Robert Morgan
co-Founder | Artistic co-Director
Robert Morgan has enjoyed a lengthy and eclectic career. His work has helped establish Canada as one of the world’s foremost producers of theatre for young audiences. Over the past 25 years he has written more than 20 professionally produced plays and acted in and directed over 40 productions. He has won the prestigious Chalmers Award for outstanding play writing six times and his work, which has received a total of ten Dora nominations – with four winning best production – has been performed around the world, including Cuba, the former Czechoslovakia, the United Kingdom, France and extensively throughout Canada and the United States.
In 2001, Robert founded the Children’s Peace Theatre in Toronto, Canada. In its first six seasons, the Peace Theatre has involved thousands of children and young people in active programs of training and performing. In his role as Artistic Director, Robert delivered two official presentations to the United Nations in New York at the 2002 Special Session on the Children of the World. The Peace Theatre is part of a global movement committed to establishing “a culture of peace for the children of the world” and its work has been honoured with several awards, most recently a Leonardo Da Vinci Award for creativity and innovation in 2007.
In 1986, Robert formed Roseneath Production with David S. Craig in order to produce and tour his solo show Morgan’s Journey. The play, which has been performed every year since and become the longest touring play in Canadian history, has been called “a true Canadian classic” and the company, which incorporated as Roseneath Theatre in 1993 has gone on to establish an international reputation for producing plays of the highest quality for audiences of all ages. Robert has been a strong advocate for bringing the arts to all children. While he has enjoyed performing in some of the most prestigious venues in the world, Robert continually welcomes opportunities to perform in rural and remote areas.
Throughout his career Robert has planned, produced and presented a variety of special celebrations and spectacles nationally and internationally: Living Water the Easter Sunday celebration for more than 16,000 in Lourdes, France; The Circus of the Heart with Dom Helder Camara and a cast of over 150 performers at the University of Toronto; One Heart at a Time, with a cast of 60 members of the communities of L’Arche at the Winter Garden and Markham Theatres in Toronto; officially thanking Mother Teresa at a peace rally at Varsity Arena in Toronto. Robert was invited to direct A Time for Magic, co-authored with David S. Craig, at an international festival of the arts in Belfast; he has given countless workshops and made many appearances as a keynote speaker.
He is perhaps best recognized in theatrical circles for his groundbreaking work with Theatre Columbus. His creation with Leah Cherniak and Martha Ross of the often-produced Anger in Ernestine helped usher in a new era of creation of new work in this country. His other work with the founding co-Artistic Directors of Theatre Columbus, Betrayal won the 1999 Chalmers Play Writing Award.
Other disparate artistic endeavours include: writing and directing When the Bough Breaks for Dancemakers, Patricia Fraser AD; the musical version of his Chalmers Award winning, How I Wonder What You Are for Tapestry Music Theatre, Wayne Strongman AD; Not As Hard As It Seems for Frontier College (featuring unknown U of T students Yanna McIntosh, Valerie Buhagiar and Don McKellar); directing and co-creating a one-woman show for Michele George; writing and directing two shows for symphony orchestra starring Mag Ruffman; writing, producing and starring in The Heart of Mine Tour, David S. Craig directing, a tribute to the music of Bob Dylan with a 7-piece rock band backing.
In 2006 Robert was honoured for his “vision, commitment, creativity and leadership within his field or beyond” by being named one of 20 inaugural recipients of Trent University’s ‘Distinguished Alumnae Awards.’ He currently lives in Toronto with his wife Susan Morgan.