David Geary

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David Geary (born 1963) is a playwright from New Zealand. He also writes for television.

Early years[]

Palmerston North Boys' High School

Geary was born in Feilding and educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School. He went to Victoria University of Wellington and began a law degree but changed to arts. In 1987 Geary graduated from the acting diploma at Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School in Wellington.^[1][2] While a student Geary submitted Kandy Cigarettes to the 1988 New Zealand Playwrights’ Workshop under the pseudonym of Kurt Davidson. This was then turned into revue sketches titled Gothic But Staunch and Dry, White and Friendly.^[2]

Career[]

His first full-length play was ‘Pack of Girls’ (Downstage, 1991), a comedy in which a rugby widow forms a women’s rugby team. This was followed by 'Lovelock’s Dream Run', first seen at the Australia and New Zealand Playwrights’ Conference in Canberra in 1990, opening at The Watershed (Auckland Theatre Company) in 1993 and published by Victoria University Press in 1993. The play is studied at schools and New Zealand universities. In 1991, he co-wrote and co-directed the television documentary The Smell of Money. His short story collection, 'A Man of the People' was published in 2003.^[3] He has worked as a scriptwriter and storyliner for television including Shortland Street, Mercy Peak, Jackson's Wharf and Hard Out,^[4] and has been seen as an actor in series such as 'Shark in the Park'.

His next full-length play was ‘The Learner’s Stand’ (Circa, 1995), about the experiences of a student who joins a rather atypical shearing gang for the summer.^[5] ‘The King of Stains’, a short play about a drycleaner with a fish fetish, followed (BATS Theatre, 1996). With Mick Rose and Tim Spite, he co-authored ‘Backstage with the Quigleys’ (Bats, 1992) and ‘The Rabbiter’s Daughter’ (Bats, 1994), two one-act plays which satirise, respectively, the theatrical and the literary worlds. He also collaborated with Theatre at Large to create ‘Manawa Taua/Savage Hearts’ (Watershed, 1994) and with a group of actors to create ‘Ruapehu’, one half of a double bill with Fiona Samuel’s ‘Untitled’; these two plays appeared under the title ‘One Flesh’ at Downstage, 1996.^[6]

He has written for television (The Smell of Money – a documentary, Jackson’s Wharf and Mercy Peak – drama series) and film (Baggage – a short film).^[7]

In 2002, David Geary moved to Canada, where he has written a series of short plays - Menu Turistico, A Man Walks Into A Bar …, and Oedipus Butchers the Classics for the Walking Fish Festival of Vancouver. These plays have also had successful seasons in New Zealand.

He’s continued to maintain strong ties with New Zealand theatre, with A Shaggy Dog Story (2005), The Underarm (2006) and a revival of The Farm (2007) all having productions at Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North. In 2007, Penumbra, a piece originally co-devised by Geary as the Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School graduation was remounted for the Auckland International Arts Festival.

Being of Māori descent (Ngā Mahanga, Taranaki), Geary has forged links with aboriginal artists in Canada, and has been teaching story telling and script writing with First Nation writers.

An occasional poet, Geary’s 'A conversation with Thomas Hardy in St James cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba' can be found in the online magazine Turbine 06.

Recognition[]

He was awarded the Dominion Sunday Times Bruce Mason Playwrights’ Award in 1991^[8] and in 1994 won the Adam Foundation Playwrights’ Award for ‘The Learner’s Stand’.

In 2008, he was Writer in Residence at Victoria University of Wellington.^[9]

References[]