We’ve just wrapped up a strong performing arts season, and that’s reflected in this morning’s Dora Award nominations. I can’t remember a year when there’s been so many worthy nominees in each category. Still….
Here’s my response to the Dora nominations:
1. The Where Is Canadian Stage? Dora
Has there ever been a year when one of the biggest companies in the city has been shut out of the general theatre categories? Sure, CanStage got acknowledged in the dance category for Vuyani Dance Theatre’s Dominion. But nothing for Molly Parker (Harper Regan) or Tamsin Kelsey (The Other Place)?
2. The We Miss The Supporting Acting Categories Dora
It’s wonderful that the very deserving Susan Gilmour (The Wild Party), Jacob MacInnis (James And The Giant Peach) and Juan Chioran (The Motherfucker With The Hat) were nominated for non-lead roles in their shows. If only super supporting performances by Bahareh Yaraghi (Blood Wedding), Philip Riccio (Harper Regan) and Stephen Guy-McGrath (Once) could have been acknowledged, as well.
3. The Dilworth Dora
Rising star Alan Dilworth has directed some of the best productions in the past decade. He’s singled out this year for wrangling Soulpepper’s Twelve Angry Men, but he did equally fine work helming The De Chardin Project.
Twelve Angry Men, directed by Alan Dilworth, won over the Dora jury.
4. The True Or False Dora
Why no love for Rosa Laborde’s play True? It was one of last season’s strongest scripts, received a burnished production and featured haunting performances by its ensemble, particularly from Layne Coleman.
5. The We Have Some Of The Best Actors In The Country Dora
When you have nominated performances by Kawa Ada (Accidental Death Of An Anarchist), Kevin Hanchard (The Mountaintop), Fiona Reid (Vanya And Sonia And Masha And Spike), Maev Beaty (The De Chardin Project), Nicky Guadagni (Hooked), Sergio DiZio (The Motherfucker With The Hat), Irene Poole (How Do I Love Thee?), Deborah Drakeford (Moment), Raoul Bhaneja (Life, Death And The Blues), Beatriz Pizano (Blood Wedding), Trish Lindström (Once) and Dan Chameroy and Daren A. Herbert (The Wild Party), you know you’re doing something right.
Dora-nominated Deborah Drakeford (right) is in the Moment.
6. The Wherefore Art thou National Ballet of Canada Dora
No nominations for the country’s biggest ballet company?
7. The Better Late Than Never Dora
Director Robert Lepage and designer Michael Levine’s internationally acclaimed production of Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung has been around for decades, but I suppose there weren’t opera categories at the Doras back in the 1990s.
8. The multitasking Dora
Kudos to Christopher Stanton for getting nominations for directing (Moment) and sound design/composition (Monday Nights). And Beatriz Pizano got recognized for her acting (Blood Wedding) and writing (What I Learned From A Decade Of Fear along with Trevor Schwellnus and Lyon Smith)
9. The How Much Came From Germany Dora
I adored Richard Rose’s production of An Enemy Of The People, nominated for six Doras, including director and production. But director Rose himself has admitted that he worked from the production by Germany’s Thomas Ostermeier, adapted from the Ibsen by Florian Borchmeyer (and then translated for the Tarragon by Maria Milisavljevic).
[UPDATE: as reported in The Globe And Mail, Rose has declined his Dora nomination for director, which was largely a re-creation of the original direction by German director Thomas Ostermeier for Berlin’s Schaubühne Theatre]
10. The Motherfucking Backlash Dora
The indie theatre Dora jurors acknowledged two of the actors in Bob Kills Theatre’s incendiary production of Stephen Adly Guirgis’s The Motherfucker With The Hat. But yo, it didn’t direct itself, ya know? Layne Coleman did. Similarly, why no love for Crow’s Theatre’s production of The Seagull, even in the design categories? And it’s disappointing to see two Red One Theatre productions of fiercely difficult works left unacknowledged: Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and The Skriker (a co-pro with Theatre Brouhaha).
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards, hosted by Gavin Crawford, take place June 22, at Harbourfront Centre. Special awards will presented to dance legend Peggy Baker (George Luscombe Award), administrator Sue Edworthy (Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award) and rising director Mumbi Tindyebwa (Pauline McGibbon Award). Tickets $15-$175. 416-973-4000.
