingston with his wife and two children.

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Anita Majumdar
Playwright in Residence

Anita is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada and has a degree in English, Theatre, South Asian Languages from the University of British Columbia. A member of the 2004/05 Tarragon Writer's Unit, Anita was also one of three playwrights across the country for the Vancouver Playwrights' Theatre Centre's inaugural program, The News. Additionally, her self-written/self-performed solo show Fish Eyes has been acclaimed across Canada and internationally and continues to tour regularly. Acting credits include: Bloom (Modern Times Stage Theatre), Bombay Black (Cahoots Theatre), and Tales from Ovid (Centaur Theatre). Film credits include: Murder Unveiled for which she received the Best Actress award at the Asian Festival of First Films in Singapore. Additionally, she accepted an award from Premier McGuinty (Ontario) for her contribution to the South Asian performing arts as well was one of fifty artists invited to celebrate the Canada Council for the Arts' 50th Anniversary with Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean. Anita is the 2007/08 Playwright in Residence at Nightswimming Theatre where she will work on projects Aisha n' Ben and The Misfit, which will premiere at the 2008 Vancouver PuSh Festival and perform at Workshop West Theatre & Harbourfront Centre Studio Theatre.

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