Montreal playwright Carole Fréchette had authored more than eight plays when she won the Siminovitch Prize, most of which had been published within the preceding five years. In announcing their choice, the jury described Ms. Fréchette as an artist “at the height of her powers, with the wind full in her sails” and expressed the desire that Canadians come “to know and to cherish” this writer. “In an especially fresh and startling way she uses the mysteries of theatre to explore the mysteries of our daily lives,” said the jury citation. “Her plays negotiate that delicate balance of the known and the unknown, the forever accessible and the forever exotic, which is the property of all great art.”

Ms. Fréchette’s plays are among those that have enjoyed success around the world. Her plays have been translated and staged in Belgium, France, Germany, Lebanon, Luxemburg, Mexico, Romania, Switzerland and Syria, in addition to their successful performances in Canadian theatres.