Marianne Ackerman
Encyclopedia
Marianne Letitia Ackerman (born 1952) is a Canadian novelist, playwright, and journalist. Piers' Desire, her third and most recent novel, was published in 2010.
and grew up on a farm in Prince Edward County. She received a Bachelor of Arts
in Political Science (Honours) from Carleton University
in 1976. She spent a year at the Sorbonne
in Paris studying French language and culture before receiving a Master of Arts
in Drama from the University of Toronto
in 1981.
From the early 1980s, Ackerman lived in Montreal
, where she worked as a freelance journalist and as theatre critic for the Montreal Gazette, winning the Nathan Cohen Award for theatre criticism.
In the late eighties, she founded a bilingual theatre company, Theatre 1774, which staged her plays L'Affaire Tartuffe, Woman by a Window, Céleste and Blue Valentine as well as her adaptations of August Strindberg
's Miss Julie and William Shakespeare
's Measure for Measure. The company also staged The Echo Project, a play developed by Robert Lepage
from Anne Diamond's book of poetry, A Nun's Story and Ackerman worked with Lepage on Alienouidet, a play about the actor Edmund Kean
in Canada. Ackerman subsequently wrote another play about Edmund Kean, called Venus of Dublin, which was staged at the Centaur Theatre
in Montreal in 2000.
Ackerman lived near Avignon, France, for six years, from 1998 to 2004, before moving back to Montreal.
Her freelance articles, essays, reviews and criticism have appeared in The Walrus
, The Montreal Gazette, The Globe and Mail
, The Canadian Theatre Review, The Guardian Weekly
, En Route Magazine and other publications. She has taught courses in playwrighting and the history of Quebec theatre at McGill University
.
Ackerman currently lives in Montreal, where she publishes the online arts journal The Rover (roverarts.com). She is married to Gwyn Campbell, a professor of economic history at McGill University
, and has a daughter, Fiona, who is an artist.
Life and career
Marianne Ackerman was born in 1952 in Belleville, OntarioBelleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
and grew up on a farm in Prince Edward County. She received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Political Science (Honours) from Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in 1976. She spent a year at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris studying French language and culture before receiving a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Drama from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1981.
From the early 1980s, Ackerman lived in 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...
, where she worked as a freelance journalist and as theatre critic for the Montreal Gazette, winning the Nathan Cohen Award for theatre criticism.
In the late eighties, she founded a bilingual theatre company, Theatre 1774, which staged her plays L'Affaire Tartuffe, Woman by a Window, Céleste and Blue Valentine as well as her adaptations of August Strindberg
August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
's Miss Julie and William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Measure for Measure. The company also staged The Echo Project, a play developed by Robert Lepage
Robert Lepage
Robert Lepage, is a playwright, actor, film director, and stage director from Québec City, Québec, and is one of Canada's most honoured theatre artists.- Life and work :...
from Anne Diamond's book of poetry, A Nun's Story and Ackerman worked with Lepage on Alienouidet, a play about the actor Edmund Kean
Edmund Kean
Edmund Kean was an English actor, regarded in his time as the greatest ever.-Early life:Kean was born in London. His father was probably Edmund Kean, an architect’s clerk, and his mother was an actress, Anne Carey, daughter of the 18th century composer and playwright Henry Carey...
in Canada. Ackerman subsequently wrote another play about Edmund Kean, called Venus of Dublin, which was staged at the Centaur Theatre
Centaur Theatre
The Centaur Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Montreal, Quebec. It was founded in 1969 by The Centaur Foundation for the Performing Arts with Maurice Podbrey as the Artistic and Executive Director, and Herb Auerbach as Chairman of the Board....
in Montreal in 2000.
Ackerman lived near Avignon, France, for six years, from 1998 to 2004, before moving back to Montreal.
Her freelance articles, essays, reviews and criticism have appeared in The Walrus
The Walrus
The Walrus is a Canadian general interest magazine which publishes long form journalism on Canadian and international affairs, along with fiction and poetry by Canadian writers. It launched in September 2003, as an attempt to create a Canadian equivalent to American magazines such as Harper's, The...
, The Montreal Gazette, The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, The Canadian Theatre Review, The Guardian Weekly
The Guardian Weekly
The Guardian Weekly is a weekly newspaper published by the Guardian Media Group and is one of the world's oldest international newspapers. It was founded with the aim of spreading progressive British ideas into America after the First World War...
, En Route Magazine and other publications. She has taught courses in playwrighting and the history of Quebec theatre at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
Ackerman currently lives in Montreal, where she publishes the online arts journal The Rover (roverarts.com). She is married to Gwyn Campbell, a professor of economic history at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, and has a daughter, Fiona, who is an artist.
Prizes and honours
- 1985, 1988 Nathan Cohen National Award for Theatre Criticism
- 1989 Jurors Award, Quebec Drama Festival, for Blue Valentine
- 1988 Best New Play Award, Quebec Drama Festival, for Snakeprints
- 1989 King’s Theatre New Play Award, for Grande Ideas
- 1998 Nominee, Best New Play, Best Anglophone Production, Académie Québeccois de Théâtre, for Blue Valentine
- 1995 Best English-Language Production Award, Académie Québécois de Théâtre, for Sliding in All Directions
Novels
- Jump (2000) McArthur & CompanyMcArthur & Company PublishingMcArthur & Company is a Canadian-owned and operated publisher and distributor of Canadian and international fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, based in Toronto....
- Matters of Hart (2005) McArthur & CompanyMcArthur & Company PublishingMcArthur & Company is a Canadian-owned and operated publisher and distributor of Canadian and international fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, based in Toronto....
- Piers' Desire (2010) McArthur & CompanyMcArthur & Company PublishingMcArthur & Company is a Canadian-owned and operated publisher and distributor of Canadian and international fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, based in Toronto....
Plays
- Snakeprints (1988)
- Night Driving (1989)
- Grande Ideas (1989)
- Sharansky (1989)
- Alanienouidet (co-written with Robert Lepage) (1992)
- Woman By A Window (1992)
- L'Affaire Tartuffe, or the Garrison Officers Rehearse Moliere (1993)
- Sliding in All Directions (co-writer) (1995)
- Celeste (1995)
- Blue Valentine (1996)
- Venus of Dublin (2000)
- Triplex Nervosa (2009)