Ian was a dear friend and mentor to some of us here at Perchance. And through those of us who were his students – his knowledge, passion, and electricity touches all.
He was an actor, director, teacher and coach, with a specialization in classical text. He worked at the Stratford Festival, the National Theatre School of Canada, Ryerson Theatre School, and even came to our province to lead workshops with his beloved wife, Janine Pearson (Head of Coaching at the Stratford Festival). Every step of our text analysis was informed by Ian and Janine’s work. Our joy in the taste of the power of words came directly from their guidance. Ian unlocked the key to argument and through his passionate, unwavering and infectious deep commitment to specificity in performance, he made us all better. And he did it all with a kindness, generosity, and wisdom that brought out the best in each individual.
Our 2019 season was dedicated to the honour of Ian Watson. In 2020, Ian’s family honoured Perchance Theatre with a bequest in Ian’s name that changed the course of the company. This transformative gift has allowed our company to weather a pandemic and come out as a strong, year-round organization that has the ability to pay forward Ian’s love of words.
“He gave his honours to the world again, His blessed part to heaven, and slept in peace.” (Henry VIII)
