Why Not Theatre’s manufacturing of Mahabharata, introduced in 2025 at Canadian Stage, and the Canadian premiere of Michael R. Jackson’s A Unusual Loop each gained three Toronto Theatre Critics Awards every for 2025 to guide the pack. A Unusual Loop was a Soulpepper Theatre, Musical Stage Firm, Crow’s Theatre, and TO Reside manufacturing.
Mahabharata gained the prizes for greatest manufacturing of a play, greatest new Canadian work (shared with Veronica Hortigüela and Annie Luján’s Monks), and greatest sound design and music (John Gzowski and Suba Sankaran).
A Unusual Loop took residence the awards for greatest manufacturing of a musical, greatest lead efficiency in a musical (Malachi McCaskill), and greatest ensemble in a musical.
The Toronto Theatre Critics Awards, based in 2011, are chosen by a jury of theatre critics, trade professionals and choose viewers members, who collectively view lots of of productions every year. The checklist consists of: Ryan Borochovitz, Joshua Chong, Paula Citron, Liam Donovan, Karen Fricker, Stephanie Fung, Arpita Ghosal, James Karas, Ilana Lucas, Aisling Murphy, Steven Ross, Drew Rowsome, Scott Sneddon, and Glenn Sumi – the most important variety of voters within the awards’ historical past.
Toronto Theatre Critics Awards
Right here’s a fast take a look at a few of the highlights.
Coal Mine Theatre snagged essentially the most awards of any firm total, counting 4 for its productions and artists, together with:
- Greatest Worldwide Work went to Infinite Life by Annie Baker, an award that was shared with What the Structure Means to Me by Heidi Schreck, co-produced by Soulpepper and Nightwood Theatre in affiliation with Obligatory Angel and Speak is Free Theatre.
- Coal Mine’s Infinite Life additionally garnered the Greatest Supporting Efficiency award for Nancy Palk, who gained the very best supporting efficiency in a play. The award was shared with Dan Mousseau in Buddies and Unhealthy Instances/Native Earth Performing Arts’ There’s Violence and There’s Righteous Violence and There’s Dying or, The Born-Once more Crow.
- Noah Reid gained the very best main efficiency in a play award for his work in in A Case for the Existence of God, shared with Ins Choi in Soulpepper’s manufacturing of Kim’s Comfort.
- Bonnie Beecher and Jeff Pybus gained the very best lighting design award for Folks, Locations and Issues, shared with Chris Malkowski for HOUSE + BODY’s Measure for Measure.
Greatest Director of a Musical went to Ilana Khanin for I Was Unbecoming Then, a chamber musical about 12 women in a Vancouver faculty choir. The musical by Lyndsey Bourne and Sam Kaseta, and produced by Olivia Daniels, was staged on the Toronto Fringe’s Subsequent Stage Pageant.
Particular Citations
Caleigh Crow’s There’s Violence and There’s Righteous Violence and There’s Dying or, The Born-Once more Crow (Buddies and Unhealthy Instances/Native Earth Performing Arts) obtained a particular quotation.
“Should you’ve submitted a canopy letter prior to now yr, this present most likely hit near residence. The Born-Once more Crow was a spectacle in a sluggish cooker that uniquely captured the disenchantment of a youthful working class,” writes jury member Stephanie Fung.
“Jessica Carmichael’s path was each creative and indulgent, fleshing out the emotional actuality earlier than exploding it throughout the stage. And the electrical solid (Tara Sky, Cheri Maracle, Dan Mousseau, Madison Walsh) embodied that dynamism with ease. Caleigh Crow’s script was as sharp because it was playful, with no scarcity of wealthy choices for the unbelievable design workforce (Shannon Lea Doyle, Asa Benally, Hailey Verbonac, Chris-Ross Ewart) to run with. The Born-Once more Crow was not only a standout co-production between Buddies and Native Earth, however an ideal fusion of their respective kinds and ethos.”
Soulpepper Theatre inventive director Weyni Mengesha additionally obtained a particular quotation for her tenure as inventive director of Soulpepper Theatre.
“As Weyni Mengesha’s tenure at Soulpepper Theatre Firm involves an finish, the jury needs to acknowledge her myriad contributions to theatre in Toronto since her appointment in 2018. Mengesha shored up Soulpepper throughout a interval of intense change — and a worldwide pandemic not lengthy after that — and at this time leaves behind an organization in stellar inventive form,” writes jury member Aisling Murphy.
“In recent times Soulpepper has confirmed again and again that the establishment can climate large adjustments, take thrilling inventive dangers and foster a nurturing setting for artists and audiences alike. That resilience thanks in no small half to Mengesha — she can be missed.”
Congratulations to all of the winners, who will obtain a certificates and a tribute to their work written and signed by a TTCA voter.
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Anya Wassenberg is the Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. Beforehand, she was a contract author with a specialty in tradition and journey for 3 a long time, and a inventive writing teacher for Ontariolearn.
