Robert Chafe

Last updated
Robert Chafe
Born1971 (age 52–53)
Newfoundland and Labrador
Occupationplaywright
NationalityCanadian
Period2000s-present
Notable worksAfterimage, Butler's Marsh, Tempting Providence

Robert Chafe (born 1971) [1] is a Canadian playwright and actor based in St. John's. He is the author of seventeen stage scripts and co-author of another eight. [2] His play Afterimage won the Governor General's Award for English language drama at the 2010 Governor General's Awards. [3] He was previously nominated for the same award at the 2004 Governor General's Awards for his plays Butler's Marsh and Tempting Providence.

Contents

His other plays have included Place of First Light (cowritten with Sean Panting), [4] Charismatic Death Scenes, [1] Belly Up, [1] Emptygirl, [4] Oil and Water, [4] Isle des Demons, [5] Lemons, [5] One Foot Wet, [5] Signals, [5] Under Wraps [5] and Vive La Rose. [5] Belly Up was also published in the Breakwater Book of Contemporary Newfoundland Plays: Volume 3. [6] In 2016, he published a book of short stories, Two-Man Tent. He has won numerous Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Awards, and was named 1998 Emerging Artist of the Year by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council. [4]

In 2018, Memorial University of Newfoundland awarded Chafe the degree of doctor of letters honoris causa “for his major contribution to Newfoundland theatre and culture.” [7]

Chafe has acted, both on stage and in the 2006 television miniseries Above and Beyond . [1] When Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland was formed in 1995, Chafe was an original cast member and, since 2000, has served as Artistic Director. Some of his first performances with Artistic Fraud were in the shows In Your Dreams, Freud; The Cheat; Jesus Christ Superstar; and Great Big Stick. [8]

In 2022 Chafe collaborated with Scott Jones on I Forgive You, a play about the aftermath of Jones being left paraplegic by an anti-gay attack in 2013. [9] Following the play's publication in book form, Chafe and Jones received a nomination for the Governor General's Award for English-language drama at the 2024 Governor General's Awards. [10]

Early and personal life

Chafe is from Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. While there he attended Goulds elementary, McPherson Jr High and Bishops College. He and his three brothers were raised by William Robert Chafe (Petty Harbour, NL) who worked in the construction industry and Elizabeth Pynn (Carpoon, NL) who was a homemaker. He worked for his father's construction company until he was eighteen years old before joining the Elysian Theatre Company. He is openly gay. [11]

Bibliography

Plays

Short stories

Related Research Articles

Bernice Morgan is a Canadian novelist and short-story writer. Much of her work portrays the history and daily life of Newfoundland. She is best known for her novel "Random Passage" which became a television mini-series on CBC.

Alberta Theatre Projects ("ATP") is a professional, not-for-profit, Canadian theatre company, founded in 1972 by Lucille Wagner and Douglas Riske, currently based out of the Martha Cohen Theatre in Arts Commons, in Calgary, Alberta. The company is well-known in Canada and internationally for its development of new, Canadian plays and the art of dramaturgy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myra Bennett</span> Canadian nurse

Myra M. Bennett, CM, MBE born London, England, died Daniel's Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada was a celebrated Canadian nurse. Dubbed The Florence Nightingale of Newfoundland by the Evening Telegram, in tribute to her contribution to the people of the Great Northern Peninsula, she was also known simply as The Nurse.

Paul O'Neill was a writer, historian and former CBC producer. He wrote many books on the history of Newfoundland. O'Neill was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, and raised in Bay de Verde until the age of 8 when his family moved to St. John's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Crummey</span> Canadian poet and writer

Michael Crummey is a Canadian poet and a writer of historical fiction. His writing often draws on the history and landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Al Pittman was a Canadian writer and teacher from Newfoundland.

<i>The Colony of Unrequited Dreams</i> 1998 novel by Wayne Johnston

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is a novel by Wayne Johnston, published on September 30, 1998 by Knopf Canada. Johnston's breakthrough work, the novel was a Canadian bestseller, and was shortlisted for the 1998 Giller Prize and the 1998 Governor General's Award for English fiction.

Michael Cook was an English-born Canadian playwright known for his plays set in Newfoundland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newfoundland expedition</span> Action of the War of the First Coalition

The Newfoundland expedition was a series of fleet manoeuvres and amphibious landings in the coasts of Newfoundland, Labrador and Saint Pierre and Miquelon carried out by the combined French and Spanish fleets during the French Revolutionary Wars. This expedition, composed of seven ships of the line and three frigates under the orders of Rear-Admiral Richery sailed from Cadiz in August 1796 accompanied by a much stronger Spanish squadron, commanded by General Solano, which had the aim of escorting it to the coast of Newfoundland.

Andrew Jordan Jones is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, and a former member of CODCO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Fagan</span> Canadian businessman and dignitary

Frank Frederick Fagan, is a Canadian businessman and dignitary, who served as the 13th lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2013 to 2018, thus serving as the viceregal representative of Queen Elizabeth II of Canada in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He was appointed by Governor General of Canada David Lloyd Johnston on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on 2 February 2013. Fagan was sworn in on 19 March 2013, succeeding John Crosbie.

Breakwater Books Ltd. is a Canadian publishing company based in Newfoundland and Labrador. Although the company began as a way for local authors in Newfoundland and Labrador to publish their work without leaving the province, Breakwater now publishes works from authors throughout Canada and the UK. The company places a strong emphasis on publishing books that preserve and celebrate the culture of Newfoundland and Labrador, although they publish books in many different genres. The company is also known for its publication of educational materials for schools, and was the first company in Atlantic Canada to do so. As of 2004, Breakwater had published over 600 titles, releasing between 10 and 15 titles every year.

Gemma Hickey is a Canadian LGBTQ rights activist and author. They became one of the first Canadians to receive a gender-neutral birth certificate and passport. Hickey founded The Pathways Foundation, an organization that offers support to survivors of religious institutional abuse and their families. Since 2010, Hickey has worked as Executive Director of Artforce, formerly known as For the Love of Learning, a non-profit that works to forge new paths for at-risk youth by advancing their literacy and creative skills.

Deidre Gillard-Rowlings is a Canadian film, television, and stage actress, who is best known for her role as Nurse Myra Bennett in Robert Chafe's Tempting Providence and for her work at the Stratford Festival.

Sheilah Lukins is a Canadian writer residing in St. Phillip's, Newfoundland. She writes both non-fiction titles and books for children. The first book in her children's series, Full Speed Ahead: Errol's Bell Island Adventure, won the Bruneau Family Children's/Young Adult Award, which is a part of the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards. The second book in the series, Flying Ace: Errol's Gander Adventure, won a Canada Book Award. Along with writing, she works at the Memorial University Library.

Berni Stapleton is a Canadian writer residing in Newfoundland. Along with writing, Stapleton is also a performer and playwright. Her debut book, They Let Down Baskets, won the 1999 Newfoundland Book Award for Best Non-Fiction.

Paul David Power is a Canadian actor, playwright and theatre director from Newfoundland and Labrador, whose play Crippled was a nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language drama at the 2021 Governor General's Awards.

Scott Jones is a Canadian writer and filmmaker. He is most noted for his theatrical play I Forgive You, a collaboration with Robert Chafe which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language drama at the 2024 Governor General's Awards.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Robert Chafe. Waterfront Views: Contemporary Writing of Atlantic Canada.
  2. ↑ "Creative Team". Artistic Fraud. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  3. ↑ "Regina's Dianne Warren wins Gov-Gen Award for ‘Cool Water’". The Globe and Mail, November 16, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Robert Chafe at the Playwrights Guild of Canada.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robert Chafe Archived 2008-07-06 at the Wayback Machine at doollee.com.
  6. ↑ "The Breakwater Book of Contemporary Newfoundland Plays Volume Three (print) – Playwrights Canada Press". www.playwrightscanada.com. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  7. ↑ "Playwright Robert Chafe to be awarded honorary doctorate at Memorial University convocation | The Western Star". www.thewesternstar.com. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  8. ↑ "History". Artistic Fraud. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  9. ↑ "After finding a way to forgive his attacker, this man helped create a play about it". CBC News Newfoundland and Labrador, August 21, 2022.
  10. ↑ Cassandra Drudi, "Canisia Lubrin, Danny Ramadan among 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award finalists". Quill & Quire , October 8, 2024.
  11. ↑ "You're Not From Here: Place and Identity in Newfoundland Drama". Michael Devine, Acadia University.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.