Aluna’s Blood Wedding & Canadian Opera Company’s Falstaff win big at 36th Dora Awards
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards ceremony is the Toronto theatre community’s big night out to celebrate its own. This year the ceremony was hosted by comedian Gavin Crawford, who kept the pace swift and generally killed it with his material, injecting his wry observations throughout the proceedings. His opening musical song and dance number as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was a riot.
The big winners of the night included Modern Times Stage Company and Aluna Theatre’s Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre) which took home six Doras in the Independent Theatre category, the Canadian Opera Company’s productions of Falstaff, which walked away with five trophies, and Die Walküre which won three in the Opera division as well as Mirvish’s production of Once which also picked up three awards in the Musical Theatre division.
In a surprise win, Sheridan College’s ambitious immersive musical theatre production Brantwood took home the Audience Choice Award, an award that usually goes to popular, big-budget commercial theatre shows, thanks in no small part to a social media campaign spearheaded by the Torontoist’s Steve Fisher.
The best acceptance speech and the emotional highlight of the evening was given by Kawa Ada after winning the Dora for Outstanding Performance – Male in the General Theatre division for his performance in Soulpepper’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist. An overjoyed Ada closed his speech by saying “It’s possible for a little gay boy from Afghanistan who began with Bollywood to become a leading man… Don’t let them tell you that you are too gay or too brown, it is possible.” To the growing ovation of the audience Ada concluded, “Thank you to this community for fighting for diversity on these stages because it is the right thing to do.”
It’s a beautiful sentiment that captures the spirit of the Toronto theatre community that the Doras set out to honour.
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners! Here’s a full list of all the winners, with links to our reviews for easy reference:
GENERAL THEATRE DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
Accidental Death of an Anarchist; Soulpepper Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Hannah Moscovitch; Infinity; Tarragon Theatre, a co-production with Volcano Theatre
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
Eda Holmes; Tom at the Farm; Buddies In Bad Times Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – MALE
Kawa Ada; Accidental Death of an Anarchist; Soulpepper Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – FEMALE
Nicky Guadagni; Hooked; Theatre Passe Muraille
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Twelve Angry Men; Soulpepper Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN
Börkur Jónsson; The Heart of Robin Hood; David Mirvish, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Barry and Fran Weissler
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Astrid Jansen; Trudeau and Lévesque; VideoCabaret in association with Soulpepper Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
André Du Toit; Take Me Back To Jefferson; Theatre Smith-Gilmour in association with Factory Theatre
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION
Original sound poetry/composition: Rafael Barreto-Rivera, Paul Dutton, Steve McCaffery & bpNichol. Additional sound design/ creation: Bill Brennan, Graham Hargrove, John Millard and the cast; The Four Horsemen Project; Volcano, Crooked Figure Dances, and Global Mechanic in partnership with Soulpepper Theatre Co.
INDEPENDENT THEATRE DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre) a Modern Times Stage Company/Aluna Theatre co-production
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Jordan Tannahill; Concord Floral; Suburban Beast in association with Why Not Theatre
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
Soheil Parsa; Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre); a Modern Times Stage Company/Aluna Theatre co-production
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – MALE
Sergio DiZio; The Motherfucker With the Hat; Bob Kills Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – FEMALE
Beatriz Pizano; Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre); a Modern Times Stage Company/Aluna Theatre co-production
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Mouthpiece; Quote Unquote Collective in association with Why Not Theatre
OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN
Trevor Schwellnus; Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre); a Modern Times Stage Company/Aluna Theatre co-production
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Angela Thomas; Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre); a Modern Times Stage Company/Aluna Theatre co-production
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Trevor Schwellnus; Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre); a Modern Times Stage Company/Aluna Theatre co-production
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION
Composer: Amy Nostbakken; Sound Designer: James Bunton; Mouthpiece; Quote Unquote Collective in association with Why Not Theatre
MUSICAL THEATRE DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
Once; David Mirvish in association with Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr, Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo
OUTSTANDING TOURING PRODUCTION (open to General Theatre & Musical Theatre/ Opera)
Kiss & Cry; Charleroi Danses presented by Canadian Stage
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – MALE
Daren A. Herbert; The Wild Party; Acting Up Stage Company in association with Obsidian Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – FEMALE
Trish Lindström; Once; David Mirvish in association with Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr, Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Once; David Mirvish in association with Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr, Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo
MUSICAL THEATRE / OPERA DIVISION
OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL/OPERA
Mike Ross/ Albert Schultz; Spoon River; Soulpepper Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
Atom Egoyan; Die Walküre; A Canadian Opera Company Production
OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN
Paul Steinberg; Falstaff; COC co-production with Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Teatro alla Scala; Metropolitan Opera and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Brigitte Reiffenstuel; Falstaff; COC co-production with Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Teatro alla Scala; Metropolitan Opera and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
David Finn; Die Walküre; A Canadian Opera Company Production
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Stephanie Graham; The Wild Party; Acting Up Stage Company in association with Obsidian Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION
Mike Ross; Spoon River; Soulpepper Theatre Company
OPERA DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
Falstaff; COC co-production with Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Teatro alla Scala; Metropolitan Opera and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – MALE
Gerald Finley; Falstaff; COC co-production with Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Teatro alla Scala; Metropolitan Opera and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – FEMALE
Christine Goerke; Die Walküre; A Canadian Opera Company Production
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Falstaff; COC co-production with Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Teatro alla Scala; Metropolitan Opera and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
Beneath the Banyan Tree; Theatre Direct
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Created by Beau Dixon, Lyrics and Music by Susan Newman and Rob Fortin; Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story; Firebrand Theatre
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
Lynda Hill; Beneath the Banyan Tree; Theatre Direct
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – INDIVIDUAL
Beau Dixon; Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story; Firebrand Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Beneath the Banyan Tree; Theatre Direct
DANCE DIVISION
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
So Blue; Luminato presents So Blue Produced by Fou Glorieux. Co-Produced by the Festival TransAmeriques, Tanzhaus nrw, Theatre de la Ville, Hellerau and National Arts Centre
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
James Kudelka; #lovesexbrahms (Intermezzi); Art of Time Ensemble in association with Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – MALE
Vincent Mansoe; NTU (DW208); DanceWorks
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – FEMALE
Caroline Fraser; Skills & Soul Battles (TUDS); Gadfly
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of This Is a Costume Drama; Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage presents The Deitrich Group
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN/COMPOSITION
new arrangement Nicolás Hernádez after Nicolás Hernández and Jose Luis Valle “Chuscales”; Pueblo (Letters to Spain); Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Simon Rossiter; #lovesexbrahms (Intermezzi); Art of Time Ensemble in association with Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie
The 2015 Pauline McGibbon Award for excellence in an early arts career was given to Mumbi Tindyebwa, The George Luscombe Award for Mentorship went to Peggy Baker, and Sue Edworthy recieved the Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for administrative excellence.
Photo of Gavin Crawford by Wayne Leung