Linda Griffiths

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Linda Griffiths is a Canadian actor and playwright.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Griffiths studied at Dawson College, the National Theatre School for one year, and McGill University.

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 whch 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 tentively called Boys in the Basement.

webpage www.lindagriffiths.ca

Primarily a stage actor, she has also done some television and film work, including episodes of the TV series Friday the 13th, Street Legal, Katts and Dog, Beyond Reality, Due South, Traders and Twice in a Lifetime. She had the starring role in Lianna(1983).

Sheer Nerve, a collection of seven of her plays, was published in 1999.

[edit] Works

  • Maggie and Pierre (1980; with Paul Thompson)
  • OD in Paradise (1983)
  • "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" (1983; Viewed in Episode #822 of Mystery Science Theater 3000)
  • Jessica (1984)
  • The Darling Family (1991)
  • A Game of Inches (1991)
  • Brother André's Heart (1992)
  • Spiral Women and the Dirty Theatre (1993)
  • The Duchess (1998)
  • Alien Creature: A Visitation from Gwendolyn MacEwen (1999)
  • Age of Arousal (2007)

[edit] External links