Winners Announced for 44th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards
Recipients of the 43 award categories across 7 distinct divisions were selected by a panel of their peers.
By: A.A. Cristi Jun. 24, 2024
Tonight, the 44th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by The Romano D'Andrea Foundation, ceremony and award presentation hosted by Ryan G. Hinds with award-winning music director & composer Adam Sakiyama, occurred at the historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre. The celebration happened at 7:30 PM EST where the recipients of the 43 award categories across 7 distinct divisions were lauded by their peers.
Prior to the main event, a pre-show Red Carpet filled with guests was hosted by Lisa Marie Diliberto who provided remarkable entertainment. Special guests Mayor Olivia Chow and theatre legend Eric Peterson attended and presented the first awards in Canada's largest and oldest awards program, recognizing excellence in professional theatre, dance, and opera. The Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award and the Silver Ticket Award recipients were also recognized. The Dora Awards After-Party celebration commenced immediately after the awards ceremony in the unique Cascading Lobbies of the EWGTC. The evening rang out with razzle-dazzle entertainment.
The 44th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by Romano D'Andrea Foundation, produced and presented by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), had 228 total nominations and 197 eligible productions registered.
After 21 years of dedicated service, Dora Mavor Moore Awards Producer Jacoba Knaapen will step down at the end of December 2024. Jacoba's commitment to equity and inclusivity has been unwavering and led the DORAS to become the first professional theatre award show in Canada to make the ground-breaking change to gender-inclusive awards. This marked her final award show.
And the recipients of the 2024 Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by The Romano D'Andrea Foundation are:
An underline on multiple producer lists indicates the TAPA member(s) company.
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION RECIPIENTS
The recipients of Outstanding Production in each of the divisions are as follows:
General Theatre: Three Sisters, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company
Independent Theatre: Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre
Musical Theatre: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow's Theatre and The Musical Stage Company
Opera: Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago
Dance: Young, Gifted & Jazz, dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage
Theatre for Young Audiences: Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre
Touring Production: Pinocchio, Harbourfront Centre
GENERAL THEATRE DIVISION
There is a three-way tie in the General Theatre Division, with Three Sisters, Bad Roads, and The Master Plan each earning 3 awards.
Outstanding Production: Three Sisters, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company
Outstanding New Play: Michael Healey, The Master Plan, Crow's Theatre Company
Outstanding Direction: Andrew Kushnir, Bad Roads, Crow’s Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Amaka Umeh, Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Akosua Amo-Adem, Virgilia Griffith, Daren A. Herbert, Sterling Jarvis, JD Leslie, Tawiah M'Carthy, Ngabo Nabea, Oyin Oladejo, Tony Ofori, Makambe K. Simamba, Ordena Stephens-Thompson and Amaka Umeh,Three Sisters, Produced by Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company
Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design: Joshua Quinlan (Scenic) and Amelia
Scott (Projection), The Master Plan, Crow's Theatre Company
Outstanding Costume Design: Astrid Janson, Abby Esteireiro and Merle Harley, Mad Madge, Nightwood Theatre in association with VideoCabaret
Outstanding Lighting Design: Christian Horoszczak, Bad Roads, Crow’s Theatre Company
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Adrian Shepherd Gawinski (Sound Design) and Moneka Arabic Jazz Band (Composition), King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild, Soulpepper Theatre Company and TRIA Theatre co-production
INDEPENDENT THEATRE DIVISION
Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre, nominated for 5 Awards, leads the Independent Theatre Division with 2 Doras.
Outstanding Production: Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre
Outstanding New Play: Peter N. Bailey,Tyson's Song, Pleiades Theatre
Outstanding Direction: Jonathan Seinen, Access Me, Boys in Chairs Collective
Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Lindsey Middleton, Suddenly Last Summer, Riot King
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Conor Bradbury, Julian Frid, Victoria Laberge, Lowen Morrow, Seann Murray, Sharjil Rasool, Alec Toller, Jon Blair and Connor Low, SwordPlay, Sex T-Rex & Bad Dog Comedy Theatre
Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design: Steve Lucas and Rebecca Morris (scenic), Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre
Outstanding Costume Design: Nancy Anne Perrin, Bremen Town, Bremen Town Collective, in association with the Next Stage Festival
Outstanding Lighting Design: Raha Javanfar, (EVERYONE I LOVE HAS) A TERRIBLE FATE (BEFALL THEM), VideoCabaret in association with Crow's Theatre Company
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Nariman Eskandari and Goli Zarei, Voiceless, Veylān Film and Theatre Production
MUSICAL THEATRE DIVISION
Two productions took home Doras in the Musical Theatre Division. Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, presented by Crow's Theatre and The Musical Stage Company had the most nominations this year with 10 taps and earns 4 Dora Awards, followed by De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail presented by Soulpepper Theatre Company, receiving 2 Awards.
Outstanding Production: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow's Theatre and The Musical Stage Company
Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Damien Atkins, De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Rita Dottor, Donna Garner, Lawrence Libor, Marcus Nance, Heeyun Park, Andrew Penner, and Brendan Wall, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow's Theatre and The Musical Stage Company
Outstanding Creative Direction: Chris Abraham (Director), Ray Hogg (Choreographer) and Ryan deSouza (Musical Director), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow's Theatre and The Musical Stage Company
Outstanding Achievement in Design: Julie Fox and Joshua Quinlan (Scenic), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow's Theatre and The Musical Stage Company
SHARED BY MUSICAL THEATRE & OPERA DIVISIONS
Outstanding New Musical/New Opera: Gregory Prest, Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson, De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail, Soulpepper Theatre Company
OPERA DIVISION
There is a clean sweep in the Opera Division with Medea presented by the Canadian Opera Company in co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, receiving all the awards in the division.
Outstanding Production: Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago
Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Chiara Isotton, Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of Canadian Opera Company Chorus, Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago
Outstanding Musical Direction: Sir David McVicar (Director), Jo Meredith (Movement Director) and Lorenzo Passerini (Musical Director), Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago
Outstanding Achievement in Design: Sir David McVicar (Scenic), Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago
DANCE DIVISION
Nominated for 3 Dora’s each, both Young, Gifted & Jazz presented by dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage, and Cymatix (Citadel Spring Mix - Programme 1) presented by Citadel + Compagnie, take home 2 Dora Awards each.
Outstanding Production: Young, Gifted & Jazz, dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage
Outstanding Original Choreography: Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser, Cymatix (Citadel Spring Mix - Programme 1), Citadel + Compagnie
Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser, Cymatix (Citadel Spring Mix - Programme 1), Citadel + Compagnie
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Zhenya Cerneacov, Miyeko Ferguson, Jarrett Siddall, Lukas Malkowski, Sully Malaeb Proulx, Connor Mitton, Tyler Gledhill, and Natasha Poon Woo, The Man in Black (Living Dances), Citadel + Compagnie
Outstanding Original Sound Composition: Edgardo Moreno (Musician and Composer), NOMADA, Canadian Stage and DanceWorks present Uarhi Creations
Outstanding Achievement in Design: Alexa Belgrave (Sound), Young, Gifted & Jazz, dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION
Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre received 2 Dora Awards out of 5 nominations.
Outstanding Production: Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre
Outstanding New Play: Kanika Ambrose, Truth, Young People's Theatre
Outstanding Direction: Fiona Sauder and Matt Pilipiak, Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre
Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Jasmine Case, Truth, Young People's Theatre
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Parastoo Amanzadeh, Georgia Bennett, Shelayna Christante, Autumn Davis, Kevin Forster, 郝邦宇 Steven Hao, Melanie Leon, Annie Lujan, Izzi Nagel, Anthony Perpuse, and Daniel Yeh, Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre
Outstanding Achievement in Design: Anna Treusch (Scenic), The Fixing Girl, Young People's Theatre
TOURING DIVISION
The Outstanding Touring Production Dora was awarded to Pinocchio, Harbourfront Centre presents Teater Patrasket.
INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCE
The Outstanding Innovative Experience Dora was awarded to Benevolence Hall, Broadleaf Creative with Why Not Theatre and Toronto History Museums.
Jon Kaplan AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
The TAPA Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production, in honour of the beloved, long-time theatre critic Jon Kaplan and supported by nowToronto, was given out at the ceremony and selected by the general public via online vote. Presented with a commemorative plaque, the Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award winner is Woking Phoenix, a Theatre Passe Muraille and Silk Bath Collective co-production.
See the accompanying complete list of recipients. The full list is also available online at tapa.ca.
About the Dora Mavor Moore Awards
The Doras are named for Dora Mavor Moore (1888-1979), a well-loved teacher and director who helped establish Canadian professional theatre in the 1930s and 1940s. Recognizing the outstanding achievements in Toronto's performing arts industry, the Doras honour the creators of numerous theatre, dance and opera productions annually in the following divisions: General Theatre, Independent Theatre, Musical Theatre, Dance, Opera, Theatre for Young Audiences, Touring and Innovation. The Dora Awards became the first professional award show in Canada to be gender inclusive in 2019.
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards were founded on December 13, 1978, by a committee convened by Millie Drain. On that date, Drain and the other founders (Ann Antkiw, Ronald Bryden, Bill Glassco, Graham Harley, Leon Major, Sean Mulcahy, Peter Peroff, Heinar Piller, Susan Rubes, Pat Stewart and Sylvia Tucker), decided to institute an award to recognize outstanding achievements in Toronto theatre. Today, the Doras honour the creators and artists of theatre, dance and opera productions annually in 43 categories over 7 divisions.
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards are administered by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). In addition to the Doras, other programs and services provided by TAPA include: Annual Arts Day at the City, hipTIX (offering $10 tickets to students between the ages of 14 and 29), TAPA RBC Emerging Artists Mentorship Program (TREAM), the Ray Ferris Innovation and Sustainability Grant and the professional development TAPA Trade Series.
Comments
Videos