The Kanata Theatre Ted & Mary Mauger Award

From its 1968 start young people have been an important part of the Kanata Theatre community. Members of Kanata Theatre have encouraged the participation of young people by choosing plays with important roles for them both on and off stage, by offering a program in theatre arts for young people of all ages, and by welcoming young people as members, including on the organization’s executive.

Early in its life, Kanata Theatre established a prize to a local high school theatre arts student considered by his or her teachers to have made a special contribution to the theatre arts program at that school. At first, this was a book prize at one school, but in the 1990s it became a cash prize for each of its community Secondary Schools.

The cash prize is possible in part because of the continued generosity of the family of the late Ted Mauger in honour of his wife, Mary Mauger, who is acknowledged to be the founder of Kanata Theatre, having convened the first meeting and planted the seed. Both she and Ted contributed their considerable talents and energy to the early success of Kanata Theatre and remained ardent friends and supporters.

Kanata Theatre hopes through the Ted and Mary Mauger Award, to stimulate an interest in the theatrical arts that may endure whatever career path the recipient may follow.