WingfieldFarm-USA.com - Artists' Biographies

ROD BEATTIE (actor) A veteran of fifteen seasons with the Stratford Festival (most recently in Wingfield's Inferno in the 2005 season), Rod Beattie is one of the most respected and versatile actors in Canadian theatre. His extensive credits include radio, television, film and live performances across Canada; featured roles include Johnny Pateen Mike in The Cripple of Inishmaan at Theatre Calgary, Bill in The Lovelist and Greg in Sylvia at the Belfry Theatre, Victoria, John Proctor in The Crucible and Father Gustave in Blessings in Disguise at Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Professor in Oleanna at the Grand Theatre and the National Arts Centre (opposite Sandra Oh) and Andy Ladd in an Ontario tour of Love Letters (opposite Martha Henry). Over the past eighteen years or so Rod's name has become synonymous with the Wingfield series which has brought him acting awards, rave reviews and sold-out houses in Toronto, London, Stratford, Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Saint John, Fredericton and a host of smaller communities across Canada. Rod and Walt made their American debuts to great acclaim at The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in 1994. Rod is the winner of the 1991-92 "Dora" Award (best performance by an actor in a leading role) for his performance in the first three Wingfield plays.

Beattie is astonishingly adept at transforming himself from one character to another in a matter of seconds, calling up echoes of a crotchety Walter Brennan, a gawky Jimmy Stewart or a flustered Bob Newhart
-- The Toronto Star

With his man-next-door face -- perfect for a character like Walt -- Beattie flows to other roles with a twist of the lip, the arch of an eyebrow, a different bend in the back and a wonderful array of different voices.
-- The Globe and Mail


DAN NEEDLES (playwright) Dan Needles spent half of his childhood in the city and half on the family farm at Rosemont, Ontario. After university, he went to work as editor of the local newspaper in Shelburne where he created the character of Walt Wingfield, the retired stockbroker turned farmer, who told about his adventures on the farm in a series of weekly letters to the editor. In 1985, Dan drew from these columns to write his first play, Letter From Wingfield Farm. Wingfield's Progress followed in 1987, Wingfield's Folly in 1990, Wingfield Unbound in 1997, Wingfield On Ice in 2001 and Wingfield's Inferno in 2005. Dan writes columns for two publications these days, Petunia Valley Sideroad for Country Guide Magazine and True Confessions from the Ninth Concession for Harrowsmith Country Life. He's also the winner of the 2003 Leacock Medal for Humour for his book, With Axe and Flask, The History of Persephone Township from Pre-Cambrian Times to the Present. Dan's latest book, a novelization of Wingfield plays four, five and six, entitled Wingfield's Hope, is currently available in bookstores everywhere. It and its companion volume, a book version of the first three Wingfield plays, called Letters From Wingfield Farm, were both short-listed for the Leacock Medal in 1989 and 2005 respectively. Dan's seven-character play, The Perils of Persephone, premiered at The Blyth Festival in 1989.

Dan Needles has much the same gift for gentle comedy as England's James Herriot of All Creatures Great and Small glory.
-- The Toronto Sun

A kind of philosophical Will Rogers touch with a flair for the well told anecdote that is like the best of W.O. Mitchell, AND IT'S FUNNY!
-- CKLN Newswave


DOUGLAS BEATTIE (director) Douglas Beattie became an independent producer and director in 1979. His association with Dan Needles goes back to childhood summers spent on the farm. In addition to heading the Wingfield team, Doug has been guest director at the Stratford Festival, the Belfry Theatre, Victoria, Lighthouse Festival, Port Dover ON, Theatre Orangeville, the Blyth Festival, the Piggery Theatre, North Hatley PQ, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Gryphon Theatre, Barrie ON, and the Grand Theatre, London ON (The Perils of Persephone). He was consultant to Primedia's television production of Letter From Wingfield Farm which won the 1991 "Gemini" Award for best performing arts program and is co-executive producer of the Wingfield TV series. He is also founding Artistic Director of Touchmark Theatre in Guelph ON, and President of Douglas Beattie Theatrical Productions Ltd. which markets the audio and video recordings of the Wingfield plays(click on "DVDs & CDs" at left).

The third partner, invisible but important, is director Douglas Beattie, who keeps it all seeming simple, but actually being quite complex.
-- The Toronto Star

Bottom Photo by J.J. Meredith




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