Charles Dennis

Charles Dennis is a Canadian actor, playwright, journalist, author, director, and screenwriter.

Background Dennis is the third son of Sam and Sade Dennis. He attended Cedarvale Public School, Vaughan Road Collegiate, and University College at the University of Toronto, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968.

Career

Radio Dennis made his acting debut at 8 years old in 1954 on Marjorie Purvey's radio series Peter and the Dwarf, performing on the series for five years. He has written radio plays for BBC, and CBC, including Leslie and Lajos (CBC) (1982), Long Time Ago (BBC) (1974), and To an Early Grave (BBC) (1972). In 2009 his play, The Alchemist of Cecil Street, starring Ron Orbach, Bryan Cranston and Ed Asner was produced by The Famous Radio Ranch. In 2010 The Famous Radio Ranch followed up with a production of Dennis's play "Tolstoy Was Never There" starring Kevin Dunn, Ross Benjamin, Ron Orbach, Rose Abdoo, Ed Begley, Jr., John O'Hurley, Leila Birch, Kim Eveleth, Becky Bonar. Patrick Pinney and Ethne Bliss.

Theatre In 1963, Dennis made his professional stage debut at the Red Barn Theatre in Jackson's Point, Ontario playing Dr. Einstein in Arsenic and Old Lace and Simon Bliss in Hay Fever. Later that year he adapted, directed and played Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye at the Coach House Theatre in Toronto.

In 1989, he co-starred with Gwendolyn Humble in his play, Going On, directed by Edward Hardwicke at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In 1990, Dennis recreated the role of Alfred in Going On opposite Maria O'Brien at the Callboard Theatre in Los Angeles, and in 1997 wrote and starred in the play SoHo Duo, directed by Kenneth Welsh at the West Bank Theatre in New York. 1985, Significant Others (author/director) 1982, Altman's Last Stand (author) He was a film and theatre critic for them until his first play, Everyone Except Mr. Fontana presented in 1968. In February 2010 he wrote an article on Christopher Plummer in The Hollywood Reporter.

Author

His first novel, Stoned Cold Soldier was published in 1973. In 1997 (using the pseudonym Margaret Barrett), Dennis wrote the novels Given the Crime and Given the Evidence. His works have received favorable response from Kirkus Reviews. His latest novel, Hollywood Raj, was published by Vingsbo Press in February 2018.

In 2022, Dennis's first non-fiction book, "There's a Body in the Window Seat", was published by Applause Books. A passion project of Dennis's, the book is a history of Arsenic and Old Lace, both the play and the movie.

In 2023, Vingsbo Press published his 14th novel, "Balm of Angels".