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John Gray (playwright)




John MacLachlan Gray (born John Howard Gray, September 26 1946 ) is a Canadian writer-composer-performer for stage, TV, film, radio and print. He is best-known for his stage musicals and for his two seasons as a satirist on CBC TV's '' The Journal '', as well as an author, speaker and social critic on cultural-political issues.

Born in Ottawa and raised in Nova Scotia , John obtained a B.A. at Mount Allison University , and an M.A. at the University Of British Columbia , where he founded Tamahnous Theatre, and served as Director from 1971-74. He then joined Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto, where he began writing and composing for the stage.

In 1978 , he wrote and composed (with Eric Peterson ) ''Billy Bishop Goes to War'', which appeared on Broadway in New York City in 1980 (produced by Mike Nichols ), in London's West End , and in over 150 independent productions in Canada and the U.S. The play appeared on television in a BBC - CBC co-production, and in a German Version , ''Billy Bishop Steig Auf''. ''Billy Bishop Goes to War'' was the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award in 1981 , and the Governor General's Award for Drama and the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award in 1982 .
Gray has written and composed six other musicals including ''18 Wheels'', ''Rock and Roll'', ''Don Messer's Jubilee'', ''Health'', and ''Amelia''. ''Rock and Roll'' won a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 1982, and became an award-winning feature video entitled ''King of Friday Night''.

His published works include ''I Love Mom: An Irreverent History of the Tattoo'' () and ''Dazzled'' ( Irwin Publishing ). Gray's most recent musical is ''TheTree.TheTower.TheFlood'', three Bible stories for the age of information, commissioned by CBC Radio Drama.

In 2000 , he was made an Officer of the Order Of Canada for "his contribution to Canada's cultural landscape". {Link without Title}

John Gray lives in Vancouver , British Columbia with his wife Beverlee and their two boys, Zachary and Ezra.


EXTERNAL LINKS


http://www.johnmaclachlangray.com.