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The Dora Mavor Moore Awards nominees for excellence in T.O.’s theatre, opera and dance were announced last week. As usual, among the deserving nominees there were plenty of bizarre omissions or strange trends. Although these categories won’t be announced at the big Dora bash June 23, here’s NOW’s list of Honorary Dora Awards.
The “I Guess It Directed Itself” Dora
Kelly Thornton, overlooked director of the immensely difficult-to-stage best new play nominee The Danish Play.
The “Cash Is the Best Revenge” Dora
Kelly Thornton, winner of the prestigious Pauline McGibbon Award for her directing, making her $7,000 richer. Take that, baby!
The “Gee, Do We Smell?” Dora
Theatre Passe Muraille, almost completely shut out for the second consecutive year. Runner up: Buddies in Bad Times.
The “Let’s Write Our Acceptance Speech Now” Dora
Little Mercy’s First Murder creators Morwyn Brebner, Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli, the only likely winners in a weaker-than-ever new musical category.
The “What the Fuck?” Dora
Tara Rosling, ignored for her amazing turn as a stripper in 1002 Nights. Runner-up: The Laramie Project, shut out.
The “Don’t Punish Us Because We’re Popular” Dora
Choreographers Matjash Mrozewski and Julia Sasso got swept off the dance-floor nominations even though Virgin Queen and Beauty were audience- and critic-pleasers.
The “It’s Nice Just to Be Nominated… Four Times” Dora
Morris Panych, for his deserved multiple nods as writer and director of Girl In The Goldfish Bowl and choreographer and director of Sweeney Todd.
The “We Go Both Ways” Dora
As predicted by NOW a couple of weeks ago, Matthew Edison copped a best new play nomination for his debut effort, The Domino Heart, as well as a featured acting nod for Proof. And in the Indie category, Mike McPhaden, Matthew MacFadzean and Eric Woolfe all got double writer/acting nods for their plays Poochwater, richardthesecond and Grendelmaus.
Nominees List of 2003 Dora Mavor Moore Awards
GENERAL THEATRE
Outstanding New Play
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl – Morris Panych
Russell Hill – Chris Earle
The Danish Play – Sonja Mills
The Domino Heart – Matthew Edison
Therac 25 – Adam Pettle
Outstanding New Musical
Assemblywomen! – Greg Robic
Little Mercy’s First Murder – Morwyn Brebner, Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli
Snappy Tales: Short Satirical Musicals – Allen Cole, J. Douglas Dodd, Stephen Eddins, Jim Kass and Vincent de Tourdonnet
Outstanding Production of a Play
A Chorus of Disapproval – Soulpepper Theatre Company
Absolutely Chekhov – Soulpepper Theatre Company
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl – Tarragon Theatre
Romeo/Juliet Remixed – Spark Productions Inc.
Russell Hill – Tarragon Theatre
The League of Nathans – Factory Theatre
Outstanding Production of a Musical
A Dixie Gospel – Brookstone Performing Arts
Little Mercy’s First Murder – Tarragon Theatre
Robin Hood – Ross Petty Productions
Snappy Tales: Short Satirical Musicals – Theatre Non Nobis
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Canstage
Outstanding Set Design
Ken MacDonald – Girl in the Goldfish Bowl
John Thompson – Little Mercy’s First Murder
John Thompson – Russell Hill
Peter Hartwell – The Beard of Avon
Astrid Janson – The Maids
Outstanding Costume Design
Arturo Brachetti – Arturo Brachetti
Rachel Ford – Romeo/Juliet Remixed
David Boechler – Swollen Tongues
Charlotte Dean – Tamara
Astrid Janson – The Maids
Outstanding Lighting Design
Michael Kruse – Alphonse
Kimberly Purtell – Chekhov’s Shorts
Andrea Lundy – Little Mercy’s First Murder
Arun Srinivasan – Romeo/Juliet Remixed
Andrea Lundy and Michelle Ramsay – Russell Hill
Wendy Greenwood – The League of Nathans
Paul Mathieson – The Maids
Paul Mathieson – Through the Eyes
Outstanding Direction of a Play
A Chorus of Disapproval – Albert Schultz
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl – Morris Panych
Russell Hill – Chris Abraham
The Miracle Worker – Leah Cherniak
Through the Eyes – Brian Quirt
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
A Dixie Gospel – Dennis Hassell
Little Mercy’s First Murder – Eda Holmes
Robin Hood – Jim Warren
Snappy Tales: Short Satirical Musicals – Vincent de Tourdonnet
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Morris Panych
Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role Musical
Kevin Aichele – A Dixie Gospel
Peter Millard – Little Mercy’s First Murder
Graham Abbey – Robin Hood
Paul McQuillan – Snappy Tales: Short Satirical Musicals
George Masswohl – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role Musical
Jeanine Noyes – A Dixie Gospel
Melody Johnson – Little Mercy’s
First Murder
Nora McLellan – Robin Hood
Barbara Barsky – Snappy Tales: Short Satirical Musicals
Fiona Reid – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Regan Thiel – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal
Role Play Ted Dykstra – A Chorus of Disapproval
John Jarvis – Girl in the Goldfish
Bowl Ari Cohen – Sunday Father
Stephen Ouimette – The Beard of Avon
Richard McMillan – Through the Eyes
Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role Play
Kristina Nicoll – Girl in the Goldfish Bowl
Kate Hennig – The Danish Play
Rosemary Dunsmore – The Domino Heart
Brooke Johnson – The Gwendolyn Poems
Mary Krohnert – The Miracle Worker
Outstanding Choreographer in a Play or Musical
Vivine Scarlett – In The Freedom of Dreams: The Story of Nelson Mandela
Eda Holmes and Jane Johanson – Little Mercy’s First Murder
Tracey Flye – Robin Hood
Nicola Pantin – Romeo/Juliet Remixed
Morris Panych – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Outstanding Touring Production
Contact – Mirvish Productions
La Bibliotheque – Harbourfront Centre and Carbone 14 (World Stage 14)
The Battle of Stalingrad: A requiem – Harbourfront Centre and Rezo Gabriadze Studio Theatre (2002 World Stage)
The Mysteries – Harbourfront Centre and Broomhil Opera and Wilton’s Music Hall (World Stage 14)
To The Wall – Theatre Passe Muraille
INDEPENDENT THEATRE
Outstanding New Play or Musical
Grendelmaus – Eric Woolfe
Mump and Smoot in “Flux” – Michael Kennard and John Turner
Orchidelirum – Dave Carley
Poochwater – Mike McPhaden
Richardthesecond – Matthew MacFadzean
Two Words For Snow – Richard Sanger
Outstanding Production
Two Words For Snow – Volcano
The Observation – DNA Theatre
Richardthesecond – players by nature
Poochwater – Poochwater Co-op
Mump and Smoot in “Flux” – Mump & Smoot
Outstanding Direction
Counterfeit Secrets – John Van Burek
Mump and Smoot in “Flux” – Karen Hines
Orchidelirium – Sue Miner
Othello – Michael Waller
Poochwater – Patrick Conner
Richardthesecond – Rebecca Brown
Outstanding Performance by a Male
Nigel Shawn Williams – Two Words For Snow
Matthew MacFadzean – richardthesecond
Mike McPhaden – Poochwater
Andrew Moodie – Othello
Eric Woolfe – Grendelmaus
Xuan Fraser – Counterfeit Secrets
Alex Poch Goldin – Bully
Outstanding Performance by a Female
Krista Sutton – This Could Be Love
Melyssa Ade – The Teenage Girl Diaries
Hazel Desbarats – The Sea
Dawn Greenhalgh – Counterfeit Secrets
Robin Schisler – Book of Days
Outstanding Set Design
David Wootton – William & James
Teresa Przybylski – Two Words For Snow
Tamara Kucheran – The Teenage Girl Diaries
DNA Theatre Company – The Observation
Brenda Guldenstein – Orchidelirium
Steve Lucas & Sherri Hay – Crimes
Outstanding Costume Design
Sarah Armstrong – William & James
Teresa Przybylski – Two Words For Snow
Tracey Glas – Trousseau/True Nature
Joanne Dente – Grendelmaus
Andjelija Djuric – Counterfeit Secrets
Outstanding Lighting Design
Bonnie Beecher – Two Words For Snow
Paul Mathiesen – Trousseau/True Nature
Bonnie Beecher – The Sea
Rebecca Picherack – richardthesecond
Michel Charbonneau – Mump and Smoot in “Flux”
Outstanding Sound Design/ Composition
Richard Feren – The Sea
Steve Marsh – The Observation
Iain Miller – richardthesecond
Terry Crack & Joe Mancuso – Crimes
Fides Krucker, Sageev Oore and Rick Sacks – A little rain never hurt no one…a cabaret
DANCE
Outstanding New Choreography
Alankar – Obiter Dictum – Natasha Bakht
Nuit blanche – Sylvie Bouchard and David Danzon
The Birds – Deborah Dunn The
Contract – James Kudelka
The Satie Project – Serge Bennathan
Outstanding Performance
Dancing Americas – Yvonne Ng
Motswa Hole – Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe
The Contract – Guillaume Côté
The Transparent Recital – Peggy Baker
The Satie Project – Dan Wild
The Satie Project – Carolyn Woods
OPERA
Outstanding Production of an Opera
Facing South – Tapestry New Opera works
Jenufa – Canadian Opera Company
Médée – Opera Atelier
Oedipus Rex with Symphony of Psalms – Canadian Opera Company
The Queen of Spades – Canadian Opera Company
Outstanding Performance in an Opera
Eva Urbanová – Jenufa
Michael Schade – Oedipus Rex with Symphony of Psalms
Ewa Podles – Oedipus Rex with Symphony of Psalms
Judith Forst – The Queen of Spades
Xiu Wei Sun – Madama Butterfly
TYA -THEATRE YOUNG AUDIENCES
Outstanding Production
I Met a Bully on the Hill – Theatre Direct Canada
Patty’s Cake – Carousel Players
Showdown – Mixed Company
The Princess and the Handmaiden- Leslie Arden’s The Children’s Trio
The Seven Ravens – Youtheatre
Outstanding Performance
Derek Scott – Dib and Dob & The Journey Home
Linda Carson – Patty’s Cake
Marjorie Chan – The Seven Ravens
Parveen Bakshi – The Firebird
Monica Dufault – Where The Wild Things Are
