Edmonton, AB -- Playwright Meg Braem has been named the newest Lee Playwright in Residence at the University of Alberta Department of Drama. Beginning September 2017, Braem will be in residence at the U of A for 16 months over three years, culminating in a new play commission to be presented in the Winter of 2020.
Following in the footsteps of previous Lee Playwright in Residence and Governor General Award-winner, Colleen Murphy, Braem is the fifth artist to be awarded this position since the Lee Playwright in Residence was established in 2005.
In addition to a new play commissioned for the BFA Acting class of 2020, Braem's residency will provide mentorship to University of Alberta students creating original plays for the U of A New Works Festival in January. Braem also plans to lead an outreach program to students and the Edmonton community through a series of forums, allowing aspiring writers to share their work and receive mentorship.
With an MFA in Playwriting from the University of Calgary, Braem's work has received numerous accolades including the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Drama, the Alberta Playwriting Competition award and Governor General's Award nomination for Blood: A Scientific Romance. Her latest play, Flight Risk, is currently in production and will be presented in October at Lunchbox Theatre in Calgary.
The first of its kind among Canadian universities, the Lee Playwright in Residence program was made possible by a generous legacy endowment created by the Clifford E. Lee Foundation. The residency offers an opportunity for Canadian playwrights to devote time to their writing and to make a significant contribution to new play development within the university and professional theatre community in Edmonton.
Media Contacts:
TJ Jans: 780-248-5624 | tj.jans@ualberta.ca
Erik Einsiedel: 780-248-5617 | erik.einsiedel@ualberta.ca