Book, Music, and Lyrics, Come From Away
Irene Sankoff is an Olivier Award–winning, Tony- and Grammy-nominated Canadian writer for theatre, television and film. Her first show, written with husband David Hein, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, won Best Musical awards across North America, with Sankoff and Hein performing in many productions. Irene has worked with Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros, HBO, and the CW and is currently developing projects for the stage and screen. Irene grew up in Toronto as a dancer/actor and has performed on stage, film and television in many projects, including The Mousetrap and Zero Hour: The Last Hour of Flight 11, one of the History Channel’s highest-rated productions, as well as in Come From Away at the National Arts Centre in Canada. She holds a BFA in creative writing/ psychology, a Masters in Acting from the Actors Studio, and two honorary doctorates from Pace and Memorial Universities. She has been honored with Four Freedoms Good Neighbor Award and the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada which recognizes Canadians’ exceptional accomplishments. She has worked extensively with children on the autism spectrum and with developmental differences, and she is an outspoken advocate for civil and animal rights.