Daryl Cloran is appointed as Western Canada Theatre's new Artistic Director

Western Canada Theatre’s Board of Trustees announces the appointment of Daryl Cloran as Artistic Director of WCT. Daryl will officially assume his new position on July 14, 2010. Daryl is an amazing Canadian theatre professional with an outstanding body of work and tremendous experience. The WCT board, staff and friends of the company could not be more excited to have him on board.

“We were honoured to receive 30 strong applications from across the country and beyond.  It was a tough selection process as the reputation of the company drew the interest of many talented artists,” says board president, Tim Rodgers.  “At the end of the process, the board believes Daryl has the experience, energy, drive and vision to move the company forward, building on the legacy of David Ross and the artistic achievements of Jeremy Tow.”

Daryl is one of Canada's most sought-after young directors. He has directed across Canada and internationally. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Theatrefront, where he has directed: THE MILL (7 Dora nominations); RETURN (The Sarajevo Project) - produced in Bosnia and Toronto, garnering 5 Dora nominations; fforward (2 Dora nominations); Our Country's Good (2 Dora nominations); UBUNTU (The Cape Town Project) - produced in South Africa, Halifax and Toronto (Watch a video of Daryl being interviewed by TorontoStage.com about the show Here); Swimming in the Shallows; The Underpants;  Mojo; Sweet Phoebe; and I Might Be Edgar Allan Poe. Recent directing credits also include: And All For Love (National Arts Centre), Generous (Tarragon Theatre), Afterplay (Shaw Festival), The Last Five Years (Canadian Stage and Manitoba Theatre Centre - 4 Dora Nominations), This is How it Goes (Neptune Theatre), A New Brain (Acting Upstage - 4 Dora Nominations), Helen's Necklace (Grand Theatre), and The Play About The Baby (Soulpepper).

Daryl has been awarded the Canada Council's John Hirsch Prize for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Director, the Toronto Theatre Emerging Artist Award, and a Robert Merritt Award for Outstanding Director (This is How it Goes).  Daryl has served as the Artistic Director of Theatre & Company (Kitchener-Waterloo) and the Intern Artistic Director of the Soulpepper Theatre Company. He is currently the New Play Development Coordinator of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, where he has also worked as Assistant Director to Artistic Director Des McAnuff on Caesar and Cleopatra and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Daryl is one of three writer/directors for the interactive feature film Late Fragment, produced by the Canadian Film Centre/National Film Board, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He also directed the short film P.M.O. which premiered at the World Wide Short Film Festival.

Daryl is a graduate of Queen's University and the Canadian Film Centre. He has taught at the University of Waterloo, Queen's University, George Brown Theatre School, Fanshawe College, Sheridan College and Armstrong Acting Studio. Upcoming, Daryl is directing Educating Rita (Theatre Aquarius) and Till it Hurts (Thousand Islands Playhouse).