Alderville First Nation singer-songwriter Cale Crowe and Cobourg playwright Genevieve Adam have won the 2026 Carol Bolt Award for their original musical, Rez Gas.
The Playwrights Guild of Canada presented the $5,000 award Oct. 26 at its annual Tom Hendry Awards in Toronto. The honour recognizes an outstanding script for a recently premiered play.
Rez Gas made its world premiere at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre in 2025. The musical will return to the Capitol’s mainstage Aug. 20 to Sept. 5, 2027, before heading to the National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre in Ottawa for a two-week run that fall.
The hip-hop-infused production follows a young man who returns to his home reserve after pursuing a music career, only to reconnect with the people and community he left behind.
Crowe composed the music, while Adam wrote much of the script, with the pair collaborating on the characters and storyline. The musical was developed through the Capitol’s Creators’ Unit, established to support Canadian creators, particularly local and regional voices.
The production was one of three finalists for the award. Capitol artistic director Rob Kempson says the recognition reflects the importance of the uniquely Canadian musical.
(Richard Evans)
