David Rotenberg (author)

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David Charles Rotenberg was a Canadian author and professor emeritus of theatre studies at York University, where he taught graduate students for over 25 years,^[1][3] as well at the Professional Actors Lab in Toronto, which he founded as the artistic director.^[4] The Huffington Post referred to him as one of Canada's "most notable acting teachers and coaches,"^[5] and the Toronto Star called him "perhaps Canada's best known acting teacher."^[6] Early in his career, he was a theatre director in New York City and staged two Broadway shows,^[7] returning to Toronto in 1987.^[8] In 1994, he directed the first Canadian play to be staged in the People's Republic of China,^[4][9] which inspired his career as a novelist, beginning with the five Zhong Fong mysteries set in modern Shanghai as well as the historical fiction novel Shanghai.^[9] He later wrote a series of speculative thrillers set in The Junction, Toronto,^[10] and began a science fiction series in 2017. He died on Nov 9, 2023.^[11]

David Charles Rotenberg^[12] was born and raised in Toronto,^[8] with three brothers.^[13] He is the son of Jewish parents: Dr. Cyril Rotenberg,^[13] a physician, and Gertrude Ruth (Gertie) Rotenberg, described as a "woman of initiative, of new ideas and steady values."^[14] David Rotenberg attended the University of Toronto and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts.^[1][3] He left Toronto in 1971.^[10]

One of his younger brothers is the criminal lawyer and crime novelist Robert Rotenberg.^[15][16]

David Rotenberg went to British Columbia, teaching and setting up the acting programme at Simon Fraser University,^[7] staging a production of Bertholt Brecht's Baal in 1973.^[17]

Rotenberg moved to the US, where he lived for fourteen years.^[2] He pursued graduate studies at the Yale Drama School, obtaining his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1976,^[1][3] specializing in directing.^[2] He lived ten years in New York City, where he worked as a freelance director, participated in regional theatre, and directed the Broadway shows:^[7] The News,^[8] and The 1940's Radio Hour.^[3] Rotenberg cited the influence of living in Manhattan on his work, even after returning to Canada.^[8]

Rotenberg later moved to New Orleans, where he was on the faculty of Tulane University.^[1] York University "lured him back to Toronto" with a job he "could not turn down".^[2] Rotenberg also stated that he wanted to be closer to his parents and three brothers, and he felt Toronto was a good place to raise children.^[2]

Rotenberg returned to Toronto in 1987,^[8] where he began teaching graduate students.^[1] He also attempted to resume his directing career but struggled to find work, stating that he was "effectively shunned" and told to forget directing in Canada. He speculated on the reasons for this, noting his Broadway experience. ^[7]

I was a professional theatre director with two Broadway shows to my credit, dozens of regional theatre credits and I ran a major American regional theatre so it was a bit of shock to me when I returned to Canada, where I'd been born and raised, to find that the Canadian theatre community wanted nothing to do with me. Apparently I was a traitor. If I had spent twenty minutes directing in Eastern Europe rather than twenty years directing in America I believe I would have been welcomed back by the Canadian theatre with open arms.^[18]

Rotenberg continued to occasionally direct plays and television in Canada and abroad.^[3] In 1994, he directed George Ryga's The Ecstasy of Rita Joe at the Shanghai Theatre Academy,^[7] the first Canadian play produced in China with a Chinese cast and creative team.^[3] In 2012, Rotenberg recalled being told upon arrival, "You must remember that you can always be replaced".^[19] He noted that the play's subject matter, a young First Nation woman leaving the reserve for the city, was not easily understood by the Chinese audience. ^[20] Despite the cultural differences and the language barrier,^[7] the production was considered a "limited success."^[21]

In 2000, David Rotenberg, with David Julian Hirsh and entertainment lawyer Michael Levine, proposed a high-level actor training program to the Canadian Film Centre. Eight years later, the CFC launched a new actor's conservatory and an international co-production training program.^[22]

In 2003, Rotenberg founded the Professional Actors Lab,^[23] a successful actor training program. He also taught at Equity Showcase Theatre.^[1] Rotenberg worked with approximately 75 actors at any given time, and his students included Tatiana Maslany, Rachel McAdams, Scott Speedman, Sarah Gadon, Ennis Esmer, Patrick J. Adams, David Julian Hirsh, Jonas Chernick, Shawn Doyle, Polly Shannon, and Demore Barnes.^[4][1]

Rotenberg also taught at the National Theatre School of Canada, the University of Cape Town, and Princeton, and taught professional classes in other North American cities.^[4] He served as acting coach for My Secret Identity and Friday the 13th: The Series and as a private acting coach for the new Kung Fu on CBS.^[3]

Rotenberg's teaching emphasized the artistic nature of acting, contrasting it with the prevailing view of acting as a craft. ^[18] He used videotaping and observation to offer constructive criticism to his students. ^[1]

Rotenberg's experience with the Toronto theatre community's rejection of him led him to writing.^[18] He wrote film scripts, stage plays (including an adaptation of The Great Gatsby), and novels. ^[10]

David Rotenberg authored 12 novels across mystery, science fiction, and historical fiction genres. Many were optioned for film and television. His experience at the Shanghai Theatre Academy inspired his first novel, The Shanghai Murders (1998), followed by four more in the series.^[3] The five Zhong Fong novels gained a large following. The series was optioned for film^[25] and television (HBO).^[4]

His novel Shanghai: The Ivory Compact (2008) was an epic spanning thousands of years.^[2][26] Rotenberg wrote it as three novels but Penguin published it as one volume.^[27] It has been reported as being optioned by Darius Films^[28] and by Jane McLean for television.^[29]

His The Junction Chronicles series used The Junction, Toronto as its setting.^[25] Robert J. Wiersema described The Placebo Effect (2012) as a thriller "possessed of an enthralling undercurrent" and praised Rotenberg's characterization.^[30] The trilogy was optioned by producer Don Kurt for television.^[29]

In 2017, he published the first book of his The Dream Chronicles series, followed by the second in 2019.^[31][32][33] In 2021, he published ACT - The Modern Actor’s Handbook.

In 2008, Rotenberg mentioned potential projects: a sixth Zhong Fong novel, a sequel to Shanghai, and a book about Canadian actors who studied with him.^[26]

Rotenberg cited influences including John Le Carré, Jack Miles, James Lee Burke, Thomas Cahill, Harlan Ellison, William Boyd, Annie Proulx, K.C. Constantine, James Crumley, playwright Robert Litz, and Aaron Sorkin.^[34] He described his writing process, noting the differences in his workspace for his different series.^[27]

Rotenberg considered the novel superior to other genres, emphasizing character over plot.^[6] His teaching experience informed his writing, drawing inspiration from his students' talents and insights.^[18][6] His career path also directly influenced his writing, incorporating elements from his work in acting and directing.^[18] He believed that Canadian crime writers had an advantage over their counterparts in other countries, focusing more on social and historical context.^[35]

Rotenberg lived in The Junction, Toronto with his wife Susan Santiago^[12][36] until his death in November 2023. They had two adult children, both dual citizens.^[36]

One of his brothers, Robert Rotenberg, is a criminal lawyer and author.^[15]

York University announced Rotenberg's death on November 9, 2023.^[11]