British Columbia-based playwright, Joan MacLeod, was named this year’s recipient of the Elinore & Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre at a ceremony in Toronto on Monday night.

The Siminovitch Prize is a $100,000 award, with three-quarters of the prize money going to the recipient and the remaining $25,000 awarded to a protégé or organization of the recipient’s choice. MacLeod chose to share her prize with Toronto-based playwright Anusree Roy, who recently won the 2011 Carol Bolt Award for Playwrights for her play, Brothel #9.

Jury chair Maureen Labonté said in a statement that the jury “wanted to recognize Joan’s unique voice, her masterful storytelling, and the impact that her work has had among audiences in Canada and beyond.”  

Joan has authored 10 plays over her career, including 2000, Amigo’s Blue Guitar, Another Home Invasion, Homechild, The Hope Slide, Jewel, Little Sister, The Shape of a Girl and Toronto, Mississippi — all of which are available to members at Theatre Alberta’s Library.

Congratulations Joan on this prestigious prize!