News Roundup, June 30, 2012

Steven Schipper
(photo credit: grajewski-fotograf inc)

VANCOUVER: Jessie Awards were handed out this week. Among winners were lead Meg Roe for The Penelopiad at Arts Club AND for All the Way Home at Electric company, and lead Greg Armstrong-Morris for La Cage aux folles at the late Vancouver Playhouse. Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Canata won for outstanding new script. Le portrait Gooble from Théâtre la Seizième won for best young audience production. (Source and full list of winners)

EDMONTON: Among winners of the Sterling Awards handed out this week in the capital was Death Of a Salesman. Citadel Theatre's revival of the Arthur Miller work won for best production. Carl Hare won the lifetime achievement award, while Brian Dooley won for best male lead for Michel and Ti-Jean at Theatre Network and Val Blanche won for best female lead for Little Elephants at Shadow Theatre. Edmonton Opera's anime-style Mikado scored for best costumes designed by Deanna Finnman. (Source and full list of winners)

OTTAWA: The Governor General's office has announced the names of Canadians who will join or be promoted within the Order of Canada and three well-known theatre people are on the list: playwright Sharon Pollock becomes an Officer; Des McAnuff, present artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Manitoba Theatre Centre artistic director Steven Schipper were named Members. Among other notable names: Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (who has collaborated with theatre artists, notably at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde) was named Companion. Michel Goulet, a sculptor and sometimes set designer, was named Member. Other names known within the arts industry - Guy Maddin, Nancy Kilgour, Greg Hollingshead, Stephen Chatham and Pierre Bruneau were named Members. (Source)

TORONTO: The Canadian Opera Company announced that the 2011-12 season had a whopping 91% attendance.