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Sally Stubbs Bio

A writer and educator,
Sally also directs

Her scripts, published by Scirocco Drama, have been presented in Canada, Sweden, India, South Africa, and the U.S.A. Most recently, her script, Our Ghosts, played to thrilling response in its 2023 Vancouver premiere presented by the Firehall Arts Centre, co-produced by Our Ghosts Collective with Western Gold Theatre. During Covid-19 and beyond, Sally has adapted three of her plays for screen, learning and gaining accolades and awards along the way. Selected theatre honours: Third Annual Canada Peace Play Prize (U of C/Downstage); Enbridge Award Established Playwright (ATP/Enbridge); Artist in Residence, City of Richmond; Prime Minister’s award for Sally’s work with theatre and youth. Sally is especially proud to have been a co-founder and Senior Advisor for CASA: a Canadian-South African partnership supporting South African women playwrights. She received her B.A., B.Ed., M.A. (Art History) and M.F.A. (Creative Writing) from the University of Victoria, where she also taught. Sally trained in theatre in Canada, the U.S.A., and the U.K and has performed in Canada as well as the U.S.A. 

Accolades & Highlights

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Selected Commissions, Residencies, Awards & Honours

Premiere Vancouver Production, Our Ghosts, Mar 2023, presented by Firehall Arts Centre, co-produced by Our Ghosts Collective with Western Gold Theatre, Dir. S. Rodgers.
Accolades & Awards from Film Festivals around the world featuring screenplay competitions. Screenplays adapted from Sally’s stage plays beginning Covid 19, 2020 & ongoing are: Underbelly, a first pilot adapted from And Bella Sang With Us; Doors & Windows, a short, dark comedy adapted from 10 minute play; Centurions, a first feature screenplay adapted from play Centurions.
Livestreaming reading of Our Ghosts, #CanadaPerforms/National Arts Centre, May 2nd, 2020, Dir. R. Peake (recording online for one week viewed by 2,000+ viewers)
Excerpt of Our Ghosts selected for publication in Understorey Online Magazine, 2019.
Selected for Or Festival of short plays, Doors & Windows, Havana Theatre, Vancouver, May 2020. Postponed to March 2021. Among Or Festival plays to be published.
Premiere Production, Our Ghosts, Oct. 2019, Western Edge Theatre, Nanaimo, BC, Dir. Wendy Wearne
Concept to Realization Grant, The Centurions Project, Canada Council for the Arts, 2019.
Research & Creation Grant, Polly and the Penthouse, Canada Council for the Arts, 2019
Invited to attend Caravan Farm Theatre’s 2nd Annual Ntl Playwriting Retreat, May 2019.
Residency & Showcase, Aug. 2019, Evergreen Cultural Centre and Developmental Residency, July 2019, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts: The Centurions Project, Dir. LG Smith
Featured musical In Tune 2019, Touchstone Theatre/Fugue Theatre/New Magnetic North Festival Event, Polly & the Penthouse at the Penthouse Night Club, Dir. Roy Surette
Semi-Finalist 2018 Ashland New Play Festival, Our Ghosts
Quarter Finalist, ScreenCraft stage play competition, 2018, Spinning You Home.
Boca Del Lupo Residency, The Centurions Project Spring 2018, Dir. LG Smith
Commission to write lyrics & book, Polly & the Penthouse: A Spirited Musical, Fugue Theatre. In development with Fugue, Touchstone Theatre & the Penthouse Nightclub, 2018.
Selected for presentation 2018 WPI Conference in Santiago, Chilé, Our Ghosts.
Semi-Finalist, Little Black Dress 2018, presented in Milwaukee, Our Golden Years.
Two nominations, Jessie Awards 2017, And Bella Sang With Us, And Bella Collective, Directors: Sarah Rodgers and Ian Harmon.
Pick of the Vancouver Fringe 2016, And Bella Sang With Us.
Vancouver Courier Best of 2016, Jo Ledingham, And Bella Sang With Us.
Juror, Theatre BC National Playwriting Competition, 2018/17, 2016/17 & 2015/16.
Playwright in residence, Touchstone Theatre, Vancouver, Polly and the Penthouse.
4th Annual Writer in Residence 2015, City of Richmond, Fall 2015.
Canada Council Development & Production Grant awarded July 2015 for workshop of Centurions, c2c Theatre, St. John’s, Nfld. AD: Nicole Rousseau.
Founding member of The CASA Project
Attended Women Playwrights International Conference 2015, Cape Town, S. Africa June 29-July 4, 2015 as playwright delegate (Centurions) and workshop co-presenter.
Recipient of Government of Norway Bursary and Canada Council for the Arts Travel Grant to attend WPI Conference 2015, Cape Town, S. Africa.
Project Assistance Grant Level II, Creative Writers, BC Arts Council, 2014, Our Ghosts.
National Play Reading Series, New Groundswell Festival, Nightwood Theatre, Toronto, September 2014. Centurions.
Suncor Stage One Festival, Lunchbox Theatre, Calgary. Spinning You Home. Director: Jacqueline Russell.
Women’s Work Festival, St. John’s, Nfld. Centurions. Director/dramaturge Des Walsh.
International Women Playwrights’ Conference, Stockholm, 2012, co-presenter seminar: Canadian Research-Informed Theatre: What, Why, How
CC for the Arts Travel Grant, Stockholm, 2012.
Commission, Green Thumb Theatre. Wrennie and the Butthead. AD: Patrick McDonald.
Eugene O’Neill Playwriting Conference Shortlist 2011, Centurions.
Enbridge Award (Established Playwright), February 2011, And Bella Sang With Us.
Project Assistance Grant, Creative Writers, BC Arts Council, 2011, And Bella Sang.
Playwright-in-Residence, 2009-10, Touchstone Theatre, Vancouver.
Playwright Delegate, WPI Conference, Mumbai, 2009, Herr Beckmann’s People.
BC Arts Council Scholarship Award, Centurions, 2009.
Canada Council for the Arts Travel Grant, Mumbai, November 2009.
3rd Annual Canada Peace Play Award (now Uprising Award), U. of Calgary, Herr Beckmann’s People, 2009.
Gordon Armstrong Playwright’s Rent Award, 2008.
Project Assistance Grant, Creative Writers, BCAC, 2006, Herr Beckmann’s People.
Mother Cutter (co-adapted from Wreckage with Director Chris Cinnamon) nominated by Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association for ‘Best Short/Vignette’ (2006), selected for ‘Best of Alberta Shorts’, and nominated for ‘Alberta Centennial Award’, CIFF, 2005.
Wreckage, ON THE VERGE Edmonton (Magnetic North Festival), 2004. Director, Del Surjik.
She’ll to the Wars, Special Merit prize, Canadian National Playwriting Comp.
Prime Minister’s Award for work with theatre and youth.

Selected Productions

Our Ghosts, presented by Firehall Arts Centre and co-produced by Our Ghosts Collective with Western Gold Theatre, March 2023, Dir. Sarah Rodgers with Assoc. Dir. Raugi Yu.
Wreckage, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Hicklin Studio Theatre, Oct. 2023, Dir. Professor Bruce Cohen.
Spinning You Home, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, John J. Conklin Theatre, Oct. 2023, Dir., Stefanie De Leon, Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Katrina Dunn.
Spinning You Home, Spinners Collective, Vancouver, Jericho Arts Centre, Dir. Sarah Rodgers.
Our Ghosts, Western Edge Theatre, Nanaimo, Oct/Nov 2019, Dir. Wendy Wearne.
The Centurions Project, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam, presented August 2019. Director: Lynna Goldhar Smith. Upcoming premiere in 2020/21.
Spinning You Home, Spinners Collective, premiere, Vancouver Fringe Festival September 2018, Carousel Theatre. Director: Sally Stubbs.
And Bella Sang With Us, Jan 2017, Firehall Arts Centre with And Bella Artists Collective, Vancouver, Dir: Sarah Rodgers with Ian Harmon.
And Bella Sang With Us, And Bella Artists Collective, Vancouver Fringe, September 2016, Director: Sarah Rodgers with Ian Harmon. Pick of the Fringe.
Kid Gloves, premiere, 2012, Firehall Arts Centre. Director: Donna Spencer.
Spinning You Home, 2012, Tightrope Productions, Havana Theatre. Director: S. Stubbs.
Herr Beckmann’s People, premiere, 2010, Flying Start, Touchstone Theatre & PTC, director Katrina Dunn, dramaturge Martin Kinch.
Wreckage, production, Phoenix Theatre, Victoria, March 2010, director Fran Gebhard.
Wreckage, traveling production, 2007, Tightrope Productions, Festival House Theatre, Vancouver & Pavilion Theatre, Kamloops. Director: Sally Stubbs.
Wreckage world premiere, 2005, New West Theatre, Lethbridge. Director: Gail Hanrahan.
Short film, Mother Cutter, co-adapted from Wreckage. Director: C. Cinnamon, Calgary.
She’ll to the Wars, Beare Pursuits Equity Co-op, 2000. Director, Johnna Wright.

Published Plays, Excerpts, & Upcoming Publications

Our Ghosts, published 2021, Scirocco Drama
Centurions, listed, upcoming, Scirocco
Spinning You Home, listed, upcoming, Scirocco
Excerpt Our Ghosts, Understorey Online Magazine, 2019, editor Natalie Meisner
And Bella Sang with Us, published Fall 2014, Scirocco
Herr Beckmann’s People, published Fall 2011, Scirocco
Centurions, excerpt, Winter 2010, Ryga: A Journal of Provocations, editor Sean Johnston
Wreckage, published Fall 2009, Scirocco