David Copelin

I’m a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, the Playwrights Guild of Canada,

and Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.

Produced Plays

Bella Donna

The Angel Capone

Ubu Rex

Bella Donna

The Angel Capone

Ubu Rex

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Who am I?

My produced plays include A Clean Breast, The Angel Capone, Bella Donna, Coming Up for Air, Mind Over Matter, That Other Thing, and a popular translation of Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi.

After graduating from the Yale School of Drama, I taught playwriting and dramaturgy at a number of universities in the US and Canada. I’ve also worked as a literary manager and dramaturg at several professional theatres, including the Mark Taper Forum, Arena Stage, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I used to read scripts for Warner Bros. Pictures and CBS/Fox Video.

Reviews

EYE Weekly (Andrew Braithwaite)

 5/5

“One part Shakespearean intrigue, one part slapstick farce, Bella Donna marries elaborate characters, high drama, minimalist period production and an aggressive sense of humour to create an altogether excellent piece of theatre. The cracking story of courtly intrigue in 16th-century Italy employs mistaken identity, cross-dressing, Oedipal impulses and heretic humour, and the sharp dramatic turns surrounding the rule of the excommunicated Borgia family are like free-based thespian crack for audiences stricken by a string of meandering, overlong one-man “meditations” at other venues. All five actors excel in their distinct roles, and the sneakily elaborate costumes, simple set and musical choices are all first-rate. One of the sparkling jewels of this year ‘s Fringe.”

CSC Radio (Marichka Melnyk)

 5/5

“This winner of the Fringe New Play Award is a romp through the Italy and politics of the Borgia family, when Popes were politicians and not very holy ones at that. Savagely funny, sexy, saucy, and more than a little irreverent, plus the cleverest set design I’ve seen in a while. It doesn’t fit any genre but that is what the Fringe is for.”

National Post (M. K. Piatkowski)

 5/5

“The winner of the Fringe New Play Award, and well deserved. This one sold out its first night and I expect that to be the case for the rest of the run. The story revolves around Lucrezia Borgia, with the production giving us a good feel for the time and place. The writing is first rate and there are some great performances. It’s a drama but the show has its fun side, which is what truly raises this play to another level.”

NOW Toronto (Glenn Sumi)

 5/5

“David Copelin’s clever and darkly funny script (it won this year’s New Play Award at the Fringe) about the sexual, political and religious machinations surrounding history’s notorious Lucrezia Borgia gets a thrilling production. Director Sue Miner navigates the complicated stage traffic — lots of unseen secret passageways — with skill, and gets her fine actors (headed by the confident and charismatic Francoise Balthazar and Nick Abraham) to have as much fun as we’re having. With a new man in the Vatican, this play about passion, poison and popes seems especially relevant.”

Latest Blog

Why I Write Plays

Plays are concentrated visions of life. Sometimes “real” life, sometimes imaginary life, often a combination of both. I love wrestling with the form from draft to

Produced Plays

Who am I?

Reviews

EYE Weekly (Andrew Braithwaite)

CSC Radio (Marichka Melnyk)

National Post (M. K. Piatkowski)

NOW Toronto (Glenn Sumi)

Latest Blog

Why I Write Plays

About Me

Pages

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