Lisa Jadwiga Valentina Warrington (born 1952) is a New Zealand

theatre studies Theatre studies (sometimes referred to as theatrology or dramatics) is the study of theatrical performance in relation to its literary, physical, psychobiological, sociological, and historical contexts. It is an interdisciplinary field which also e ...

academic, director, actor and author. She has directed more than 130 productions, and established the Theatre Aotearoa database. In 2014 she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Dunedin Theatre Awards, and was three times winner of a ''

New Zealand Listener The ''New Zealand Listener'' is a weekly New Zealand magazine that covers the political, cultural and literary life of New Zealand by featuring a variety of topics, including current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, f ...

'' Best Director award, including one for Tom Scott's ''The Daylight Atheist''.

Early life and education

Warrington was born in 1952, and spent much of her early life in England, Nigeria, and Australia. She is of English and Polish descent, her parents Jozef and Patricia (née McLean) having changed their surname to Warrington from Wawrzynczak. Her sister is Australian actress, songwriter and author Carmen Warrington (b. 1957); her brother Jan was a Multicultural Arts Officer and lighting designer based in Canberra (d. 2008). Warrington obtained a BA (Hons) from the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first pro ...

in 1973, with a thesis titled ''

Dunbar Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ecc ...

, the concise artist: a study of aspects of language, structure and imagery in his poetry''. In 1981 she followed this with an MA, also at the University of Tasmania, titled '' Allan Wilkie in Australia: the work of a Shakespearean actor-manager.''

Career

Warrington taught at the University of Tasmania before being appointed as the William Evans Lecturer at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

in 1981. She initially had 30 students and was the University's only drama lecturer, with only three others in the entire country. In 1990, she led the introduction of a directing programme to the University of Otago's Theatre Studies programme. From 2011 she was appointed as Associate Professor there. Warrington is also responsible for the front door of the Allen Hall Theatre being painted red. Allen Hall Dunedin 01 (cropped)

Many of Warrington's academic publications deal with

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

theatre in Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

as well as Pasifika practitioners and productions. With

David O'Donnell David John O'Donnell (born in Nelson in 1956) is a theatre director, actor and academic based in Wellington, New Zealand. He has been a full professor at Victoria University of Wellington since 2019. Education O'Donnell has a diploma in Acting ...

, Warrington wrote ''Floating Islanders: Pasifika Theatre in Aotearoa'', a book based on interviews with practitioners over the course of seven years that, among other things, catalogues Pasifika theatre from 1984 to 2014. The book's title comes from an interview with Samoan playwright and filmmaker Makerita Urale. Warrington, a co-founder of Wow! Productions, directed more than 35 productions at Dunedin's

Fortune Theatre The Fortune Theatre is a 432-seat West End theatre on Russell Street, near Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster. Since 1989 the theatre has hosted the long running play ''The Woman in Black''. History The site was acquired by author, playw ...

, and was Acting Artistic Director of the Fortune for the latter part of 1985. She was then Associate Director of the Fortune from 1985 to 1991. She has directed more than 130 productions in total, including many for Wow! Productions. Warrington retired from the University of Otago on 30 June 2018, after 37 years of teaching, although she continues to work freelance and to maintain the Theatre Aotearoa database. Warrington began the database in 2004, and as of July 2021 it contained details on 17,156 New Zealand theatre productions in New Zealand and overseas. Her goal for the database is for it to cover all theatre productions in New Zealand from 1840 onwards.

Selected productions

* ''Directions'', directed by Lisa Warrington and Rawiri Paratene, written by Paratene, Fortune Theatre, 1981. This was the Fortune Theatre's inaugural Youth Theatre Workshop. *''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...

'', directed by Lisa Warrington, with a cast consisting of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School students, including

Cliff Curtis Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis (born 27 July 1968) is a New Zealand actor. His film credits include '' Once Were Warriors'' (1994), ''Three Kings'' (1999), ''Training Day'' (2001), '' Whale Rider'' (2002), ''Collateral Damage'' (2002), '' Sunshin ...

and

Michael Galvin Michael Galvin (born 27 March 1967) is a New Zealand actor, singer and playwright, well known for his role as Chris Warner on the soap opera Shortland Street, a character he has played almost since the show's debut in 1992 until 1996 and again ...

. *''When I was a girl, I used to scream and shout'', by

Sharman Macdonald Sharman Macdonald (born 8 February 1951) is a Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Life and career Macdonald was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Janet Rewat (née Williams) and Joseph Henry Hosgood MacDonald. She has Scottish and We ...

, directed by Lisa Warrington. Circa Theatre, Wellington, 20 January 1989 *''Nga Puke'', by John Broughton, directed by Lisa Warrington, part of Te Rakau Hua o te Wao Tapu: Contemporary Māori performing arts, at Depot Theatre, Wellington, Feb–April 1990 *''Kaz: A Working Girl'' by Leah Poulter (Premiere. Fortune Theatre, Theatre Corporate Auckland and National Library Wellington, 1990). Starring

Miranda Harcourt Miranda Catherine Millais Harcourt (born 1962) is a New Zealand actress and acting coach. Harcourt's acting career began playing boy characters on Radio New Zealand in the early 1970s. She is best known for her role as Gemma in the 1980s TV d ...

. *''

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

'' by

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

, at the

Dunedin Public Art Gallery The Dunedin Public Art Gallery holds the main public art collection of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Located in The Octagon in the heart of the city, it is close to the city's public library, Dunedin Town Hall, and other facilities such as ...

in 1998 *''Bruised'', by Richard Huber, directed by Lisa Warrington, presented by GetON Productions and Allen Hall Theatre. Acted by Edwin Wright.

BATS Theatre BATS Theatre is a theatre venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Initially founded as the Bats Theatre Company in 1976, then established in its current form in 1989. BATS Theatre has seen the development of many performing arts talents of New Zeala ...

, Wellington, 3–14 April; Silo Theatre, Auckland, 19–27 April 2001 *''Lines of Fire'' by Gary Henderson, script commissioned by Wow! Productions, performed at the Dunedin Railway Station in 2006. Warrington later wrote about the staging of the play. *''Four Flat Whites'' ''in Italy'', by Roger Hall, at the Fortune Theatre, 2009. * ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'', directed by Lisa Warrington, by Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School third year students, at Basement Theatre,

Te Whaea Te Whaea in Wellington, New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. ...

, Wellington, June 2014 *''Farley's Arcade'' (2015), a site specific historical promenade theatre event, at the

Athenaeum Athenaeum may refer to: Books and periodicals * ''Athenaeum'' (German magazine), a journal of German Romanticism, established 1798 * ''Athenaeum'' (British magazine), a weekly London literary magazine 1828–1921 * ''The Athenaeum'' (Acadia U ...

, co-created with Richard Huber, Rua McCallum, Gareth McMillan, Martyn Roberts, and co-directed, Wow! Productions. *''

The End of the Golden Weather ''The End of the Golden Weather'' is a play by Bruce Mason about a boy's loss of innocence in Depression-era New Zealand. It was written for solo performance by the author but can be performed by an ensemble and was made into an award-winning ...

'' by Bruce Mason, featuring Matt Wilson, at Macandrew Bay Hall, Port Chalmers Library, Pioneer Women’s Hall, Oamaru Grainstore Gallery, and other locations in Mosgiel, Waitati and Dunedin, 2020. Reviewer Terry MacTavish said "One of the country’s leading directors, Lisa Warrington, shows her customary finesse... ... luminous, compassionate production."

Selected publications

* * * (Second edition, updated, published in 2012) * * * * * * *

Awards

Warrington was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dunedin Theatre Awards in 2014. The same year she was awarded a New Zealand Theatre Services honour medal. Warrington has been created a Life Member of the Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies. She received a ''

'' Best Director award three times: * 2007 for '' The Road To Mecca'' * 2005 for ''Auntie and Me'' * 2004 for ''The Daylight Atheist'' and ''Cherish'' *2018 Rob Jordan Book Prize, awarded by the Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies, for ''Floating Islanders'' (joint award with

)''.''

References

External links

* Warrington's
Google Scholar profile
*
Theatre Aotearoa
database {{DEFAULTSORT:Warrington, Lisa University of Tasmania alumni Academic staff of the University of Otago New Zealand theatre directors Living people New Zealand women academics 1952 births New Zealand people of Polish descent New Zealand people of English descent Shakespearean scholars