Performer and playwright Marilyn Browning was given the Coast's best arts honour, the Gillian Lowndes Award, last Sunday at a brief ceremony at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt.
Presenter Deirdre Palmer spoke of Browning as "a wonderfully talented lady" and reminded the audience that Browning was the person who managed and cared for the Heritage Playhouse during its first years to help boost its profile in the community. She has appeared in Agnes of God with Palmer and in numerous other Coast productions including one of her own original one act plays, The Muffin Tin. Last year, she appeared in Vancouver theatre taking on a role in Tony and Tina's Wedding, and currently, she has a new piece of original work being considered for production. Browning has recently relocated to Pender Harbour where she hopes to initiate some theatre activity.Former Arts Council president and Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons presented her with the cash award and new Council president Chris Reid was in attendance. There were no entries this year in the other two arts awards: the Louise Baril music bursary and the Klein Visual Arts Award for mature artists.
