Brad Fraser
Brad Fraser (born June 28, 1959) is a Canadian playwright. He is one of the most widely produced Canadian playwrights both in Canada and internationally. His plays typically feature a harsh yet comical view of contemporary life in Canada, including frank depictions of sexuality, drug use and violence.[1]
Career
Fraser was born in Edmonton, Alberta. His most noted early play was Wolf Boy;[2] first staged in Edmonton in 1981, its 1984 production in Toronto by Theatre Passe Muraille was later noted as one of the first significant acting roles for Keanu Reeves.[3]
Fraser first came to national and international prominence as a playwright with Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love, an episodically structured play about a group of thirtysomethings trying to find their way through life in Edmonton, while the city is haunted by a serial killer. Written while Fraser was playwright in residence with Alberta Theatre Projects,[4] it was a hit at ATP's playRites '89, and became his national and international breakthrough.
Coming three years after the 1991
Fraser also has written two films, .
His most recent play, Kill Me Now, premiered in 2014.[7] As of 2021, two film adaptations of Kill Me Now were in development in Canada and South Korea.[8]
A memoir by Brad Fraser, All the Rage, was published by Doubleday Canada in May 2021.[8]
Awards
Fraser won the Alberta Culture award for best full-length play in 1989, for Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love.[9]
He is a two-time winner of the
Fraser won London's Evening Standard Award for Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love in 1993.[12]
He is a two-time nominee for the Governor General's Award for English-language drama, receiving nods at the 1995 Governor General's Awards for Poor Super Man[13] and at the 2016 Governor General's Awards for Kill Me Now.[14]
Personal life
Fraser is openly gay, and his plays often focus on
Plays
- Wolfboy - 1981[2]
- Mutants - 1981
- Rude Noises (for a Blank Generation) - 1982[16]
- Chainsaw Love - 1985
- Young Art - 1987[17]
- Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love - 1989[4]
- Return of the Bride - 1989
- The Ugly Man - 1990[18]
- Prom Night of the Living Dead - 1991, with Darrin Hagen[19]
- Poor Super Man - 1994[1]
- Martin Yesterday - 1997[20]
- Outrageous - 2000, musical with composer Joey Miller[21]
- Snake in Fridge - 2000[22]
- Cold Meat Party - 2003[23]
- True Love Lies - 2009[24]
- 5 @ 50 - 2011[1]
- Kill Me Now - 2014[7]
References
- ^ a b c Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof, "Fraser, Brad". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, June 2, 2019.
- ^ a b Ray Conlogue, "Wolfboy proves a real howler". The Globe and Mail, April 5, 1984.
- ^ Jamie Portman, "Wolfboy bites into British theatre scene: Canadian playwright Brad Fraser is a hot, young dramatist in Britain these days, and directors are rediscovering the power of his early work". Edmonton Journal, October 6, 1999.
- ^ a b Martin Morrow, "Playwright braced for controversy". Calgary Herald, January 11, 1989.
- ^ Chris Jones (May 16, 1994). "Poor Superman". Variety.
- ^ a b c Valerie Fortney, "Playwright undergoes rogue reversal: Brad Fraser's Bad Boy vitriol makes way for seasoned artistry". Calgary Herald, October 3, 2002.
- ^ a b Janet Smith (October 10, 2018). "Brad Fraser's play Kill Me Now wrestles with love, laughs, and agony". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Richard Burnett, "The rage of Brad Fraser". Fugues, May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Alberta playwrights share award". The Globe and Mail, March 4, 1989.
- ISBN 9780387201092.
- Hamilton Spectator, December 8, 1994.
- ^ "'Arcadia' and 'City of Angels' earn top theater awards". Oshkosh Northwestern, December 1, 1993.
- Montreal Gazette, October 27, 1995.
- ^ Mark Medley, "Short list for G-Gs is a serious case of déjà vu". The Globe and Mail, October 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Klemm, Michael D. (April 2004). "Tugging On Superman's Cape: An Interview With Brad Fraser". Cinemaqueer, reprinted from Outcome. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ Ray Conlogue, "Rude Noises flunks out". The Globe and Mail, March 19, 1982.
- ^ John Fitzgerald, "Young writer explores time-honored themes". The Globe and Mail, January 17, 1987.
- ^ Bob Clark, "The ugly truth about Fraser's Ugly Man". Calgary Herald, March 31, 2004.
- ^ Liz Nicholls, "Youthful exuberance in abundance". Edmonton Journal, April 28, 1991.
- Hamilton Spectator, October 25, 1997.
- ^ Gord McLaughlin, "Outrageous-ly funny as a musical: It began as a book, then became a film. Now Brad Fraser's stage adaptation adds lyrics and music". National Post, September 16, 2000.
- ^ "Snake eyes for Brad Fraser?". The Globe and Mail, November 23, 2000.
- ^ J. Kelly Nestruck, "Poet of profanity cleans up his act: But Brad Fraser swears he has not lost his edge". National Post, September 25, 2004.
- ^ Liz Nicholls, "Brad Fraser's funniest play comes home; Acclaimed playwright realizes a dream at Citadel". Edmonton Journal, April 3, 2011.