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Dean, Charlotte

Charlotte Dean
Charlotte Dean

Toronto Ontario-based costume and scene designer for over forty years, with an impressive and varied list of credits in theatres across Canada. Charlotte Dean grew up in Stoney Creek, Ontario, the daughter of Gordon Dean, mayor, and mounted puppet shows in her back yard, acting out Greek plays for a nickel. Inspired by a trip to Stratford to see a play by Shakespeare when she was ten, she became addicted to theatre. She has a BFA from York University.

Charlotte Dean has designed costumes at the Stratford Festival since 1979 (Taming of the Shrew; The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 1999; Tempest-Tost 2001; The Merchant of Venice 2013; Antony and Cleopatra 2014; She Stoops to Conquer 2015; Treasure Island 2017). She has also designed hundreds of sumptuous costumes for the Shaw Festival (In Good King Charles's Golden Days ; A Foggy Day 1999; The Doctor's Dilemma 2010; Arms and the Man 2014; Engaged 2016). She has designed both set and costumes for Tarragon Theatre: The Realistic Joneses, The Bakelite Masterpiece, The Trouble With Mr. Adams (2015), The Real World? (2012), The Misanthrope (2010), Moliere, No Great Mischief (2012), Democracy by John Murrell (2008), The Oxford Roof Climber's Rebellion by Stephen Massicotte (2006); Humble Boy (2006); Rune Arlidge by Michael Healey (2004).

For Canadian Stage, she designed costumes for The Arsonists (2012), and Doubt, A Parable (2009). She has also designed sets and costumes for Necessary Angel, notably for the premieres of David Young's Inexpressible Island and Glenn (2000); and John Krizanc's Tamara.

For the Charlottetown Festival, Dean designed costumes for Evangeline by Ken Dykstra, Salt-Water Moon by David French, Dear Johnny Deere by Ken Cameron, and Canada Rocks!.

Other venues for which she has worked include: Young People's Theatre, Theatre Calgary, Theatre New Brunswick, Banff Centre for the Arts, Grand Theatre, London, Neptune Theatre, Citadel Theatre. and Manitoba Theatre Centre.

Charlotte Dean is a five-time recipient of the Dora Mavor Moore Award. In 2009, she received the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design from the Ontario Arts Council.

Profile by Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof, Athabasca University

Last updated 2020-06-15