Ann-Marie Kerr, director of Zuppa Theatre’s The Debacle (set to play at Festival TransAmeriques), 2b theatre company’s Invisible Atom, the premiere of Daniel MacIvor’s Confession and more, has won the inaugural Gina Wilkinson Prize for an Emerging Female Director. Kerr, who taught at the National Theatre School and directed Soulpepper’s Youth Mentorship Program for several years, was chosen from a list of 23 nominees across Canada. Kerr’s playful directorial approach suits the prize well. “I had immense admiration for Gina as I watched her career over the years,” said Kerr while accepting the award. “Apparently after opening night performances, Gina would ritually bare her bottom and sit on a cake. This image inspires me to work with more sense of abandon, to be wilder, reach further.” The Gina Wilkinson Prize honours an emerging female theatre director who is transitioning from one theatre discipline to that of directing.
This article appears in Mar 15-21, 2012.
