Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
| Siminovitch Prize in Theatre | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best in Canadian theatre |
| Country | Canada |
| Presented by | RBC Wealth Management Hart House |
| First awarded | 2001 |
| Official website | https://www.siminovitchprize.com/ |
The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre (formally, the Elinore & Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre; commonly, the Siminovitch Prize) is given to recognize achievement in Canadian theatre; specifically, professional directors, playwrights and designers in three-year cycles. The prize was launched in 2000 to honour the values and achievements of the distinguished scientist Louis ("Lou") Siminovitch and his late wife Elinore Siminovitch who was a pioneering playwright. A group of Dr. Siminovitch’s friends and colleagues came together on the occasion of his 80th birthday to create this award which is national, bi-lingual, and juried by theatre professionals.[1]
In March 2012, organizers announced that the 12th edition of the prize would be its last. No reasons were given for the award's termination.[2] although in an interview one of the prize's founders, Joseph Rotman, stated that the prize was never conceived to run in perpetuity.[3] However, in July 2013, organizers announced a new partnership with the University of Toronto and the RBC Foundation that resulted in the revival of the prize.[4] The prize was reinstated for the 2013 year and had continued ever since.[4]
The prize
Established in 2001 to honour Elinore Siminovitch and her husband Lou Siminovitch,[5][6] the purpose of the prize is to celebrate "the marriage between the arts and the sciences".[7] Twelve individuals and six organizations founded the prize; primary amongst them was the prize's largest financial sponsor, the BMO Financial Group.[5][8]
The prize is awarded annually to a director, playwright, or a designer, rotating through each of these theatre professions in a three-year cycle.[5][6] It is one of the few theatre awards that includes designers.[9] Winners are selected by a jury made up of prominent theatre professionals and awarded CAD$100,000, making it the largest prize of its kind in Canada.[5][7][10] Anyone may nominate a qualified candidate for the prize; the jury may also nominate qualified candidates.[7] Individuals who may be nominated must be a professional director, playwright, or designer who, in the preceding 10 years, has made a significant creative contribution to no fewer than two (in the case of playwrights) or three (in the case of directors and designers) noteworthy theatre projects in Canada.[5]
A condition of the award is that one quarter of the prize (CAD$25,000) must be awarded to a "protégé" selected by the winner.[5][6] The protégé may be an individual or organization (such as a theatre or educational facility) involved in professional direction, playwriting, or design in Canadian theatre.[7] The winner may choose to grant the amount to a single protégé or divide it between two eligible protégés.
Recipients
The recipients of the Siminovitch Prize since its inception are:[5][11]
- 2001 (director) Daniel Brooks of Toronto
- 2002 (playwright) Carole Fréchette of Montreal
- 2003 (designer) Louise Campeau of Montreal
- 2004 (director) Jillian Keiley of St. John's
- 2005 (playwright) John Mighton of Toronto
- 2006 (designer) Dany Lyne of Toronto
- 2007 (director) Brigitte Haentjens of Montreal
- 2008 (playwright) Daniel MacIvor of Toronto
- 2009 (designer) Ronnie Burkett of Calgary and Toronto
- 2010 (director) Kim Collier of Vancouver
- 2011 (playwright) Joan MacLeod of Victoria
- 2012 (designer) Robert Thomson of Montreal
- 2013 (director) Chris Abraham of Toronto (the only laureate to receive both the protégé and main prize)
- 2014 (playwright) Olivier Choinière of Montreal
- 2015 (designer) Anick La Bissonnière of Montreal
The protégé recipients of the Siminovitch prize are:[12]
- 2001 Chris Abraham of Toronto
- 2002 Geneviève Billet of Montreal
- 2003 Magalie Amyot and Michèle Magnon both of Montreal
- 2004 Danielle Irvine
- 2005 Anton Piatigorsky of Toronto
- 2006 Camillia Koo and April Anne Viczko of Calgary
- 2007 Christian Lapointe
- 2008 Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn of Vancouver
- 2009 Clea Minaker of Vancouver and Montreal
- 2010 Anita Rochon of Vancouver
- 2011 Anusree Roy of Toronto
- 2012 Jason Hand and Raha Javanfar both of Toronto
- 2013 Mitchell Cushman of Toronto
- 2014 Annick Lefebvre
- 2015 Marilène Bastien
References
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- ↑ http://siminovitchprize.com/the-prize/
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- ↑ http://siminovitchprize.com/proteges/
