Where Performers Come to Play …

Todd McGinnis playwright, screenwriter, script/story consultant

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada he continues to reside and work in the G.T.A. (Greater Toronto Area).

In May of 2013 the City Of Brampton bestowed an Arts Acclaim Award on Todd McGinnis for his many successes as a playwright.

In June of 2013, "Shelly", the short film he scripted for the Toronto 48 Hour Film Challenge took home the best of all possible awards... the Audience Choice Award for Best Film.

As a writer for the stage, Todd is the prolific author of more than 20 full length and one-act plays (the majority produced between 1996 and 2008). Over the past half-decade he has been drawn back to his other great passion... writing for the screen. With several projects either completed or in front of the lens and with more on the way, demand for his screenwriting is leaving him little time for anything else.photo image

After enjoying tremendous success with his many one-act and full length solo works (Knave of Hearts, Thunderbolts and Dunderheads, Gone Fishin and Point of Viewing), Todd teamed up with his friend, "the other Canadian playwright" T. Gregory Argall to co-author the side-splittingly hilarious "Self-Help for Dummiez" which debuted at the Hertiage Theater in 2004 to overwhelming reviews and audience love.

(NOTE: After 6 years in production and publication, "Self-Help for Dummies" had to be renamed "Self-Help By Dummiez" in 2010 because the folks who own the "for Dummies" brand had at last discovered the internet and felt "infringed upon." Apparently they were worried people shopping for plays might not be buying self-help manuals... or somethign like that. On the upside, the very nice lawyer who read the play thought it was hilarious. So... not all bad news.)

Since "Self-Help By Dummiez" was such a fun and hilarious experience, Mssrs. McGinnis and Argall teamed up to write "INSECURITY: An Alarmingly Romantic Comedy" which debuted at Stellar Productions Dinner Theatre to incredibly positive response and was an immediate success.

Both are currently trying to use Chaos Theory to figure out when their ridiculously busy writing schedules will allow them to team up again for more giggle-fits.

In the meantime, Todd's script consultation and screenwriting skills are in ever-increasing demand and after the usual lag between script creation and production, several of his works for the screen are already in front of, or will be in front of, the lens this year.

ACHIEVEMENTS - SCREEN:
SHELLY (short)               Audience Choice Award, 2013 Toronto 48 Hour Film Challenge)
THE NEVER MAN          (1st draft) Cinecoup Film Accelerator National Competition (Canada) Top 20
DIRTY DIAMONDS         in pre-production
BLUR                            in production
TRAMMEL THE CULL     (1st draft) WildSound Screenplay Contest Finalist (1st Runner Up)
TRAMMEL THE CULL     (1st draft) Worldwide Scriptapalooza Screenplay Contest Quarter-finalist (Top 3%)

 

ACHIEVEMENTS - STAGE:
"STAGE FRIGHT Or..."                          published/agented by Samuel French/Baker's Plays
SELF-HELP BY DUMMIEZ                     selected to open 2nd NewWorks Playwright's Festival
GONE FISHIN'                                    selected to open/inaugurate 1st NewWorks Playwright's Festival
TRAMMEL THE CULL                          most awarded, BBDF One Act Play Festival
THUNDERBOLTS AND DUNDERHEADS 75th Annual Writer's Digest Honorable Mention Best Stage Play
THUNDERBOLTS AND DUNDERHEADS Bloom Award Winner 2001/2002 Outstanding Original Script
STAGE FRIGHT Or... "                           Bloom Award Runner-up 2001/2002 Outstanding Original Script

 

Todd McGinnis' catalogue of plays are rapidly becoming available for purchase in book form from Playing After Dark's online and on-demand publication service at: http://www.lulu.com/playingafterdark

PRODUCED WORKS - HIGHLIGHTS & FIRSTS INCLUDE:

2009 - Thunderbolts and Dunderheads; debuts in the U.S. in Washington State by Redwood Theatre.

2009 - Point of Viewing; is produced by Calliope Sound Productions as part of their 10th Anniversary summer theatre festival series in August.

2008 - (Oct - Dec) Point of Viewing; produced by Stellar Productions.

2008 - (Feb - Mar) IN-SECURITY; An Alarmingly Romantic Comedy by McGinnis and Argall is premiered by Stellar Productions

2006 - (May) Thunderbolts and Dunderheads; produced by Streetsville Secondary School, the first High School production.

2005 - (July) Self-Help for Dummies; (remount of the original production by popular demand to open the Second NewWorks Theater Festival) produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. at the Heritage Theatre (renamed "Self-Help By Dummiez" in 2010 for the benefit of the Owners of the "For Dummies" brand... who were apparently concerned that people might confuse a stage-play with a self-help manual)

2005 - Thunderbolts and Dunderheads; (an all-new production) produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. at the Heritage Theatre

2004 - Self-Help for Dummies; (co-authored with T. Gregory Argall) produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. at the Heritage Theatre

2004 - Gone Fishin'; produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. (remount of the original production, selected to inaugurate and open the First Annual NewWorks Playwright's Festival) at Brampton's Heritage Theatre

2003 - Knave of Hearts; produced by Kitchener/Waterloo Little Theatre

2003 - Point of Viewing; produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. at the Cyril Clark Theatre.

2002 - Gone Fishin'; produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. at the Cyril Clark Theatre.

2002 - Trammel the Cull (1 Act Play); Produced by Bramalea Live Theatre for their 2002 Backstage Bramalea Drama Festival. Winner of Best Technical Achievement, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress

2001 - Thunderbolts and Dunderheads; produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. at the Cyril Clark Theatre. Winner of Bloom Award for Best Original Script.

2001 - "LAUGH?" I Thought I'd DIE!; produced by SLVS Productions at the Heritage Theatre.

2001- The King's Affaire Parts I, II , III & IV and Camelot in Briefs; produced by Camelot Era Productions.

2001- Knave of Hearts; produced by Playing After Dark Ltd. at the Cyril Clark Theatre.

1999- King's Feast; Human Chess Game and Royal Court shows, with John Lunman, produced by the

1999 Ontario Renaissance Festival

1998- Everybody Dies; a black comedy in one act, presented at the 1998 B.B.D.F. One Act Play Festival

1997- The Peel Hallowe'en Haunting '97; co-authored with William Poulin, produced by the Brampton Arts Council.

1996- The Peel Hallowe'en Haunting; co-authored with William Poulin, produced by the Brampton Arts Council

1996 - Manuscript for Murder; produced by Brampton's Interactive Murder Mysteries.

FOR A DETAILED BIOGRAPHY click here.