Ronnie Burkett
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Burkett is a Canadian
puppeteer
, best known for his original theatrical
plays for adults, performed with marionettes. He was the puppeteer for Ralph on the TV Ontario series Harriet's Magic Hats
during seasons three and four.
After winning a regional Emmy Award in 1979 for the puppets in "Cinderrabbit" on PBS
in the US, Burkett formed his own theatre company in Alberta in 1986. His early works included Fool's Edge, Virtue Falls, The Punch Club and Awful Manors. In 1994, his work Tinka's New Dress was his international breakthrough, winning two Dora Awards, four Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
s and a special citation from the Obie Award
s. Performed internationally, Tinka's New Dress was the first part of a trilogy
which continued with Street of Blood in 1999 and Happy in 2000. He also won a Chalmers Award
in 1996 for Old Friends, a piece commissioned by the Manitoba theatre for young people. In 2009, Burkett received the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
for design.
His work, Provenance, was performed for the first time in October 2003, premiering at Theatre Network in Edmonton. In November 2007, he finished touring his show 10 Days on Earth that premiered at CanStage in Toronto in April 2006. In October 2008, he premiered his latest, quasi-autobiographical show, Billy Twinkle: Requiem for a Golden Boy, at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton; the show is currently scheduled to tour several cities in Canada, the UK, and Australia through late 2009.
Burkett writes his own scripts. Appearing onstage throughout each performance, he manipulates and is the voice of every character, from newborn ducks to dying mothers, Christ and Satan and everything in between.
Openly gay, Burkett lives in Toronto
with his partner, jazz singer John Alcorn.
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...
puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
, best known for his original theatrical
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
plays for adults, performed with marionettes. He was the puppeteer for Ralph on the TV Ontario series Harriet's Magic Hats
Harriet's Magic Hats
Harriet's Magic Hats was a TV series created by ACCESS TV, which aired on Alberta ACCESS TV and TVOntario from 1980 - 1986. The premise was an aunt named Harriet who had a trunk full of magic hats in her attic. Her young niece was transported to a place related to the hat she chose from the trunk...
during seasons three and four.
After winning a regional Emmy Award in 1979 for the puppets in "Cinderrabbit" on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in the US, Burkett formed his own theatre company in Alberta in 1986. His early works included Fool's Edge, Virtue Falls, The Punch Club and Awful Manors. In 1994, his work Tinka's New Dress was his international breakthrough, winning two Dora Awards, four Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award
The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award is a local Edmonton, Alberta award presented annually which honours excellence in theatre...
s and a special citation from the Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
s. Performed internationally, Tinka's New Dress was the first part of a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
which continued with Street of Blood in 1999 and Happy in 2000. He also won a Chalmers Award
Chalmers Award
Chalmers Award may refer to:* An early version of the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, presented from 1911 to 1914,* a Canadian series of arts awards funded by the Chalmers family of arts patrons, including the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Awards, the Jean A. Chalmers National...
in 1996 for Old Friends, a piece commissioned by the Manitoba theatre for young people. In 2009, Burkett received the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre is given to recognize achievement in Canadian theatre; specifically, professional directors, playwrights and designers in three-year cycles...
for design.
His work, Provenance, was performed for the first time in October 2003, premiering at Theatre Network in Edmonton. In November 2007, he finished touring his show 10 Days on Earth that premiered at CanStage in Toronto in April 2006. In October 2008, he premiered his latest, quasi-autobiographical show, Billy Twinkle: Requiem for a Golden Boy, at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton; the show is currently scheduled to tour several cities in Canada, the UK, and Australia through late 2009.
Burkett writes his own scripts. Appearing onstage throughout each performance, he manipulates and is the voice of every character, from newborn ducks to dying mothers, Christ and Satan and everything in between.
Openly gay, Burkett lives in Toronto
Toronto
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...
with his partner, jazz singer John Alcorn.
External links
- Review of Provenance, The Globe and MailThe Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, January 3, 2004. - Web site of Burkett's press agent, John Lambert Associates, Inc.