Canadian playwrights Moscovitch, Youssef, shortlisted for Siminovitch Prize

OTTAWA – Montreal actress/writer Evelyne de la Cheneliere and Toronto-based writer and librettist Hannah Moscovitch are among four playwrights shortlisted for this year’s Siminovitch Prize in Theatre.

The National Arts Centre says Toronto emcee Donna-Michelle St. Bernard and Vancouver writer Marcus Youssef are also finalists for the lucrative award.

The winner gets $75,000 and can choose a protege to receive $25,000.

The Siminovitch Prize rotates on a three-year cycle, honouring theatre professionals in the alternating fields of design, direction, or playwriting.

Last year’s award went to director Nadia Ross, while protegee prizes went to Sarah Conn and Shaista Latif. Past winners of the playwrighting prize include Olivier Choiniere, Daniel MacIvor and Carole Frechette.

This year’s winner will be announced Nov. 6 in Ottawa.