Evalyn Parry is a Canadian performance-maker, theatrical innovator and singer-songwriter. She grew up in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario in the

Kensington Market Kensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's best-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Sites of Canada, ...

neighbourhood. Her music combines elements of spoken word and folk.

Biography

Evalyn Parry is the daughter of David Parry, an English-born Canadian singer and theatrical director who died in 1995, and performer and author Caroline Balderston Parry. Her brother Richard Parry performs with the bands Bell Orchestre and

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...

. She is married to Canadian writer Suzanne Robertson, and currently resides on farmland outside of

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

Theatre

Parry is a theatre creator, actor, director, collaborator and educator. Her plays and performances have been produced and toured nationally and internationally. From 2015 to 2020, Parry served as the artistic director of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Parry's most recent collaborative work
Kiinalik These Sharp Tools
premiered at Buddies in 2017 and was presented at the

Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially european classical music, classical music) and ...

(2019) and Cervantino Festival, Mexico (2019), Toronto's

Luminato Festival The Luminato Festival, Toronto's International Festival of Arts and Ideas, is an annual celebration of the arts in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, launched in 2007. In its first decade, Luminato presented over 3,000 performances featuring 11,000 artist ...

, Vancouver's PuSh Festival (2019) and the GCTC (in collaboration with the

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one ...

) (2020). Parry and co-creator/performer Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory were awarded the 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play for Kiinalik; Parry and musician/performer Cris Derksen were awarded the 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Sound Design/Composition. Parry's acclaimed show ''SPIN'', which features a bicycle played as a musical instrument (played by percussionist Brad Hart), charts the feminist history of the bicycle, and tells the story of

Annie Londonderry Annie Cohen Kopchovsky (1870 – 11 November 1947), known as Annie Londonderry, was a Jewish Latvian immigrant to the United States who in 1894–95 became the first woman to bicycle around the world. After having completed her travel, albeit mo ...

, first woman to ride around the world on a bike in 1895. ''SPIN'' has toured festivals and theatres all over North America including Montreal's Edgy Women Festival in 2012. Parry writes and performs with the acclaimed feminist theatre collective ''Independent Aunties'' with Anna Chatterton and Karin Randoja. The Aunties have created six shows together; their most recent production ''Gertrude and Alice'', about the love and lives of

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh), and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, and ...

and

Alice B. Toklas Alice Babette Toklas (April 30, 1877 – March 7, 1967) was an American-born member of the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th century, and the life partner of American writer Gertrude Stein. Early life Alice B. Toklas was born in San F ...

, premiered at Buddies in Bad Times in 2016. It won a Toronto Theatre Critics Award, and was nominated for two Dora Mavor Moore Awards. ''Gertrude and Alice'' was remounted in 2018 as part of Buddies’ 40th Anniversary season, the same year the play was published by Playwrights Canada Press and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2018 Governor General's Award for English-language drama at the 2018 Governor General's Awards. The Independent Aunties other productions have been produced by Buddies in Bad Times (Clean Irene and Dirty Maxine—winner of Best New Play at SummerWorks, 2002);

Theatre Passe Muraille Theatre Passe Muraille is a theatre company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is on Ryerson Avenue in the Alexandra Park neighbourhood of Toronto. Brief history One of Canada's most influential alternative theatres, Theatre Passe Muraille ("theat ...

(Frances, Mathilda and Tea, The Mysterious Shorts); The Theatre Centre (Breakfast—Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination); and The Cooking Fire Festival (Robbers’ Daughters). The Aunties’ Gertrude and Alice was co-produced with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in March 2016; Parry was appointed artistic director of Buddies in Bad Times, a queer theatre company in

, in 2015, succeeding Brendan Healy. Prior to becoming artistic director, Parry served as the director of the Young Creators Unit at Buddies from 2007 to 2015. She was the recipient of the 2013 km Hunter Award for Theatre and the Ken McDougall Award for Directing (2009). In 2012, she directed Buddies' production of Tawiah M'carthy's ''Obaaberima'', which was awarded the 2013 Dora for Outstanding Production; Parry also garnered a

Dora Mavor Moore Award The Dora Mavor Moore Awards (also known as the Dora Awards or the Doras) are awards presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), honouring theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moor ...

nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Play. Parry left buddies in Bad Times in September 2020. Prior to leaving, Parry said that she hoped the company would pursue other leadership models rather than having a traditional 'artistic director'.

Music

Steeped in the folk tradition but born to innovate, Parry's genre-blurring work is inspired by intersections of social activism, history and autobiography, exploring themes that range from 19th century cycling heroines to bottled water, from queer identity to the quest for the Northwest Passage. Her unique combination of music and spoken word has been presented at folk festivals, theatres and campuses internationally; she has released five CDs of original music (with Borealis Records and her own Outspoke Productions). Parry performs solo and with a band. She was the inaugural recipient of the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award (2003) and the Beth Ferguson Award for Upcoming Songwriter (Ottawa, 2001). Parry has performed at numerous music, poetry and Pride festivals across North America, including Hillside Festival, The Vancouver Folk Festival,

North by Northeast North by Northeast (or NXNE) is an annual music and arts festival held each June in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival's main focus is live music, particularly emerging talent. Acts that have had break out appearances at NXNE at small venues ...

Music and Film Conference and Festival (Toronto), the

(Ottawa), the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

Out of Doors in New York City. Parry has also performed with the group Girls with Glasses, a quartet of female songwriters including Parry, Eve Goldberg, Allison Brown, and Karyn Ellis.

Personal life

Parry is married to Suzanne Robertson.

Plays

* ''Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools'' by Evalyn Parry, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Erin Brubacher and Elysha Poirier with Cris Derksen * 'Gertrude and Alice" by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton, in collaboration with Karin Randoja * ''SPIN'' by Evalyn Parry * ''Breakfast'' by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton * ''Clean Irene and Dirty Maxine'' by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton * ''Francis Mathilda & Tea'' by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton * ''The Mysterious Shorts'' by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton * "The Freelance Lover" by Evalyn Parry * ''Robbers Daughters by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton * ''Nancy Drew Without a Clue'', adapted by Evalyn Parry and Anna Chatterton

Directing Credits

* 'Paradise Lost', by Erin Sheilds, Queen's University 2024 * 'The Dialysis Project', created by Leah Lewis, Robert Chafe and Evalyn Parry, Resource Centre for the Arts, St John's 2020 * 'The Youth / Elders Project', collaborative creation, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 2017 * 'Obaaberima', by Tawiah Ben M'Carthy, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 2012 // 2018 * 'Oh God, The Drums" by Brad Hart, Toronto Fringe 2012 * 'Fishbowl' by Mark Shyzer, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 2010

Discography

* ''Things that should be warnings'' (2001, LP) * ''Unreasonable'' (2003, LP) * ''Live at Lula'' (2006, concert DVD) * ''Small Theatres'' (2007, double LP) * ''SPIN'' (2011, LP)

Awards

for Outstanding New Play, Kiinalik These Sharp Tools, with Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory (2018) *

for Outstanding Sound Design/Composition, Kiinalik These Sharp Tools, with Cris Derksen (2018) * KM Hunter Award for Theatre (2013) * Ken McDougall Award for Emerging Director (2009) * Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award (2003) * Beth Ferguson Award for Upcoming Songwriter (Ottawa, 2001)

References

Sources

* Fricker, Karen, "Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools powerfully connects audience to peoples and culture of the North: review. Show weaves Evalyn Parry's and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory's personal experiences with broader cultural context.

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

October 2017 * Nestruck, Kelly, "In Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools, collaboration produces beautiful music

''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'' October 2017 * Sumi, Glenn. "Youth/Elder Project is Revolutionary Theatre

NOW (newspaper), NOW Magazine June 2017 * Sumi, Glenn "Queer pioneer does double duty at fest, nurturing new talent and critiquing two Canadian male icons on their idea of North

Now (newspaper), NOW Magazine August 2014 * Porter, Catherine.

The Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands division. The newspaper was establis ...

, 2010-17-05. * Beeston, Laura, "Five habits that help Evalyn Parry keep pushing creative boundaries

''The Globe and Mail'' September 2015 * Deschamps, MJ.
Evalyn Parry takes quirky tour across country
, ''

Xtra! ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...

'', 2008-06-26. Retrieved 2008-07-10. * Levesque, Roger.
Artist combines spoken word, song on 2-CD package
, ''

Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunn ...

'', 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2008-07-10. * Nikodym, Carolyn. "", ''

Vue Weekly ''Vue Weekly'' was an alternative weekly newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with issues released every Thursday. It covered topics on artists and events that are often ignored, marginalized, or misrepresented by the mainstream medi ...

'', 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-07-10. * Varty, Alexander.
Straight white men and IKEA provide inspiration for Evalyn Parry
, ''

The Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools ...

'', 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-07-10.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parry, Evalyn Canadian women dramatists and playwrights Canadian Quakers Canadian LGBTQ singer-songwriters Canadian LGBTQ dramatists and playwrights Canadian lesbian musicians Canadian lesbian writers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian theatre directors Canadian women theatre directors LGBTQ theatre directors Lesbian singers Lesbian dramatists and playwrights Lesbian songwriters 21st-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Canadian women writers Dora Mavor Moore Award winners Parry family (Canada) Canadian artistic directors 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people 21st-century Canadian folk musicians