Brian Smith

I research the practice of contemporary theatre performance through acting, directing, coaching and devising performance.  I am especially interested in the creativity of the actor, and I have particular expertise in the use of masks in actor training and performance.

In directing, I have focused on the reinterpretation of plays from the modern theatre for contemporary audiences.  The modern Russian theatre has been an area of particular interest.

Recent work includes:

Actor-- Bitter Medicine by Clem and Olivier Martini, Toronto Summerworks Festival, August, 2014

Mask Coach—Masks, Madness and Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Stratford Festival of Canada, August, 2014 

Upcoming:

Director—Bloody Poetry by Howard Brenton, Reeve Theatre, University of Calgary, November, 2014 

I teach acting to advanced-level undergraduates.  In this work, process takes precedence over immediate result; we investigate how technique and the creative imagination support one another in the creation and interpretation of works for the theatre.

At the graduate level, I teach a course that investigates the creative and communicative practices of collaborating artists as they conceptualize theatre works together.

• Courses