Jane Bergeron

Head of Theatre
B. Ed. (Drama), M.F.A.(Acting)

Email: Jane.Bergeron@nd.edu.au
Phone: 02 8204 4105

  • Biography

    Jane received her undergraduate theatre training at Whitelands College, University of London. She continued her postgraduate training at Boston University School of Theatre Arts where she was awarded a two-year teaching fellowship and graduated with an MFA in acting.

    Prior to moving to Australia in 2005, Jane worked in the US and the UK as an actor, director and theatre educator For ten years, she was artistic director of Vintage Repertory Company, staging over 40 productions of classic and contemporary American and European plays. Directing credits include plays by Chekhov, Pinter, Albee, Moliere, Mamet and Shakespeare. Jane taught acting and voice at The University of Southern Maine, and led master classes for professional actors in audition techniques.

    Recent acting credits in the US include Homebody in Homebody/Kabul (Portland Performing Arts Centre), Julia in Lend me a Tenor (The Public Theatre), Clytemnestra in Iphegenia and Other Daughters (Huntington Theatre), and Hortense in Possessions (Boston Playwrights' Theatre). In the UK, Jane originated the role of Anne Askew in On the Borderline at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London’s off-West End.

    Jane is a 2012 recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Initiatives that Enhance Student Learning, and she was awarded a 2014 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Government's Office of Learning & Teaching.

  • Teaching area

    Jane teaches and convenes the following units: Theory & Practice of Acting I; Theory & Practice of Acting II; Devised Production Workshop; Text-based Production Workshop; Fundamentals of Directing; Drama in the Age of Shakespeare

  • Research expertise and supervision

    Jane is interested in practice-led research and has supervised the following Honours projects:

    • How Does a Director Create Meaningful Theatre? An Exploration through Harold Pinter's Family Voices, 2013
    • Suicide Through the Artistic Veil/Original Creative Work: Boy and Moon, 2012
    • Anorexia Nervosa: A Theatrical Exploration through Fairy Tales/Original Creative Work: Possessed, 2010

  • Journal articles and proceedings

    Bergeron, J. Playing Shakespeare, Journal of Education in the Dramatic Arts, Vol 12 No 2, 2006

  • Conference papers

    Bergeron, J. & Quinn, C. The Illustrious Adventuresses: A Theatrical Exploration of the ‘Other’ Voice in Early Modern Europe, Seeing Writing and Reading Performance Across Cultures, ASDF Monash University, 2011

    Bergeron, J. Acting Collaboratively, Material Inventions Conference, Deakin University, Melbourne 2010

  • Original creative works

    Bergeron, J & Quinn, C. (2013) Possessions (Stage Play)

  • Live performances

    Bergeron, J & Quinn, C. (2014) Possessions. Escape Artists Theatre Co., King Street Theatre, Sydney, Australia

    Bergeron, J & Quinn, C. (2013) Possessions. Escape Artists Theatre Co., Boston Playwrights Theatre, Boston, USA

    Armand, C. (2010) On the Borderline. Directed by Clara Armand. Bloomsbury Theatre. London W.C.1, UK

  • In the media

    June 14th, 2013: The Boston Globe (art + performance editorial): Lives that Fuelled the 17th-century Rumor Mill, by Joel Brown;

  • Professional affiliations

    Member: Australasian Association for Theatre Drama and Performance Studies (ADSA)
    Member:The NSW Writers' Centre
    Co-artistic Director: Escape Artists Theatre Company, New York/Sydney

  • Community engagement

    • 2012: BEAMS Arts Festival Chippendale; member of committee;
    • 2011: Emcee: Chippendale Creative Precinct Quarterly Networking Event, UNDA Sydney campus; also presented UNDA theatre production: "The Magic of Christmas";
    • 2010 & 2011: Emcee: UNDA Annual Alumni Event, Sydney campus;
    • 2008: Steering Committee: City of Sydney Art and About Festival: "Chippendale Behind Closed Doors";
    • 2007: Drama NSW conference: Riding the Wave. (Emcee, UNDA Sydney)

  • Awards

    • 2014 Winner: Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, The Australian Government's Office of Learning & Teaching;
    • 2013: Boston Playwrights Theatre Black Box Fellowship (providing support for the development and production of new plays), Boston, USA;
    • 2012 Winner: Vice Chancellor’s Award for Initiatives that Enhance Student Learning;
    • 2012: Ko Festival of Performance, Amherst College, USA, Playwriting Residency
    • 2001-2003 Teaching Fellowship, Boston University College of Fine Arts, Boston, USA