About Bonnie
Born in Nova Scotia, Bonnie Deakin is a Canadian Theatre Designer (ADC) with a career that spans three decades.
Her early training was as a Make-up Artist for Theatre and Opera and as a Wig Stylist. With a natural ability to create with her hands and a keen sense of environment and colour balance, it wasn’t long before she found the world of theatrical costuming first as a seamstress and later as a milliner and dyer. She continues to do make-up and wig calls for IATSE, and most recently was make-up artist for Martin Short for his one-man show.
Those skills took her to Edmonton, Alberta where she first worked at The Citadel Theatre in the wardrobe under Olga Blecha who was a skilled cutter from Prague. Her work there led to her being hired as a seamstress and puppet maker for the Citadel on Wheels. She then moved to Vancouver to apprentice at The Vancouver Playhouse. During that time, she also worked at CBC Canada as a seamstress and studio crew. Under the patronage of Cameron Porteus (then Resident Designer of The Playhouse), she received a scholarship from the British Columbia Cultural Fund to attend Dalhousie University’s Costume Studies Program. Under the direction of Robert Doyle, she studied all aspects of costuming and received an "A" average.
While studying at university, she worked backstage crew for many productions and was hired for the inaugural season of The Nova Scotia International Tattoo as a cutter. That led to 8 more seasons with the Tattoo and her position as Wardrobe Supervisor. At its height, The Nova Scotia International Tattoo had a cast of up to 1200 participants.
Bonnie became the Head of Wardrobe at Neptune Theatre in Halifax, under the Artistic Directorship of John Neville. During that time, she designed the costumes for Neptune Theatre’s Lunchtime Series and was Assistant Designer for Robert Doyle's production of "Romeo and Juliet".
She taught at York University in Toronto for three years as a Visiting Assistant Professor and also designed costumes for the Theatre Department's productions.
She was Head of Wardrobe at both Theatre Plus Toronto, and Théâtre Français de Toronto, where she was able to design costumes under the directorship of John Van Burek.
For one year, she was the Head of Costume Design at George Brown Theatre School where she designed many of their productions.
She then became an Assistant Designer in the Stratford Festival’s Design Department. At The Festival, Bonnie began fully developing her skills as a designer, where she worked with such greats as Desmond Heeley, Ann Curtis,and John Pennoyer. The opportunity to research, explore and observe in an environment rich with history and talent has made her proud to be associated with many renowned designers and theatre artists, and showed her the importance of the story as told through palette and costumes.
Her seasons at The Grand Theatre, London offered her many opportunities to design, including her first set design for “My Way” directed by Bruce Dow.
Her fondest and most challenging work at The Grand Theatre was designing, teaching and mentoring for the productions of “The High School Project” which is a program unique to North America.
Her work with director Louise Fagan lead to an introduction to The New Yorker Cartoonist Victoria Roberts, whose character “Nona” was in development as a one woman show. She created Nona’s look and style and the premiere production was introduced at “A Festival of One Woman Shows” at The National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. Her set and costume designs for “Nona” (starring Victoria Roberts) have been seen in Washington D.C., Connecticut, London ON, and in the Off Broadway engagement at Urban Stages in New York. She has since collaborated with the director Louise Fagan and Victoria Roberts while filming in Oaxaca, Mexico for “Nona... I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” presented for a season at Dixon Place in New York. Her designs for Nona were seen at The PEN World Voices Festival, both at a symposium for humour in writing, and in the closing cabaret for the event.
Bonnie has extensive film credits and most recently was Production Designer for the film “Small Avalanches”. She assisted Allan Wilbee for the stage and film production of Timothy Findley’s World Premiere of “Elizabeth Rex”. She also assisted Debra Hanson on many films, including “New Waterford Girl” filmed in Cape Breton.
She is the recipient of several awards that include The British Columbia Cultural Fund, 3 Tyrone Guthrie Awards (including The Anne Selby Award for travel) and Ontario Arts Council Theatre Creators Award for completion of her play “The Orange Tree” (which was developed at The Tyrone Guthrie Centre for Artists in Annaghmakerrig, Ireland).
Recently Bonnie became a CUSO volunteer and went to Suchitoto, El Salvador to teach and mentor at Es Artes, a performing arts school aimed at offering youth an alternative to life in gangs through the arts. This spring, the school proudly graduated its first group of students. She is currently sitting on the tripartite committee to develop curriculum, and assist with the schools administrative needs.
Bonnie is married to actor, Ian Deakin and has one son Robin who is a skilled technician. Robin's wife Sara is a graphic designer and artist and they have one son Finn.
She is a member of Associated Designers of Canada (ADC).