Linda Griffiths
Encyclopedia
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 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.
Primarily a stage actor, she has also done some television and film work, including episodes of the TV series Friday the 13th: The Series
, Street Legal
, Katts and Dog
, Beyond Reality
, Due South
, Traders
and Twice in a Lifetime
. She had the starring role in Lianna
(1983). She was nominated for a Best Actress Genie Award for Charles Dennis's "Reno and the Doc". (1984)
Sheer Nerve, a collection of seven of her plays, was published in 1999.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
actor and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
Born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Griffiths studied at Dawson College
Dawson College
Dawson College was the first English CEGEP and is located in Westmount, just west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dawson College is located near the heart of downtown Montreal in a former nunnery on 4.85 hectares of green space...
, the National Theatre School for one year, and McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the 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
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
’ film Lianna
Lianna
Lianna is a drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The movie features Linda Griffiths, Jane Hallaren, Jon DeVries, among others.-Plot:...
. 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
Maria Campbell
Maria Campbell OC is a Métis author, playwright, broadcaster, filmmaker, and Elder. Campbell is a fluent speaker of four languages: Cree, Michif, Saulteaux, and English....
), 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.
Primarily a stage actor, she has also done some television and film work, including episodes of the TV series Friday the 13th: The Series
Friday the 13th: The Series
Friday the 13th: The Series is an American-Canadian horror television series that ran for three seasons, from October 3, 1987 to May 26, 1990 in first-run syndication....
, Street Legal
Street Legal (TV series)
Street Legal is a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1994.-Synopsis:A spinoff from the 1985 television movie Shellgame, Street Legal focused on the professional and private lives of the partners in a small Toronto, Ontario law firm, Barr, Robinovitch and Tchobanian...
, Katts and Dog
Katts and Dog
Katts and Dog is a French and Canadian-produced television series which ran from 1988 to 1993. It was known as Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop in the United States where it originally aired on CBN Cable/The Family Channel and Rintintin Junior in France...
, Beyond Reality
Beyond Reality (TV series)
Beyond Reality is a Canadian/American science fiction television series which originally aired between October 4, 1991 and March 20, 1993. The series is about two university parapsychologists investigate reports of paranormal phenomena that occur in ordinary people's lives....
, Due South
Due South
Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
, Traders
Traders (TV series)
Traders is a Canadian television drama series, which was broadcast on Global Television Network from 1995 to 2000.-Overview:Although Global had locked up most of NBC's "Must See Thursday" situation comedies for their Thursday night broadcasts, they lost the rights to broadcast the medical drama ER...
and Twice in a Lifetime
Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)
Twice in a Lifetime is a Canadian mystery/drama series that originally aired from 1999 to 2001. Created by Steve Sohmer, the series aired on CTV in Canada and PAX in the United States.-Synopsis:...
. She had the starring role in Lianna
Lianna
Lianna is a drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The movie features Linda Griffiths, Jane Hallaren, Jon DeVries, among others.-Plot:...
(1983). She was nominated for a Best Actress Genie Award for Charles Dennis's "Reno and the Doc". (1984)
Sheer Nerve, a collection of seven of her plays, was published in 1999.
Works
- Maggie and Pierre (1980; with Paul Thompson)
- LiannaLiannaLianna is a drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The movie features Linda Griffiths, Jane Hallaren, Jon DeVries, among others.-Plot:...
(1983) - OD in Paradise (1983)
- Overdrawn at the Memory BankOverdrawn at the Memory BankOverdrawn at the Memory Bank was a 1983 television movie. It was produced by Canada’s RSL Productions in Toronto. Financing was provided by WNET/PBS New Jersey, which had hoped to create an entire science fiction series adapting famous works, but due to lack of funding this was the last of three...
(1983; Viewed in Episode #822 of Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
) - 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)