George F. Walker
Encyclopedia
George F. Walker, CM
is a Canadian
playwright
and screenwriter
. He is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian dramatists both in Canada and internationally.
, Ontario
on August 23, 1947 to Florence and Malcolm Walker. He was raised in the east end of Toronto, which was considered a working-class neighbourhood. This neighbourhood is what made him loyal to the city lifestyle, which is shown in his work later on in life.
He did not graduate from high school. After he dropped out of high school he worked a variety of different jobs, and while doing these jobs he had been writing many stories and poems. When working at a job as a taxi driver he saw a pamphlet from the Factory Theatre Lab inviting scripts to be submitted.
, The Newsroom
, This is Wonderland
, The Line
and Living in Your Car
, and the film Niagara Motel
. Most of his screen projects are cowritten with Dani Romain
.
Walker was first known for his playwriting. Walker’s first play was performed at the Factory Theatre Lab; it was called Prince of Naples. This play was criticized by many critics; none of them had very many positive comments on the play. The play was seen to have quite a European style to it, and was also seen to have an amateur feel. This play and many plays after were considered to not have a true Canadian feel to them because of that reason. His work was always criticized by others quite strongly but Walker was his own biggest critic.
In 1997, he published a cycle of six new plays, all of which took place in the same suburban motel room. He did plays for most of his career but since 2000 he has worked more in television and film.
In 2006, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
. In 2009, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. He is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian dramatists both in Canada and internationally.
Early years
Walker was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
on August 23, 1947 to Florence and Malcolm Walker. He was raised in the east end of Toronto, which was considered a working-class neighbourhood. This neighbourhood is what made him loyal to the city lifestyle, which is shown in his work later on in life.
He did not graduate from high school. After he dropped out of high school he worked a variety of different jobs, and while doing these jobs he had been writing many stories and poems. When working at a job as a taxi driver he saw a pamphlet from the Factory Theatre Lab inviting scripts to be submitted.
Career
Walker has written over 30 stage scripts and has also written many television shows, radio shows, and also some movies. Some of the television shows that he had written for were Due SouthDue South
Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
, The Newsroom
The Newsroom
The Newsroom is a Canadian television comedy-drama series which ran on CBC Television in the 1996-97, 2003–04 and 2004-05 seasons. A two-hour television movie, Escape from the Newsroom, was broadcast in 2002....
, This is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland was a Canadian television series which aired on CBC Television. The series is a legal drama with comedic elements, or a comedy-drama. It was created by playwright George F...
, The Line
The Line
"The Line" is the sixth episode of the second season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. It aired on October 29, 2007 in the USA.-Plot:...
and Living in Your Car
Living in Your Car
Living in Your Car is a Canadian television comedy-drama series that debuted on May 7, 2010 on HBO Canada.The series stars John Ralston as Steve Unger, a former high-flying corporate executive struggling to rebuild his life after being indicted on fraud, obstruction and racketeering charges...
, and the film Niagara Motel
Niagara Motel
Niagara Motel is a 2006 Canadian drama film directed by Gary Yates. The film earned numerous nominations, including a Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress for Caroline Dhavernas.- Plot :...
. Most of his screen projects are cowritten with Dani Romain
Dani Romain
Dani Romain is a Canadian screenwriter and television producer, who has been the writing and production partner of George F. Walker in the television series This Is Wonderland, The Line and Living in Your Car, and the film Niagara Motel. A native of South Africa, she has lived in Canada since...
.
Walker was first known for his playwriting. Walker’s first play was performed at the Factory Theatre Lab; it was called Prince of Naples. This play was criticized by many critics; none of them had very many positive comments on the play. The play was seen to have quite a European style to it, and was also seen to have an amateur feel. This play and many plays after were considered to not have a true Canadian feel to them because of that reason. His work was always criticized by others quite strongly but Walker was his own biggest critic.
In 1997, he published a cycle of six new plays, all of which took place in the same suburban motel room. He did plays for most of his career but since 2000 he has worked more in television and film.
In 2006, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. In 2009, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Plays
- Prince of Naples (1971)
- Ambush at Tether's End (1971)
- Sacktown Rag (1972)
- Bagdad Saloon (1973)
- Beyond Mozambique (1974)
- Ramona and the Whilte Slaves (1976)
- Gossip (1977)
- Zastrozzi, The Master of DisciplineZastrozzi, The Master of DisciplineZastrozzi, The Master of Discipline is a play by Canadian playwright George F. Walker first produced at Toronto Free Theatre in 1977. It is loosely based upon the 1810 novel Zastrozzi: A Romance by Percy Bysshe Shelley.-Plot and Characters:...
(1977) - Filthy Rich (1979)
- Rumors of Our Death (1980)
- Theatre of the Film Noir (1981)
- Science and Madness (1982)
- The Art of War (1983)
- Criminals in Love (1984)
- Better Living (1986)
- Beautiful City (1987)
- Nothing Sacred (1988)
- Love and Anger (1989)
- Escape from HappinessEscape from HappinessEscape From Happiness is a play by Canadian playwright George F. Walker. It was first produced in July, 1991 in New York City. It was first produced in Canada at the Factory Theatre in February of 1992. It is the final installment of a trilogy of plays written by Walker: The East End Plays. This...
(1991) - Tough! (1993)
- Suburban Motel (1997): Problem Child, Criminal Genius, Risk Everything, Adult Entertainment, Featuring Loretta, The End of Civilization
- Heaven (2000)
- And So It Goes... (2010)
- King of Thieves (2010)
Works about George F. Walker
- Chris Johnson, Essays on George F. Walker: Playing with Anxiety. Winnipeg: Blizzard Publishing Inc., 1999
- Craig WalkerCraig WalkerCraig Stewart Walker is a Canadian writer, theatre director, actor and educator.Walker graduated from Bayview Secondary School and afterwards, began his career in the theatre as an actor with the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival and the National Arts Centre of Canada and other companies. ...
, "George F. Walker: Postmodern City Comedy," The Buried Astrolabe: Canadian Dramatic Imagination and Western Tradition. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.
External links
- NFB vignette Capturing George, produced for the 2009 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
- George F. Walker entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia