Irene Sankoff

IRENE SANKOFF is the Olivier-award winning, Tony and Grammy nominated, Canadian writer for theatre, television and film. She is best known for co-creating the worldwide award-winning hit musical Come From Away, which is currently playing around the world and on AppleTV+.

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 ComeFrom 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 is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, the Writers Guild and ASCAP. 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.