Lorena Gale

Lorena Gale (May 9, 1958 – June 21, 2009)[1] was a Canadian actress, playwright and theatre director. She was active onstage and in films and television since the 1980s. She also authored two award-winning plays, Angélique and Je me souviens.

Lorena Gale
Gale at Gatecon, July 30, 2005
Born(1958-05-09)May 9, 1958
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DiedJune 21, 2009(2009-06-21) (aged 51)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Other namesLorena Gayle
Lorineda Gayle
OccupationActress, playwright, theatre director
Years active1980s–2009
Spouse(s)John Cooper (1988–2009; her death)

Life and career

Gale was born in Montreal, Quebec.[2] She studied at Concordia University and the National Theatre School and completed a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver in 2005.[2]

Her performances on stage for Lorraine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun and Joseph A. Walker's River Niger won her the Montreal Gazette Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Performance in 1981.[2]

In 1985 she became the artistic director of Montréal's Black Theatre Workshop.[3] She then studied playwriting at the Playwrights' Workshop Montréal.[2]

After moving to Vancouver in 1988, Lorena won a 1991 Jessie Richardson Award for best supporting actress as Normal Jean in The Colored Museum (1990) .[2]

Her play, Angélique, the story of executed slave Marie-Joseph Angelique, was the winner of the 1995 duMaurier National Playwriting Competition in Canada.[4][2] Her writing explores the nature of being black and mixed race and belonging in Canada.[5]

She appeared in such movies as The Hotel New Hampshire, Another Cinderella Story, Ernest Goes to School, Fantastic Four, Traitor, The Chronicles of Riddick, The Mermaid Chair, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. She has guest starred on programs such as The X-Files, Stargate SG-1, Smallville and Kingdom Hospital. Until August 2005, she starred as Priestess Elosha on the SciFi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica.

Gale also lent her voice to several animated works such as RoboCop: Alpha Commando, The Bitsy Bears, Camp Candy, The Adventures of Corduroy and Hurricanes.

Gale's final film role was as a librarian in Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, which was dedicated to her.

Death

Gale died following a battle with throat cancer on June 21, 2009 at age 51.[2] Her body was cremated.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1982Visiting HoursNurse 1
1984The Hotel New HampshireDark Inge
1987Wild ThingScooter
1989CousinsCosmetic Demonstrator
1989The Fly IIWoman
1992Farther West
1994Ernest Goes to SchoolHistory Teacher
1996Maternal InstinctsAnita
1997Indefensible: The Truth About Edward BranniganCheryl DrewTV movie
1998American DragonsCaptain Talman
2000Snow DayRadio Mother
2000ScrewedAngry Momma
2001Freddy Got FingeredPsychiatrist / Social Worker
2002Halloween: ResurrectionNurse Wells
2003Agent Cody BanksWaitress
2004The Butterfly EffectMrs. Boswell
2004The Perfect ScoreProctor
2004The Chronicles of RiddickDefense Minister
2005Bob the ButlerDr. Wilma
2005Fantastic FourOld Lady With Car #1
2005The Exorcism of Emily RoseJury Foreman
2005NeverwasJudy
2006SlitherJanene
2006The Mermaid ChairHepzibahTV movie
2006The FoursomeMarjorie
2007Love NotesAveva Marley
2007Things We Lost in the FireN.A. Meeting Person
2008Another Cinderella StoryHelga
2008The X-Files: I Want to BelieveOn Screen Doctor
2008TraitorDierdre Horn
2008The Day the Earth Stood StillScientist #2
2009Scooby-Doo! The Mystery BeginsLibrarianTV movie

References
  1. "Lorena Gale (1958-2009)". Caprica-City.de. 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  2. Hustak, Alan (24 January 2010). "Lorena Gale". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation of Canada. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  3. Bayne, Clarence (2001). "Le Black Theatre Workshop de Montréal: un nouveau bilan". L'Annuaire théâtral: Revue québécoise d'études théâtrales. 29: 141–155 – via Erudit.
  4. Gale, Lorena (1995). "Writing "Angelique" (Includes excerpt)". Canadian Theatre Review. 83: 20–23. ProQuest 211995628.
  5. Clarke, George Elliott (2009). "Strategies for Legitimizing Difference. Mixed-Race Resistance in the Works of Andrea Thompson and Lorena Gale, Two African-Canadian Writers". Canada: Images of a post/national society. New York: P.I.E.—Peter Lang. pp. 263–264. ISBN 978-90-5201-485-2.
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