The Toronto Theatre Report: 2024 TAPA’s Dora Award Winners Were Announced Last Night

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced the 44th annual Dora Award winners at a historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre ceremony on Monday, June 24. The wonderful Ryan G. Hinds, who I recently captivated the crowd at the Buddies in Bad Times 45th Anniversary celebration, hosted the ceremony along with award-winning music director & composer Adam Sakiyama, featuring musical guests and surprise presenters.

According to TAPA, there are 228 nominations in this year’s awards, as well as special citations including the Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award, the Silver Ticket Award, the Pauline McGibbon Award, the George Luscombe Mentorship Award, and the Ray Ferris Innovation and Sustainability Grant.

The winners in each category are notated below:

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION RECIPIENTS

The recipients of Outstanding Production in each of the divisions are as follows: 

General Theatre: Three Sisters, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company

Independent Theatre: Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre

Musical Theatre: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company

Opera: Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Dance: Young, Gifted & Jazz, dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage

Theatre for Young Audiences: Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre

Touring Production: Pinocchio, Harbourfront Centre

GENERAL THEATRE DIVISION 

There is a three-way tie in the General Theatre Division, with Three Sisters, Bad Roads, and The Master Plan each earning 3 awards.  

Outstanding Production: Three Sisters, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company

Outstanding New Play: Michael Healey, The Master Plan, Crow’s Theatre Company

Outstanding Direction: Andrew Kushnir, Bad Roads, Crow’s Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Amaka Umeh, Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Soulpepper Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Akosua Amo-Adem, Virgilia Griffith, Daren A. Herbert, Sterling Jarvis, JD Leslie, Tawiah M’Carthy, Ngabo Nabea, Oyin Oladejo, Tony Ofori, Makambe K. Simamba, Ordena Stephens-Thompson and Amaka Umeh, Three Sisters, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design: Joshua Quinlan (Scenic) and Amelia
Scott (Projection), The Master Plan, Crow’s Theatre Company

Outstanding Costume Design: Astrid Janson, Abby Esteireiro and Merle Harley, Mad Madge, Nightwood Theatre in association with VideoCabaret

Outstanding Lighting Design: Christian Horoszczak, Bad Roads, Crow’s Theatre Company

Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Adrian Shepherd Gawinski (Sound Design) and Moneka Arabic Jazz Band (Composition), King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild, Soulpepper Theatre Company and TRIA Theatre co-production

INDEPENDENT THEATRE DIVISION 

Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre, nominated for 5 Awards, leads the Independent Theatre Division with 2 Doras. 

Outstanding Production: Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre

Outstanding New Play: Peter N. Bailey, Tyson’s Song, Pleiades Theatre

Outstanding Direction: Jonathan Seinen, Access Me, Boys in Chairs Collective

Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Lindsey Middleton, Suddenly Last Summer, Riot King

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Conor Bradbury, Julian Frid, Victoria Laberge, Lowen Morrow, Seann Murray, Sharjil Rasool, Alec Toller, Jon Blair and Connor Low, SwordPlay, Sex T-Rex & Bad Dog Comedy Theatre

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design: Steve Lucas and Rebecca Morris (scenic), Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design: Nancy Anne Perrin, Bremen Town, Bremen Town Collective, in association with the Next Stage Festival

Outstanding Lighting Design: Raha Javanfar, (EVERYONE I LOVE HAS) A TERRIBLE FATE (BEFALL THEM), VideoCabaret in association with Crow’s Theatre Company 

Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Nariman Eskandari and Goli Zarei,  Voiceless, Veylān Film and Theatre Production

MUSICAL THEATRE DIVISION 

Two productions took home Doras in the Musical Theatre Division. Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, presented by Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company had the most nominations this year with 10 taps and earned 4 Dora Awards, followed by De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail presented by Soulpepper Theatre Company, receiving 2 Awards. 

Outstanding Production: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company

Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Damien Atkins, De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail, Soulpepper Theatre Company

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Rita Dottor, Donna Garner, Lawrence Libor, Marcus Nance, Heeyun Park, Andrew Penner, and Brendan Wall, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company

Outstanding Creative Direction: Chris Abraham (Director), Ray Hogg (Choreographer) and Ryan deSouza (Musical Director), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company

Outstanding Achievement in Design: Julie Fox and Joshua Quinlan (Scenic), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company

SHARED BY MUSICAL THEATRE & OPERA DIVISIONS 

Outstanding New Musical/New Opera: Gregory Prest, Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson, De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail, Soulpepper Theatre Company

OPERA DIVISION 

There is a clean sweep in the Opera Division with Medea presented by the Canadian Opera Company in co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, receiving all the awards in the division. 

Outstanding Production: Medea presented by the Canadian Opera Company in co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Chiara Isotton, Medea presented by the Canadian Opera Company in co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of Canadian Opera Company Chorus, Medea presented by the Canadian Opera Company in co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Outstanding Musical Direction: Sir David McVicar (Director), Jo Meredith (Movement Director) and Lorenzo Passerini (Musical Director), Medea presented by the Canadian Opera Company in co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

Outstanding Achievement in Design: Sir David McVicar (Scenic), Medea presented by the Canadian Opera Company in co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago

DANCE DIVISION 

Nominated for 3 Dora’s each, both Young, Gifted & Jazz presented by dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage, and Cymatix (Citadel Spring Mix – Programme 1) presented by Citadel + Compagnie, take home 2 Dora Awards each. 

Outstanding Production: Young, Gifted & Jazz, dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage

Outstanding Original Choreography: Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser, Cymatix (Citadel Spring Mix – Programme 1), Citadel + Compagnie

Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser, Cymatix (Citadel Spring Mix – Programme 1), Citadel + Compagnie

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Zhenya Cerneacov, Miyeko Ferguson, Jarrett Siddall, Lukas Malkowski, Sully Malaeb Proulx, Connor Mitton, Tyler Gledhill, and Natasha Poon Woo, The Man in Black (Living Dances), Citadel + Compagnie

Outstanding Original Sound Composition: Edgardo Moreno (Musician and  Composer), NOMADA, Canadian Stage and DanceWorks present Uarhi Creations

Outstanding Achievement in Design: Alexa Belgrave (Sound), Young, Gifted & Jazz, dance Immersion and Holla Jazz in association with Canadian Stage

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION 

Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre received 2 Dora Awards out of 5 nominations. 

Outstanding Production: Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre

Outstanding New Play: Kanika Ambrose, Truth, Young People’s Theatre

Outstanding Direction: Fiona Sauder and Matt Pilipiak, Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre

Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Jasmine Case, Truth, Young People’s Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Parastoo Amanzadeh, Georgia Bennett, Shelayna Christante, Autumn Davis, Kevin Forster, 郝邦宇 Steven Hao, Melanie Leon, Annie Lujan, Izzi Nagel, Anthony Perpuse, and Daniel Yeh, Storybook Search, Bad Hats Theatre presented by Harbourfront Centre

Outstanding Achievement in Design: Anna Treusch (Scenic), The Fixing Girl, Young People’s Theatre 

TOURING DIVISION 

The Outstanding Touring Production Dora was awarded to Pinocchio, Harbourfront Centre presents Teater Patrasket. 

INNOVATIVE EXPERIENCE 

The Outstanding Innovative Experience Dora was awarded to Benevolence Hall, Broadleaf Creative with Why Not Theatre, and Toronto History Museums. 

JON KAPLAN AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD 

The TAPA Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production, in honor of the beloved, long-time theatre critic Jon Kaplan and supported by nowToronto, was given out at the ceremony and selected by the general public via online vote. Presented with a commemorative plaque, the Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award winner is Woking Phoenix, a Theatre Passe Muraille and Silk Bath Collective co-production.

See the accompanying complete list of this year’s nominations, with winners in bold and with a 🏆 in front of their listing. The full list is also available online at tapa.ca.  

General Theatre Division

Outstanding Production
The Inheritance Part 1, Canadian Stage
Bad Roads, Crow’s Theatre
The Master Plan, Crow’s Theatre
Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Soulpepper Theatre Company
🏆 Three Sisters, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company

Outstanding New Play
Perceptual Archaeology (or How to Travel Blind)by Alex Bulmer, Crow’s Theatre and Fire and Rescue Team
Women of the Fur Trade by Frances Koncan, Native Earth Performing Arts in association with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre and Great Canadian Theatre 
🏆 The Master Plan by Michael Healey, Crow’s Theatre
Casey and Diana by Nick Green, Soulpepper Theatre Company and the Stratford Festival
King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild by Seth Bockley, Jesse LaVercombe, and Ahmed Moneka, Soulpepper Theatre Company and TRIA Theatre

Outstanding Direction
🏆 Bad Roads directed by Andrew Kushnir, Crow’s Theatre
The Inheritance Part 1 directed by Brendan Healy, Canadian Stage
The Master Plan directed by Chris Abraham, Crow’s Theatre
Sizwe Banzi is Dead directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, Soulpepper Theatre Company
King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild directed by Seth Bockley, Soulpepper Theatre Company and TRIA Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Individual
Ahmed Moneka in King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild, Soulpepper Theatre Company and TRIA Theatre
🏆 Amaka Umeh in Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Soulpepper Theatre Company
bahia watson in shaniqua in abstraction, Crow’s Theatre in association with paul watson productions and Obsidian Theatre Company
Damien Atkins in Here Lies Henry, Factory Theatre
Daniel MacIvor in The Inheritance Part 1, Canadian Stage
Mike Shara in The Master Plan, Crow’s Theatre
Sean Arbuckle in Casey and Diana, Soulpepper Theatre Company and the Stratford Festival
Walter Borden, The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time, a Tarragon Theatre/NAC production of the NAC/Neptune Theatre production

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble
Bad Roads, Crow’s Theatre
The Inheritance Part 1, Canadian Stage
The Inheritance Part 2, Canadian Stage
🏆 Three Sisters, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company
Wildwoman, Soulpepper Theatre Company

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design
A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney designed by Anahita Dehbonehie, Outside the March and Soulpepper Theatre Company
Three Sisters with set design by Joanna Yu, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company
🏆 The Master Plan with scenic design by Joshua Quinlan and projection design by Amelia Scott, Crow’s Theatre
Sizwe Banzi is Dead with scenic design by Ken MacKenzie, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Women of the Fur Trade with scenic design by Lauchlin Johnston and projection design by Candelario Andrade, Native Earth Performing Arts in association with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre and Great Canadian Theatre 

Outstanding Costume Design
🏆 Mad Madge with costumes by Astrid Janson, Abby Esteireiro, and Merle Harley, Nightwood Theatre in association with VideoCabaret
Wildwoman with costumes by Michelle Tracey, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Sizwe Banzi is Dead with costumes by Ming Wong, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Three Sisters with costumes by Ming Wong, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company
Women of the Fur Trade with costumes by Vanessa Imeson, Native Earth Performing Arts in association with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre and Great Canadian Theatre 

Outstanding Lighting Design
🏆 Bad Roads with lighting by Christian Horoszczak, Crow’s Theatre
The Master Plan with lighting by Kimberly Purtell, Crow’s Theatre
King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild with lighting by Lorenzo Savoini, Soulpepper Theatre Company and TRIA Theatre
A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney with lighting by Nick Blais, Outside the March and Soulpepper Theatre Company
Sizwe Banzi is Dead with lighting by Raha Javanfar, Soulpepper Theatre Company

Outstanding Sound Design/Composition
🏆 King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild with sound design by Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski and composition by Moneka Arabic Jazz Band, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and TRIA Theatre
Three Sisters with sound design and composition by John Gzowski and Adekunle, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company
Sizwe Banzi is Dead designed by Richard Feren, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Bad Roads designed by Thomas Ryder Payne, Crow’s Theatre
Monster designed by Thomas Ryder Payne, Factory Theatre

Independent Theatre Division

Outstanding Production
Bremen Town, Bremen Town Collective in association with Next Stage Festival
🏆 Appropriate, Coal Mine Theatre
Prophecy Fog, Coal Mine Theatre in association with Paper Canoe Projects
Tyson’s Song, Pleiades Theatre
(Everyone I Love Has) A Terrible Fate (Befall Them), VideoCabaret

Outstanding New Play
Access Me by Andrew Gurza, Ken Harrower, Frank Hull, Debbie Patterson, Brian Postalian, and Jonathan Seinen, Boys in Chairs Collective
(Everyone I Love Has) A Terrible Fate (Befall Them) by Cliff Cardinal, VideoCabaret
Bremen Town by Gregory Prest, Bremen Town Collective in association with Next Stage Festival
Voiceless by Payam Saeedi, Veylān Film and Theatre Productions
🏆 Tyson’s Song by Peter N. Bailey, Pleiades Theatre

Outstanding Direction
Tyson’s Song directed by Ash Knight, Pleiades Theatre
Prophecy Fog directed by Franco Boni, Coal Mine Theatre in association with Paper Canoe Projects
Bremen Town directed by Gregory Prest, Bremen Town Collective in association with Next Stage Festival
🏆 Access Me directed by Jonathan Seinen, Boys in Chairs Collective
Heroes of the Fourth Turning directed by Philip Akin, Howland Company and Crow’s Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Individual
Aida Keykhaii in Earworm, Nowadays Theatre in association with Crow’s Theatre
Beatriz Pizano in On the Other Side of the Sea, Aluna Theatre
Cliff Cardinal in (Everyone I Love Has) A Terrible Fate (Befall Them), VideoCabaret
Eric Woolfe in MacBeth: “A Tale Told by an Idiot,” Eldritch Theatre
Jani Lauzon in Prophecy Fog, Coal Mine Theatre in association with Paper Canoe Projects
Kyle Brown in Tyson’s Song, Pleiades Theatre
🏆 Lindsey Middleton in Suddenly Last Summer, Riot King

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble
Access Me, Boys in Chairs Collective
Bremen Town, Bremen Town Collective in association with Next Stage Festival
Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Howland Company, and Crow’s Theatre
🏆 SwordPlay, Sex T-Rex, and Bad Dog Comedy Theatre
The Two Noble Kinsmen, Shakespeare BASH’d

Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design
Tyson’s Song with design by Anahita Dehbonehie, Pleiades Theatre
Quartet with scenic design by Eija Loponen-Stephenson, Sebastian Marziali, Silvae Mercedes, and Harri Thomas and projection design by Sebastian Marziali, Silvae Mercedes, and Harri Thomas, Other Hearts in association with VideoCabaret
MacBeth: “A Tale Told by an Idiot” with scenic design by Melanie McNeill, Eldritch Theatre
The Effect with scenic design by Nick Blais and projection design by Jack Considine, Coal Mine Theatre
🏆 Appropriate with scenic design by Steve Lucas and Rebecca Morris, Coal Mine Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design
Appropriate with costume design by Des’ree Gray, Coal Mine Theatre
Tyson’s Song with costume design by Des’ree Gray, Coal Mine Theatre
Heartless with costume design by Kalina Popova, Favour the Brave Collective
MacBeth: “A Tale Told by an Idiot” with costume design by Melanie McNeill, Eldritch Theatre
🏆 Bremen Town with costume design by Nancy Anne Perrin, Bremen Town Collective in association with Next Stage Festival

Outstanding Lighting Design
Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches with lighting by Bonnie Beecher, That Theatre Company
The Tempest with lighting by Michelle Ramsay, Theatre Rusticle
🏆 (Everyone I Love Has) A Terrible Fate (Befall Them) with lighting by Raha Javanfar, VideoCabaret
Appropriate with lighting by Steve Lucas, Coal Mine Theatre
On the Other Side of the Sea with lighting by Trevor Schwellnus, Aluna Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design/Composition
(Everyone I Love Has) A Terrible Fate (Befall Them) designed by Alex Williams, VideoCabaret
Appropriate designed by Deanna Choi and Michael Wanless, Coal Mine Theatre
The Effect designed by James Smith, Coal Mine Theatre
🏆 Voiceless designed by Nariman Eskandari and Goli Zarei, Veylān Film and Theatre Productions
Bremen Town designed by Tatjana Cornij, Bremen Town Collective in association with Next Stage Festival

Musical Theatre Division

Outstanding Production
Holiday! An Improvised Musical, Bad Dog Theatre Company
🏆 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
Universal Child Care, Quote Unquote Collective commissioned by BroadStage, in association with Nightwood Theatre, Why Not Theatre, and the NAC Creation Fund, presented by Canadian Stage
De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Kelly v. Kelly, Musical Stage Company in association with Canadian Stage

Outstanding Performance by an Individual
Camille Eanga-Selenge in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
🏆 Damien Atkins in De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Danielle Wade in Chris, Mrs., Boldly Productions
Divine Brown in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
Eva Foote in Kelly v. Kelly, Musical Stage Company in association with Canadian Stage
Evan Buliung in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
Hailey Gillis in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
Jessica Sherman in Kelly v. Kelly, Musical Stage Company in association with Canadian Stage

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble
Holiday! An Improvised Musical, Bad Dog Theatre Company
Kelly v. Kelly, Musical Stage Company in association with Canadian Stage
🏆 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
The Guide to Being Fabulous, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Universal Child Care, Quote Unquote Collective commissioned by BroadStage, in association with Nightwood Theatre, Why Not Theatre, and the NAC Creation Fund, presented by Canadian Stage

Outstanding Creative Direction
Universal Child Care with direction by Amy Nostbakken (director), Orian Michaeli (choreographer), and Alex Samaras (musical director), Universal Child Care, Quote Unquote Collective commissioned by BroadStage, in association with Nightwood Theatre, Why Not Theatre, and the NAC Creation Fund, presented by Canadian Stage
🏆 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 with direction by Chris Abraham (director), Ray Hogg (choreographer), and Ryan deSouza (musical director), Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail with direction by Gregory Prest (director), Indrit Kasapi (movement director), and Mike Ross (musical director), Soulpepper Theatre Company
Holiday! An Improvised Musical with direction by Jan Caruana (director) and Scott Christian (musical director), Bad Dog Theatre Company
Kelly v. Kelly with direction by Tracey Fiye (director and choreographer), Lynne Shankel (music supervisor), and Jonathan Corkal-Astorga (musical director), Musical Stage Company in association with Canadian Stage

Outstanding Achievement in Design
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 with scenic design by Julie Fox and Joshua Quinlan, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
🏆 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 with lighting design by Kimberly Purtell, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company
De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail with lighting design by Lorenzo Savoini, Soulpepper Theatre Company
De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail with scenic design by Lorenzo Savoini, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 with sound design by Ryan Borshuk, Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company

Outstanding New Musical/New Opera
Universal Child Care, Quote Unquote Collective commissioned by BroadStage, in association with Nightwood Theatre, Why Not Theatre, and the NAC Creation Fund, presented by Canadian Stage
Kelly v. Kelly, Musical Stage Company in association with Canadian Stage
🏆 De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Pomegranate, Canadian Opera Company and Vancouver Opera
Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, Volcano in association with the Canadian Opera Company, Moveable Beast, and Soulpepper Theatre Company, co-presented by Luminato and TO Live

The 44th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by Romano D’Andrea Foundation, produced and presented by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), had 228 total nominations and 197 eligible productions registered. 

Prior to the main event, a pre-show Red Carpet filled with guests was hosted by Lisa Marie Diliberto who provided remarkable entertainment. Special guests Mayor Olivia Chow and theatre legend Eric Peterson attended and presented the first awards in Canada’s largest and oldest awards program, recognizing excellence in professional theatre, dance, and opera. The Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award and the Silver Ticket Award recipients were also recognized. The Dora Awards After-Party celebration commenced immediately after the awards ceremony in the unique Cascading Lobbies of the EWGTC. The evening rang out with razzle-dazzle entertainment. 

After 21 years of dedicated service, Dora Mavor Moore Awards Producer Jacoba Knaapen will step down at the end of December 2024. Jacoba’s commitment to equity and inclusivity has been unwavering and led the DORAS to become the first professional theatre award show in Canada to make the ground-breaking change to gender-inclusive awards. This marked her final award show.