The TRU English and Modern Languages Department and co-sponsor the Canadian Studies Program invite all theatre-lovers and aspiring writers to enjoy an engaging talk about dramatic form.

“Faith, Hope, and Television: Adventures in Dramatic Form” is the topic of a public lecture by Ian Weir on Thursday, March 20th, from 1:30-2:30 in IB 1008. Weir, a former Kamloopsian, will share his experience, and, no doubt, hilarious anecdotes, of writing for stage and screen. His newest play, a farce with lots of slamming doors, The Island of Bliss, premieres in March 2008 at the Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops, B.C.

Weir is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His first full-length play, The Idler, won a Jessie Award in 1988. He has written seven other stage plays, and his work has been produced across Canada, from Victoria to St. John’s, as well as in the U.S. and England.

For television, he was writer and executive producer of the critically acclaimed, Gemini Award-winning CBC miniseries Dragon Boys, for which he received Gemini and Leo Awards for best writing. Previously he was creator, head writer and executive producer of the long-running teen drama series Edgemont. Along the way, he has written for nearly two dozen other series, ranging from Beachcombers to Cold Squad to One Life to Live. Other credits include nine radio plays (three for the BBC, and six for the CBC) and three young adult novels.

He lives in Langley, B.C., with his wife Jude and their daughter Amy.

Contact: Nina Johnson, EML Department, (p)250.828.5248