Tom Cone first made his mark in Vancouver theatre with Herringbone, later adapted for a musical that was produced in Chicago, New York, London, Philadelphia, Edinburgh and Vancouver. A librettist, he wrote The Architect: An Opera in Two Acts (1994), the first opera commissioned by Vancouver Opera in its 33-year history. The Architect -- with music by David MacIntyre -- had its world premiere in Vancouver on June 11, 1994. A psychological thriller set in contemporary Vancouver, The Architect spins a dark tale about Sandra, a highly successful architect who slowly discovers the malicious forces that motivate two people she believes to be her closest friends. Cone's previous fourteen plays included Cubistique, Beautiful Tigers, Mecca by the Balls and a successful adaptation of Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters. The life and death of an Egyptian princess runs counterpoint to the unwitting reunion of two contemporary lovers in Cone's play True Mummy first presented at the Vancoouver East Cultural Centre in 1996, directed by Kim Selody.

Cone was born in Miami, dabbling in amateur acting and passionate about poetry. He headed north because of the draft, choosing Vancouver, he once said, because it was home to poets like Robin Blaser and Warren Tallman.

Tom Cone died in March 2012 from cancer at the age of 65.

Image courtesy Anvil Press.

BOOKS:

True Mummy (Anvil Press, 2004)

[BCBW 1995] "Theatre"