Frank Moher

Last updated

Frank Moher
Born1955 (age 6970)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Occupations
  • Playwright
  • theatre director
  • journalist
Notable workOdd Jobs (1985)
Website frankmoher.com

Frank Moher (born 1955) is a Canadian playwright, theatre director, and journalist based in Gabriola Island, British Columbia. Born in Edmonton, he began writing plays in his youth, producing his first while still in high school. He was educated at the University of Alberta, where he later taught. His most popular play, Odd Jobs (1985), was a finalist for the Governor General's Award and won the Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award in 1993. Moher founded the Western Edge Theatre in Nanaimo, British Columbia in 2002, retiring as Executive Director of the theatre in 2022. He has written a wide variety of plays and musicals, and has written articles for The Globe and Mail , Saturday Night , and the Alberta Report . He is the editor and media critic for the online magazine backofthebook.

Contents

Early life and career

Frank Moher was born in 1955 in Edmonton, Alberta. [1] At the age of 12, he moved to New York where he performed in the musical Jackpot. [2] Moher attributed his interest in stage performance to the "electrifying experience" of the musical. He spent part of his youth in New York and Connecticut before returning to Alberta. [3] Moher produced his first play, Damn You, Shakespeare, at the age of 15 while attending Bishop Grandin High School in Calgary. The play won second place in the Alberta Playwrighting Competition. [4] Moher's first published play, Pause, [5] was initially presented at a high school drama festival at the University of Calgary theatre, [6] and later performed at the 49th Street Theatre in Calgary in 1974. [7]

After graduating from high school, Moher attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton. [1] During his second year there, he was given a copy of Henry Kreisel's The Broken Globe by his professor, which he subsequently adapted into a play. Moher's The Broken Globe was first performed at a university workshop production, then adapted for local television, before its first full-scale production in 1976 at Theatre 3 in Edmonton. [6]

During the production of The Broken Globe at Theatre 3, Moher was commissioned to create a children's play for the theatre's Christmas show. In collaboration with the composer Lawrence Reese, Moher produced the musical The Grimm Brothers' Road Show. Moher expressed dissatisfaction with the musical, referring to the Brothers Grimm fairy tales as "too moralistic and often quite frightening." Moher and Reese collaborated again on Doctor Doolittle at the Northern Light Theatre, where the production had a long run and was quite well-received. [6] Moher later settled on Gabriola Island in British Columbia in the late 1980s. [8]

Playwrighting

Moher most celebrated work, Odd Jobs (1985), was a finalist for the Governor General's Award and won the Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award in 1993. [9] In 1989, Moher won the Sterling Award for his play Prairie Report (1988). [1] Among his other plays are The Third Ascent (1988), which toured Canada and won the Edmonton Sterling Award for Outstanding New Play; Supreme Dream (with Rhonda Trodd, 1995), which also toured Canada; and Big Baby (2004), which toured Europe. [10] Moher has also written musicals, including McLuhan: The Musical, [1] which premiered at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in 1994. [11] He created E-script, an online playwrighting workshop, and ProPlay, an online play publisher. [10] Moher has taught and lectured at the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, and Malaspina College (Vancouver Island University). [1]

Moher founded the Western Edge Theatre in Nanaimo, British Columbia in 2002, [12] [13] where he was the artistic producer from 2002 to 2012. [1] He retired as Executive Director of the theatre in 2022. [14]

Television, film, and radio

Moher has written for television, film, and radio. [1] In 1978, his play Down for the Weekend was adapted for CBC Radio's Radio Drama Series. [6] His other radio plays include Orchids and Cacti (1980), for which he was nominated for an ACTRA Award for Best Writer in 1981; [15] Life Line (1982), and Janus (1984). [16]

He portrayed the mob boss Lucien in the 2016 film The Ol' Amity Blues, directed by Jeff James Monson. [17]

Journalism

As a journalist, Moher has written for The Globe and Mail , Saturday Night , and the Alberta Report , among others. [1] He is the editor and media critic for the online magazine backofthebook. [1]

Works

Plays

Radio plays

Musicals

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Nothof, Anne (2022). "Moher, Frank". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University . Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  2. Nicholls, Liz (30 April 1991). "Prairie playwright a coastal convert". Edmonton Journal . p. 53. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Youthful Frank Moher found unique fulfillment on stage". The Globe and Mail . 24 September 1988. p. 49. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  4. [Calgary Herald] (4 February 2004). "Playwright up to the challenge". Calgary Herald . p. 37. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  5. Melnyk, George (1998). The Literary History of Alberta . Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta Press. p. 101. ISBN   0-8886-4324-1 . Retrieved 20 September 2025 via the Internet Archive.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Hobson, Louis B. (2 February 1978). "The Frank Moher touch". The Calgary Albertan . p. 23. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 [Playwrights Canada] (1977). A Directory of Canadian Plays and Playwrights. Toronto, ON: Playwrights Co-op. p. 90. ISBN   978-0-8875-4261-9 . Retrieved 20 September 2025 via the Internet Archive.
  8. 1 2 Dunstan, Richard (7 February 1990). "College play written to fit students' lives". Nanaimo Daily News . p. 13. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 Charlebois, Gaetan (2021). "Odd Jobs". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University . Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  10. 1 2 [PGC] (2025). "Frank Moher". Toronto, ON: Playwrights Guild of Canada . Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  11. 1 2 Conlogue, Ray (28 October 1994). "When the medium fails to deliver the message". The Globe and Mail . p. 58. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  12. Moher, Frank (2019). "Western Edge Theatre". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University . Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  13. Burgan, Kate (30 October 2004). "Western Edge Theatre filling niche". Nanaimo Daily News . p. 4. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  14. [Nanaimo Bulletin News] (9 September 2022). "Western Edge Theatre company's founder steps down after 20 years". Vancouver Island Free Daily. Black Press Media . Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  15. 1 2 Birnie, Peter (11 February 1981). "ACTRA Awards nominations". Edmonton Journal . p. 70. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ferrara, Miranda Herbert, ed. (2004). Writers Directory 2005. St. James Press. ISBN   1-5586-2514-3.
  17. Stern, Rachel (29 August 2016). "Nanaimo director Jeff James Monson creates independent film about friendship and betrayal". Nanaimo News Bulletin . Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  18. 1 2 Salter, Denis, ed. (1984). New Canadian Drama 3 . Ottawa, ON: Borealis Press. p. 165. ISSN   0825-382X . Retrieved 20 September 2025 via the Internet Archive.
  19. Moore, Kerry (19 January 1986). "Odd Jobs really connects". The Province . Vancouver, B.C. p. 70. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  20. Drake, Sylvie (9 November 1992). "'Odd Jobs' is penetrating look at human triangle". The Los Angeles Times . p. 188. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  21. Milani, Joanne (3 April 1992). "'Odd Jobs' story line doesn't work". The Tampa Tribune . p. 65. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  22. Fleming, John (10 April 1992). "A tough ask for viewers". Tampa Bay Times . p. 203. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  23. [The Canadian Press] (16 December 1987). "Playwright aims at Edmonton audiences". North Bay Nugget . The Canadian Press. p. 27. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  24. Portman, Jamie (26 February 1988). "Playwright's latest play solidifies fine reputation". Calgary Herald . p. 44. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  25. Crew, Robert (7 March 1990). "Acclaimed production falls under heavy hand". The Toronto Star . p. 45. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  26. Nicholls, Liz (22 October 1988). "Literate play whacks right, left with gusto". Edmonton Journal . p. 55. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  27. Lacey, Liam (10 May 1991). "Characters suspended in island time". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  28. Chamberlain, Adrian (23 August 1991). "60 years later, cult keeps firing up hot debate". Times Colonist . Victoria, B.C. p. 24. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  29. Nicholls, Liz (24 April 1995). "Motown and the white girl: Rhonda Trodd didn't stop pursuing her dream to be a Supreme". Edmonton Journal . p. 18. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  30. Chamberlain, Adrian (10 November 1995). "Gabriola paper war sparks play". Times Colonist . Victoria, B.C. p. 51. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  31. Brett, Mark (17 November 1995). "Play may hit close to home". Nanaimo Daily News . p. 16. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  32. Taylor, Kate (20 February 1997). "Clever Tolstoy play ignores tragedy". The Globe and Mail . p. 78. Retrieved 20 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  33. Morrow, Martin (31 January 1999). "Mental illness tackled with humour, pathos". Calgary Herald . p. 29. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.
  34. Dafoe, Chris (25 February 1999). "A crazy little thing called crazy". The Globe and Mail . p. 52. Retrieved 19 September 2025 via Newspapers.com.

Further reading