Carol Bolt (August 25, 1941 – November 28, 2000) was a Canadian playwright. She was a founding member and, for several years, president of the Playwrights Union of Canada.
Career
Bolt's play ''Buffalo Jump'', an examination of Canada during the depression era of the 1930s, was performed at
Theatre Passe Muraille
Theatre Passe Muraille is a theatre company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Brief history
One of Canada's most influential alternative theatres, Theatre Passe Muraille ("theatre beyond walls") was founded in 1968 by director and playwright Jim Gar ...
in 1972.
Bolt's best known play, the thriller ''
One Night Stand
A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...
'', was first performed in 1977, and was turned into a made-for-television film by
Allan King
Allan Winton King, (February 6, 1930 – June 15, 2009), was a Canadian film director.
Life
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, during the Great Depression, King attended Henry Hudson Elementary School, in Kitsilano. Her play ''Red Emma'', told the story of radical anarchist
Emma Goldman
Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born anarchist political activist and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the ...
. Her last play was ''Famous'', produced on stage in 1997, based on the real-life story of criminals Paul Bernardo and Karla Holmolka.
For television, Bolt's writing credits include ''Tales of the Klondike'', two episodes of the animated children's series ''
The Raccoons
''The Raccoons'' is a Canadian animated television series that ran on CBC from November 11, 1985 to March 19, 1991 in Canada and on Disney Channel from July 4, 1985 to August 28, 1992 in the U.S., with three preceding television specials from ...
'', and a single episode of ''
Fraggle Rock
''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...
''.
Bolt died of complications due to liver cancer on November 28, 2000, in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. Following her death, the
Canadian Authors Association
The Canadian Authors Association is Canada's oldest association for writers and authors. The organization has published several periodicals, organized local chapters and events for Canadian writers, and sponsors writing awards, including the Gover ...
renamed its CAA Award for Drama to the
Carol Bolt Award
The Carol Bolt Award is an annual Canadian literary award. Presented by the Playwrights Guild of Canada, the award is bestowed for a theatrical play premiere by a PGC member, judged to be the year's best. The award is named in memory of Canadian pl ...
in her memory; the award is now administered by the
Playwrights Guild of Canada
Playwrights Guild of Canada (PGC) is a Canadian charity that works to advance the creative rights and interests of professional Canadian playwrights; promote Canadian plays, and foster community of writers. It was founded in 1972.
History
PGC has ...
.
Works
;Plays
* ''Buffalo Jump'' (1972)
* ''My Best Friend Is Twelve Feet High'' (1972)
* ''Cyclone Jack'' (1972)
* ''Gabe'' (1973)
* ''Pauline'' (1973)
* ''Red Emma, Queen of the Anarchists'' (1974)
* ''Shelter'' (1975)
* ''Maurice'' (1975)
* ''Finding Bumble'' (1975)
* ''One Night Stand'' (1977)
* ''Desperados'' (1977)
* ''Escape Entertainment'' (1981)
* ''Love or Money'' (1981)
* ''Famous'' (1997)
;Books
* ''Drama in the Classroom'' (1986)
Archives
There is a Carol Bolt fond at
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...
. The archival reference number is R4602, former archival reference number MG31-D89. The fond covers the date range 1961 to 2000. It consists of 12.82 meters of textual records, 100 photographs and other media.
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...