Chris Abraham Explained

Chris Abraham (born 1974) is a Canadian theatre director, most noted as the artistic director of the Crow's Theatre company in Toronto, Ontario since 2007.[1]

Originally from Montreal, Quebec, he studied theatre at the University of Toronto and the National Theatre School of Canada.[1] He was subsequently one of the founding partners in Go Chicken Go, a theatre company of recent NTS graduates.[2] Productions he directed for Go Chicken Go included Peter Handke's Offending the Audience,[2] Anton Piatigorsky's Easy Lenny Lazmon and the Great Western Ascension,[3] Darren O'Donnell's Boxhead,[4] and Abraham's own adaptation of Georg Büchner's Lenz.[1]

In 2001 he was the director of Kristen Thomson's stage play I, Claudia.[5] He subsequently also directed a film adaptation, which premiered at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival[6] and was named to TIFF's year-end Canada's Top Ten list.[7]

He took over artistic direction of Crow's Theatre in 2007, following the retirement of the company's founding artistic director Jim Millan.[8]

He is married to actress Liisa Repo-Martell.[9]

Awards

AwardYearCategoryWorkResultRef(s)
Dora Mavor Moore Awards1999Best Direction, Independent Theatre Easy Lenny Lazmon and the Great Western Ascension[10]
Outstanding Set Design, Independent Theatre[11]
Outstanding New Play or Musical, Independent TheatreLenz
2001Best Direction, Independent TheatreBoxhead
2003Best Direction, General TheatreRussell Hill[12]
2006Best Direction, Independent TheatreCringeworthy[13]
2007Best Direction, General TheatreInsomnia[14]
2009I, Claudia[15]
Best Direction, Independent TheatreEternal Hydra[16]
2013Best Direction, General TheatreThe Little Years[17]
Someone Else
2020Julius Caesar[18]
2024The Master Plan[19]
Gemini Awards2005Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-SeriesI, Claudia[20]
Siminovitch Prize in Theatre2001ProtégéSelf[21]
2013Recipient[22]

Notes and References

  1. Anne Nothof, "Abraham, Chris". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, May 3, 2023.
  2. Vit Wagner, "Theatre and schnitzel: acting a la carte". Toronto Star, June 19, 1997.
  3. Ray Conlogue, "Director's road to acclaim began with bottle drives; Toronto's Chris Abraham is getting the attention of stage veterans". The Globe and Mail, October 12, 1998.
  4. Robert Cushman, "Too much in such a boxy play". National Post, June 10, 2000.
  5. Robert Cushman, "She, Claudia, has a few thoughts on the subject". National Post, April 5, 2001.
  6. [Katrina Onstad]
  7. "Best films tells diverse stories; Top Ten Canadian movies honoured New filmmakers being recognized". Toronto Star, December 15, 2004.
  8. Alison Broverman, "As the crow flies away". National Post, November 21, 2006.
  9. Aisling Murphy, "The Actor’s Uncle Vanya : In Conversation with Liisa Repo-Martell". Intermission, August 25, 2022.
  10. "Dora winners list". Toronto Star, June 22, 1999.
  11. "Dora awards are darkest without the Don ; Soulpepper play a glaring omission from strong field of best show nominees". Toronto Star, June 19, 1999.
  12. "Dora Award nominees". Toronto Star, May 22, 2003.
  13. [Kamal Al-Solaylee]
  14. Robert Cushman, "The Dora Plethora; Our theatre critic gives his two cents on the nominees and who's likely to win". National Post, June 23, 2007.
  15. [Michael Posner (journalist)|Michael Posner]
  16. [Michael Posner (journalist)|Michael Posner]
  17. [J. Kelly Nestruck]
  18. Web site: Smith. Mae. June 29, 2020. 2020 Dora Mavor Moore Award Winners. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200809081504/https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/awards/2020-dora-mavor-moore-award-winners/ . 2020-08-09 . August 6, 2020. Intermission Magazine. en-CA.
  19. Aisling Murphy, "TAPA announces 2024 Dora Award nominees". Intermission Magazine, May 28, 2004.
  20. "Eyeballs vs. awards at Geminis". Sudbury Star, November 21, 2005.
  21. "Siminovitch Prize awarded to Toronto director". Cornwall Standard-Freeholder, October 30, 2001.
  22. [Richard Ouzounian]