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Five Canadian Directors Make Short-List for 2004 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
From the Siminovitch website:
TORONTO,
September 27, 2004 - The Elinore & Lou Siminovitch Prize in
Theatre and founding sponsor, BMO Financial Group, announced
today that five Canadian directors have been placed on the short-list
for the $100,000
prize, the largest in Canadian theatre. The Prize will be presented
October 26, 2004. The five finalists were selected from 59 of Canada's
top directors who received nominations, the largest number of nominees
ever to
be considered for this prize. The finalists are: Lois Brown (St.
John's, NF), Martin Faucher (Montréal, QC), Eric
Jean (Montréal, QC), Jillian Keiley (St.
John's, NF) and Alisa Palmer (Toronto, ON).
"The Jury was thrilled with the scope of talent represented in the
submissions this year," said Leonard McHardy, Jury Chair, 2004 Siminovitch
Prize in Theatre. "It was interesting to see that the nominees are
working in so many different directing styles across the country.
The five directors we selected exemplify the breadth of those styles very
well."
Joining Leonard McHardy (Toronto, ON) on the Jury was Marie-Hilhne
Falcon, (Montréal, QC), Co-founder, Director General and Artistic
Director of the Festival de Théâtre des Amériques; Robert
Wallace, (Toronto, ON), Playwright and Professor of English and
Drama Studies, York University; Mary Walsh, (St. John's, NF), Director,
Playwright and
Actress; and Bob White, (Calgary, AB), Artistic Director of Calgary's
Alberta Theatre Projects.
The jurors assessed the nominees' originality,
sense of evolution,
growing maturity, continuing experimentation, impact upon audiences,
and/or influence upon younger artists. They also considered whether
the artist
is at a point in his or her professional career where the recognition
and resources associated with the prize will make a significant
difference, allowing and encouraging the artist to go further in
the pursuit of his
or her craft.
"On behalf of BMO Financial Group, I would like to congratulate
the exceptional directors selected as finalists for the 2004 Siminovitch
Prize in Theatre. The Jury reviewed a substantial number submissions
this year and I thank each juror for their invaluable time and thoughtful
deliberation," said
Tony Comper, President and CEO, BMO Financial Group.
"The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre is really coming of age, demonstrated
not only by the extraordinary response to the call for submissions,
but by the range of incredible talent, representing every region
in Canada," he
added.
About the Finalists
Lois Brown
Lois Brown has directed the premieres of plays by Newfoundlanders
Ed Riche, Joel Hynes and Sherry White, among others. In 2004, Lois
directed the spectacular elements of Berni Stapleton's Barred Bard
Chick Tells All
in SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN followed by the sparseness of Liz Pickard's
Funny Things Have Happened in My Life. She was Artistic Director
of RCA Theatre
Co., producing Andy Jones's Still Alive and Jill Keiley's first
professional productions. She directed several works by Rick Mercer
in his early years.
Lois studied directing at University of Alberta,
graduating in 1977. Returning home, she was influenced by the
experimentation and passion of Neighbourhood
Dance Works and Codco. In 2000, Lois's feature The Bingo Robbers,
co-directed and written with Barry Newhook, garnered her several
directing and writing
awards, but live performance continues to fascinate her and the
theatre is where she carries out most of her experiments.
Martin
Faucher
Martin Faucher is a graduate of the drama program at Cégep
de Saint-Hyacinthe and has spent the past 15 years directing a variety of
plays. Martin has
worked for eight years with Montreal's Centre des auteurs dramatiques
(Cead), including three years as its vice-president. He also sits on the
board of
directors of the Fonds Gratien-Gélinas, a foundation dedicated to
promoting the new generation of Quebec playwrights. Martin also
regularly teaches in Quebec's various theatre schools.
In recent years,
he has directed
plays by Carole Fréchette, Lise Vaillancourt, Jasmine Dubé,
Pierre-Michel Tremblay, Sylvain Coron and Larry Tremblay and revisited
the works of Molière, Corneille, Claudel, Albee, McDonagh and, lately,
Charles Ludlam at various Montreal theatres.
Eric Jean
Eric Jean has taught in Mexico and at the National Theatre School
of Canada, where he held a three-year contract as assistant artistic
director. He also sits on the advisory boards of the Canada Council
for the Arts,
the Festival de théâtre des Amériques and the Théâtre
du Rideau Vert. In the spring of 2004, he was appointed artistic
director and co-general director of Montreal's Théâtre de Quat'Sous.
A director by profession, he continues to question the basis of
his creations. He has productions currently slated for the National
Theatre School of Canada,
the Théâtre du Bic and Le Trident. Jillian Keiley
Jillian Keiley is the founding Artistic Director of Artistic
Fraud of Newfoundland, the winner of the Canada Council's 1997
John Hirsch Prize and was named the 1996 Newfoundland and Labrador
Arts Council's
Emerging Artist of the Year. Favorite Artistic Fraud productions
include In Your
Dreams Freud, Under Wraps: A Spoke Opera, The
Cheat, Burial Practices,
Jesus Christ Superstar, The Chekhov Variations, Icycle, and Belly
Up.
Last
year,
Jillian directed the Canadian tours of Jack Five Oh for Sheila's
Brush, and Tempting Providence for Theatre Newfoundland Labrador,
both of which
are playing in destinations around the world this year. Jillian
also teaches at Memorial University and The National Theatre
School of Canada.
Alisa Palmer
Alisa Palmer works across the country as a director in large
theatres and small, primarily focusing on bringing new Canadian
work to the stage but also directing the classics. Recently, she directed
the 1930's musical,
Pal Joey, as well as the Canadian premiere of Cicely Hamilton's
Diana of Dobson's at the Shaw Festival. Alisa is currently directing
the Canadian
premiere of Private Jokes/Public Places at the Tarragon Theatre.
Other projects include the multi-award-winning musical Anything
That Moves by Ann-Marie
MacDonald and composer Allen Cole, SIBS by Diane Flacks and Richard
Greenblatt, both its premiere and the subsequent Canadian tour,
and Smudge, by Alex
Bulmer, Canada's first professional play by a blind playwright.
Alisa directed Goodnight Desdemona (Goodmorning Juliet) featuring
the playwright, Ann-Marie
MacDonald.
She is a co-author of The Attic, The Pearls, & 3 Fine Girls (Scirocco Press). As a playwright, alone and with collective creations,
she has received two Chalmers Awards. Alisa also directs contemporary
opera spectacles most recently, Sirene/Sirenes, an a cappella,
choreographed, bilingual performance for six sopranos, produced
by Queen of Puddings
Music
Theatre. She is the co-founder and co-director of Froth Productions,
an award winning interdisciplinary performance company whose work
has been seen in theatres, university seminars and bankrupt stores.
The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre was introduced in 2001 and dedicated
to renowned scientist Lou Siminovitch and his late wife Elinore,
a playwright. Sponsored by BMO Financial Group, Canada's richest
annual theatre arts award
recognizes direction, playwriting and design in three-year cycles,
beginning with the 2001 award to director Daniel Brooks; the 2002
award to playwright
Carole Fréchette; and the 2003 award to designer Louise Campeau.
The winner receives $100,000, of which $25,000 is awarded to a
protégé or
organization of the winner's choice. Back to top
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