Audrey Dwyer
Audrey Dwyer is a Canadian writer, actor, and director. She is currently the associate artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. She wrote the 2018 comedy, Calpurnia.
Audrey Dwyer | |
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Born | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
Alma mater | University of Manitoba |
Notable works |
Early life
Dwyer was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She studied theatre at the University of Manitoba.[1]
Career
In 2011, Dwyer did dramaturgy for and directed Rabiayshna Productions' The Apology.[2] From 2016 to 2017, Dwyer was the artistic director of Cow Over Moon Children’s Theatre in Mississauga. She also served as the associate artistic director of both Tarragon Theatre and Nightwood Theatre in Toronto.[1]
Dwyer's play, Calpurnia, premiered in 2018 in Toronto with Nightwood Theatre and Sulong Theatre, under Dwyer's direction. Calpurnia follows a young Jamaican-Canadian writer who is writing a script retelling To Kill A Mockingbird from the perspective of one of the book's minor characters, Calpurnia.[3] The play tackles themes of race, class, and privilege.[4] fu-GEN Theatre selected Calpurnia as one of their top 49 groundbreaking plays by women of colour.[5] Also in 2018, Dwyer developed and performed in One Thing Leads to Another for Young People's Theatre.[6]
In 2019, Dwyer was appointed associate artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.[1] She previously acted in the RMTC's 2015 production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.[7] In 2020, she directed the RMTC's premiere of Frances Koncan's Women of the Fur Trade.[8] The RMTC is set to put on Dwyer's play Calpurnia in 2021.[9]
Dwyer wrote the 6-episode Crave series, The D Cut, which premiered in 2020.[10] In 2020, Dwyer wrote the libretto for the opera Backstage at Carnegie Hall. Backstage was composed by Tim Brady and was based on Charlie Christian's 1939 Carnegie Hall performance with Benny Goodman's band.[11]
Acting credits
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2008–2009 | Da Kink in My Hair | Thea | Episodes: "Forced Ripe Mango" and "Di Heart of Di Matter" |
2017–2018 | Baroness Von Sketch Show | Misc. roles | Episodes: "Sometimes It's Good to Be the Shaman" (2018), "Is That You Karen?" (2018), and "Taco and a Hair Flip" (2017) |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Company | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | throwing stones | Clear Light (Toronto Fringe) | [12] | |
2005 | Blue Planet | Hulda | Young People's Theatre | [13][14] |
2006 | The Babysitter | Babysitter | Theatre Direct Canada/Eldritch | [15] |
2008 | Black Medea | Medea | Obsidian Theatre | [16] |
2009 | The Tempest | Ariel | Dream in High Park | [17] |
2010 | The Overwhelming | Emiritha / Market Woman / Waitress | Studio 180/Canadian Stage | [18] |
2012 | thirsty | Julia | National Arts Centre | [19] |
2013 | Clybourne Park | Francine / Lena | Studio 180 | [20] |
2014 | Good People | Kate | Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre | [21] |
2015 | Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike | Cassandra | Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre | [7] |
2016 | One Thing Leads to Another | Ensemble | Young People's Theatre | [6] |
2018 | Theory | Lee | Tarragon Theatre | [22] |
Directing credits
Awards
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Dora Mavor Moore Awards – Independent Theatre Division | Outstanding Direction | The Apology | Nominated | [26] | |
2015 | Cayle Chernin Award | Theatre | Calpurnia | Won | [27] | |
2016 | Dora Mavor Moore Awards – Theatre for Young Audiences | Outstanding Performance, Ensemble | One Thing Leads to Another | Won | [28] | |
Outstanding New Play | Won | with Maja Ardal, Julia Tribe, and Mary Francis Moore |
References
- King, Randall (2019-03-13). "Mar 2019: Royal MTC names new associate AD". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Kaplan, Jon (2011-01-07). "The Apology". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Nestruck, J. Kelly (2018-01-18). "Review: Calpurnia's inconsistent characters undermine a play with promise". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- "Audrey Dwyer and Catherine Hernandez on the intentional awkwardness of their new play Calpurnia". CBC Radio. 2018-01-25. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Parris, Amanda (2020-03-06). "31 Black Canadian female playwrights you need to know". CBC. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Kaplan, Jon (2016-02-15). "One Thing Leads To Another". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Prokosh, Kevin (2015-02-12). "Feb 2015: Offensive? Chekh-ov... Funny? Chekh-ov..." Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Ross, Ian (2020-02-27). "Women are the Riel deal in comedic drama that puts a modern spin on Manitoba's past". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- King, Randall (2020-06-26). "RMTC hoping shows can go on in January after scrapping fall slate owing to pandemic". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Hatzitolios, Chloe (2020-06-30). "8 reasons this inclusive LGBTQ2S+ series about haircuts is a must-watch". etalk. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Saxberg, Lynn (2021-01-22). "Local choreographer's opus on aging one of 13 projects backed by NAC fund". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- "Fringe Festival". NOW Magazine. 2005-07-14. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Al-Solaylee, Kamal (2005-02-05). "Playful theatrics save Blue Planet". The Globe and Mail. p. R4. Retrieved 2020-09-23 – via ProQuest.
- Kaplan, Jon (2005-02-10). "Powerful Planet". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Kaplan, Jon (2006-11-09). "Bloody good fun". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Kaplan, Jon (2008-09-09). "Double the drama". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Crew Robert (2009-07-06). "Tempest with a twist". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Kaplan, Jon (2010-03-16). "The Overwhelming". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- "Poet Dionne Brand debuts play about police shooting". CBC. 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- "Clybourne Park: An increasingly comic story of racism and real estate". Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Schmidt, Joff (2014-04-18). "RMTC's Good People flawed, but good theatre". CBC. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- ""All I had to do was listen": Playwright Norman Yeung rethinks his 'Theory'". DC Metro Theater Arts. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Kaplan, Jon (2011-12-01). "Groundswell rising". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Fein-Goldbach, Debbie (2017-08-05). "SummerWorks review: Serenity Wild". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Sumi, Glenn (2018-01-19). "Calpurnia will make you laugh, think and shift uncomfortably in your seat". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- "PRISCILLA, BILLY ELLIOT et al Earn Toronto's Dora Award Nominations!". BroadwayWorld.com. 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- "2015 Recipients | Cayle Chernin Memorial Fund". Retrieved 2020-09-23.
- Hay, Susan (2016-10-03). "Play for babies at Toronto theatre is getting two thumbs up". Global News. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
External links
- Audrey Dwyer at IMDb