JAKE’S GIFT Artists Awarded Touring Artist of the Year Award

Pacific Theatre announces that Julia Mackey and Dirk Van Stralen, the power couple behind Jake's Gift, playing at Pacific Theatre April 6-16, have won the BC Touring Council's 2011 Touring Artist of the Year Award.

The award recognizes an outstanding body of work, long-standing service and contribution and exemplifies excellence in the performing arts touring sector.

Jake's Gift, the play created from a mask workshop at Pacific Theatre in 2002, and since then its story of a curmudgeonly, old WWII veteran's journey to Normandy has toured the country several times over to wide acclaim. This success is no surprise to artistic director Ron Reed, who was present at the mask workshop where Jake first came to life, "It was obvious that Julia Mackey had an extraordinary transformative ability as an actor ... she possessed an innate sense of story."
While in many ways this is just another award tucked under Jake's belt, as the show has been honoured at many Fringe Festivals across the country, the recognition is special to Mackey, "We are thrilled to be the recipients of the BCTC's 2011 Touring Artist Award. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to tour Jake's Gift to over 35 communities across BC. This is a particularly special award for us because we are completely aware of how many incredible artists there are out there touring the province, and we feel very lucky and honoured to be recognized by the Presenters who brought us to their communities."

Julia Mackey's award-winning Jake's Gift will be playing at Pacific Theatre April 6-16. For tickets ($16.50-29.50 not incl. HST) call 604-731-5518 or visit http://www.pacifictheatre.org.