Pamela Gien is a renowned playwright and original performer, celebrated for her work on The Syringa Tree, which won the 2001 OBIE Award for Best Play and was nominated for the John Gassner Playwriting Award. As the original solo performer of The Syringa Tree in New York, she received the Outer Circle Critics Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance, and a Drama League Honour.
Gien's creative work has been recognized by Entertainment Weekly, who included her in their 2001 It List: 100 Most Creative Artists. She is also the author of The Syringa Tree novel, published by Random House in 2007, which was longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC Literary Award for Fiction 2008 and was a finalist for the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
The Syringa Tree, a fictional work inspired by two true incidents in Gien's early life, premiered at ACT Seattle and later moved to Off-Broadway. The play has been performed in various locations, including London's Royal National Theatre, Toronto's World's Festival, Los Angeles' Pasadena Playhouse and Canon Theatre, and Boston's American Repertory Theatre, where Gien won the Boston's Elliot Norton Award for Best Solo Performance.
Gien has also been honored to perform the play in her home country of South Africa at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town, where she was nominated for the Fleur du Cap Award, Best Solo Drama for The Syringa Tree. The original New York stage production was filmed for television, and the play has since been performed by numerous other artists, including Yanna McIntosh, Gin Hammond, Kate Blumberg, and Caroline Cave.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gien began her training at Rhodes University and graduated with a BAHonours cum laude in English and Dramatic Art from the University of the Witwatersrand. She received the Olive Schreiner Award and became the youngest winner of the DALRO Critics Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Helen Keller in William Gibson's world premiere of Monday after the Miracle.
Gien has had a successful career in television and film, with appearances in The Earthmover, Die Sandlopertjie, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Miser, as well as recurring and guest starring roles in various shows.
