Audrey Dwyer

Audrey Dwyer
BornWinnipeg, Manitoba
Alma materUniversity of Manitoba
Notable works

Audrey Dwyer is a Canadian writer, actor, and director. She is a former associate artistic director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. She wrote the 2018 comedy, Calpurnia.

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 next year, she directed The Mountaintop with RMTC. The production was streamed online to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.[9] The RMTC is set to put on Dwyer's play Calpurnia in 2022.[10][11]

Dwyer wrote the 6-episode Crave series, The D Cut, which premiered in 2020.[12] 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.[13]

Dwyer's audio-play, Come Home – The Legend Of Daddy Hall, premiered in May 2021 with Tarragon Theatre. Dwyer directed the production which featured the voices of Jesse Clark, Beau Dixon, Starr Domingue, and Jackie Richardson.[14]

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) [15]
2005 Blue Planet Hulda Young People's Theatre [16][17]
2006 The Babysitter Babysitter Theatre Direct Canada/Eldritch [18]
2008 Black Medea Medea Obsidian Theatre [19]
2009 The Tempest Ariel Dream in High Park [20]
2010 The Overwhelming Emiritha / Market Woman / Waitress Studio 180/Canadian Stage [21]
2012 thirsty Julia National Arts Centre [22]
2013 Clybourne Park Francine / Lena Studio 180 [23]
2014 Good People Kate Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre [24]
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 [25]

Directing credits

Theatre

Year Title Company Ref.
2011 The Apology Rabiayshna Productions [2]
2011 The Aftermath Nightwood Theatre (Grounsdwell Festival) [26]
2017 Serenity Wild Tender Container/SummerWorks [27]
2018 Calpurnia Nightwood Theatre [28]
2020 Women of the Fur Trade Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre [8]
2021 The Mountaintop Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (online) [29]
2021 Come Home – The Legend Of Daddy Hall (audio play) Tarragon Theatre [14]
2021 In Conclusion Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (online -

Pimootayowin: A Festival of New Work)

[30]

Awards

Year Award Category Work Result Notes Ref.
2011 Dora Mavor Moore Awards – Independent Theatre Division Outstanding Direction The Apology Nominated [31]
2015 Cayle Chernin Award Theatre Calpurnia Won [32]
2016 Dora Mavor Moore Awards – Theatre for Young Audiences Outstanding Performance, Ensemble One Thing Leads to Another Won [33]
Outstanding New Play Won with Maja Ardal, Julia Tribe, and Mary Francis Moore

References

  1. ^ a b c King, Randall (2019-03-13). "Mar 2019: Royal MTC names new associate AD". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  2. ^ a b Kaplan, Jon (2011-01-07). "The Apology". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Audrey Dwyer and Catherine Hernandez on the intentional awkwardness of their new play Calpurnia". CBC Radio. 2018-01-25. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  5. ^ Parris, Amanda (2020-03-06). "31 Black Canadian female playwrights you need to know". CBC. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  6. ^ a b Kaplan, Jon (2016-02-15). "One Thing Leads To Another". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  7. ^ a b Prokosh, Kevin (2015-02-12). "Feb 2015: Offensive? Chekh-ov... Funny? Chekh-ov..." Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  8. ^ a b 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.
  9. ^ King, Randall (2021-02-03). "RMTC play explores last day of MLK's life". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  10. ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (2021-05-18). "Should theatres re-open this fall - or this winter? Manitoba Theatre Centre and Tarragon Theatre seasons show different paths". Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  11. ^ King, Randall (2021-05-14). "Daring RMTC season proceeds with caution". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  12. ^ Hatzitolios, Chloe (2020-06-30). "8 reasons this inclusive LGBTQ2S+ series about haircuts is a must-watch". etalk. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  13. ^ Saxberg, Lynn (2021-01-22). "Local choreographer's opus on aging one of 13 projects backed by NAC fund". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  14. ^ a b "The best things to do in Toronto this weekend: May 28–30". NOW Magazine. 2021-05-27. Archived from the original on 2021-05-27. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  15. ^ "Fringe Festival". NOW Magazine. 2005-07-14. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  16. ^ Al-Solaylee, Kamal (2005-02-05). "Playful theatrics save Blue Planet". The Globe and Mail. p. R4. Retrieved 2020-09-23 – via ProQuest.
  17. ^ Kaplan, Jon (2005-02-10). "Powerful Planet". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  18. ^ Kaplan, Jon (2006-11-09). "Bloody good fun". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  19. ^ Kaplan, Jon (2008-09-09). "Double the drama". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  20. ^ Crew Robert (2009-07-06). "Tempest with a twist". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  21. ^ Kaplan, Jon (2010-03-16). "The Overwhelming". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  22. ^ "Poet Dionne Brand debuts play about police shooting". CBC. 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  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.
  24. ^ Schmidt, Joff (2014-04-18). "RMTC's Good People flawed, but good theatre". CBC. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  25. ^ ""All I had to do was listen": Playwright Norman Yeung rethinks his 'Theory'". DC Metro Theater Arts. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  26. ^ Kaplan, Jon (2011-12-01). "Groundswell rising". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  27. ^ Fein-Goldbach, Debbie (2017-08-05). "SummerWorks review: Serenity Wild". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  28. ^ Sumi, Glenn (2018-01-19). "Calpurnia will make you laugh, think and shift uncomfortably in your seat". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  29. ^ King, Randall (2021-02-24). "RMTC production looks to humanity within Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic status". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  30. ^ King, Randall (2021-06-08). "Raising their voices". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  31. ^ "PRISCILLA, BILLY ELLIOT et al Earn Toronto's Dora Award Nominations!". BroadwayWorld.com. 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  32. ^ "2015 Recipients | Cayle Chernin Memorial Fund". Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  33. ^ Hay, Susan (2016-10-03). "Play for babies at Toronto theatre is getting two thumbs up". Global News. Retrieved 2020-09-23.