Joy Coghill

Joy Dorothy Coghill-Thorne, CM, (May 13, 1926 – January 20, 2017) was a Canadian actress, director, and writer.[1] Her obituary in The Vancouver Sun described her as having had "a seven-decade run at the top of the Vancouver theatre world."[2]

Joy Coghill
Born(1926-05-13)May 13, 1926
Findlater, Saskatchewan, Canada
DiedJanuary 20, 2017(2017-01-20) (aged 90)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Other namesJoy Coghill Thorne
OccupationActress, director, writer
Spouse(s)John Thorne
Children3
Parent(s)J.G. Coghill
Dorothy Pollard Coghill

Early years

Coghill was born in Findlater, Saskatchewan, Canada, the daughter of J.G. Coghill and Dorothy Pollard Coghill.[3] Her father was a Presbyterian minister.[2] She was educated at King's Park School and Queen's Park High School in Glasgow, Scotland, and Kitsilano High School in Vancouver. In 1949, she earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of British Columbia, and in 1951, she earned a master of fine arts degree from the Art Institute of Chicago.[3]

Coghill's introduction to theater came while she was a student at Kitsilano High School.[2]

Career

Coghill and Myra Benson founded Canada's first professional touring children's theatre, Holiday Theatre in 1953.[4] In 1994, Coghill founded Western Gold, a theatre company for senior professional actors in Vancouver. She held honorary degrees from SFU and UBC.[5]

Her best-known work is Song of This Place, a play about the Canadian artist Emily Carr. In addition to her writing, Coghill has made guest appearances on Da Vinci's Inquest as Portia Da Vinci and as the dying human host Saroosh/Selmak on the Stargate SG-1 episode "The Tok'ra, Part 1 & 2".[6]

Personal life

Coghill was married to John Thorne, a producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.[2]

Death

On January 20, 2017, Coghill died of massive heart failure at St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was 90. She was survived by three children and two grandchildren.[7]

Recognition

Coghill received four Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards for her theatrical accomplishments in Vancouver, British Columbia: Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance Award (1988-1989),[8] Community Recognition Award (1989-1990),[9] Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (1990-1991),[10] and Unique Mandate and Contribution to the Theatre Community (1998-1999).[11]

Other awards include a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, the Gemini Humanitarian Award,[4] the Dominion Drama Festival acting award and a Canadian drama award.[3] On October 25, 1990, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada and cited as "a champion of Canadian talent and quality and as "a continuing inspiration to her colleagues in theatre throughout the country."[12]

References
  1. "Queen of Vancouver theatre, Joy Coghill, dead at age 90". 24 January 2017.
  2. Mackie, John (January 24, 2017). "Queen of Vancouver theatre, Joy Coghill, dead at age 90". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  3. Creative Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-century Creative and Performing Artists. University of Toronto Press. 1972. ISBN 9781442637849. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  4. Smith, Charlie (January 22, 2017). "Director, actor, producer, and humanitarian Joy Coghill dies". The Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  5. "Joy Coghill biography". Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  6. Approaching the Possible: The World of Stargate SG-1 p.185, Jo Storm
  7. "Acclaimed actor, director and playwright Joy Coghill-Thorne dies at 90". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. January 24, 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  8. "The 7th Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards". The Jessies. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  9. "The 8th Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards". The Jessies. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  10. "The 9th Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards". The Jessies. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  11. "The 17th Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards". The Jessies. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  12. "(award citation)". The Governor General of Canada His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.