Please find details below on the conclusion of the 2014 University of Toronto Drama Festival.

The Inaugural Donald Sutherland Award for Best Performance Goes to Alex Spyropoulos

The 22nd annual U of T Drama Festival concludes with an awards ceremony.

Toronto, Ontario: Hart House Theatre and the U of T Drama Coalition are proud to announce the winners from this year's festival and to introduce the Donald Sutherland Award for Best Performance. While a student at U of T, Dr. Sutherland was an avid participant in the festival and was the recipient of an award for best performance in 1954. To recognize Dr. Sutherland's philanthropic support of the festival, Hart House Theatre is proud to create the Donald Sutherland Award for Best Performance, which is presented to the 'actor who achieves the highest quality of delivery, character development and interaction'. This year's winner is Alex Spyropoulos.

This year's adjudictor, U of T alumni Matt White is pictured below, presenting the coveted Donald Sutherland Award for Best Performance and had this to say about the inaugural winner:

"Alex not only achieved the highest quality of delivery, character development and interaction with her character, Francis, she did it with ease. She was in complete control both physically and vocally throughout the entire performance. She found layers of depth and pathos with a character who otherwise could have become stuck in one tone - shapelessly crazy. She was a force to reckon with.

I take great joy watching performers who can 'jump off the cliff' and give over to being wholly present and committed to every choice, seeing it through to the logical and sometimes surprising completion. Alex delivered a performance with such a grounded maturity, electric energy and controlled focus she unequivocally deserves to be the inaugural recipient of the Donald Sutherland Award for Best Performance." - Matt White, 2014 Festival Adjudicator

Left to Right: Victoria McEwen, Drama Coalition President, Award-winner Alex Spyropoulos and Matt White, Adjudicator

Click here for more information about the festival and this year's adjudicator.

The 22nd Annual University of Toronto Drama Festival

Adjudicated by Matt White

Feb. 12-15, 2014

2014 Festival Award Winners

President's Award for Best Production

Presented to the producing company of the play that best combines the requirements for the other awards with professionalism in the festival as a whole. Awarded to the Trinity College Dramatic Society for The Broadleaf Plays.

Robert Gill Award for Best Direction

Presented to the director who achieved the highest artistic and technical quality of transition from script to stage, and who expressed the clearest vision. Awarded to Joel Chico of UC Follies for The Meeting With God: A Spectacle of the Fall.

I.A.T.S.E. Award for Technical Achievement

Presented to the technical crew or individual who best achieved an original and artistic design suitable to the play, and who best found unity with the director. Awarded to Travis DeWolf of UC Follies for the lighting design of The Session.

Donald Sutherland Award for Best Performance

Presented to the individual, distinctive group, or ensemble that achieved the highest quality of delivery, character development and interaction. Awarded to Alex Spyropoulos of the University of Toronto Mississauga Drama Society for her performance in Pur.Gat.Ory.

Robertson Davies Playwriting Award

Presented to the writer who achieved the highest level of creativity, development and clarity of vision in an original script. Awarded to Nicholas Potter of the University of Toronto Mississauga Drama Society for his play Pur.Gat.Ory.

Awards of Merit - presented at the discretion of the adjudicator

Presented to Michael Marshall of the St. Genesius's Drama Society (St. Mike's) for embodying the spirit of the festival.

Presented to Jane Smythe of UC Follies - the Keep Going Award.

Presented to the Ensemble of UC Follies' The Meeting with God: A Spectacle of the Fall for their commitment to embracing the world of the play.

Presented to Jake Howell of the Hart House Players for the coolest idea to build a story around: A Killer Story.

Presented to Lucas Loizou of the Victoria College Drama Society - the Mr. Bean Award.

Presented to Nathaniel Kingham of the University of Toronto Mississauga Drama Society - the Script-I-Want-To-See-Fleshed-Out-at-Summerworks Award.

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