Janet Munsil is a Canadian playwright based in Victoria, British Columbia.Amy Smart, "Playwright puts own touches on condensed classic" . Victoria Times-Colonist, October 1, 2014. She is most noted for her plays That Elusive Spark and Be Still. Munsil is also a theatre director and has served as artistic director of Intrepid Theatre and the Victoria Fringe Festival.
Early life and education Munsil was born in Seattle and raised in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. She completed a BFA at the University of Victoria in 1980. She would go on to complete an MFA there in 2019.
Career Munsil's play That Elusive Spark was a Governor General's Literary Award nominee for English-language drama at the 2014 Governor General's Awards."Thomas, Chafe on shortlists for Governor General's awards". Winnipeg Free Press, October 7, 2014. Her play Be Still was adapted by Elizabeth Lazebnik into the 2021 film Be Still.Mike Devlin, "Film about Victoria photographer premieres at Vancouver Film Festival" . Victoria Times-Colonist, September 29, 2021. Her other plays have included Emphysema (A Love Story),Martin Morrow, "Amusing drama leaves viewers smoking". Calgary Herald, February 2, 1997. Circus Fire,Adrian Chamberlain, "Circus catches fire in brilliant reworking". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 14, 2003. Influence,Adrian Chamberlain, "Stolen Greek sculptures inspire play; Victoria writer's Influence is intellectually rewarding; light entertainment it is not". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 6, 2011. I Have Seen Beautiful Jim Key,"Literate horse inspiration behind new play". Harbour City Star, February 8, 2013. Sveva,Katherine Mortimer, "Sveva takes the stage". Vernon Morning Star, October 22, 2017. Act of Faith,Danny Kai Mak, "Act of Faith takes an adept look at identity in the face of an unexplained healing" . The Georgia Straight, April 15, 2019. The Ugly Duchess,Liane Faulder, "More than meets the eye; Playwright traces the life of woman forced to fight the perception she was too ugly to rule". Edmonton Journal, May 20, 2021. and a stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Act of Faith is a mixed-ability play.
She was formerly the artistic director of Victoria's Intrepid Theatre and the Victoria Fringe Festival, until leaving these roles in 2016.Adrian Chamberlain, "Fringe artistic leader to quit". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 31, 2016. Munsil is also a theatre director. Her directorial credits include Twelfth Night with the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival in 2016, Born Yesterday with Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre in 2017, and the Canadian College of Performing Arts' 2019 production of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet).
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