Jan "JD" Derbyshire is a Canadian theatre artist, comedian, and writer. They have performed their one-person show, Certified, across Canada, including in Vancouver where it won two Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards.
Jan Derbyshire | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Other names | JD |
| Children | Kacey Rohl |
| Website | www |
Early life and education
editDerbyshire was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. They completed a master's degree from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Inclusive Design in 2014.[1][2]
Career
editDerbyshire's play, Funny in the Head, about their experiences with bipolar disorder, was commissioned by Stage Left Productions, and it premiered at the Balancing Acts Disability Arts Festival in Alberta, Canada in 2008.[3] In 2010, alongside the Paralympic Games, Derbyshire performed their one-person show Funny in the Head at the Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture Festival, and it was the only show performed at Kickstart.[4]
Derbyshire developed another one-person show, Certified, in 2018. They have performed Certified for Handsome Alice Theatre (Calgary) in 2018,[5] Touchstone Theatre (Vancouver) in 2019,[6] at One Yellow Rabbit's High Performance Rodeo (Calgary) in 2020,[7] and at the Progress Festival (Toronto) in 2020.[8]
In 2020, Derbyshire was writer-in-residence at Mount Royal University.[7]
Personal life
editDerbyshire and their ex-husband, TV director Michael Rohl, have a daughter, actress Kacey Rohl.[9][1]
Plays
edit- Labour Unions, the Brotherhood of Mothers
- Freaky Jane Fine Takes on the Serious World
- Bearded Circus Ladies
- Ingenius Speculations — co-written with Kim Selody, Rita Bozi, and Roy Surette
- Joke You
- Maharani and the Maple Leaf
- Under the Big Top
- All In
- Funny in the Head[10]
- Turkey in the Woods[1]
- Sorry Toronto, Really I Am[1]
- Certified[6]
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards | Outstanding Original Script | Certified | Won | [11] | |
| Critics’ Choice Innovation Award | Won | for Touchstone Theatre |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Leiren-Young, Mark (2012-07-31). "Talking Turkey About Queer Arts". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2020-11-07 – via PressReader.
- ^ "About". Jan(JD)Derbyshire. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
- ^ "Balancing Acts: Calgary's 8th Annual Disability Arts Festival". Balancing Acts. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ Johnston, Kristy (2012). Stage Turns : Canadian Disability Theatre. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 165. ISBN 9780773539945.
- ^ Watson, Kari (2018-03-13). "Jan Derbyshire invites you to determine her mental state in solo production Certified – TheYYSCENE". The YYScene. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
- ^ a b Kai Mak, Danny (2019-11-04). "In Certified, Jan Derbyshire adroitly untangles her experiences in the mental-health system". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
- ^ a b Hobson, Louis B. (2020-01-21). "High Performance Rodeo selling out fast in last week". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
- ^ "In Certified, comedian Jan Derbyshire asks the audience to assess her mental health". CBC. 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
- ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (2015-04-15). "Kacey Rohl likes Working the Engels". The Province. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
- ^ Johnston, Kirsty (2012). Stage Turns : Canadian Disability Theatre. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 42. ISBN 9780773539945.
- ^ Smith, Janet (2020-06-29). "Noises Off, The Father, and more win big as 2019-20 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards go virtual". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2020-11-07.