Designer Louise Campeau has won the richest prize in Canadian theatre, the $100,000 Siminovitch Prize. Campeau was presented with the award for a mid-career designer at a Toronto ceremony Tuesday evening.
Campeau has designed about 60 productions for 14 different companies in Quebec including Michel Marc Bouchard's Lilies, Euripides's Orestes, Jean-Luc Lagarce's Juste la fin du monde, Mikhail Ougarov's L'homme en lambeaux, Pierre Yves Lemieux's Comédie Russe and Corneille's Le Cid.
The jury, which included Toronto's TheatreBooks co-owner Leonard McHardy, Quebec director and actor Martine Beaulne, Calgary artist Denise Clarke, set designer Michael Eagan and associate professor Dr. Natalie Rewa said Campeau is "truly a collaborative artist." Her work "fully respects the expression of the actor, and gives lighting, costume and sound designers an enriched opportunity to allow their work to 'perform' in harmony."
Campeau will pass one-quarter of the money over to her colleagues, set designer Magalie Amyot and property person Michèle Magnan under a protégé provision included in the prize.
Created in 2001, the Siminovitch Prize is given in alternating years to a mid-career playwright, designer or director whose body of work has made a significant contribution to theatre in Canada.
It is named after scientist Lou Siminovitch, and his late wife, Elinore, who wrote an estimated 30 plays in her time, 12 of which were produced. Last year's award went to Montreal dramatist Carole Fréchette.