David Rotenberg (author)

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David Rotenberg
BornDavid Charles Rotenberg
1949or1950 [note 1]
Toronto
DiedNovember 8, 2023(2023-11-08) (aged 72–73)
OccupationTheatre professor, Director of the York University MFA program for 17 years, master acting teacher, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He also taught at the National Theatre School of Canada, the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and the University of Cape Town.
Education B.A. (Toronto), M.F.A. (Yale),
Alma mater University of Toronto
Genre Detective fiction, historical fiction, thriller, science fiction
Years active1971-2023
Notable works
SpouseSusan Santiago
Children2, Joe and Beth
Parents
  • Cyril Rotenberg
  • Gertrude Rotenberg
Relatives
  • (brothers) Robert, 2 others
  • (grandparents) Max • Sarah
Website
www.davidrotenberg.com

David Charles Rotenberg was a Canadian author and professor emeritus of theatre studies at York University, where he taught graduate students for over 25 years, [1] [3] as well at the Professional Actors Lab in Toronto, which he founded as the artistic director. [4] The Huffington Post referred to him as one of Canada's "most notable acting teachers and coaches," [5] and the Toronto Star called him "perhaps Canada's best known acting teacher." [6] Early in his career, he was a theatre director in New York City and staged two Broadway shows, [7] returning to Toronto in 1987. [8] In 1994, he directed the first Canadian play to be staged in the People's Republic of China, [4] [9] which inspired his career as a novelist, beginning with the five Zhong Fong mysteries set in modern Shanghai as well as the historical fiction novel Shanghai . [9] He later wrote a series of speculative thrillers set in The Junction, Toronto, [10] and began a science fiction series in 2017. He died on Nov 9, 2023. [11]

Contents

Early life and education

David Charles Rotenberg [12] was born and raised in Toronto, [8] with three brothers. [13] He is the son of Jewish parents: Dr. Cyril Rotenberg, [13] a physician, and Gertrude Ruth (Gertie) Rotenberg, described as a "woman of initiative, of new ideas and steady values." [14] David Rotenberg attended the University of Toronto and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. [1] [3] He left Toronto in 1971. [10]

One of his younger brothers is the criminal lawyer and crime novelist Robert Rotenberg. [15] [16]

Career

Theatre director and graduate work (1971–1987)

David Rotenberg went to British Columbia, teaching and setting up the acting programme at Simon Fraser University, [7] staging a production of Bertholt Brecht's Baal in 1973. [17]

Rotenberg moved to the US, where he lived for fourteen years. [2] He pursued graduate studies at the Yale Drama School, obtaining his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1976, [1] [3] specializing in directing. [2] He lived ten years in New York City, where he worked as a freelance director, participated in regional theatre, and directed the Broadway shows: [7] The News, [8] and The 1940's Radio Hour. [3] Rotenberg cited the influence of living in Manhattan on his work, even after returning to Canada. [8]

Rotenberg later moved to New Orleans, where he was on the faculty of Tulane University. [1] York University "lured him back to Toronto" with a job he "could not turn down". [2] Rotenberg also stated that he wanted to be closer to his parents and three brothers, and he felt Toronto was a good place to raise children. [2]

Acting teacher and international director (1987-2023)

Rotenberg returned to Toronto in 1987, [8] where he began teaching graduate students. [1] He also attempted to resume his directing career but struggled to find work, stating that he was "effectively shunned" and told to forget directing in Canada. He speculated on the reasons for this, noting his Broadway experience. [7]

I was a professional theatre director with two Broadway shows to my credit, dozens of regional theatre credits and I ran a major American regional theatre so it was a bit of shock to me when I returned to Canada, where I'd been born and raised, to find that the Canadian theatre community wanted nothing to do with me. Apparently I was a traitor. If I had spent twenty minutes directing in Eastern Europe rather than twenty years directing in America I believe I would have been welcomed back by the Canadian theatre with open arms. [18]

Shanghai Theatre Academy Shang Xi .jpg
Shanghai Theatre Academy

Rotenberg continued to occasionally direct plays and television in Canada and abroad. [3] In 1994, he directed George Ryga's The Ecstasy of Rita Joe at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, [7] the first Canadian play produced in China with a Chinese cast and creative team. [3] In 2012, Rotenberg recalled being told upon arrival, "You must remember that you can always be replaced". [19] He noted that the play's subject matter, a young First Nation woman leaving the reserve for the city, was not easily understood by the Chinese audience. [20] Despite the cultural differences and the language barrier, [7] the production was considered a "limited success." [21]

Tatiana Maslany Tatiana Maslany by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Tatiana Maslany

Other teaching projects and screen coaching

In 2000, David Rotenberg, with David Julian Hirsh and entertainment lawyer Michael Levine, proposed a high-level actor training program to the Canadian Film Centre. Eight years later, the CFC launched a new actor's conservatory and an international co-production training program. [22]

Rachel McAdams Rachel McAdams, 2016 (cropped).jpg
Rachel McAdams
Scott Speedman Scott Speedman (16097448059).jpg
Scott Speedman

In 2003, Rotenberg founded the Professional Actors Lab, [23] a successful actor training program. He also taught at Equity Showcase Theatre. [1] Rotenberg worked with approximately 75 actors at any given time, and his students included Tatiana Maslany, Rachel McAdams, Scott Speedman, Sarah Gadon, Ennis Esmer, Patrick J. Adams, David Julian Hirsh, Jonas Chernick, Shawn Doyle, Polly Shannon, and Demore Barnes. [4] [1]

Rotenberg also taught at the National Theatre School of Canada, the University of Cape Town, and Princeton, and taught professional classes in other North American cities. [4] He served as acting coach for My Secret Identity and Friday the 13th: The Series and as a private acting coach for the new Kung Fu on CBS. [3]

Theory of acting and pedagogical technique

Ennis Esmer Ennis Esmer cropped.jpg
Ennis Esmer

Rotenberg's teaching emphasized the artistic nature of acting, contrasting it with the prevailing view of acting as a craft. [18] He used videotaping and observation to offer constructive criticism to his students. [1]

Author (1998- )

Rotenberg's experience with the Toronto theatre community's rejection of him led him to writing. [18] He wrote film scripts, stage plays (including an adaptation of The Great Gatsby ), and novels. [10]

It is a pleasure to read intelligent thrillers by Canadian writers. David Rotenberg ... is a man of many talents who brings his substantial experience in the theatre to his novels. Not only are they extremely literate and sophisticated, they boast truly inventive characters. Rotenberg ... knows well how to build suspenseful momentum in telling a story.

Valerie Senyk [24]

Novels

David Rotenberg authored 12 novels across mystery, science fiction, and historical fiction genres. Many were optioned for film and television. His experience at the Shanghai Theatre Academy inspired his first novel, The Shanghai Murders (1998), followed by four more in the series. [3] The five Zhong Fong novels gained a large following. The series was optioned for film [25] and television (HBO). [4]

Shanghai, viewed from The Bund, the principal setting of the Zhong Fong series. 1996 -254-13 Shanghai view from The Bund (40549601123).jpg
Shanghai, viewed from The Bund, the principal setting of the Zhong Fong series.

His novel Shanghai: The Ivory Compact (2008) was an epic spanning thousands of years. [2] [26] Rotenberg wrote it as three novels but Penguin published it as one volume. [27] It has been reported as being optioned by Darius Films [28] and by Jane McLean for television. [29]

Dundas and Keele, The Junction, Toronto, initial and final setting of The Junction Chronicles. Junction Dundas and Keele Looking East.jpg
Dundas and Keele, The Junction, Toronto, initial and final setting of The Junction Chronicles .

His The Junction Chronicles series used The Junction, Toronto as its setting. [25] Robert J. Wiersema described The Placebo Effect (2012) as a thriller "possessed of an enthralling undercurrent" and praised Rotenberg's characterization. [30] The trilogy was optioned by producer Don Kurt for television. [29]

In 2017, he published the first book of his The Dream Chronicles series, followed by the second in 2019. [31] [32] [33] In 2021, he published ACT - The Modern Actor’s Handbook.

Projects in development

In 2008, Rotenberg mentioned potential projects: a sixth Zhong Fong novel, a sequel to Shanghai, and a book about Canadian actors who studied with him. [26]

Influences and writing process

Rotenberg cited influences including John Le Carré, Jack Miles, James Lee Burke, Thomas Cahill, Harlan Ellison, William Boyd, Annie Proulx, K.C. Constantine, James Crumley, playwright Robert Litz, and Aaron Sorkin. [34] He described his writing process, noting the differences in his workspace for his different series. [27]

Theory of novel authorship and sources of inspiration

Rotenberg considered the novel superior to other genres, emphasizing character over plot. [6] His teaching experience informed his writing, drawing inspiration from his students' talents and insights. [18] [6] His career path also directly influenced his writing, incorporating elements from his work in acting and directing. [18] He believed that Canadian crime writers had an advantage over their counterparts in other countries, focusing more on social and historical context. [35]

Personal life

Rotenberg lived in The Junction, Toronto with his wife Susan Santiago [12] [36] until his death in November 2023. They had two adult children, both dual citizens. [36]

One of his brothers, Robert Rotenberg, is a criminal lawyer and author. [15]

York University announced Rotenberg's death on November 9, 2023. [11]

Bibliography

Novels

Zhong Fong mysteries
  • The Shanghai Murders (1998)
  • The Lake Ching Murders (2001)
  • The Hua Shan Hospital Murders (2003)
  • The Hamlet Murders (2004)
  • The Golden Mountain Murders (2005)
Shanghai (2008)
The Junction Chronicles
  • The Placebo Effect (2012)
  • A Murder of Crows (2013)
  • The Glass House (2014)
The Dream Chronicles
  • Book 1 (2017)
  • Book 2 (2019)

Selected drama

Original screenplays and teleplays
  • Ambition's Debt (optioned by Shaftesbury Films as writer/director) [1] [37]
  • Gliders (commissioned by Sy Maloney and Associates; unproduced) [37]
  • YYZ (commissioned by Metaphore Productions; unproduced) [37]
  • Providence (commissioned by Berryman Production Group; unproduced) [37]
  • 8 episodes of Missing Treasures (Global) [3] [37]
  • 6 episodes of Actor's Notes (Bravo!) [37]
Stage adaptations

Notes

  1. ↑ Rotenberg was 52 in 2002, [1] and 62 in 2012. [2]

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The Junction Chronicles is a trilogy of Canadian speculative thrillers by David Rotenberg, whose protagonist, acting coach Decker Roberts, a synaesthete with a special talent for determining the truth in statements, lives in the neighbourhood of The Junction in Toronto, supplementing his income with his unique talent and becoming involved with American intelligence agents after his life begins to fall apart. The series was first published by Simon & Schuster between 2012 and 2014.

<i>Zhong Fong</i> (novel series) Book series by David Rotenberg

The Zhong Fong mystery series is a quintet of Canadian novels by theatre director and acting coach David Rotenberg, set primarily in contemporary Shanghai, China, and named after the series protagonist, Detective Inspector Zhong Fong. In addition to The Shanghai Murders (1998) and its four sequels, the character also makes a cameo appearance in Rotenberg's epic historical novel, Shanghai. The series and Shanghai have both received critical acclaim and sold well worldwide.

<i>Shanghai</i> (novel) Historical novel by David Rotenberg

Shanghai: The Ivory Compact is an epic historical novel by Canadian theatre director and acting coach David Rotenberg, spanning several centuries of the history of the city of Shanghai. While Shanghai was written as a stand-alone story, it includes cameo appearances by young versions of characters who appear in Rotenberg's detective series set in contemporary Shanghai. Shanghai received critical acclaim and sold well worldwide.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Intini, John (29 April 2002). "David Rotenberg (Profile)". Maclean's. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Silverstein, Barbara (16 February 2012). "Hollywood courts local thriller writer" (PDF). Canadian Jewish News . Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "David Rotenberg". School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design. York University . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "David Rotenberg, Artistic Director". Professional Actors Lab. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  5. ↑ Cabezas, Marcello (29 March 2013). "Canadawood is Born for Real". Huffington Post Canada Blog. The Huffington Post . Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Quill, Greg (26 March 2013). "David Rotenberg's worlds collide: Interview". Toronto Star . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gothe, Jurgen (1 November 2009). "The Writings Of David Rotenberg". Nuvo (Winter 2009). Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Clare, Kerry. ""Free fall beneath the carpet": David Rotenberg on setting The Placebo Effect in Toronto". 49th Shelf. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  9. 1 2 "David Rotenberg". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 "Interview: David Rotenberg". Workaday Reads. 25 January 2012. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  11. 1 2 Huls, Alex (14 November 2023). "Passings: David Rotenberg". YFile. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  12. 1 2 Rotenberg, David (2019). The Lake Ching Murders: A Mystery of Fire and Ice. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Nero Books. ISBN   9781863954334 . Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Dr. Cyril Rotenberg Obituary". Toronto Star . 11 April 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "Gertrude Ruth ROTENBERG Obituary". The Globe and Mail . 21 October 1999. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  15. 1 2 Wilson, Julie (9 May 2012). "Robert Rotenberg on engaging readers, why more men should read fiction and his love of #haiku". 49th Shelf. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  16. ↑ "Laughing Oyster Bookshop Presents Annual Book Club Suggestions". bookmanager.com. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "File F-109-12-4-0-7 - Baal (Brecht): directed by David Rotenberg". atom.archives.sfu.ca. Simon Fraser University . Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Clare, Kerry. "David Rotenberg: His Novels Are Anchored by the Art of Acting". 49th Shelf. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  19. ↑ The Placebo Effect: Q&A with David Rotenberg . Retrieved 22 August 2019.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  20. ↑ Wagner, Vit (23 June 2008). "Shanghaied into books, you could say". The Toronto Star . Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  21. ↑ Handelzalts, Michael (29 October 2008). "A Canadian in China". Haaretz . Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  22. ↑ Bradshaw, James (8 September 2008). "A Canadian first: actors' training program launched". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  23. ↑ "Our Studio". Professional Actors Lab. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  24. ↑ Senyk, Valerie (15 March 2013). "A Murder of Crows, by David Rotenberg". The Waterloo Region Record . Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  25. 1 2 Clare, Stephen Patrick (17 February 2012). "Book Review: The Placebo Effect, by David Rotenberg". National Post . Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  26. 1 2 Weinman, Sarah (8 September 2008). "GOING BIG ON SHANGHAI". Maclean's . Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  27. 1 2 Rotenberg, David. "At the Desk: David Rotenberg". Open Book Toronto. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  28. ↑ "Deals: Film options for Richard Wagamese, Anna Porter, and more". Quill & Quire (2011–11). 12 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  29. 1 2 "News from WGC Members" (PDF). Canadian Screenwriter. 21 (1): 28. Fall 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  30. ↑ Wiersema, Robert J. (13 February 2012). "The Placebo Effect [review]". Quill & Quire. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  31. ↑ "The Dream Chronicles". Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  32. ↑ "The Dream Chronicles Book One". Goodreads . Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  33. ↑ "The Dream Chronicles 2". Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  34. ↑ "On writing, with David Rotenberg". Open Book Toronto. Open Book Foundation. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  35. ↑ Quill, Greg (26 January 2013). "Canadian crime novelists: In for the kill". Hamilton Spectator . Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  36. 1 2 Selnes, Bill (18 January 2012). "Questions and Answers with David Rotenberg". Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "DAVID ROTENBERG - Director/Writer/Acting Teacher" (PDF). davidrotenberg.com. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  38. ↑ Fein-Goldbach, Debbie (29 October 2008). "Okay Gatsby". Now . Retrieved 25 July 2019.
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