Janet Munsil

Janet Munsil is a Canadian playwright based in Victoria, British Columbia.[1] She is most noted for her plays That Elusive Spark and Be Still. Munsil is also a theatre director and has served as artistic director of Intrepid Theatre and the Victoria Fringe Festival.

Early life and education

Munsil was born in Seattle and raised in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island.[2] She completed a BFA at the University of Victoria in 1980. She would go on to complete an MFA there in 2019.[3]

Career.

Munsil's play That Elusive Spark was a Governor General's Literary Award nominee for English-language drama at the 2014 Governor General's Awards.[4] Her play Be Still was adapted by Elizabeth Lazebnik into the 2021 film Be Still.[5] Her other plays have included Emphysema (A Love Story),[6] Circus Fire,[7] Influence,[8] I Have Seen Beautiful Jim Key,[9] Sveva,[10] Act of Faith,[11] The Ugly Duchess,[12] and a stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.[1] Act of Faith is a mixed-ability play.[3]

She was formerly the artistic director of Victoria's Intrepid Theatre and the Victoria Fringe Festival, until leaving these roles in 2016.[13] Munsil is also a theatre director. Her directorial credits include Twelfth Night with the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival in 2016,[14] Born Yesterday with Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre in 2017,[15] and the Canadian College of Performing Arts' 2019 production of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet).[16]

References

  1. ^ a b Amy Smart, "Playwright puts own touches on condensed classic" Archived 2022-03-09 at the Wayback Machine. Victoria Times-Colonist, October 1, 2014.
  2. ^ "About". Janet Munsil. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  3. ^ a b Threlfall, John (2019-12-12). "Art for everyone". University of Victoria. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  4. ^ "Thomas, Chafe on shortlists for Governor General's awards". Winnipeg Free Press, October 7, 2014.
  5. ^ Mike Devlin, "Film about Victoria photographer premieres at Vancouver Film Festival" Archived 2022-03-09 at the Wayback Machine. Victoria Times-Colonist, September 29, 2021.
  6. ^ Martin Morrow, "Amusing drama leaves viewers smoking". Calgary Herald, February 2, 1997.
  7. ^ Adrian Chamberlain, "Circus catches fire in brilliant reworking". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 14, 2003.
  8. ^ Adrian Chamberlain, "Stolen Greek sculptures inspire play; Victoria writer's Influence is intellectually rewarding; light entertainment it is not". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 6, 2011.
  9. ^ "Literate horse inspiration behind new play". Harbour City Star, February 8, 2013.
  10. ^ Katherine Mortimer, "Sveva takes the stage". Vernon Morning Star, October 22, 2017.
  11. ^ Danny Kai Mak, "Act of Faith takes an adept look at identity in the face of an unexplained healing" Archived 2019-04-17 at the Wayback Machine. The Georgia Straight, April 15, 2019.
  12. ^ Liane Faulder, "More than meets the eye; Playwright traces the life of woman forced to fight the perception she was too ugly to rule". Edmonton Journal, May 20, 2021.
  13. ^ Adrian Chamberlain, "Fringe artistic leader to quit". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 31, 2016.
  14. ^ "Review: A refreshing take on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night". Victoria Times Colonist. 2016-07-09. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  15. ^ Reid, Michael D. (2017-03-26). "Around Town: Blue Bridge Theatre celebrates 9th season, and survival". Victoria Times Colonist. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  16. ^ "CCPA actors fall down a Shakespearian rabbit hole". Monday Magazine. 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2022-10-11.