Judith Thompson

bJbudith Thompson graduated from Queens University in 1976 with a BA in English and attended the National Theatre School s acting section She worked for a short time as an actor before beginning to write for the stage and later for film Since her first play emThe Crackwalkerem was launched in 1980 Judith Thompson has been recognized as one of the finest and most hardhitting talents in contemporary theatre She has won the Governors General Award for Drama twice for emThe Other Side of the Darkem in 1989 and emWhite Biting Dogem in 1985 She has also won the Floyd SChalmers Canadian Play Award two times for emLion in the Streetsem in 1991 and emI Am Yoursem in 1987 In 2006 she was invested as an Officer in the Order of Canada In 2007 Thompson was awarded the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts The 50000 prize administered and presented by the Canada Council for the Arts recognizes the highest level of artistic excellence and distinguished career achievement by Canadian artists who have spent the major part of their career in Canada in theatre dance or music Thompson was awarded the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for Palace of the End in 2008 the American award celebrates outstanding plays in English by womenbrbrbr