Patricia Joudry (1921-2000) was a playwright and actor for radio. She wrote and starred in the weekly situation comedy series “Penny's Diary” on CFCF Radio (1941-42) and CBC Radio (1942-44). In 1945 Joudry won a four-year contract including co-writing the radio drama, “The Aldrich Family” from 1945–49. During her career, she wrote more than 300 plays, 250 of which were for radio broadcast. Her best known, play Teach Me How to Cry was first produced by CBC radio and television in 1953. It was well received off-Broadway in New York in 1955 and won the Dominion Drama Festival's best play award in 1956. Joudry became the first English-Canadian professional playwright to make a living from her writing in the 20th century. Later in 1958, it was retitled Noon Has No Shadows and was the first all-Canadian production to play the London West End. Universal International Pictures released a film version as The Restless Years the same year. In 1960 she became the first Canadian female playwright to be produced on Broadway when her drama Semi-Detached opened at the Martin Beck Theatre. Her farcical comedy Walk Alone Together, (retitled Will You Walk a Little Faster?) inspired by her experiences providing progressive education for her three daughters, won second prize in the 1959 STRATFORD FESTIVAL-Globe and Mail Playwriting Competition. It was also produced in the London West End, in 1960. At one point in her life, Joudry was earning one of the highest incomes for radio broadcasters in America. Her published works include two novels, The Dweller on the Threshold and The Selena Tree; two autobiographical books, And the Children Played and Spirit River to Angel’s Roost: Religions I Have Loved and Left.
In 1984 she discovered, with her daughter Rafaele, the value of sound therapy and wrote the original book on her discoveries: Sound Therapy for the Walkman. This book has now been updated and re-released with additions by her daughter. The new book is entitled: Sound Therapy: Music to Recharge your Brain. On top of being a self-proclaimed clairvoyant and a successful playwright and radio writer, Joudry held many positions in other industries throughout her career as an actress, television writer, theatrical producer, photographer, and model.
Portrait by Bernice B. Perry
