Four Finalists Announced for 2025 Siminovitch Prize, Canada’s Top Theatre Honour

Toronto, ON – The Siminovitch Theatre Foundation has announced the four finalists for the 2025 Siminovitch Prize, Canada’s most prestigious theatre award. The shortlist highlights visionary artists whose work is reshaping the Canadian stage: Ravi Jain (Toronto, ON), Anne-Marie Olivier (Québec, QC), Estelle Shook (Armstrong, BC), and Adrienne Wong (Victoria/Calgary, BC/AB).

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the prize. To commemorate the milestone, the Foundation expanded eligibility beyond its traditional three-year cycle of honouring directors, playwrights, and designers, welcoming nominations from across theatrical disciplines.

“The 2025 Siminovitch Prize shortlist shows that theatre is not one form but many — digital and local, intimate and epic, portable and site-specific — and that all these forms can speak powerfully to our time,” said Guillermo Verdecchia, Jury Chair.

Prize Purse Increased to $170,000

For 2025, the Foundation has increased the total award purse to $170,000, making it the most valuable prize in Canadian theatre. The Laureate will receive $100,000, with $10,000 awarded to each finalist. In addition, the Laureate will select a Protégé to receive $25,000, while three emerging artists chosen by the remaining finalists will each receive $5,000.

The Laureate will be announced December 1, 2025, during a virtual event featuring short documentary portraits of each finalist.

Meet the Finalists

• Ravi Jain – Founder and co-artistic director of Why Not Theatre, Jain has created over 40 works blending movement, realism, music, and social practice. His acclaimed productions include Prince Hamlet and Mahabharata.

• Anne-Marie Olivier – A celebrated playwright, performer, and former Artistic Director of Théâtre du Trident, Olivier’s works interweave documentary testimony with poetic language to elevate marginalized narratives.

• Estelle Shook – Artistic leader at Caravan Farm Theatre, Shook is internationally recognized for her site-specific, land-based productions that integrate story, community, and environment.

• Adrienne Wong – A pioneer in live-digital theatre, Wong has advanced participatory and locative audio works, platform-native performance, and experimental projects through Neworld and SpiderWebShow.

About the Siminovitch Prize

Since 2000, the Siminovitch Prize has transformed the careers of more than 125 mid-career and emerging Canadian theatre artists. The award is funded annually by donors, foundations, and corporate partners, with Power Corporation of Canada serving as the presenting sponsor of the 2025 shortlist.

More details on the prize and finalists are available at siminovitchprize.com.

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