Tzavta #17

SIR. DAVID HARE- Guest Speaker

David Hare is a playwright and filmmaker. He has written over thirty stage plays which include PLENTY, PRAVDA (with Howard Brenton), THE SECRET RAPTURE, RACING DEMON, SKYLIGHT, AMY’S VIEW, THE BLUE ROOM, VIA DOLOROSA, STUFF HAPPENS, SOUTH DOWNS, THE ABSENCE OF WAR, THE JUDAS KISS, THE MODERATE SOPRANO and THE RED BARN. For film and television he has written over twenty-five screenplays which include LICKING HITLER, DREAMS OF LEAVING, SAIGON: YEAR OF THE CAT, WETHERBY, DAMAGE, THE HOURS, THE READER, DENIAL and THE WORRICKER TRILOGY: PAGE EIGHT, TURKS & CAICOS and SALTING THE BATTLEFIELD and WALL. He has also written English adaptations of plays by Brecht, Gorky, Chekhov, Pirandello, Ibsen and Lorca. His first work of memoir, THE BLUE TOUCH PAPER, was published in 2014. In the NT millennial poll of the greatest plays of the 20th century, five of the top 100 were his. David was in Calgary for two days for the premiere of Wall, an animated feature film directed by animator Cam Christiansen based on his play. 

Calgary International Film Festival

VANESSA PORTEOUS- Moderator

Vanessa Porteous is a stage director and dramaturg based in Calgary, Alberta. She was born and raised in Ottawa. She has a BA in Drama from the University of Toronto (1993) and a BFA in Acting from the University of Alberta (1996). From 2009-2017 Vanessa was Artistic Director of Alberta Theatre Projects, with a contemporary repertoire that focuses on new Canadian Plays. Prior to that, from 1998, she was a dramaturg at the company, where she oversaw the development of over thirty world premieres. For Alberta Theatre Projects, She has directed over 15 productions, many of which were world premieres, most recently Gracie by Joan MacLeod and Cockroach by Jonathan Garfinkel, based on the novel by Rawi Hage (2016) all for ATP. Porteous has been awarded the Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Direction twice. She is bilingual in English and French, and is a member of Canadian Actors Equity Association and Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.