Rob Salerno is the founder and artistic director of Ten Foot Pole Theatre, and a Toronto-born writer and performer who’s been labeled a “theatrical rabble rouser” by The Globe and Mail. His preoccupations as a writer and theatre creator include social justice and probing issues that polite people wouldn’t touch, such as gaybashing, sexual ethics, and illness. His five original plays, Balls, Fucking Stephen Harper, Big in Germany, RAW and First Day Back, have toured to more than thirty festivals around the world, winning rave reviews, awards, and audience praise.

Rob holds a Joint-Honours BA from McGill University (Cultural Studies/Political Science) and an MA (Drama) from University of Toronto. Rob has completed residencies with the Banff Playwrights Unit and the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Young Creators’ Unit and served a stint as the Literary Programs Intern at Canadian Stage Company.

His journalism and news commentary has appeared in magazines and blogs across Canada. His news writing is great practice for telling stories and has given him insight into public relations and communications strategies.

Rob can be followed on Twitter @robsalerno or reached via e-mail at rob@tenfootpole.ca.

Read more about Rob on his personal page therobsalerno.com.