Richard Rose - Artistic Director

Richard Rose has been Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre since 2002. At Tarragon he has directed numerous shows including Scorched, Léo, The Oxford Roof Climber’s Rebellion, Humble Boy, Bea’s Niece, No Great Mischief, Simpl, and Remnants.

Prior to Tarragon, Richard founded and was Artistic Director of Necessary Angel Theatre for 24 years where he directed over 30 plays, including Tamara, Mein, Coming Through Slaughter, The Half of It, Glenn, The Monument, Not Wanted on the Voyage, Inexpressible Island, four Howard Barker plays, Beating Heart Cadaver, and Clout. Rose has also been associated with the Stratford Festival, directing 13 productions, including A Merchant of Venice, Brothers Karamazov, Tempest-Tost, Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, Taming of the Shrew, and Comedy of Errors. At Stratford, he was Associate Director in 1991 and Director of the Young Company and Artistic Director of the John Sullivan Hayes Training Program from 1994-96.

He has directed for theatres across the country, including the Charlottetown Festival (Fire), Rising Tide Theatre (The Harps of God, The Winter’s Tale), Manitoba Theatre Centre (The Glass Menagerie), Great Canadian Theatre Company (Glace Bay Miners’ Museum, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, Our Country’s Good), Theatre Calgary (Transit of Venus), and in London’s West End, Antarctica at the Savoy Theatre.

Rose has also directed productions for seven opera companies and taught at a number of universities and schools, including York University, University of Toronto Drama Centre, Equity Showcase, and the National Theatre School. He is currently Adjunct Professor in the York Theatre Program. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters from Thorneloe University in Sudbury.

photo by V. Tony Hauser, 2009