Quick Facts
Biography
Michael Mackenzie works as a Canadian film director, screenwriter, theatre director, playwright and dramaturge. He has directed two feature films, both theatrically released in Canada. His plays have been staged in Europe and North America and variously published in English, French, German and Hungarian. He has a Ph.D in the History of Science from L'Université de Montréal. Past academic appointments include Visiting Fellow at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and consultant at the United Nations.
Theatre career
Mackenzie is a writer-in-residence at the 2B Theatre in Halifax and teaches at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal.
His plays have been produced in Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Israel, France, Portugal, England, across Quebec, and in Toronto and Vancouver. Productions since 2010 include Frankfurt, Upper Franconia, Prague, Antigonish (Nova Scotia) and Montreal (in English and French productions). His most recent play "Instructions to Any Future Government Wishing to Abolish Christmas" was a finalist for the 4th International STAGE Competition
He has directed for the professional theatre in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and New York City .
He has worked with Robert Lepage on a number of occasions, starting as dramaturge for 'Elseneur' in 1997 and most recently on the English translation/adaptation of Lepage's 'Dragon Bleu'. Michael was dramaturge for the Cirque du Soleil show Ka, directed by Lepage and playing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Film career
Michael's first feature film as a writer/director was The Baroness and the Pig, an adaptation of his play, and was produced by Media Principia. It was selected for the Toronto International Film Festival (2002), Festival du Nouveau Cinema (Montreal 2002) where it was the closing film, Sundance Film Festival (2003) and San Francisco Film Festival (2003). It starred Patricia Clarkson and Colm Feore and was nominated for "Best Direction", "Best Cinematography" and "Best Editing" for the Quebec Jutra Awards (2003). It was theatrically released in Canada in 2003.
His second feature film as director was Adam's Wall. Co-written with Dana Schoel, it was produced by Couzin Films. It premiered at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema (2008) and went on to a number of international festivals including Zlin IFF (Czech Rep.) 2009, Stony Brooke IFF (U.S.) 2009, Skip City IFF (Japan) 2009, Troia IFF, (Portugal) 2009. It was theatrically released in Canada in 2008.
The screenplay for Le Polygraphe 1996, directed by Robert Lepage and which Mackenzie co-wrote/adapted with Robert Lepage and Marie Brassard, was nominated for a Genie Award for best adapted screenplay.
Theater
Directing
- 1987 Member of the Wedding, Tarragon Theatre, Toronto
- 1992 Last Temptation of Christopher Robin written by Michael O'Brien, Toronto Theatre Center
- 1993 Baroness and the Pig, Workshop, National Centre for the Arts, Ottawa
- 1994 Tip or Die written by Linda Mancini, Here, New York
- 1994: Freaks, the Musical written by Michael O'Brien, Workshop, National Centre for the Arts, Ottawa
- 1997: Bikini, written by Linda Mancini, Vineyard Theatre, New York
Published plays
- 1993: Geometry in Venice, first published at PUC
- 1997: Baroness and the Pig, first publication at éditions Herbes rouges
- 1992 (Adapted from Alex Gelman) We the Undersigned, first publication The Dramatic Publishing Co., (U.S.A.& U.K.)
Filmography
Directing
- 2002: The Baroness and the Pig
- 2008: Adam's Wall
Screenwriting
- 1996: Le Polygraphe co-written with Robert Lepage and Marie Brassard; a film by Robert Lepage (Genie Award nominee for best adapted screenplay).