Assistant Professor, Performance and Directing
Undergraduate Program Officer, Department of Dramatic Arts
905 688 5550 x5392
mgriffin@brocku.ca
Mike Griffin has worked across Canada as a theatre educator, director, and playwright. He currently teaches acting, directing, devising, movement, mask and Commedia dell’Arte in the Department of Dramatic Arts at Brock University, where he has been for the last eight years. Mike also regularly directs productions within DART’s Mainstage season. Mike holds a BFA in Acting and a BEd in teaching Drama and English at the secondary school level from the University of British Columbia. As well, he has a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the University of Calgary and further international training in Commedia, mask, physical theatre and voice/movement. He has also worked with numerous theatre companies as a professional artist including Bard on the Beach, Theatre Calgary, Vertigo Mystery Theatre, and The Shakespeare Company. Mike’s pedagogy explores student-centered learning, relationship building, ensemble methodology, and student agency within grading processes. A major area of Mike’s research examines classical Commedia dell’Arte and its relationship to contemporary contexts. Mike is published in The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte with a chapter on the rival playwrights Carlo Goldoni and Carlo Gozzi and has written and/or adapted four Commedia plays, including his most recent Pantalone’s Palace. Recently, Mike wrote, directed, and designed select puppets and masks for The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy, a full-mask and physical theatre play that explores mind traumatic brain injury and related mental health issues.
REFEREED
Book Chapters
Single author. “Goldoni and Gozzi: Reformers with Separate Agendas.” In The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte, edited by Judith Chaffee & Olly Crick, Routledge, 2015, 329-337.
Research Talks and Keynotes
Single Author. “Creating Student-Centred Pedagogy in the Studio Classroom.” Humanities Research Institute Symposium: A Work in Progress. Humanities Research Institute. April 2024.
Conference/Symposium Papers
Single Author. “Staging the Internal: An Exploration of Brain Injury Through Physical Theatre,” Performance and Science Working Group. Theatre and Performance Research Association. Newcastle, UK. September 4-6, 2024. Online.
Single Author. “Increasing Student Agency within the Studio Classroom” as part of the Working Group: “Rehearsing and Reimagining Our Teaching Practices for a New Era.” Association of Theatre in Higher Education. Atlanta, GA. August 1-4, 2024.
Single author. “Hope: Restructuring the Performance Classroom,” as part of the Working Group, “Teaching as/with/for Hope.” American Society for Theatre Research. Providence, RI. November 9-12, 2023.
Single author. “Staging the Internal Injury: Brain Injury through Physical Theatre.” 20th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. Online. May 29th-June 1, 2024.
Single author. “Commedia dell’Arte as the Foundation for Devising New Plays.” Children, Youth and Performance Conference. Toronto, ON. Case Study. June 16-18, 2023.
Single author. “Gormenghast: Staging the Fantastic Epic.” Performing the Fantastic in Contemporary Culture Conference. Warwick University, Warwick, UK. Paper Presentation. May 25, 2023.
Single author. “Staging the Impossible Epic: Fires, Floods, and Falls – Oh My!” Mid-American Theatre Conference. Minneapolis, MN. Paper Presentation. March 9, 2023.
Single author. “Dramatizing the Invisible: An Exploration of Brain Injury and Mental Health through Full-Mask and Physical Theatre.” Department of Dramatic Arts Short-Term Faculty Research Symposium. Brock University. December 13, 2022.
Single author. “The Liar: An Ensemble Exploration of Commedia and Goldoni.” Directing Symposium, Mid-American Theatre Conference. Minneapolis, MN. 2011.
NON-REFEREED
Invited research talks and keynotes
Single Author. “Staging Brain Injury: The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy.” Brain Injury and the Arts, an interdisciplinary research event. February 2024. Event Host.
Podcast Interview with Alison Innes. S5E07 “Exploring Brain Injury Through Theatre with Mike Griffin.” Foreword Podcast: Introducing the Humanities. https://foreword.podbean.com/e/s5e07-exploring-brain-injury-through-theatre-with-mike-griffin/. March 2024. Invited Talk.
Single Author. “Staging the Internal Injury: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Through Physical Theatre and Mask.” Brock Talks. Humanities Research Institute. November 2023. Invited Talk.
Single author. “Classical Commedia Meets Contemporary Contexts.” Research Seminar Series. Classics Department, Brock University. October 22, 2020. Guest Lecture.
Presenter. Roundtable Discussion. “Antigone’s Relevance to Modern Society.” Brock University. 2018. Invited Talk.
FORTHCOMING
Book chapters
Single Author. “Staging the Invisible: Exploring Brain Injury Through Physical Theatre.” In Theatre About Science: Performing and Communicating, edited by Francisca Moreira. Theatre About Science. Accepted for submission.
Single Author. “Staging Gormenghast.” In Theatre, Performance and the Fantastic, edited by Ian Farnell. Methuen Drama / Bloomsbury. Accepted for submission.
Conference/Symposium papers
Single Author. “Staging the Invisible Injury: Exploring Brain Injury Through Physical Theatre.” Science and Sensibility: Method Meets Art. London Arts-Based Research Centre. London, UK. October 12-13, 2024. Online.
Select Creative Output
Professional Productions
Director/Adapter. The Fan by Carlo Goldoni. Produced by Calgary Young People’s Theatre. Calgary, AB. 2017.
Assistant Director. Director: Dennis Garnhum. King Lear. Produced by Bard on the Beach/Theatre Calgary Vancouver, BC/Calgary, AB. 2015.
Director. Awesome Allie: First Kid Astronaut by Scott Elmegreen. Produced by Storybook Theatre. Calgary, AB. 2015.
Associate Director. The Bone House by Marty Chan. Produced by Apparition Theatre. Calgary, AB. 2014.
Assistant Director/Commedia dell’Arte Specialist. Director: Dean Paul Gibson. One Man, Two Guvnors. Canadian Premiere. Produced by Theatre Calgary. Calgary, AB. 2014.
Director/Adapter. The Curse of the House of Atreus based on the Oresteia by Aeschylus. Produced by Calgary Young People’s Theatre. Calgary, AB. 2014.
Director/Playwright. The Wooers Woods. Produced by Calgary International Children’s Festival and Calgary Young People’s Theatre. Calgary, AB. 2014.
Director/Playwright. The Wooers Woods. Produced by Calgary Young People’s Theatre. Calgary, AB. 2013.
Director/Adapter. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Produced by the Watermark Theatre. North Rustico, PEI. 2013.
Director. Evil Dead: The Musical by George Reinblatt. Produced by Hit and Myth Productions. Calgary, AB. 2012.
Assistant Director (Director: Mark Bellamy). Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Stephen Sondheim. Produced by Vertigo Mystery Theatre. Calgary, AB. 2012.
Director/Producer. The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni. Produced by Beyond the Brink Productions. Calgary, AB. 2012.
New Play Development
Dramaturg/Puppet Designer. Elsbeth. In collaboration with playwright and performer Jewels Krauss.
Five-day development workshop as part of DART’s Summer Institute. Supported by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2024.=
Playwright/Facilitator. The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy.
Five-day development workshop as part of DART’s Summer Institute. Supported by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2023.
Six development workshop sessions. Supported by the Department of Dramatic Arts and the Dean’s Discretionary Fund. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2022-23.
Playwright/Facilitator. Pantalone’s Palace.
Two-day development workshop. Dramaturgy by Jenna Rodgers. Supported by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2017.
Eight-day development workshop. Supported by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2017
Devising Facilitator. Psyche. Two-month devising process with the ensemble. Supported by the Department of Drama Studies, Mount Allison University. Sackville, NB. 2014.
Playwright. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Produced by Project X Theatre. Kamloops, BC. 2014.
Stage Productions in Theatre Schools
Director/Playwright/Mask Maker/Puppet Maker. The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy. Dramaturgy by Jewels Krauss. Mainstage production. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2024
Production Mentor. A Journey Through Alitheia written/devised by the company. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts and Patchwork Productions (DART 4F56 Ensemble), Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2023/24.
Production Mentor. Welcome Home written/devised by the company. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts and Laser Shark Productions (DART 4F56 Ensemble), Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2022/23.
Director. Red Bike by Caridad Svich. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2020
Director. TomorrowLove by Rosamund Small. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2020.
Director. Love and Information by Caryl Churchill. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2019.
Director/Adapter. Antigone by Sophocles. Mainstage Production. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. Nov. 2018.
Director/Playwright. Pantalone’s Palace. Dramaturgy by Jenna Rodgers. Mainstage production. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2017.
Director. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake adapted for the stage by John Constable. Mainstage production. Produced by the Department of Dramatic Arts, Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2016.
Director. Psyche. Created by the ensemble. Mainstage production. Produced by Windsor Theatre, Department of Drama Studies, Mount Allison University. Sackville, NB. 2014.
Director. Machinal by Sophie Treadwell. Mainstage production. Produced by Windsor Theatre, Department of Drama Studies, Mount Allison University. Sackville, NB. 2013.
Director/Performer. The Dock Project. Co-creator Greg McLaughlin. Workshop production. Produced by Windsor Theatre, Department of Drama Studies, Mount Allison University. 2013.
Director/Adapter. The Dyskolos by Menander. Produced by Windsor Theatre, Department of Drama Studies, Mount Allison University. Sackville, NB. 2013.
Director. The Shape of Things by Neil Labute. Mainstage Production. Produced by Windsor Theatre, Department of Drama Studies, Mount Allison University. Sackville, NB. 2013.
Director. The Liar by Carlo Goldoni. Thesis production and part of the Mainstage season. Produced by the Department of Drama, University of Calgary. Calgary, AB. 2010.
Director. Fool for Love by Sam Shepard. Taking Flight Festival. Produced by the Department of Drama, University of Calgary. Calgary, AB. 2010.
- Faculty of Humanities Award for Teaching Excellence, $500. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2023.
- Humanities Research Institute Conference and Event Funding, $2000. Brain Injury and the Arts event in connection with the DART Mainstage production of The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2024.
- Dean’s Discretionary Fund (Speakers and Events), $1000. Brain Injury and the Arts event in connection with the DART Mainstage production of The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2024.
- Dean’s Conference Travel Grant, $900. Supported the presentation of “Hope: Restructuring the Performance Classroom,” as part of the Working Group “Teaching as/with/for Hope.” at the American Society for Theatre Research in Providence, RI. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2023.
- Dean’s Conference Travel Grant, $750. Conferences presentation at the Mid-American Theatre Conference. “Staging the Impossible Epic. Fires, Floods, and Falls – Oh My!”. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2023.
- Dean’s Discretionary Fund (Hire-a-Student), $500. Research Assistant for the development of The Mysterious Mind of Molly McGillicuddy. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2022.
- Dean’s Discretionary Fund (Speakers and Events), $1000. BIPOC Visitor’s Series. Co-Application with Karen Fricker. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2020.
- Dean’s Conference Travel Grant, $750. Summer Intensive for Theatre Educators: Pedagogy of the Mask: The Mask in Actor Training. Brock University. St. Catharines, ON. 2018.
- Fellowship. Crake Fellow in Drama. Mount Allison University. Sackville, NB. 2012-2014.
Workshops with Niagara based high-schools in physical theatre, mask, slapstick and Commedia dell’Arte.
- Association of Theatre in Higher Education
- American Society for Theatre Research
- Playwrights Guild of Canada
- Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre
- New England Puppet Intensive
- Association of Movement Theatre Educators