Joan Orenstein


Joan Orenstein was a British-born Canadian actress, primarily on stage, although she performed in other media. One of her best-known roles was in the 1997 film The Hanging Garden as the dotty old grandmother, Grace.

Acting career

Joan Travell was born in 1923 in London, and emigrated to Canada in the 1940s after World War II.
She acted across Canada but mostly acted for Halifax's Neptune Theatre. She also performed lead roles on most of the major Canadian stages, including the Centaur Theatre, the National Arts Centre, the Belfry Theatre, the Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Calgary, the Shaw Festival, the Canadian Stage and the Manitoba Theatre Centre. She also performed on television, in film, on radio and in the recording industry.

Family

She was married to Henry Orenstein, an artist and CBC production designer. They had five daughters, including actress Sarah Orenstein, a Dora Award winner, dancer Cia Tweel, designer Edie Orenstein, flutist Ruth Orenstein

Awards

Atlantic Film Festival