Adam Corrigan Holowitz. Photo by Richard Gilmore.

Adam Corrigan Holowitz, Artistic Director  
​2025 Season: Director & Playwright of Medical Wonder,  Director and Co-Playwright of London Fog, Ephraim in Sleigh Without Bells, Writer and Performer for The Manor Park Evening Post. 17th Season for AlvegoRoot. Visit the ensemble page for artistic credits.

​As a child my experiences with theatre were more as an observer than a participant. I would find my natural fit in theatre as a dramaturg, playwright and director. These are roles for which there are not a ton of learning opportunities for the very young.

I became much closer to the creation of theatre when I first met legendary London theatre director Don Fleckser when I was nine or ten. My dad was the music director for A Year with Frog and Toad, which Don was directing at Original Kids. I attended rehearsals with my dad solely to watch Don direct. I was observing and yearning to be part of theatre. At one of the first rehearsals I was at, Don came over and handed me a script. “This is your script, so you can follow along”, he said. A small gesture maybe, but an incredibly kind one, this was a gesture that said “Welcome, come be a part of this art form, part of this world.” Don knew exactly what he was doing, as he was a master at bringing so many people into the theatre. A year later I was invited to join the running crew for Don's production of Kingfisher Days. I was thrilled to finally have a job on a production. This moment was significant for another reason. I could not read yet. People are often surprised that I, a writer and dramaturg, learned to read as late as grade six. Part of the reason for this is that I did not have a compelling reason to read. Don gave me that reason: I had to follow the prompt book to know when to have props ready. Within two weeks I was reading fluently.

Two years later I wrote my first play, Grimes of the Borough. Don participated in it, courageously acting in a show directed by a twelve-year-old. This was AlvegoRoot Theatre’s first production. Don died in early 2020. His spirit of generosity has informed how I lead AlvegoRoot Theatre. Don’s legacy is a reminder to me to try to be the one who picks up an extra script, hands it to a child on the sidelines and say welcome.

As a lifelong Londoner I have been inspired by the stories of this region. I am inspired by the theatre of James Reaney and the visual art and writing of Greg Curnoe. They were bold in their choice of local subject matter, and equally bold in the experimental forms in which they rendered this subject matter.

Creating local specific theatre has given me the gift of building relationships with many different people in my city. When I am researching and writing a play, I get to meet people who are eager to share a story that has been part of their life. I believe the reason people partner with us in sharing their stories is because we build strong, trusting relationships with our community. We tell stories with honesty, respect, integrity and theatricality.

My local theatre work was strengthened by my studies in the theatre department at York University, with a focus on dramaturgy. While I was in theatre school I shifted AlvegoRoot into what it is today, an independent professional ensemble of theatre artists.
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In recent years along with my work at AlvegoRoot, I have taught theatre at professional, post-secondary, and youth levels. Through AlvegoRoot, I led the Cambium Playwright’s Unit which was an open-access professional development opportunity. Three of the monodramas written in that unit have since been developed into full-length produced plays.
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We are currently working to develop The Manor Park Memorial Hall into a fully-equipped theatre and performance venue which is accessible for local, professional, and community artists. I grew up in the neighbourhood of Manor Park. It has been my long-held dream to create a theatre in this underserved neighbourhood which will serve as a home where London’s current and emerging artists can create art and grow.

Perhaps aspiring artists, like a ten year old child who can’t read, might go on to love reading, or even fall in love with theatre, continuing Don’s legacy. AlvegoRoot is fortunate to have a strong support base made of people with deep ties to many of London’s influential theatre artists of the past. I strive to carry on the spirit of these artists by creating work that reflects the community and builds upon the values that they held dear.
 
As we steps into this new era of AlvegoRoot, we are charting bold new territory with newly penned plays that are witty, sharp, and pack a bite. But as always, we will stay connected to our roots, putting London and Southwestern Ontario at the centre of our work, because it’s a city we are passionate about, and we care about the artists making work here.

Adam Corrigan Holowitz working at The Manor Park Memorial Hall. Photo by Kydra Ryan.