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BMO Financial Group is hosting a dynamic soapbox panel discussion on June 29, featuring three recipients of the prestigious Elinore and Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre. The soapbox will be moderated by Mary Vingoe, Artistic Director of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival and a former Siminovitch Prize Jury member, with directors Jillian Keiley and Daniel Brooks and playwright John Mighton participating on the panel. The topic: Theatre – a calling or a dirty habit?

Best described as a “talk-show meets speakers-corner,” Ms. Vingoe will moderate a thought-provoking discussion about the challenging nature of being a theatre artist in Canada and whether it's a calling or an obsession; a passion or an addiction. The artists will talk about their own personal experiences and their strong desire for their work to have an impact on the world. Questions from the audience will be taken at the end of the session.

When:  Thursday, June 29, 2006

                        12:00 p.m. NDT – refreshments

                        1:00 p.m. NDT – Soapbox

Where: Rooms Provincial Art Gallery

                        The Rooms Theatre, Level 2

                        9 Bonaventure Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland

Call-in:             To listen-in live, dial: 1-888-280-8771

Ask to join the Siminovitch Prize Soapbox hosted by BMO Financial Group.

Playback:         The discussion will also be available for playback at any time after

1:30 p.m. NDT on June 29, 2006.  Dial 1-888-509-0081, and provide pass code #626412 for access.

A transcript of the discussion will be available upon request. Speakers are also available for interviews before and/or after the event.

This special soapbox event kicks off the Magnetic North Theatre Festival's Encounters Series, sponsored by Siminovitch Prize founder BMO Financial Group. Magnetic North, Canada's premier English theatre festival, will be held in St. John's, Newfoundland from June 28 – July 8, 2006.

The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, Canada's largest annual theatre arts award, honours professional directors, playwrights and designers by acknowledging excellence and encouraging further exploration in Canadian theatre. The recipient receives $100,000, of which one quarter is given to a prot�g� chosen by the recipient.

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