John Juliani

Born in Montreal in 1940, died in 2003. 

John was an Actor, director, theatre producer, writer and educator. He studied acting at the National Theatre School, and worked for two seasons at the Stratford Festival. In 1966 he taught theatre at Simon Fraser University and established “Savage God” – a theatre company named after W.B. Yeats’ term for a new age of iconoclasm and irreverence in art. The company has presented plays in many different venues. 

From 1973-74, Juliani traveled and studied world theatre. In 1974 he established a graduate program in theatre at York University in Toronto, moving to Edmonton in 1976, and producing “Savage God” work in both cities.   From 1982 to 1997 he was executive producer of special projects for Vancouver’s CBC Radio Drama. His many productions include Macbeth in 1988.  He produced George Ryga ‘s The Ecstasy of Rita Joe for radio. In 1986 Juliani also directed a production of Ryga’s Paracelus for Vancouver Playhouse.

In 2000 “Savage God” initiated The Shakespeare Project, with the mandate of performing the entire Shakespeare canon by an ensemble of 150 Vancouver actors and musicians, celebrating Shakespeare as the “king of the spoken word.” 

Juliani has been president of the Directors Guild of Canada, and was an active member of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, serving on its West Coast Advisory Committee. He was also president of the Union of B.C. Performers, and the co-Artistic Director of Opera Breve.

He performed in television productions, such as the poet in Ryga’s television play, Just an Ordinary Person (1976), in X-files (1996) and Dark Angel (2002)