AMPD faculty and grads recognized with 2018-19 Dora Award nominations

Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Dora Mavor Moore Awards are Canada’s longest-running professional theatre, dance and opera awards. The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts rolls out the red carpet Tuesday, June 25 at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and faculty and alumni from the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the hottest shows in Toronto last season.

Notably, this is the first year that gender-neutral performance Dora Awards will be given out. This trailblazing policy removes the binary male and female designations in favour of gender-inclusive Outstanding Lead/Featured/Individual Performance categories as applicable.

Here is a summary of the York University faculty and grads who are among the 2019 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominees.

General Theatre Division

Outstanding Costume Design
• Gillian Gallow (BFA '04), Orlando
• Joanna Yu (BFA '07), School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play
• Michelle Tracey (BFA '13), Wedding at Aulis

Outstanding Lighting Design
• Michelle Ramsay (BFA '97), The Royale

Outstanding Direction
• Mumbi Tindyebwa (BA '10), Oraltoria
• Nina Lee Aquino, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play

Independent Theatre Division

Outstanding New Play
• Meegwun Fairbrother (BFA '09), Isitwendam

Outstanding Performance of an Individual
• Meegwun Fairbrother (BFA '09), Isitwendam

Outstanding Performance of an Ensemble
• Andrea Carter (BFA '14), Alicia Richardson (MFA '15), Chelsea Russell (BFA '16), Leighton Alexander Williams (BFA '15) among others, Judas Noir
• Brefny Caribou (MFA '17), Eric Rich (BFA '13), Amanda Cordner (BA ' 11) among others, Writing the Roses
• Nathan Redburn (BFA '17) among others, Eraser
• M. John Kennedy (BA '02) among others, Ugly Duckthing

Outstanding Scenic/Production Design
• Gillian Gallow (BFA '04), scenic design, The Runner
• Melissa Joakim (BFA '09) with one other, projection design, Isitwendam
• Michelle Tracey(BFA '13), scenic design, The Scavenger’s Daughter
• Wesley McKenzie (BFA '14), production design, The Scavenger’s Daughter

Opera Division

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design
• Jason Hand (BFA ’05), scenic design, Kopernikus

Outstanding Lighting Design
• Jason Hand (BFA ’05), Kopernikus

Musical Theatre Division

Outstanding Original Choreography
• Viv Moore (BFA '90), Under the Stairs

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design
• Teresa Przbylski (faculty), scenic design, Under the Stairs

Outstanding Lighting Design
• Jason Hand (BFA ’05), Mary Poppins
• Michelle Ramsay (BFA '97), Under the Stairs

Theatre for Young Audiences Division

Outstanding New Play
• Sadie Epstein-Fine (BA '16) and Nathan Redburn (BFA '17) among other company members, Eraser

Outstanding Direction
• Sadie Epstein-Fine (BA '16) with one other, Eraser
• Dahlia Katz (BA ’05), M. John Kennedy (BA '02), A Merry Munsch Pyjama Party!
• Michael Kelly (faculty), Suddenly Shakespeare

Outstanding Performance of an Individual
• Alexandra Montagnese (MFA '17), Suddenly Shakespeare

Outstanding Performance of an Ensemble
• Christopher Allen (BFA '16) and Soo Garay (MFA '15) among others, Antigone

Outstanding Achievement in Design
• Puppetry Design: Dahlia Katz (BA ’05), Alex in Wonderland

Dance Division

Outstanding Original Choreography
• Santee Smith (MA ’04) with others, Blood Tides

Outstanding Performance of an Individual
• Andrea Nann (BFA ’88), A Crazy Kind of Hope (All of Our Dreaming)
• Andrea Nann (BFA ’88), In a Landscape (All of Our Dreaming)

Outstanding Performance of an Ensemble
• Santee Smith (MA ’04) with others, Blood Tides
• Denise Solleza (BFA ’13) with others, No Woman’s Land
• Valerie Calam (MFA ’14) with others, This Shape, We Are In
• Nicole Rose Bond (BFA ’05) with others, who we are in the dark

Outstanding Sound Design
• Thomas Ryder Payne (BA ’95), No Woman’s Land

Outstanding Lighting Design
• Arun Srinivasan (BFA ’94), No Woman’s Land