TORONTO - John Mighton won big last night -- and it had nothing whatsoever to do with the Ontario Lottery Corporation.
Mighton led six other shortlisted finalists to claim the $100,000 Elinore and Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre for 2005, Canada's largest annual theatre award. Mighton was honoured last night at ceremonies at Hart House Theatre.
The author of plays like Possible Worlds, A Short History Of Night and most recently the Governor General's Literary Award-nominated Half Life, Mighton juggles careers in playwriting and academia, serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto and coordinating JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), which tutors children having difficulty in math.
It is apparently the collision of those worlds that impressed this year's jury, headed by Leonard McHardy of Theatrebooks.
"The jury was particularly impressed by the profound combination of intellect and heart embodied in Mr. Mighton's work," they said in a statement yesterday announcing the winner. "His work has grace, delicacy and a gentle humanity."
Mighton, himself, speaking yesterday before the ceremony, sees nothing unusual in his particular combination of careers.
"I don't see a lot of difference," he said. "They are both attempts to understand the world.
"I've always been interested in the mysteries of existence -- the things that transcend mathematics," he said, adding: "In theatre, I'm often interested in people speaking out of their depths or struggling with ideas that are a little beyond them."
Though his work has been produced around the world, Mighton's career in theatre began inauspiciously in Grade 8, he said yesterday.
"I tried out for the role of Peter Pan and I didn't get it," he said. Instead he landed the dual roles of the dog and the crocodile and spent the entire production crawling around on all fours or on his belly.
"I realized then that if I didn't write something I would never have a speaking part."
Mighton will receive a cash purse of $75,000, while an additional $25,000 will go to fellow Toronto playwright, Anton Piatigorsky, whom Mighton chose as his protege.
The six other finalists for the award were Daniel MacIvor, Joan MacLeod, Daniel David Moses, Wajdi Mouawad, Djanet Sears and Vern Thiessen.
