Toronto theatre community celebrates at 46th annual Dora Awards

The 46th annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards took over Meridian Hall on Monday, celebrating Toronto's thriving performing arts community with recognition for outstanding theatre, dance, and opera productions and artists.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts honoured work from 214 productions by 99 registered companies across 44 gender-inclusive categories. Standout winners included "Through the Eyes of God," "The Division," "Octet," "Orfeo ed Euridice," "She Holds Up the Stars," and "Make Banana Cry."

Named after Canadian theatre pioneer Dora Mavor Moore, the Dora Awards are Canada's largest and longest-running awards program dedicated to professional theatre, dance, and opera. The evening highlighted the importance of celebrating the arts as a means of connection and cultural expression.

Sandra Laronde, who won awards for outstanding new play and outstanding direction in the Theatre for Young Audiences division for "She Holds Up The Stars," said: "We're really talking about stories; we're really talking about identity and belonging and truth and courage and beauty. Who would Canadians be if we did not know our stories?" Esie Mensah, who took home Outstanding Original Choreography and Outstanding Performance awards in the Dance Division for "ZAYO," added: "From my perspective, they're just as important as libraries, schools, and hospitals. It's our culture."