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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN><STRONG>Canadian Theatre Critics Association<BR>Incorporated
1981<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>Richard Monette Wins Award <o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>For Outstanding Contribution to Canadian
Theatre<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><STRONG><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>For Immediate Release<BR>March 6,
2006<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
color=#000000><SPAN><STRONG>The Canadian Theatre Critics</STRONG>
<STRONG>Association </STRONG>is pleased to announce that Richard Monette,
</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Artistic
director of the Stratford Festival of Canada, is the recipient of the
<STRONG>2005 Herbert Whittaker/Drama Bench Award for Outstanding Contribution to
Canadian Theatre.</STRONG> The annual Award, which is voted on by members of the
Canadian Theatre Critics Association, which also administers the Award, was
first initiated by the Toronto Drama Bench in the late 1970’s. Through the years
the award has been given to such outstanding theatre practitioners as Gratien
Gelinas, Mavor Moore, Ed Mirvish and David Mirvish, Joy Coghill, Brent Carver,
Robert Le Page, Ronnie Burkett, Astrid Jansen, Martha Henry, William Hutt,
Christopher Newton, and last year’s recipient, David
Gardner.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
color=#000000> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
color=#000000>Mr. Monette’s long association with the Stratford Festival began
in 1965. Now in his 13<SUP>th</SUP> season as the Festival’s Artistic Director,
Mr. Monette has played more than 40 roles at the Festival including Henry V,
Romeo, Mercutio, Caliban, Hamlet and Benedick and leading roles in Judgement and
Filumena. He has performed throughout <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Britain</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> Among his
many, many Stratford directing credits <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">are The Tempest, Edward II, King Henry VIII,
Troilus and Cressida, My Fair Lady, The Merchant of Venice, Tartuffe, The
Importance of Being Earnest, Amadeus, King Lear, Twelfth Night </I>and <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The School for
Wives.<o:p></o:p></I></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
color=#000000> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
color=#000000>He has also directed for Young People’s Theatre, Tarragon Theatre,
Theatre Plus, The Grand Theatre, The Citadel Theatre, the Canadian Opera Company
and the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
color=#000000> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
color=#000000>A graduate of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Concordia</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>, <st1:City
w:st="on">Montreal</st1:City>, Mr. Monette has received an honorary doctorate
from <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Concordia</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>, as well as the <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Windsor</st1:PlaceName>, and most recently, the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Western Ontario</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. He has also received a
Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Direction of Saint Joan at Theatre Plus,
a Eugene O’Neill Medallion, a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, and a Queen’s Silver
Jubilee Medal. In January, 1988, Mr. Monette was named a member of the Order of
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
color=#000000> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>The 2005 Herbert Whittaker/Drama Bench Award for Outstanding
Contribution to Canadian Theatre will be presented to Richard Monette at the
Media Luncheon, Wednesday, May 31, 12 noon, during the opening week of the 2006
Stratford Festival season.<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000> </FONT></STRONG></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>For further information:<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000> </FONT></STRONG></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>Jeniva Berger<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>Founding President, Canadian Theatre Critics
Assocation<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>Award Administrator<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><A
href="mailto:scenechanges@rogers.com"><STRONG>scenechanges@rogers.com</STRONG></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><STRONG><FONT
color=#000000>Phone: 416-782-0966/Fax:
416-782-0366<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><STRONG><FONT
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