The Siminovitch Prize Foundation and the National Arts Centre have announced the shortlist for this year’s Siminovitch Prize, the most prestigious theatre award in Canada. The jury has selected five outstanding playwrights as finalists for the esteemed theatre prize, now celebrating its 20th year of honouring excellence and innovation in Canadian theatre.
The Siminovitch Prize Foundation and the NAC are proud to introduce this year’s shortlist: Carmen Aguirre (Vancouver), Tara Beagan (Mohkintsis/Calgary), Martin Bellemare (Montreal), Karen Hines (Calgary/Toronto), and Annick Lefebvre (Montreal).
This year’s event will be the first-ever virtual ceremony for the Siminovitch Prize, and will take place on Thursday, November 26 at 7 p.m. ET. This inclusive, interactive celebration will gather Canadian theatre makers and dedicated theatre fans together to honour the shortlisted artists and unveil the laureate.
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Siminovitch Prize, and we approach this milestone during a very painful time for the theatre, with a commitment to the future and to supporting excellence and innovation with this annual $100,000 Prize,” said George Thomson, Chair of the Siminovitch Prize Foundation Board of Directors.
“We invite the Canadian theatre community and all Canadians to come together online to be inspired by our exceptional playwrights in the first-ever virtual Siminovitch Prize ceremony,” said NAC President and CEO Christopher Deacon. “In this time of pandemic, coming together to celebrate excellence and innovation in Canadian artistic expression is more important than ever.”
