Pamela Gien

Pamela Gien. (1957-) Actress.

BEING EDITED

Biography

Born in Emmarentia in 1957 and raised in Johannesburg, Pamela began her training at Rhodes University, in the mid 1970s, then completed a BA Honours in English and Dramatic Art cum laude at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1978. She was the recipient of the Olive Schreiner Award, which she used to undertake further study at the Jacques Lecoq School of Theatre, Mime and Movement in Paris in 1979, before returning to becoming a member of the PACT company.

In 1983 she emigrated to the United States to continue her career there.

After moving to America, Pamela Gien became a principal member of the American Repertory Theatre [25]in Cambridge, where she played Sonya opposite Christopher Walken in the world premiere of David Mamet’s adaptation of Uncle Vanya. [26] Her leading roles at ART over five seasons included Anabella in ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, and Estrella in Life’s A Dream directed by Ann Bogart. In Andrei Serban’s productions, she played Gabriella in Sweettable at the Richelieu, Marianna in The Miser, and both Clarice and Angela in The King Stag. She played Stella/Ann in The End of the World with Symposium to Follow, the Stepdaughter in Robert Brustein’s production of Six Characters in Search of an Author, and Cathy in Gillette, among others. She then played Lavinia opposite Donald Moffat in Titus Andronicus for the Public Theatre’s New York Shakespeare Festival. In Los Angeles she played Alicia in Piano by Anna Deavere- Smith, and Hannah Jelkes opposite David Selby in The Night of the Iguana at the LATC, for which she won a Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre Performance. She performed several leading roles in the New Works Festival at the Mark Taper Forum, the Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville, at CATF Shepherdstown, and at South Coast Repertory.[27]

Her TV and film appearances[28] include, in South Africa, The Earthmover, series lead in Die Sandlopertjie, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Miser; a recurring role in New York on ABC’s One Life To Live, and numerous guest starring roles including Tales From the Crypt, Reasonable Doubts, Hunter, Secret Lives, Into Thin Air, Men Seeking Women, The Last Supper, and The Syringa Tree.[29]

She made her name as playwright-performer with the multi-award winning one-woman play The Syringa Tree, which won the 2001 OBIE Award for Best Play and was nominated for a John Gassner Playwriting Award, and won her the Outer Circle Critics Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, and a Drama League Honour. For this achievement, she was chosen as one of the 100 Most Creative Artists, published in their 2001 It List by Entertainment Weekly.

She later adapted the play as a novel also titled The Syringa Tree (published by Random House,2007), a work longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Literary Award for Fiction in 2008 and was a finalist for the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

While at Rhodes University she performed in Katherine Mansfield and the Writing Game (1975), Hay Fever[, (1977), The Cherry Orchard (as “Ania”) and Bliss.

Among the plays she appeared in during her period with PACT (1980-1983) were:

Oh What a Lovely War! (1980), Rookery Nook (1980), After the Fall (1981), The Crucible (1981), Royal Hunt of the Sun (1981), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1981), The State Theatre Overflow Show (1981-1982), Savages (1982), Monday After the Miracle (1982), The Rivals (1983), Everyman, Henry IV Part I, Electra, The Maids and The House of Bernarda Alba.

Her TV and film appearances in South Africa include roles in The Earthmover, Die Strandlopertjie, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Midsummer Night's Dream (nomination as best actress), and The Miser.

In 2005 she was invited to return to South Africa to perform her award-winning piece The Syringa Tree, at the Baxter Theatre

She starred in the PACT production of The State Theatre Overflow Show together with James White, Michael McCabe and Peter Terry with direction by Nigel Vermaas at the Arena Bistro in 1981. She starred in the PACT production of William Gibson’s Monday After the Miracle together with Sandra Duncan with direction by François Swart at the Pretoria State Theatre and the Alexander in 1982. She starred in PACT’s production of Sheridan’s The Rivals together with John Hussey, Wilson Dunster, James White, Pauline Bailey and John Lesley directed by Michael Atkinson at the State Theatre in March 1983.

Awards, etc

In South Africa

Besides numerous nominations, inter alia for a Fleur du Cape Award for her play The Syringa Tree, she has received three awards for theatre and TV over the years, among them:

The Yvonne Bryceland Award for Best Supporting Actress for Bliss, Rhodes University (197*).

The Olive Schreiner Overseas Award for the Best Student at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1978.

The DALRO Award for Best Actress for "Helen Keller" in Monday after the Miracle (1983)

Internationally

Her many awrds abroad include:

Obie Award 2001 Best Play Won for The Syringa Tree, Playhouse 91, New York. Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance Won for The Syringa Tree Outer Circle Critics Award for Outstanding Solo Performance Won for The Syringa Tree, Drama League Honour Won for The Syringa Tree John Gassner Playwriting Award Nominated for The Syringa Tree Elliot Norton Award for Best Solo Performance Won for The Syringa Tree Entertainment Weekly’s IT List 50 Most Creative Artists, 2001 Dayton Literary Peace Prize 2007 Finalist – The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien - the novel, published by Random House. IMPAC Dublin International Literary Award - Longlist 2008 Fiction – The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien - the novel, published by Random House. Fleur du Cap Award, South Africa Nominated for Best Solo Drama for The Syringa Tree Drama-Logue Critics Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre, 1991 Won – for Hannah Jelkes in Night of The Iguana at Los Angeles Theater Center

Best Actress DALRO Critics Award, Nominated for The State Theatre Overflow Show. Best Actress Nominated for Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest, SABC TV. Best Actress Nominated for Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, SABC TV.

Olive Schreiner Award, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Sources

CV submitted by Pamela Gien, 8 February, 2024.

SACD 1978/79; 1980/81; 1981/82.

Tucker, 1997.

Martin, Bob 2008. Highlights & Footlights : A Tribute to South African Stage and Screen, by photographer Bob Martin. Cape Town: Double Storey Books.

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