Performance Alumni & Faculty Nominated for 2025 Dora Mavor Moore Awards
At a press conference held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) (external link) announced nominations for the 45th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards, now known as the Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by the Romano D'Andrea Foundation.
Graduates across Acting, Dance, and Design and Production are represented among the nominee lists alongside multiple Performance faculty members.
Performance at The Creative School is proud to have such a vibrant community of artists who are well distinguished in their achievements across the Toronto performing arts scene.
Pauline McGibbon Award Recipient
Sophie Moynan (Performance Design and Production Alum) a production craftsperson who specializes in props and costuming, is the recipient of the 2025 Pauline McGibbon Award. (external link)
This award is presented to an Ontario-resident professional artist in the early stages of their career who has contributed to the well-being of Ontario’s theatre community, displays unique talent, and has the potential for excellence.
Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award Recipient
Adina Herling Davids (Performance Dance Alum) is the recipient of the 2025 Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award
This bi-annual award recognizes the important work of theatre, dance and opera administrators.
General Theatre Award Nominees
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN INDIVIDUAL
Martha Burns (Performance Program Advisory Council Member) — Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, Canadian Stage
Virgilia Griffith (Alumni) — Rosmersholm, Crow's Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Jewell Bowry, Jasmine Case, Asha James, Trinity Lloyd, Shauna Thompson, Sophia Walker (Alumni) — Flex, Crow's Theatre and Obsidian Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING SCENIC/PROJECTION DESIGN
Nick Blais, Scenic (Alumni) — Erased, Open Heart Surgery Theatre in partnership with Theatre Passe Muraille
Nick Blais, Scenic (Alumni) — seven methods of killing kylie jenner, Obsidian Theatre in association with Crow’s Theatre
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Nick Blais (Alumni) — Erased, Open Heart Surgery Theatre in partnership with Theatre Passe Muraille
Raha Javanfar (Alumni & Instructor) — Flex, Crow’s Theatre and Obsidian Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN / COMPOSITION
Debashis Sinha (Faculty), Mike Ross, Kaleb Horn, SATE, Divine Brown — A Streetcar Named Desire, Soulpepper Theatre Company
Independent Theatre Award Nominees
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Adam Paolozza (Alumni & Instructor) with The Company — Last Landscape, Bad New Days in partnership with Common Boots Theatre
Veronica Hortigüela (Alumni) and Annie Luján — MONKS, Veronica Hortigüela and Annie Luján presented by The Theatre Centre
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
Adam Paolozza (Alumni & Instructor) — Last Landscape, Bad New Days in partnership with Common Boots Theatre
Diana Bentley and Alyssa Martin (Alumni) — People, Places and Things, Coal Mine Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN INDIVIDUAL
Haley McGee (Alumni) — Age is a Feeling, Haley McGee, Soho Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Ella Berger (Alumni), Kole Durnford (Alumni), Atlin Hofer (Alumni), Margot Greve (Alumni), Nicole Kleiman (Alumni) — INSERT CLOWN HERE, Parlous Theatre
The Ensemble of Nada Abusaleh, Nicholas Eddie, Gibum Dante Lim, Annie Luján, Adam Paolozza (Alumni & Instructor), Kari Pederson, SlowPitchSound — Last Landscape, Bad New Days in partnership with Common Boots Theatre
The Ensemble of Veronica Hortigüela (Alumni) and Annie Luján — MONKS, Veronica Hortigüela and Annie Luján presented by The Theatre Centre
The Ensemble of Kaitlin Torrance (Alumni), Takako Segawa, Sakura Korin, Kohey Nakadachi — Mukashi, Mukashi (Once Upon a Time), CORPUS
The Ensemble of Oliver Dennis, Nickeshia Garrick, Farhang Ghajar, Matthew Gouveia, Sam Grist (Alumni), Sarah Murphy-Dyson, Kwaku Okyere, Fiona Reid, Kaleb Tekeste — People, Places and Things, Coal Mine Theatre
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Nick Blais (Alumni) — A Case for the Existence of God, Coal Mine Theatre
Musical Theatre Award Nominees
OUTSTANDING CREATIVE DIRECTION
Ray Hogg, Director (Alumni); Rodney Diverlus, Choreographer (Alumni); Chris Tsujiuchi (Music Director) — A Strange Loop, The Musical Stage Company, Soulpepper, Crow's Theatre, and TO Live
Thom Allison, Director (Alumni); Allison Plamondon (Choreographer); Jeannie Wyse (Musical Director) — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Young People's Theatre
Theatre for Young Audiences Award Nominees
OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Devian Steele (Alumni) and Breanne Tice (Alumni) — The Assembly, Crossroads Theatre and Colouring Book Theatre
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN INDIVIDUAL
Lua Shayenne (Instructor) — Yassama and the Beaded Calabash // Yassama et la Calebasse aux Cauris, Lua Shayenne presented by the Harbourfront Junior Festival
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Alicia Barban, Belinda Corpuz, Ben Kopp (Alumni), Ruaridh MacDonald, Haneul Yi — Alligator Pie, Soulpepper Theatre Company
The Ensemble of Devian Steele (Alumni) and Breanne Tice (Alumni) — The Assembly, Crossroads Theatre and Colouring Book Theatre
Dance Award Nominees
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY
Alyssa Martin (Alumni) — Big Time Miss, Rock Bottom Movement presented by Fall For Dance North
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE
The Ensemble of Morgyn Aronyk-Schell, Johanna Bergfelt, Sierra Chin Sawdy (Alumni), Amelia Brown, Charlotte Cain — All that is between, Tiger Princess Dance Projects
The Ensemble of Drew Berry (Alumni), Brayden Jamil Cairns (Alumni), Sam Grist (Alumni), Steph Harkness, Natasha Poon Woo — Big Time Miss, Rock Bottom Movement presented by Fall For Dance North
The Ensemble of Morgyn Aronyk-Schell, Sierra Chin Sawdy (Alumni), Miyeko Ferguson (Alumni), Sully Malaeb Proulx, Claire Whitaker, Alexander Bozinoff, Jeanie Chung, Joseph Johnson, Juan Gabriel Olivares, Aaron Schwebel — Contes pour la fin du temps, Citadel + Compagnie
The Ensemble of Rumi Jeraj (Alumni), Kelly Shaw (Alumni), Ryan Lee (Alumni & Instructor), Clara Isgro (Alumni), Jeffrey James Lapira (Alumni), Minyoung Kim (김민영), Young-Ju Kwon (권영주), Hyoshin Kim (김효신), Esl Kim (김이슬), Sarang Lee (이사랑) — MOEM - BODY, Human Body Expression
The Ensemble of Nova Bhattacharya, Louis Laberge-Côté (Faculty) — একসঙ - Akshongay, Citadel + Compagnie
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DESIGN
Gabriel Cropley, Lighting (Alumni) — heartless, Citadel + Compagnie
Noah Feaver, Lighting (Alumni) — Big Time Miss, Rock Bottom Movement presented by Fall for Dance North
Simon Rossiter, Lighting (Alumni) — everything i wanted to tell you (but couldn't, so here it is now), Citadel + Compagnie