David Fennario
Encyclopedia
David William Fennario, né David Wiper (born 26 April 1947) is a Canadian
playwright
best known for Balconville
(1979), his bilingual dramatization of life in working-class Montreal
, for which he won the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award
. A committed socialist, Fennario has been a candidate for the Union des forces progressistes in 2003
and for Québec solidaire
in 2007
. He has been the subject of two National Film Board of Canada
documentaries, David Fennario's Banana Boots and Fennario: His World On Stage.
His pen name, "Fennario," given to him by a former girlfriend, is from a Bob Dylan
song, "Pretty Peggy-O."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
best known for Balconville
Balconville
Balconville is a play by Canadian playwright David Fennario. It is a two act drama that is considered to be Fennario's best play.The play was first performed at the Centaur Theatre in 1979 under the direction of Guy Sprung. It opened to highly favourable reviews and subsequently toured the...
(1979), his bilingual dramatization of life in working-class Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, for which he won the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award
Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award
The Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Awards were a Canadian literary award, given to Canadian plays produced by any professional Canadian theatre company, and having at least ten performances in the Toronto area....
. A committed socialist, Fennario has been a candidate for the Union des forces progressistes in 2003
Quebec general election, 2003
The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:...
and for Québec solidaire
Québec Solidaire
Québec solidaire is a democratic socialist and sovereigntist political party in Quebec, Canada, that was created on 4 February 2006 in Montreal. It was formed by the merger of the left-wing party Union des forces progressistes and the alter-globalization political movement Option Citoyenne, led...
in 2007
Quebec general election, 2007
The Quebec general election of 2007 was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but were reduced to a minority government, Quebec's first in...
. He has been the subject of two National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
documentaries, David Fennario's Banana Boots and Fennario: His World On Stage.
His pen name, "Fennario," given to him by a former girlfriend, is from a Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song, "Pretty Peggy-O."
Works
- Without a Parachute (1972) (journals)
- On the Job (1976) (play)
- Nothing to Lose (1977) (play)
- BalconvilleBalconvilleBalconville is a play by Canadian playwright David Fennario. It is a two act drama that is considered to be Fennario's best play.The play was first performed at the Centaur Theatre in 1979 under the direction of Guy Sprung. It opened to highly favourable reviews and subsequently toured the...
(1979) (play) - Joe Beef (1984) (play; based on the life and times of Joe BeefJoe BeefCharles McKiernan was a well-known Montreal tavern owner, innkeeper and philanthropist.-Biography:...
) - Doctor Thomas Neill Cream (1988) (play)
- The Murder of Susan Parr (1989) (play)
- The Death of René Lévesque (1991) (play)
- Gargoyles (1997) (play)
- Banana Boots (1998) (play)
- Condoville (2005) (play)
- Bolsheviki (2010) (play)