The 2025 Dora Awards ceremony, hosted by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) at Meridian Hall, saw Why Not Theatre's "Mahabharata" sweep the General Theatre division with five wins, including outstanding production. Other notable winners included "Flex" and "seven methods of killing kylie jenner" in General Theatre, "The Tempest: A Witch in Algiers" and "People, Places and Things" in Independent Theatre, and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" by Shifting Ground Collective in Musical Theatre, which also won the Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award. "A Strange Loop" and "Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White" also received significant awards.
From a Mahabharata sweep to a Gen Z musical theatre boom, here’s how the 2025 Dora Awards played out
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️The 2025 Dora Awards ceremony, hosted by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) at Meridian Hall, saw Why Not Theatre's "Mahabharata" sweep the General Theatre division with five wins, including outstanding production. Other notable winners included "Flex" and "seven methods of killing kylie jenner" in General Theatre, "The Tempest: A Witch in Algiers" and "People, Places and Things" in Independent Theatre, and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" by Shifting Ground Collective in Musical Theatre, which also won the Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award. "A Strange Loop" and "Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White" also received significant awards.
Trending- 1 2023: Mahabharata first presented by the Shaw Festival.
- 2 This spring (2025): Mahabharata presented in Toronto by Canadian Stage.
- 3 Monday evening (June 30, 2025): 2025 Dora Awards ceremony held.
- 4 This fall (2025): The Green Line to play at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
- Recognition for theatre productions and artists
- Increased visibility for winning shows and companies
- Potential boost in ticket sales for future runs
- Highlighting emerging Gen Z artists in musical theatre
What: The 2025 Dora Awards ceremony, where various theatre productions were recognized and awarded across different divisions (General Theatre, Independent Theatre, Musical Theatre, Theatre for Young Audiences). "Mahabharata" was the big winner, sweeping multiple categories.
When: Monday evening (June 30, 2025); this spring (for Mahabharata's Toronto run); 2023 (Mahabharata first presented by Shaw Festival); this fall (for The Green Line).
Where: Meridian Hall, Toronto; Lincoln Center, New York; Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto.
Why: To celebrate and recognize excellence in Toronto theatre, as part of the annual Dora Awards hosted by TAPA.
How: Awards were announced at an in-person ceremony at Meridian Hall, with jurors selecting winners across various categories.