A native of St. Thomas, Ontario, with a BFA in Acting from University of Windsor, and now a longtime resident of Perth-Upon-Tay, near Ottawa, he and his wife, Janice, have been producing theatre in Perth since 1983, first with the highly innovative Perth Summer Theatre and, since 1995, with BarnDoor Productions.
Together, they have produced close to 200 shows in Perth and area. David has worked with a dozen companies across Ontario and his plays, too, have been successfully produced from Windsor to Ottawa, into the U.S. , the U.K, Australia, New Zealand and even in Brazil. He is the author/composer/lyricist of more than 40 works for the stage and the recipient of a number of writing awards, including two Ottawa International Book Festival Playwright Awards.
In 2011, after more than 25 years in other venues, the Jacklins opened their own space, the Full Circle Theatre, in Perth. In 2022, they sold it -- for a good profit.
In 2012, David and Janice were each awarded the
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
for their 30+ years of work in theatre in Perth and for, as stated in the medals’ citations, their “contributions to Canada.”
