PGC Announces Yolanda Bonnell As Host Of The Tom Hendry Awards Nominee Gala

Playwrights Guild of Canada presents their annual Tom Hendry Awards Nominee Gala on September 27.

PGC has announced theatre creator and performer, Yolanda Bonnell, as the evening's host! Guests from all over the country are invited to join Yolanda and PGC at this online event and to be the first to learn about the 2021 shortlisted playwrights, hear readings of brand-new plays, and watch exclusive special guest interviews.

Yolanda Bonnell (she/they) is a Queer, 2-Spirit, Anishinaabe-Ojibwe and South Asian mixed performer, playwright and multidisciplinary creator/educator. She is the Co-artistic leader of manidoons collective; the creator and performer of the four-time Dora nominated show, bug; a Governor General Literary Award nominee; and the Indigenous artist recipient of the Jayu Arts for Human Rights Award. Yolanda has performed on stages at the Stratford Festival, the NAC, and Persephone Theatre, and she was nominated for a Dora award for her performance in Two Odysseys: Pimooteewin/ Gállábártnit. Yolanda proudly grounds her practice in land-based creation, drawing on energy and inspiration from the earth and her ancestors.

The Tom Hendrys is the biggest award ceremony for playwriting in Canada. Over the last two decades, PGC has recognized Canadian playwrights for new and produced work including the Broadway hit, Come From Away by Irene Sankoff and David Hein; Jordan Tannahill's Concord Floral; Lisa Codrington's Up the Garden Path; Kate Hennig's The Virgin Trial; and Keith Barker's This is How We Got Here.

Nancy Morgan, Executive Director of PGC, says: "We are delighted that Yolanda is leading this event for PGC. This online gala is a wonderful opportunity to shine a spotlight on talented writers from across the country and to be the first to hear segments of exciting new works before they are staged."

During the Nominee Gala, Yolanda will interview previous award recipients to learn what they have been up to, and what could be next for these award-winning artists. Interviewees include Makram Ayache, Keith Barker, Sara Farb, Pamela Halstead, Josh MacDonald, Julie Phan, and Paul Van Dyke. There will also be surprise play readings that pop up throughout the evening! We invite you to join us on Monday Sept 27 at 7pm Eastern for the Nominee Gala on PGC's YouTube Channel.