Sharon Pollock
| Sharon Pollock | |
|---|---|
| Born |
19 April 1936 Fredericton, New Brunswick |
| Occupation | Writer, Director, Actress, Playwright |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Notable works | Blood Relations (1980) & Doc (1984) |
| Children | Jennifer, Kirk, Melinda, Lisa, Michele and Amanda |
Sharon Pollock, OC FRSC (born 19 April 1936 in Fredericton, New Brunswick) is a Canadian playwright, actor, director, who lives in Calgary, Alberta. She has been Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary (1984), Theatre New Brunswick (1988–1990) and Performance Kitchen & The Garry Theatre, the latter which she herself founded in 1992. In 2007, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Sharon Pollock is one of Canada’s most notable playwrights, and is a major part of the development of what is known today as Canadian Theatre.
Mary Sharon Chalmers was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick on 19 April 1936, to Eloise and George Everett Chalmers. Eloise had been a nurse prior to marrying Everett Chalmers, a prominent local physician. Sharon was raised in a family and time when appearances and family ties were extremely important; although her mother knew her father was unfaithful to her, she refused to leave him. Sharon had a younger brother, Peter Chalmers, who was born 19 October 1937. When Sharon was younger her parents often took her and her brother on trips. Trips such as to Banff, Vancouver, and through the U.S. Pollock had exposure to large scale American Musical Theatre as the family also traveled to New York, where she was able to see popular musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, and Oklahoma!
As a young school child, Pollock was not too interested in academics, but enjoyed reading very much, and at a young age developed a passion for history. Pollock attended Charlotte Street Primary School and, for grade 10, Fredericton High School, where she was the president of the Drama Club. When Pollock was in grade ten, she and a friend skipped school for three weeks straight to sneak into the local cinema and watch movies. When they were caught, Pollock’s father sent her to King’s Hall, an Anglican private school, because he believed that if Pollock could skip school for three weeks and still get good grades, then there was no way her schooling was challenging enough. At this young age Pollock and the same friend, Jane Hickman, created "The Secret Two Club", for they both shared the desire to be writers, instead of housewives or teachers like the women around them. As well as her interest in drama and writing, Pollock was actively involved in the sports teams at King’s Hall and was editor of the school magazine.
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