The 2012 Dora Mavor Moore Awards were held last night at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. The Doras are held annually by TAPA to honour excellence in Toronto’s performing arts industry.
Hosted by Toronto musical theatre darling Thom Allison, fresh from his recent Broadway stint in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and current star of the Shaw Festival’s production of Ragtime, the Doras serve as Toronto theatre’s night out and a chance for the community to celebrate and honour its own.
While there was speculation that there would be many impassioned speeches referencing the recent dismissal of Factory Theatre Artistic Director Ken Gass by the theatre’s board, the tone of the evening stayed largely upbeat and celebratory. In fact, at one point in the evening, 2012 Pauline McGibbon Award-winner Ravi Jain literally had the audience screaming “JOY!”
And indeed, the theatre community has much reason to be joyful and to celebrate, it has been a banner year for theatre in Toronto and it seemed nearly every category was stacked with deserving nominees.
The major upset of the night came as Crash beat out the heavily favoured Kim’s Convenience in the Outstanding New Play category. Disappointingly, Kim’s Convenience, a runaway hit and favourite of many Toronto theatre-goers, was shut out of the awards this year.
The big winner of the night was Obsidian Theatre whose Topdog Underdog won three awards and whose co-production with Acting Up Stage Company, Caroline, or Change won four awards.
Mooney on Theatre would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners of the 2011 Dora Mavor Moore Awards:
GENERAL THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
- Topdog Underdog, Obsidian Theatre Company in association with the Shaw Festival
OUTSTANDING TOURING PRODUCTION
- Ride the Cyclone, Theatre Passe Muraille and Acting Up Stage Company
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
- Pamela Mala Sinha, Crash, Theatre Passe Muraille
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY / MUSICAL
- Philip Akin, Topdog Underdog, Obsidian Theatre Company in association with the Shaw Festival
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE
- Nigel Shawn Williams, Topdog Underdog, Obsidian Theatre Company in association with the Shaw Festival
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE
- Pamela Mala Sinha, Crash, Theatre Passe Muraille
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A FEATURED ROLE / ENSEMBLE
- The Ensemble,The Penelopiad, Nightwood Theatre
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
- Wilson Chin, A Florentine Tragedy / Gianni Schicchi, Canadian Opera Company production
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
- Costume Designer RAE SMITH, Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction ADRIAN KOHLER with BASIL JONES for HANDSPRING PUPPET COMPANY, War Horse, Bob Boyett, Tim Levy, National Theatre of Great Britain, David Mirvish
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
- Kimberly Purtell, Crash, Theatre Passe Muraille
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION
- Debashis Sinha, Crash, Theatre Passe Muraille
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
- Director of Movement and Horse Choreography TOBY SEDGWICK, War Horse, Bob Boyett, Tim Levy, National Theatre of Great Britain, David Mirvish
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION
- Reza Jacobs, Caroline, or Change, Acting Up Stage Company in association with Obsidian Theatre Company
OPERA DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
- Iphigenia in Tauris, Canadian Opera Company presents a co-productin of Lyric Opera Chicago, San Francisco Opera and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
- Susan Graham, Iphigenia in Tauris, Canadian Opera Company presents a co-productin of Lyric Opera Chicago, San Francisco Opera and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
- Caroline, or Change, Acting Up Stage Company in association with Obsidian Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL/OPERA
- Ana Sokolovic, SVADBA – Wedding, Queen of Puddings Music Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE
- Sterling Jarvis, Caroline, or Change, Acting Up Stage Company in association with Obsidian Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE
- Arlene Duncan, Caroline, or Change, Acting Up Stage Company in association with Obsidian Theatre Company
INDEPENDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
- The Ugly One, Theatre Smash
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY OR NEW MUSICAL
- Jules Lewis, Tomasso’s Party, Rooftop Creations
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
- Jennifer Brewin, The Story, Theatre Columbus
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE
- Richard Donat, His Greatness, independent Artists Repertory Theatre (iArt.)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE
- Astrid Van Wieren, This Wide Night, Mermaid Productions
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A FEATURED ROLE / ENSEMBLE
- The Ensemble, Morro And Jasp: Go Bake Yourself, U.N.I.T. Productions
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
- Camellia Koo, The Ugly One, Theatre Smash
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
- Astrid Janson, The Life and Times of Mackenzie King, VideoCabaret
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
- Andre du Toit, The Double, TheatreRUN
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION
- Gaishi Ishizaka, A Fool’s Life, Ahuri Theatre in association with Why Not Theatre
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
- Baobab, Young People’s Theatre presents Théâtre Motus and Sô Company (Mali)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
- Xin Wang, Sanctuary Song, Theatre Direct Canada
DANCE DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
- Dark Matters, a Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM production presented by Canadian Stage
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
- Lina Cruz/Fila 13 Productions, Soupe du Jour, princess productions
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
- The Ensemble, Klorofyl, Gadfly
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION
- Music composition and performance by Philippe Noireaut, Soupe du Jour, princess productions
The 2012 Pauline McGibbon Award
- Ravi Jain
The 2012 Silver Ticket Award
- Christopher House
- Richard Rose
- Leslie Lester
- Ruth Howard