Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Von Buchholz, Garth
Playwright, director, critic, and educator who contributed to the Winnipeg theatre scene in the 1990s. Garth von Buchholz was born and raised in Winnipeg, Montreal, Quebec, and Vancouver. He currently lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He graduated with B.A. from the University of Winnipeg in 1994, and became involved with the King's Players, a community theatre company. His plays were produced on non-professional, semi-professional, and professional stages by the King's Players and with support from the Manitoba Association of Playwrights. In 1997, his play Martyrs was performed at Whitworth College in Washington.
Other plays include: Paulus (The King's Players, Winnipeg, 1989, dir. Lynn Langdon); The Crisis Centre Cannot Hold (First Stage of the Last Act, Winnipeg, 1990, dir. Bonnie Harrison); The Four Sided Triangle (First Hand Productions, Winnipeg, 1991, dir. Marsha Newbery); The Apostle (The King's Players, Winnipeg, 1992, dir. Jon Ted Wynne); Miracle Revival Meeting (Manitoba Association of Playwrights, Winnipeg, 1992, dir. Kim McCaw); Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Miracle Theatre, Winnipeg, 1992, dir. Tim Webster); The Sublimination (Miracle Theatre, Winnipeg, 1992, dir. Tim Webster).
Von Buchholz has directed his own plays, The Apostle/Alabaster & Grace (First Stage of the Last Act, Winnipeg, 1992); and House (The King's Players, Winnipeg, 1992). His was a dramaturge for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (The King's Players, Winnipeg, 1993, dir. Jon Ted Wynne).
Several of his plays have been published: The Four Sided Triangle: A drama in one act. Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 1988; Miracle Revival Meeting: A short play for three actors. Toronto: Playwrights Canada, 1991:Von Buchholz Books, 2010; Enter the Fool. Toronto: Playwrights Union of Canada, 1993; and Land of Milk and Honey. Von Buchholz Books: Victoria, BC, 2010. More recently, he has published horror stories and poetry; and works in educational technology.
Von Buchholz was a dance critic from 1990 to 2004 for the Winnipeg Free Press, where he also reviewed plays, films, music, art, and books.
Of the production of Martyrs in 1991, poet Margaret Avison wrote: "It startled me...all out of one snatch of dialogue! Yes, it is exciting work." Michael Springate, Artistic Director of Prairie Theatre Exchange wrote of the staged reading of Land of Milk and Honey in 1993:"Garth writes passionately...[with] innovations in dramatic form. He is a dedicated writer sensitive to character, dialogue, and structure."
Last updated 2022-05-06
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