Linda Griffiths

Griffiths is "one of Canada's 'originals', known not only for the quality of her work, but for the range of her career' (Maclean's Magazine, 1991) She is the recipient of five Dora Mavor Moore awards, a Gemini award, two Chalmer’s awards, the Quizanne International Festival Award for Jessica, and Los Angeles’ A.G.A. Award for her performance in John Sayles’ film Lianna. She has twice been nominated for the Governor General’s Award (The Darling Family, 1992 Alien Creature, 2000). The Darling Family was made into a feature film, directed by Alan Zweig. Best known for writing (in collaboration with Paul Thompson) and performing a triple role in the play Maggie & Pierre in which she played Pierre Trudeau, Margaret Trudeau and a journalist called Henry, Maggie & Pierre toured Canada, played the Royal Alexandra Theatre and Off-Broadway. Since then, she has continued to create and perform unique, highly theatrical plays that are surreal, literate and popular. Her plays include: Alien Creature: a visitation from Gwendolyn MacEwen, The Darling Family, The Duchess: a.k.a. Wallis Simpson, Chronic (2003). As co-author of The Book of Jessica (written with native author and activist Maria Campbell), Griffiths and Campbell created a new hybrid of theatre book, one which included the play Jessica, as well as the personal and political process of it’s creation. Griffiths has created collective work (Paper Wheat, Les Maudits Anglais), published short stories (The Speed Christmas, Spiral Woman) and continues to act in theatre, television and film. In 1997, she formed her own company Duchess Productions, which produced a tour of Alien Creature, as well as developing and associate-producing The Duchess, Alien Creature, Chronic, and her latest play, Age of Arousal. Duchess also produces Griffiths’ original studio class, “Visceral Playwrighting”. Age of Arousal was published in November 2007 by Coachouse Books, a publication which includes a substantial essay by Griffiths on the Victorians and the Women's Suffrage Movement. New projects include two one-person-shows, Baby Finger, The Last Dog of War and a new play tentatively called Boys in the Basement.