Theatre studies professor Judith Thompson has been named the winner of the 2012 Herbert Whittaker – CTCA Award. Bestowed by the Canadian Theatre Critics Association (CTCA), the award honours individuals for their outstanding long-term contributions to Canadian theatre.
Thompson is a playwright, director, actor, screenwriter and producer. Her theatre projects have included the Dove-commissioned Body & Soul, a celebration of female aging featuring a non-professional cast; and Rare, a work showcasing nine performers with Down syndrome, which premiered at the 2012 Toronto Fringe.
Thompson, who burst onto the theatre scene in 1980 with the premiere of her gritty controversial play The Crackwalker, has become known for work that combines poetic language with sometimes shocking realism. She is also a two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.
Named after the distinguished Canadian theatre critic and author Herbert Whittaker, the award has been given out since 1975. Past winners have included theatre pioneer Dora Mavor Moore, Tarragon Theatre founder Bill Glassco, Factory Theatre founder Ken Gass and Shaw Festival artistic director Jackie Maxwell.
The CTCA comprises professional critics, entertainment writers and journalists from across Canada.