Toronto, ON – After a four-year hiatus, the Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards (TTCAs) have returned to honour excellence in the city’s professional theatre scene from the 2023-24 season. The 11th TTCAs, announced Tuesday morning, boast 19 winners across 14 categories, including a special citation for artistic achievement.
Crow’s Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre Company were the big winners this year, each receiving seven awards. The sensational Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company co-production of Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 led the musical divison with three wins, including for Best Production of a Musical. Two members of its company, George Krissa and Heeyun Park, were also jointly awarded the prize for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical.
Soulpepper’s riveting world premiere production of De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail followed close behind with two wins. Damien Atkins, who starred as the musical’s title character, picked up the award for Best Lead Performance in a Musical. Gregory Prest, who helmed the production and adapted it from Wilde’s original love letter of the same name, was recognized as well, winning Best Director of a Musical.
Kelly v. Kelly, Britta Johnson and Sara Farb’s new musical inspired by true events, produced by the Musical Stage Company in association with Canadian Stage, rounded out the musical division, winning one awrd for Best Ensemble in a Musical.
In the play division, the award for Best New Canadian Play was handed to a pair of equally deserving works: Nick Green’s heartbreaking drama Casey and Diana, which ran at Soulpepper after premiering at the Stratford Festival, and Michael Healey’s searing satire The Master Plan, produced by Crow’s Theatre.
Both productions each picked up two awards. The cast of The Master Plan won Best Ensemble in a Play while Sean Arbuckle of Casey and Diana received the prize for Best Leading Performance in a Play, which was also awrded to Amaka Umeh for their bravura performance playing two characters in Soulpepper’s Sizwe Banzi is Dead.
The Prize for Best Supporting Performance in a Play was alo awarded to two actors: Jadyn Nasato, for her unforgettable breakout performance in the Studio 180 Theatre’s production of Four Minutes, Twelve Seconds, and Oyin Oladejo for her transformative turn in Three Sisters, co-produced by Soulpepper and Obsidian Theate Company.
Bad Roads, another Crow’s Theatre production, was awarded Best International play. Ukrainian playwright Natal’ya Vorozhbit’s 2017 drama, based on real-life testimonies from Russia’s 2014 invasion of the Donbas, also picked up an award for Best Director of a Play for Andrew Kushnir. He shares the prize with Leora Morris, who helmed Coal Mine Theatre’s production of The Sound Inside, a beguiling two-hander by Adam Rapp.
Rounding out the play division, Canadian Stage’s production of the two-part epic The Inheritance won Best Production of a Play. As well, Nick Blais (lighting), Heidi Chan (sound), Anahita Dehbonehie (set) and Niloufar Ziaee (costumes) won Best Design, Play or Musical for their collective work on A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, co-produced by Outside the March and Soulpepper Theatre Company.
In addition to the general TTCAs, the jury also gave a specall citation to Daniel MacIvor, in recognition of his numerous achievements over the past sseason. The legendary actor, director and playwright delivered a moving performance in The Inheritance and also celebrated two revivals of his acclaimed plays Monster and Here Lies Henry, both produced by Factory Theatre.
ABOUT THE TTCAs
Founded in 2011, the TTCAs are given out annually by a jury of professional theatre critcs, whose outlets include BroadwayWorld Toronto, The Globe and Mail, Intermission, James Karas Reviews, Ludwig van Toronto, MyGay Toronto.com, NEXT Magazine, paulacitron.ca, SesayArts Magazine, So Sumi and Toronto Star. The jury considers all professional theatre productions that opened in Toronto between May 15, 2023 and May 14, 2024.
This year’s jury members are Joshua Chong, Paula Citron, Liam Donovan, Karen Fricker, Arpita Ghosal, James Karas, Ilana Lucas, Martin Morrow, Aisling Murphy, J. Kelly Nestruck, Drew Rowsome, Scott Sneddon and Glenn Sumi, along with Robert Cuhshman (non-voting member) and Stephanie Fung (non-voting member).
For more information please contact Glenn Sumi (glennsumi@gmail.com) or Martin Morrow (martinmorrow1@gmail.com), co-chairs of the TTCA jury for the 2023-24 season.
COMPLETE LIST OF 2024 TTCA WINNERS
PLAY DIVISION
Best New Canadian Play (TIE)
Casey and Diana by Nick Green (Soulpepper Theatre Company and the Stratford Festival)
Writing of a time he was too young to experience, Nick Green captures the fear and
horror of, and the extreme strength and love it took to deal with, the plague that
threatened to destroy a fabulous emerging culture. Casey and Diana is filled with the
humour that gay men and their allies used to fight that fight, and a princess who acts as
the catalyst for a fantasy that, without being maudlin, rips open wounds to heal with tears.
– Drew Rowsome
The Master Plan by Michael Healey (Crow’s Theatre)
On opening night of The Master Plan in 2023, the air in Crow’s Theatre was electric.
Michael Healey’s adaptation of Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy felt fresh and
yet all-too-familiar, a searing, hilarious critique of the bureaucracy that haunts Toronto in
its futile attempts to improve as a city. Healey’s play directly speaks to the paradoxical
frustrations and joys that accompany being a Torontonian, and no other play this year has
felt so timely. – Aisling Murphy
Best International Play
Bad Roads by Natal’ya Vorozhbit translated by Sasha Dugdale (Crow’s Theatre)
As a play, Bad Roads probably shouldn’t work. Vorozhbit compiled the text out of
interviews, verbatim material, and personal accounts of the early stages of the ongoing
war in Ukraine, focusing on the intimate experiences of women. Starting with a
monologue so long it could be a short play of its own, the script consists of somewhat
disconnected scenes which add up to a horrific, darkly comic portrait of a country in
contemporary wartime. The play’s dramaturgical jaggedness contributes to this complex
effect, and to a sense of careening — but slowly — through a hellscape. You don’t want
to look, but you have to. – Karen Fricker
Best Lead Performance in a Play (TIE)
Sean Arbuckle, Casey and Diana (Soulpepper Theatre Company and the Stratford Festival)
Indelibly written role met perfectly cast performer in Sean Arbuckle’s heartbreaking yet
remarkably funny turn as AIDS patient Thomas in this world premiere by Nick Green.
Under Andrew Kushnir’s direction, Arbuckle offered a riveting performance on all levels
– emotional, vocal, physical – and astonished in what was both a star turn and the
lynchpin of an impeccable six-person ensemble. – Karen Fricker
Amaka Umeh, Sizwe Banzi is Dead (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
In a maximalist performance on the minimalist stage of Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Amaka
Umeh played two mesmerizing roles that conjured — out of language, emotion and
movement – the crushing weight of apartheid-era South Africa, and the resistance and
resilience of the Blacks it oppressed. As the vital trickster Stiles, they wove spellbinding
narratives while slinking and circumnavigating the space like a dancer. As Buntu, they
marshalled gravitas, generosity and intensity — with a physicality that sustained the
central conjuring act. It was impossible to pull our eyes (and ears) away. – Scott Sneddon
Best Supporting Performance in a Play (TIE)
Jadyn Nasato, Four Minutes, Twelve Seconds (Studio 180 Theatre)
Like a lot of the most intriguing theatre, the Studio 180 production of James Fritz’s Four
Minutes Twelve Seconds proved polarizing. But one thing everyone agreed on was the
explosive power of Jadyn Nasato’s performance as Cara, the teenage ex-girlfriend of the
play’s unseen young abuser. Cara never tells us what exactly happened, but she doesn’t
have to — it was all there in Nasato’s performance. Her body tense and her manner
defensive and suspicious, Nasato suggested Cara’s conflicting emotions: anger, hurt, fear,
bitterness — all in only a couple of scenes. Unforgettable. – Glenn Sumi
Oyin Oladejo, Three Sisters (Soulpepper Theatre Company and Obsidian Theatre Company)
I used to give out a “character walk of the year” award in my year-end round-ups – and, if
I still did, Oyin Oladejo would be a shoe-in (sp?) for her high-heel strut as sister-in-law
Abosede in Inua Ellams’ version of Three Sisters set amid the Nigerian Civil War. She
shifted from comedic to chilling, one click to the next. An indelible, fully theatrical
performance. – J. Kelly Nestruck
Best Ensemble in a Play
The cast of The Master Plan (Crow’s Theatre)
When we as a jury sat down to assess a truly incredible swathe of shows and casts, we
kept coming back to The Master Plan. From Christopher Allen’s heart-wrenching
portrayal of an early-career urban planner, to Peter Fernandes’ absurd, fabulous
performance in the important role of Tree, to Philippa Domville’s chaotic descent into
cake-covered despair, The Master Plan boasted a star-studded ensemble of Toronto talent
(the cast also featured Ben Carlson, Tara Nicodemo, Yanna McIntosh and Mike Shara),
all of whom brought their A-game to the world premiere of Healey’s play. – Aisling
Murphy
Best Director of a Play (TIE)
Andrew Kushnir, Bad Roads (Crow’s Theatre)
Andrew Kushnir, a tireless advocate for Ukraine, organized a reading of Ukrainian plays
at Stratford last season, of which Bad Roads was one. Many felt that Natal’ya Vorozhbit’s
harrowing series of scenes from her war-torn country would be impossible to stage, and
yet, that is exactly what Kushnir did at Crow’s Theatre in magnificent fashion. He welded
together a formidable ensemble of actors who brought the horrors to reality, and in the
process, rocked the audience to its very core. – Paula Citron
Leora Morris, The Sound Inside (Coal Mine Theatre)
With little more than a wooden desk and two chairs, Leora Morris’ aching production of
The Sound Inside elevated Adam Rapp’s two-hander and demonstrated her profound
understanding of the slippery text and its themes. By eschewing visual excess for
haunting symbolism, her staging basked in the beauty of the play’s prose, while drawing
out exquisite performances from Moya O’Connell and Aidan Correia. – Joshua Chong
Best Production of a Play
The Inheritance (Canadian Stage)
With inventive stagecraft and an extraordinary ensemble, this production tackled a
sprawling yet intimate script that explored generations of gay men. The results were
riveting — six-and-a-half hours that felt too short, including a Part One finale that was
without doubt the most emotional moment in Toronto theatre in decades. – Drew
Rowsome
Best Design, Play or Musical
Nick Blais (lighting), Heidi Chan (sound), Anahita Dehbonehie (set) and Niloufar Ziaee
(costumes), A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney
(Outside the March and Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Having transformed Soulpepper’s Baillie Theatre into a movie theatre showing
Steamboat Willie, Outside the March literally took audiences behind the curtain for this
play about the dark side of an American entertainment icon. The brilliant and bonkers
design helped its themes resonate. To pick one element I was beyond tickled by: A small
rotating turntable that made the audience think of a single lopped-off Mickey ear at first,
then become a symbol of death, coming quickly and unfairly for poor little lemmings, or
slowly but unavoidably for rich Walt Disney. – J. Kelly Nestruck
MUSICAL DIVISION
Best Lead Performance in a Musical
Damien Atkins, De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
As De Profundis’ anchor, Damien Atkins brought a disarmingly contemporary presence
to the figure of Oscar Wilde: he sobbed, soothed, improvised, crooned and danced
unrestrainedly to electronic beats. It was a star turn of virtuosic versatility that awed us
all. – Liam Donovan
Best Supporting Performance in a Musical (TIE)
George Krissa, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Crow’s Theatre and The Musical
Stage Company)
George Krissa’s rakish Anatole gave the Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage
Company co-production of The Great Comet a burst of magnetic energy, whether he was
making overtures toward a captivated Natasha or cavorting with equally smitten audience
members, before revealing the emptiness behind all the bravado. His portrayal of the
original Tolstoy bad boy left the audience no doubt as to why a vulnerable young woman
would wave a white flag of surrender instead of paying attention to all the red ones.
– Ilana Lucas
Heeyun Park 박희윤, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Crow’s Theatre and The
Musical Stage Company)
While Crow’s Theatre and Musical Stage Company’s rousing production of Natasha,
Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 oozed at the seams with onstage talent, I remember on
opening night being enraptured by Heeyun Park 박희윤 in the small-but-mighty role of
Mary. Park took an underwritten character and transformed her into a mysterious and
sharp foil to Hailey Gillis’ Natasha. Here’s to bigger musical roles for Park — her lovely
voice and exquisite acting skills should ensure a long list of meaty parts to come. –
Aisling Murphy
Best Ensemble in a Musical
The cast of Kelly v. Kelly (The Musical Stage Company and Canadian Stage)
In an exceptionally strong year for musical ensembles, the multi-talented performers in
Britta Johnson and Sara Farb’s “Kelly v. Kelly” stood out. Whether playing reporters,
legal experts or dancers in a smoky tango club, Dave Ball, Joel Cumber, Peter Fernandes,
Mike Jackson, Julia McLellan, Margaret Thompson, Kelsey Verzotti and Jeremy
Walmsley helped bring the show’s milieu to vivid, atmospheric life alongside leads Eva
Foote and Jessica Sherman. Not only that, but the double casting of some actors in
thematically similar roles added to the show’s restrictive, patriarchal world. Credit also
goes to director/choreographer Tracey Flye, who moved the ensemble through the
shifting time periods and locales with the lightest of steps. – Glenn Sumi
Best Director of a Musical
Gregory Prest, De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Written in prison while he was incarcerated for “gross indecency,” Oscar Wilde’s famous
letter De Profundis is so distinct in tone and tenor from his more popularly known works
that it seemed an unlikely choice to adapt for the stage — let alone as a musical. But
when you saw it on the Soulpepper stage, it made exquisite sense. Gregory Prest’s skilled
direction –enriched by his eye for detail and deep understanding of Wilde’s works —
drew out the best in his cast, amplified the power of Wilde’s words, and wove narrative,
music and movement into a spare, emotionally shattering exploration of the writer’s
anguish, resilience and legacy – Arpita Ghosal
Best Production of a Musical
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company)
Blazing across the theatrical landscape in the dead of a Toronto winter — and lingering
longer than anyone thought possible — Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 was
a perfect alignment of two of the city’s most exciting companies: Crow’s Theatre and the
Musical Stage Company. Tolstoy’s timeless insights into the human heart, given a
contemporary musical sheen by composer-librettist Dave Malloy, burned brightly in this
splendid Canadian-premiere production, which was movingly acted, cleverly staged and
altogether as exhilarating as one of Balaga’s troika rides. – Martin Morrow
Special Citation
Daniel MacIvor, in recognition of exceptional artistic achievement
The 2023-24 season was a showcase for Daniel MacIvor’s momentous past, present, and
future contributions to Toronto and Canadian theatre. Two excellent productions of his
early plays Monster and Here Lies Henry at Factory Theatre, with superb actors taking
over roles MacIvor originally played himself, offered vibrant evidence of his playwriting
skill and innovation. And his beautifully-pitched turn in two roles in The Inheritance at
Canadian Stage ushered in, we hope, a new chapter of MacIvor’s career as a performer in
other writers’ work. With grace and grit, MacIvor the queer iconoclast stepped into the
role of senior leader in our field, and we offer admiration and gratitude. – Karen Fricker
