Toronto actor Tony Ofori nominated for the 2022 Dora Mavor Moore Awards

By Lincoln DePradine

Tony Ofori

A 32-year-old Toronto actor, Tony Ofori, is among the nominees for the 2022 Dora Mavor Moore Awards.

Ofori’s nomination is for outstanding performance in a leading role for Soulpepper Theatre Company’s production of American playwright Dominique Morisseau’s play, “Pipeline’’.

The Dora Mavor Moore Award is presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts and honours theatre, dance and opera productions in the city.

“Pipeline’’ deals with the all-too-familiar reality in the Black community of the school-to-prison pipeline, the strategies and processes that hurl an unfair number of Black students into the criminal justice system.

Soulpepper’s production, which was directed by the widely respected Weyni Mengesha and co-starred Akosua Amo-Adem, received excellent reviews in the Canadian media.

For her work in the Canadian premier of this play, Mengesha herself has also been nominated for Outstanding Direction in this year’s Awards.

Ofori, grandson of Ghanaian-Canadian journalist Sam Donkoh, has been making waves in stage plays, films, commercials and voice acting.

For the future, Ofori says he will appreciate an opportunity to mentor young actors in the community.

“I want to pass on what I have learned in the business to the younger generation, to make something of themselves as bankable actors,” says Ofori, who has a degree in acting from York University.

Another Dora Award nominee from the Black and Caribbean community is Trinidad-born Rhoma Spencer – an actor and also a producer, director and comedian.

Spencer is nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Individual Prize for her role in the play, “The House of Bernarda Alba’’.

Awards will be presented Saturday at the downtown Winter Garden Theatre Centre.

The first Dora Mavor Moore Awards were presented in 1980. Each winner receives a bronze statue.