Jack was born in Georgetown, PEI in January 1957, and attended Georgetown Elementary and Montague Regional High School. Always interested in History, he graduated from UPEI with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Anthropology with a minor in History. His career took him to Ontario, New Brunswick and NS before returning home to live in PEI with his family in 1997.
Jack inherited his love of music and musical ability from his mother Catherine, and his gift for writing poetry and storytelling from his father Donald. He started playing guitar and writing songs at an early age. Kitchen parties were a regular event in the King household. He wrote the ballad The Yankee Gale in 1995 and from that song, the idea for a play developed.
Jack comes from a long line of fisherman and spent his spring and summers fishing with his father. Today he lives in Georgetown and continues to fish with his brother Kent. When he’s not at home he can be found on the golf course.
We made some questions for our members to know Jack King better.
TELL US ABOUT THE PLAYS AND/OR PLAYWRIGHTS THAT HAVE SHAPED YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY. FEEL FREE TO RECOMMEND A FEW MUST-READS THAT HAVE BEEN TOUCHSTONES FOR YOUR CREATIVE EXPLORATION!
I’m a poet, song writer, musician and historian. The Yankee Gale is my first play, inspired by a song I wrote in 1993. Gordon Lightfoot songs that celebrate Canadian culture and plays such as Anne of Green Gables are important means of keeping our history alive. But my real inspiration for poetry and story telling came from my father.
DO YOU HAVE ANY UNIQUE RITUALS OR ROUTINES THAT FUEL YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? WHETHER IT’S A SPECIFIC WRITING SPACE, A FAVOURITE WRITING SNACK, OR A PARTICULAR TIME OF DAY WHEN INSPIRATION STRIKES, WE’D LOVE TO KNOW THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES DETAILS OF YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY. SHARE YOUR TIPS FOR STAYING IN THE ZONE!
Like many writers I’m inspired by everyday events and am constantly jotting down lines and ideas. But evenings and late nights are when I tend to be most creative and often find myself writing into the wee hours of the morning
TELL US ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PARC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR COMPANY. WHAT WAS THE IMPORTANCE/ IMPACT OF OUR SERVICES FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?
I am very grateful to PARC as they have been a valuable resource for me. With the help of Pamela Halstead, former Artistic Director for PARC, in October 2023 The Yankee Gale was workshopped with the support of the Kings Playhouse in Georgetown, PEI. I am now very excited to be working with Pamela once again, along with Robert Tsonos, Watermark Theater, Rustico PEI, as The Yankee Gale continues to move forward.