Gina Wilkinson
| Gina Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 10, 1960 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died |
December 30, 2010 (aged 50) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1986–2010 |
| Spouse(s) | Tom Rooney (widower) |
Gina Wilkinson (March 10, 1960 – December 30, 2010) was a Canadian actress of stage, film and television, as well as a playwright and stage director. She died on December 30, 2010 from cervical cancer, aged 50.[1][2] She married longtime partner actor Tom Rooney on December 19, 2010.
An actor for twenty years, Ms. Wilkinson began turning her attention to both writing and directing and, in the last few years of her life, established herself as a daring, strong, inventive and important director and collaborator in the Canadian theatre community.
Shortly after Ms. Wilkinson died, a fund was established to benefit emerging female theatre directors. The Gina Wilkinson Prize is intended to recognize female theatre artists transitioning from one theatre discipline into the discipline of theatre direction and pays tribute to Ms. Wilkinson's unyielding dedication, vision and indomitable spirit that imbued her work and her life. The recipient is chosen from nominations brought forward by members of the Canadian theatre community. In the spirit of Ms. Wilkinson's generosity and appetite for life, the prize of $5000 is a gift to be used in any way that the recipient chooses.
Previous winners of Gina's Prize include: Ann-Marie Kerr of Halifax(2012), Krista Jackson of Winnipeg(2013) and Christine Brubaker(2014).
In 2011, Nightwood Theatre and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres released The Canadian Women Director's Catalogue, a comprehensive list of women directing in Canada, which was dedicated to her memory.