BIO ​​

 

Dean Gabourie, M.A. 

[gey-bree]  (he/him)

 

Dean Gabourie has created provocative theatre in Canada and abroad for thirty-five years. Gabourie is an artist, scholar, educator and founding Artistic Director of the award-winning ACME Theatre Co. Gabourie has earned acclaim for his direction for such diverse companies as Buddies in Bad Times, Kazan CO-OP, Neptune Theatre, Shakespeare in Detroit, Shakespeare In the Rough, Tarragon Theatre, and the Stratford Festival. Gabourie’s career-long examination of the process of ensemble theatre creation has led to invitations to observe the ensemble practice of the Steppenwolf Theater Company from the late Martha Lavey, the Royal Court Theatre from Artistic Director Stephen Daldry and The Wrestling School from playwright Howard Barker.

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Education / Training

Gabourie holds a master's degree in theatre studies from the University of Guelph and is an alumnus of the Theatre School at Toronto Metropolitan University, (highlighted as one of the top graduates of the first forty years, 2014;  Chairman's Award, 1989). Dean was a member of Soulpepper Theatre's inaugural Directors Training program in 1999; the 2000 World Stage, Master Class for Directors; Middlesex University's Directing Shakespeare Module in London, England, 2002, and 2008 was invited to the Stratford Festival, International Directors Summit. Gabourie has studied the crafts of creation and direction with such theatre luminaries as; Mike Alfreds, Howard Barker, John Barton,  Peter Brook, Lilo Baur & Stefan Metz of Theatre Complicite, William Gaskill, Garry Hynes, Jonathan Kent, Flora Lauten, Des McAnuff, Richard Monette, Yoshi Oida, One Yellow Rabbit, The Second City, Michael Shurtleff, Polly Teale & Dame Janet Suzman.

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Teaching / Coaching

A much-sought-after educator, coach and guest director, Dean has facilitated learning at institutions such as the Stratford Festival, the Birmingham Conservatory at the Stratford Festival, the Tisch School of the Arts (NYC), the Claude Watson School for the Arts, the University of Guelph, Fanshawe College, Ohio Northern University (Ada, Ohio), Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Performance, the University of Victoria, Wayne State University (Detroit), and Dean has been a regular respondent at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). 

 

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ACME Theatre Co.  

Founding Artistic Director 

Founded by Gabourie in 1989, the ACME Theatre Co. was at the vanguard of Toronto's 'second wave' of Independent Theatre in the early 1990s receiving two Dora Mavor Moore nominations and one award in their first season for their ground-breaking production of Edward Bond’s SAVED.  (making Gabourie one of the youngest Artistic Directors to receive a Dora Award in their inaugural season).  A company ‘renowned for doing important work’, the ACME Theatre Co. has mounted rarely produced texts with some of Canada's finest directors. ACME Theatre Co. has mounted two World Premieres, three Canadian Premieres, and one North American Premiere in their production history.

[for a detailed history please see History & Production History pages]

 

 

Stratford Festival  

Assistant / Associate Artistic Director  2008 - 2012

Gabourie has worked as a member of the Stratford Festival for 11 seasons under 3 Artistic Directors. In 2008, he was appointed Assistant Artistic Director of the Festival and in 2011, he became Associate Artistic Director. Gabourie left the Festival's Director's Office in 2012. Gabourie's directing credits for Stratford include: The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?, The Thrill, The Best Brothers, Two Gentlemen of Verona and Bereav'd of Light.  He has been assistant director to Antoni Cimolino, Richard Monette and Des McAnuff. While working at Stratford, Dean received the Tyrone Guthrie, Jean Gascon Award, and Artistic Director Richard Monette personally nominated Gabourie's body of work for the Canada Council, John Hirsch Directors Award. Gabourie considers the founding of the Langham Directors' Workshop in 2010 to be his greatest contribution to the Festival.

[for details please see Stratford Festival page]

 

 

the CO  

Founding Co-Artistic Director / Associate Artistic Director 2000 - 2005

Conceived as a ‘theatrical laboratory’, Gabourie co-founded the performance ensemble, ‘the CO', in 2000.  The CO's adaptation of Vaclav Havel's, Vanek Trilogy,  Audience/Unveiling/Protest, was invited to the 2004 Pilsen International Theatre Festival.  

[for a detailed production history please see the CO page]

 

 

Theatre Performance

After attending the Ryerson Theatre School, Gabourie quickly established himself as an 'up and coming' actor in Toronto's Independent Theatre scene.  Founding the ACME Theatre Co. in 1989 as an Actor/Artistic Director, Gabourie earned fine reviews for every ACME production in which he performed. Gabourie began his professional career in the inaugural, Fringe of Toronto, 'Hit' THE LAUNDRY, directed by and also starring Greg Kramer. Gabourie also performed in The Umbrella Factory's, Dora nominated production of the MARAT/DeSADE, Peter Lynch's Rhubarb 'Hit', THE MAGICAL KEY TO COLOURFUL CONVERSATION, (remounted 3 times), and the Buddies in Bad Times  'Smash Hit', TALES OF THE PARKSIDE (remounted twice). Gabourie's last Toronto stage performance was in the Summerworks 'Hit' THE LAST LINK directed by Cynthia Ashperger.  Dean's favourite stage performance to date was playing the title role in a one-man, MEDEA, at Middlesex University, London, England.

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Film & Television
Gabourie has also had an extensive career as an actor in film and television that began as the 'MR. LUBE' attendant for Bob & Doug McKenzie and evolved into the recurring 'Young Cop' on FOREVER KNIGHT with Geraint Wyn Davies. Gabourie then came to the aid of Kelly McGillis & Treat Williams in BONDS of LOVE, was a jewel thief killed by a 'nano possessed' bus in ROBOCOP, and appeared, then disappeared, with Kim Basinger & Jimmy Smits in the paranormal thriller BLESS the CHILD.  Gabourie also rode shotgun to Tom McCamus and Paul Gross in the true story of MURDER MOST LIKELY. 

 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0300151/

 

 

Etcetera

Gabourie was born and raised in Toronto [Tkaronto, Treaty 13 Territory] and is proud to be, along with his brother Mitchell, the fourth generation of Gabourie to be a creator in the Arts & Entertainment industry in North America [Turtle Island]. Dean is the youngest son of the late Richard Gabourie who is considered a Canadian film industry pioneer as an actor, writer and producer (1978 Canadian Film Awards, Best Actor, Wendy Michener Award for Outstanding Achievement). Gabourie is a relation of Fred Gabourie who worked as Technical Director on most of Buster Keaton's landmark films and his son Fred Gabourie Jr. who, in his career as a Hollywood stuntman invented breakaway bottles. Gabourie is also deeply honoured to be a relation to Marie-Anne Gaboury, recognized as the first female voyageur. Dean lives in Stratford, Ontario [Treaty 29 Territory] with his wife, artist and award-winning photo illustrator Marcelle Faucher.

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Marcelle Faucher

https://www.marcellefaucher.com/

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Marie Anne Gaboury

http://www.biographi.ca/fr/bio/gaboury_marie_anne_10F.html

 

Mitch Gabourie

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0300154/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

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Richard Gabourie

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0300156/

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Fred Gabourie Sr.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Gabourie

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0300152/

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Fred Gabourie Jr.

https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0300153/?ref_=m_nmtrv_nm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jslzyi2jb4c

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CURRICULUM VITAE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST:

deangabourie@gmail.com