Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Fishbane, Joel
Photo courtesy of Terry Hughes
Playwright and director born in Toronto Ontario in 1978, Joel Fishbane currently lives in Montreal. He studied theatre at the Randolph School for the Arts in Toronto and graduated from Concordia University in 2002 with a B.A. in Creative Writing.
He is founder and Artistic Director of Pumpkin Theatre (1999), a registered non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of theatre, and the creation of employment opportunities for Quebec artists.
His plays have been produced and honored across the country in various festivals and competitions. After a successful workshop in 2008, his play Short Story Long won the Toronto Fringe New Play Contest in 2010, and was a finalist in FutureFest 2010 (Dayton Playhouse) and the North American Actor's Association Playreading Festival in London, England.
Other plays include The Understudies, a finalist in the Samuel French New Canadian Play Contest in 2009; and The Bed Trick, a semi-finalist for the 2010 Hot City Greenhouse Theatre Festival in St. Louis, Missouri.
Selected productions over the years include: Faiting Wor Godot co-produced with Infinitheatre (Montreal 1999) and subsequently produced in Toronto and Calgary, where it won second place for Best Production at the Pumphouse One Act Theatre Festival; The Right Direction (Brief New Works Festival, Calgary 2002); In the Yichud Room (Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival, Toronto 2004); and The Three Apollos (co-produced with White Raven Productions Montreal 2004, a farcical mix of mistaken identity and sexual confusion that premiered in the shallow end of an old Montreal swimming pool -- the Bain St-Michel.
Varying in style and tone, Fishbane's plays explore a wide variety of subjects, from bioplays to legal dramas to classic farce. They often have cultural relevance, and deal with historical subjects. Generally speaking, his plays revolve around strong central female characters and strive to create new and unique roles for women of all ages.
Last updated 2017-09-20
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