Dan Bray (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist living in beautiful Kjipuktuk (Halifax) and has been fortunate to work with several of Nova Scotia's finest companies and theatre schools - as a playwright, director, educator, actor, dramaturg, and more. As Artistic Director of The Villains Theatre, he has written, directed, and adapted many shows including International Waters, Zomblet, Knight of the Bat, Hänsel und Gretel in: der Garten von Edible Horrors, and Observatory Mansions.
Headshot by Annie Bowers
Dan's work has been performed across the maritimes, as well as in British Columbia and Ontario. Currently, he is writing a new musical adaptation of Beauty and the Beast for Shakespeare by the Sea's upcoming summer season. Most recently, Dan's original mystery Deepwater received the national Playwrights Guild of Canada Drama Award and the Robert Merritt Award ("Outstanding New Play by a Nova Scotian"); it was also shortlisted for the international Risk Tragedy Award, named "First Runner-Up" in the inaugural Jenny Munday Atlantic Canadian Play competition, and has been programmed as part of Neptune Theatre's 2026-27 season.
Deepwater production photos by James MacLean (2024)
Merritt Award photo by James MacLean
Dan sits on the board of the Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative and the Halifax Fringe Festival. He is the ongoing co-producer of the TNS Robert Merritt Awards, and he received his MA from the University of Toronto’s Graduate Centre for Study of Drama.
To check out Dan's complete CV, click here.
To program his work through the Playwrights Guild of Canada, click here.
More images and information on Dan’s work can be found at www.villainstheatre.com.
I am also a proud member of PERFORM! - an iniative from Theatre Nova Scotia that helps to put artists in classrooms. Through this wonderful program, I have worked as a playwright and dramaturge, assisting students of all ages create and refine new work. To learn more, click here!
current projects
Beauty and the Beast
In this original, musical reimagining of the classic fairy tale, poor provincial production assistant Belle finds herself working on the most romantic reality show in all the kingdom: Beauty and the Bachelor! The prince - who has been magically transformed into (you guessed it) a beast - must find his true love before the clock runs out. Luckily, there’s an entire cast of prospective princesses fighting for his paw! Unluckily, fame and social media have turned the prince into a real (you guessed it) beast. Can Belle teach him to look past appearances? Can she help the princesses find validation beyond their fairy tale tropes? Will Beast find someone to accept his enchanted rose before he gets trapped in his monstrous form forever - and can he even become a person worth loving? Maybe! It’s Beauty and the Beast! A hilarious, brand-new version written by Dan Bray with an original score composed by GaRRy Williams, this family-friendly adaptation breathes fresh life into a tale as old as time.