Chris Abraham

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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 Awards 1999Best Direction, Independent TheatreEasy Lenny Lazmon and the Great Western AscensionWon [10]
Outstanding Set Design, Independent TheatreNominated [11]
Outstanding New Play or Musical, Independent TheatreLenzNominated
2001Best Direction, Independent TheatreBoxheadNominated
2003 Best Direction, General Theatre Russell HillNominated [12]
2006Best Direction, Independent TheatreCringeworthyNominated [13]
2007Best Direction, General TheatreInsomniaNominated [14]
2009 I, Claudia Nominated [15]
Best Direction, Independent TheatreEternal HydraWon [16]
2013Best Direction, General TheatreThe Little YearsWon [17]
Someone ElseNominated
2020 Julius Caesar Nominated [18]
2024The Master PlanNominated [19]
2024Outstanding Creative Direction (Director), Musical Theatre DivisionNatasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812Won [20]
Gemini Awards 2005 Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-SeriesI, ClaudiaWon [21]
Siminovitch Prize in Theatre 2001ProtégéSelfWon [22]
2013RecipientWon [23]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Anne Nothof, "Abraham, Chris". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, May 3, 2023.
  2. 1 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, "Who was that masked actress?: Kristen Thomson reveals the true face of I, Claudia". National Post , October 1, 2004.
  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, "Odd couple lead the Dora pack". The Globe and Mail , June 7, 2006.
  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, "Dora nominations announced in Toronto". The Globe and Mail , June 4, 2009.
  16. ↑ Michael Posner, "Play by Ojibwa artist, 23, takes six awards". The Globe and Mail , June 30, 2009.
  17. ↑ J. Kelly Nestruck, "A Cinderella story at the Dora Awards". The Globe and Mail , June 25, 2013.
  18. ↑ Smith, Mae (June 29, 2020). "2020 Dora Mavor Moore Award Winners". Intermission Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  19. ↑ Aisling Murphy, "TAPA announces 2024 Dora Award nominees". Intermission Magazine, May 28, 2004.
  20. ↑ "TAPA - Recipients". TAPA. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  21. ↑ "Eyeballs vs. awards at Geminis". Sudbury Star , November 21, 2005.
  22. ↑ "Siminovitch Prize awarded to Toronto director". Cornwall Standard-Freeholder , October 30, 2001.
  23. ↑ Richard Ouzounian, "When the theatre student becomes the master: $75,000 Siminovitch Prize goes to Crow's Theatre artistic director Chris Abraham, 12 years after he was named protege under initial winner". Toronto Star , October 22, 2013.
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