Elliott Hayes

Elliott Hayes (June 22, 1956 – February 22, 1994) was a rising Canadian playwright when he was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver.^[1]

Elliott Hayes was born in Stratford, Ontario to a theatrical family, the grandson of classical actor George Hayes and the son of John Sullivan Hayes, one of the original company members of the Stratford Festival.

He graduated from the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, and worked in Hollywood for several years before returning to Canada in 1981. He then served for many years as the literary manager, dramaturge and occasional lyricist and assistant director at the Stratford Festival. After his death in 1994, the Festival created the Elliott Hayes Award, a prize in Dramaturgy sponsored by the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.^[2]

His career was brief but produced several important works, including short stories, novels, poems and plays. His most produced work, Homeward Bound, was noted by author Margaret Atwood as “a brisk, intricate, and tightly-strung play with a lot of laughter”. It was first produced at the Stratford Festival and has since been performed across Canada and the United States.^[3][4][5][6]

Works

• Blake, 1983
• Homeward Bound, 1991
• World of Wonders (adapted from the novel by Robertson Davies), 1992
• Happily Ever After, 1993
• Hard Hearts, 1993
• Life on Mars, 1993

References