When Anna Chatterton was in her early twenties, she noticed a lack of female representation in the Toronto theatre scene.
As a newly minted graduate of Concordia University’s theatre program, she decided to do something about it.
Her first play, Clean Irene and Dirty Maxine, co-written and co-starring Evalyn Parry, a friend and colleague from the theatre program at Concordia, debuted in 2003. It was a hit and received numerous awards, launching Chatterton’s career and solidifying her career path.
“There was a lack of experimental and explicitly female-led feminist work in Toronto, so I decided to step into that gap,” she said. “I wanted to explore women’s societal roles, constraints and obsessions, both historically and in contemporary settings, and the theatre seemed like the ideal place to do this."
Fast-forward more than two decades to 2024, and Chatterton is an in-demand playwright, librettist and performer known for riveting female-focused works. Her plays and operas have been staged and produced locally and nationally. She is a two-time Governor General’s Literary Awards nominee in the drama category.
Chatterton is also the incoming Mabel Pugh Taylor Writer in Residence at McMaster University. The program provides an established Canadian author with writing time and the opportunity to mentor creative writers from the Hamilton community and beyond through workshops and one-on-one consultations.
“It’s such an honour to have this position that allows me to work with emerging writers and have dedicated writing time,” she said. “I find inspiration working with other writers and being out in the community.”
In addition to writing consultations and office hours at both McMaster University and Hamilton Public Library, Chatterton is planning to host a variety of free workshops through the fall and winter.
“Based on my experience with mentorship and teaching, there are beautiful, inspiring moments of seeing writers really click into their own authentic voices and loving what they're creating,” she said. “However, it is also important to recognize that writing is hard and there are days where it’s a struggle. I have those days, too, and it’s important to find ways to stay inspired.”
Speaking of inspiration, Chatterton has a busy year ahead with multiple projects. Among these works is a new commission from Tapestry Opera based on a short story by Monique Proulx with Irish composer Gareth Williams. She is back co-writing a new play with Evalyn Parry for a future production at Brock University based on Chaucer's character Wife of Bath.
Chatterton and Karen Ancheta were recently awarded the Ontario Arts Council Creation in Residence grant to continue writing their play O.A. at Theatre Aquarius. She also wrote and is acting in a remount of a multidisciplinary performance called Synaptic Rodeo at McMaster University’s LIVELab in November.
Another project is a book called Children of Fire, cowritten with activist/artist Shahrzad Arshadi, that is a collection of essays, interviews and a play about Kurdish female freedom fighters, that will be published by Book*hug Press in 2026.
Chatterton says her 16-year-old self would be impressed that she followed her dreams.
“I think that girl would have been so proud that I stayed with theatre, and kind of amazed that I actually made it work,” she said. “When you go to an arts high school like I did, you aren’t sure if you can make a living as an artist. All these years later, I’m still doing theatre, I’m still writing and I’m still an artist. It’s hard to imagine a different life than the one I’ve carved out for myself.”
Chatterton lives in Hamilton with husband and artist Jim Ruxton, and their 12-year-old daughter, Frida.
The Mabel Pugh Taylor Writer in Residence program is led by McMaster University’s Department of English and Cultural Studies of the Faculty of Humanities in partnership with McMaster University Library and Hamilton Public Library. It is supported by the Taylor family.
Office hours:
September to December 2024
Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings at McMaster University
In-person or virtual, by appointment
Thursdays at Hamilton Public Library
In-person or virtual, by appointment
January to April 2025
Tuesdays at McMaster University
In-person or virtual, by appointment
Thursdays at Hamilton Public Library
In-person or virtual, by appointment
To learn more and book a consultation, visit Anna Chatterton’s booking webpage.
Writing workshops
Chatterton is hosting a series of free writing workshops during her residency. Details will be shared as available on the events pages of the McMaster University Library website and Hamilton Public Library website, so please check back regularly.
