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.
School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh (Obsidian Theatre/Nightwood Theatre)
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
Isitwendam (An Understanding) by Meegwun Fairbrother (Native Earth/Bound to Create) photo by Joe Bucci
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
Eraser, created by the company (Eraser Theatre/RISER Project). Photo by Sam Gaetz
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
Blood Tides (DanceWorks/Kaha:Wi Dance Theatre)
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