Jack Paterson Theatre

“This is the magic of theatre” – Jerry Wasserman, The Province

The John Moffat & Larry Lillo Award is presented to an outstanding West Coast theatre artist for a project, a course of study or to fulfill their hearts desire.

This award commemorates John and Larry – two integral members of the Vancouver theatre community who were prodigiously talented artists and lovers of life and were sadly taken by the AIDS pandemic. Both men were recipients of numerous Jessie Richardson Awards, John for his work as an actor, Larry for his work as a director.

Larry Lillo was co-founder, director and actor with Tamahnous Theatre (1971-81); artistic director, Grand Theatre, London (1986), and Vancouver Playhouse (1988-93). Among the many new Canadian works he directed were Sharon Pollock’s The Komagata Maru Incident, and John Gray’s Rock and Roll and Health, the Musical. Mr. Lillo died in 1993, at age 47.

His partner, John Moffat, was an award winning actor known for his work in such productions as Bent (The Arts Club), Michel Marc Bouchard’s Lillies (Arts Club Theatre, PI Theare & Touchstone Theatre). Mr. Moffat died in 1995 in Vancouver, at age 39.