Charlotte Schrager Fielden Morris (June 5, 1932 – February 20, 2021) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, actress and poet.
Charlotte Fielden | |
|---|---|
 Charlotte Schrager, from a 1955 newspaper | |
| Born | Charlotte Schrager June 5, 1932 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | February 20, 2021 |
| Other names | Charlotte Fielden Morris |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, therapist, playwright, novelist, performer |
Early life and education
editSchrager was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Bernard Schrager and Mae Schrager.[1] She studied at the Oakwood Collegiate Institute[2] and the Royal Conservatory,[3] and attended the University of Toronto.[4]
Theatre, film and television
editAs an actress, Fielden played Jessica in The Merchant of Venice at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 1955.[3] She was featured in Frederick Spoerley's Ballad on an Overseas Theme (1960) at the Dominion Drama Festival in Vancouver,[5] and in Mac Shoub's The Ballad of the Grass (1962).[6] She appeared in four episodes of Shoestring Theatre on the CBC. She was a voice actor on the English dubbed versions for Claude Jutra's films Mon oncle Antoine and Kamouraska. Fielden also worked with composer Ian McAndrew on their musical Storyville. She was a founding member of both the Writers' Union of Canada and of the Playwrights Guild of Canada, and co-founder of the Melanie Theatre in Quebec.[7][8]
Publications
editFielden wrote for stage, television, radio, and film. Her short stories, articles and poetry were included in various anthologies, literary reviews and news publications. Her first novel was Crying As She Ran (1970), which was the beginning of her Weil Trilogy, a family saga about generations of a Toronto immigrant family.[9] Her play One Crowded Hour (1975)[10] won the Women Write for Theatre competition sponsored by the Playwrights Co-op in Toronto in 1976.[8][11]
After retirement, Fielden began writing fulltime with Palatine Hill, a historical novel (2004) that spans over three hundred years of Canadian history, focusing on the Secord family, and centering on Niagara-on-the-Lake and the War of 1812. A Thin Place, a short story collection, was published in 2006. An Age Without A Name (2007), concluded the Weil Trilogy. A Fragrance of Thyme (2008) was her first poetry collection. Her first mystery novel was The Wolves of Positano (2010).
Fielden's second poetry collection was Beads on a Fragile String (2011). The Story of Marly Mansion (2012) was another psychological thriller, sequel to The Wolves of Positano. Travelling Together (2013) was about tree conservation and a woman on a healing journey. The Somerset Strangler (2014) was another psychological thriller and a sequel to The Story of Marly Mansion. Beholder (2015) was Fielden's third poetry collection. Ross Castle Murders (2016), the fourth book in her mystery series, is set in Ireland and centers on badger-baiting and blood-sports as well as cruelty to domestic animals.
Fielden’s last published book, Who Will Remember? (2018), was about a group of seniors who participate in a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s in Mexico. Fielden also published a play in two acts, Saving Angel, which had staged readings in 2006, in Toronto and in London, England.
Bibliography
edit- Crying As She Ran - Macmillan of Canada, 1970
- One Crowded Hour - Playwrights' Co-op, 1976[12]
- Palatine Hill - CFM Books, 2004
- Messages Like Memories - CFM Books, 2005
- A Thin Place - CFM Books, 2006
- Saving Angel, a play - CFM Books, 2007
- An Age Without a Name - CFM Books, 2007
- Fragrance of Thyme - CFM Books, 2008[13]
- The Wolves of Positano - CFM Books, 2010
- Beads on a Fragile String - CFM Books, 2011
- The story of Marly Mansion - CFM Books, 2012
- Travelling Together - CFM Books, 2013
- The Somerset Strangler - CFM Books, 2014
- Beholder - CFM Books, 2015
- Ross Castle Murders - CFM Books, 2016
- Who Will Remember? - CFM Books, 2018
Personal life
editCharlotte Schrager married twice. Her first husband was Hubert Fielden, and her second husband was William Morris. She had two sons, Jerry and Thomas. She died in Toronto in 2021, at the age of 87.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Charlotte Fielden Morris Obituary 2021". Basic Funerals and Cremation Choices. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ "Notable Alumni". Toronto District School Board. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b Carroll, Jack (1955-07-23). "Twenty-two, Talented, and Perfect for the Part". The Ottawa Citizen. pp. 54, 55. Retrieved 2024-02-02 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Varsity Co-Ed, 22, Gets Star Role at Stratford". The Toronto Star. 1955-04-16. p. 15. Retrieved 2024-02-02 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Buckley, Peter (1960-05-19). "Mixed Reception Given Plays at Drama Festival". Nanaimo Daily News. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-02-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Alan Mills to Provide Song for the Ballad of the Grass". The Gazette. 1962-05-12. p. 20. Retrieved 2024-02-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Maskoulis, Julia (1977-04-02). "Canadian playwrights unite for recognition". The Gazette. p. 45. Retrieved 2024-02-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Maskoulis, Julia (1976-04-30). "Theatre Notes: Play win shocks Montrealer". The Gazette. p. 35. Retrieved 2024-02-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Creet, Magda (1970-05-27). "The Book Page: Mordant North American Fiction". The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-02-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kapica, Jack (1975-10-08). "Actress nearly overcomes script". The Gazette. p. 34. Retrieved 2024-02-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bard, Margaret; Messaline, Peter; Newhouse, Miriam (1980-09-01). And What are You Going to Do for Us?: Audition Pieces From Canadian Plays Second Edition. Dundurn. ISBN 978-0-88924-144-2.
- ^ Fielden, Charlotte (1976). One Crowded Hour. Playwrights Co-op. ISBN 978-0-88754-048-6.
- ^ Fielden, Charlotte (2008). Fragrance of Thyme. CFM Books. ISBN 978-0-9736779-7-3.