At the 43rd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards ceremony

 By Stephen Weir

One of the highlights of Tuesday night’s 43rd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards ceremony was the awarding of  The Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award. The winner was da Kink in My Hair, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2022 with a short run here in Toronto, 

The Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production, named in honour of the late theater critic Jon Kaplan, was determined by the general public through an online voting process. The winner of this esteemed award, selected by an overwhelming majority, was Trey Anthony’s “da Kink In My Hair,” a collaboration between TO Live and Soulpepper Theatre Company that was performed on the Bluma Appel stage.

“da Kink In My Hair” is set in a hair salon located on Eglinton West and revolves around a group of women from Toronto’s Canadian-Caribbean community. Through music, dance, and powerful storytelling, the play explores the individual and collective journeys of these women, creating a heartfelt and humorous narrative.

The Dora Mavor Moore Awards, named after the esteemed teacher and director Dora Mavor Moore, were established to celebrate the outstanding achievements in Toronto’s performing arts industry. The awards recognize excellence in various divisions, including General Theatre, Independent Theatre, Musical Theatre, Dance, Opera, Theatre for Young Audiences, and Touring.