Siminovitch Prize winners Maiko Yamamoto and James Long on mentorship in Canadian theatre

The Siminovitch Prize, Canada's most prestigious prize in theatre, is awarded annually to a director, playwright or designer who's recognized for their leadership and innovation. Whoever wins the $100,000 prize gets to choose a protégé to share $25,000 of the money with.

This year, for the first time ever, the spotlight falls on a team: artistic directors Maiko Yamamoto and James Long of Vancouver's Theatre Replacement. Yamamoto and Long joined q's Tom Power from Vancouver to talk about what their big win means for them as well as for their protégé, actor and creator Conor Wylie.

Theatre Replacement's holiday pantomime, known as the East Van Panto, just opened last week at the York Theatre at The Cultch in Vancouver. It runs until Thursday, Jan. 5.

Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link near the top of this page to hear the full conversation with Maiko Yamamoto and James Long.

— Produced by Emma Godmere