[e-drive][EQUITY ANNOUNCES WINNER OF STAGE WEST EMERGING EQUITY ARTIST AWARD]

[Patricia Joyce]

~~~~~~~~~~ e-drive ~~~~~~~~~~

Equity Announces Philip Sarsons of Edmonton
Inaugural Winner of Stage West Emerging Equity Artist Award

During Equity's annual awards ceremony on October 27 in Toronto, CAEA
president Victor A. Young introduced the inaugural winner of the Stage
West Emerging Equity Artist Award, Edmonton member Philip Sarsons, in
recognition of his outstanding commitment and talent in his field.
Philip, who was on hand to receive the $2,000 award, expressed in his
acceptance speech (appropriately written on the back of a script) his
sincere gratitude: 
"I have tremendous cause to be grateful, more cause to be humble and
further cause to continue in the service of what I perceive to be good.
With talent comes expectation; that it be used; that it be nurtured, and
grow to its full height-whatever that may be-with the hope such height
never be discovered, and instead, to be reached for and dreamed of! This
recognition allows me the luxury of saying, "Yes, I am on the right
path, I am not off the mark, I am not crazy. I am, with great clarity
and good conscience, doing what I need to do." 
John Murrell, artistic director and executive producer, Theatre Arts at
the Banff Centre nominated Philip for the award.  To quote Mr. Murrell, 
"Phil is a polymath of the arts--a young creator who does not limit
himself to any one facet of creativity, but who engages passionately in
whatever task he sets for himself, or which is set by others. It is as
though, every time one turns around, one should expect to discover Phil
engaged in some new and unexpected field of artistic endeavor-and then
to discover that he is amazingly gifted in this utterly new field." 
Mr. Murrell worked with Phil as a fellow actor, director, as a
dramaturge, as a producer and as the host of a performing arts residency
at The Banff Centre. Phil's innovative musical score of "The Hobbit" was
seen during the Banff Arts Festival, and later charmed audiences during
Calgary's Shakespeare In The Park. In his nomination letter to Equity,
John Murrell compares Phil to the young Alec Guinness saying, "Like
Guinness, Phil is a chameleon who wears his constantly changing colours
with such conviction that it's difficult for us to believe we are merely
seeing a change of characterization. It seems like an alteration of the
entire human being.  In fact, there are stories of people who saw him in
four or five different productions, in four or five wildly different
roles, and who were convinced they had seen four or five different young
actors, each of whom they admired without reservation." 
The Stage West Award, is a donation from the Pechet family in honour of
Equity's silver anniversary in 2001. The award will recognize an
emerging Equity member each year for the next decade.  
The award was given on behalf of the original Stage West company in
Edmonton, a group of some 10 or 12 young artists who struggled with
audiences of 40 people on nights when the temperature in Edmonton was 40
below, but overcame all obstacles to build a theatre company which to
date has produced over 1,000 productions.  
 "This award recognizes the valuable asset this country has in young
talent. We feel, as one of Canada's largest employers of performers and
backstage crew, Stage West has a responsibility to assist and encourage
the development of that talent," says Howard Pechet. 
Equity extends its congratulations to Philip, who was chosen from among
nearly three dozen outstanding nominees after careful deliberation by
Equity's honours committee.