Roger Hodgman (born 1 December 1943
) is an Australian stage and television director.
He was educated at the
Hutchins School and the
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College (University of Tasmania), Christ College, one of the unive ...
, where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in English and Political Science in 1966, and an Honours degree in History in 1972. After beginning his career as a television director with the
ABC in 1965, Hodgman worked in London between 1971 and 1977 where he taught acting at
East 15 Acting School
East 15 Acting School (East 15) is a British drama school in Loughton, Essex.Its degrees are awarded by the University of Essex, with which it merged on 1 September 2000. As of 2020, Essex University, where East 15 is located, has been ranked No. ...
. He worked in Canada from 1977 to 1983, including as Artistic Director of the
Vancouver Playhouse for three years from 1978 to 1981
where he collaborated with
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...
on productions of Williams' later plays ''
The Red Devil Battery Sign'' and ''
The Notebook of Trigorin''.
In 1983 Hodgman became Dean of the School of Drama at the
Victorian College of the Arts
The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...
in Melbourne, establishing more orthodox acting training than under his predecessor Peter Oyston.
He became Associate Director of the
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre compa ...
in 1984, was appointed joint Artistic Director in 1986, and held the position of Artistic Director from 1988 to 1999.
He has since directed plays, operas, musicals and television in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan.
His awards include a
Helpmann Award for Best Direction of a Musical for ''
Grey Gardens'' (for
The Production Company) and
Green Room Awards
The Green Room Awards are peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, drama, fringe theatre, musical theatre and opera in Melbourne.
The awards were started in 1982 when Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy formed the Green Room Awards ...
for Best Director for ''
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...
'' and ''
A Little Night Music
''A Little Night Music'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. ...
'' (for Melbourne Theatre Company).
References
External links
Australian theatre directors
Living people
Helpmann Award winners
Australian directors
University of Tasmania alumni
1943 births
Canadian artistic directors
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