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Hannah Moscovitch

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Hannah Moscovitch
Born (1978-06-05) June 5, 1978 (age 46)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[1]
EducationNational Theatre School
OccupationPlaywright
Notable workSexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
SpouseChristian Barry
Children1[2]
AwardsGovernor General's Literary Award, Windham–Campbell Literature Prize, Trillium Book Award

Hannah Moscovitch (born June 5, 1978) is a Canadian playwright who rose to national prominence in the 2000s. She is best known for her plays East of Berlin, This Is War, "Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story", and Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, for which she received the 2021 Governor General's Award for English-language drama.

Life and career

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Today based in Toronto and Halifax, she was born in Ottawa. Her father, Allan Moscovitch, is a social policy professor at Carleton University. Her mother, Julie White,[3] is a labour researcher. Both have long been active in left wing politics. Moscovitch's father is Jewish, of Romanian and Ukrainian background,[4] while her mother is from a Christian background (of English and Irish ancestry).[5][6][7] Moscovitch was "raised as an atheist", and has said that there is "implicitly Jewish sensibility" to her plays.[8][9] She studied at the National Theatre School in the acting stream.

Moscovitch gained considerable notice for two short plays written for Toronto's SummerWorks. In 2005 she presented Essay, a play about gender politics in modern academia. The next year at the festival The Russian Play premiered, a romance set in Stalinist Russia. Both were well received by critics and audiences. In 2007 her first full-length play, East of Berlin, premiered at the Tarragon Theatre. The play focuses on the legacy of the Holocaust on the children of those involved. The main character is the son of a Nazi war criminal who grows up in Paraguay. He eventually travels to Berlin and meets the daughter of an Auschwitz survivor. The play was acclaimed for its complex subject, humour, and characters and was also a popular success, returning to Tarragon in winter 2009 and 2010.[10]

2013 saw the premiere of This Is War, a play depicting the lives of Canadian troops in Afghanistan. This Is War won multiple awards with one reviewer writing "Moscovitch shines a light on massive issues like sexual harassment within the military without making her play a morality tale or exposé. It’s a story about four good people in a bad place and all the gray area that that produces."[11] In 2015, Moscovitch wrote the play Infinity about a physicist who becomes involved in a love story while contemplating the nature of time. She collaborated with Lee Smolin to lend verisimilitude to some of the theoretical ideas.[2]

Moscovitch's plays have been widely produced across Canada, including at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Ottawa's Great Canadian Theatre Company, The National Arts Centre, Toronto's Factory Theatre, Edmonton's Theatre Network, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Vancouver's Firehall Arts Centre, the Alberta Theatre Projects, and Montreal's Imago Theatre. Moscovitch is currently playwright-in-residence at Tarragon Theatre and was previously a contributing writer to the CBC radio drama series Afghanada (2006-2011).[10]

She has been dubbed "an indie sensation" by Toronto Life Magazine; "the wunderkind of Canadian theatre" by CBC Radio; "irritatingly talented" by the now defunct Eye Weekly; and the "dark angel of Toronto theatre" by Toronto Star.[citation needed] The National Post, The Globe and Mail, and Now Magazine have all hailed Moscovitch as "Canada's Hottest Young Playwright".[citation needed]

In 2021, Moscovitch and Jennifer Podemski created the drama series Little Bird for Crave.[12]

Works

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Plays

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  • Essay – 2005
  • The Russian Play – 2006
  • East of Berlin – 2007
  • In This World – 2008
  • The Children's Republic – 2009
  • Little One – 2011
  • Other People's Children – 2012
  • This Is War – 2012
  • I Have no Stories to Tell You – 2013
  • Infinity – 2014
  • What a Young Wife Ought To Know – 2015
  • The Kaufman Cabaret - 2016 - Commissioned by the University of Alberta [13]
  • Bunny – 2016
  • Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story - 2017
  • Secret Life of a Mother - 2018
  • Sky on Swings - 2019
  • Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes - 2020
  • Post-Democracy - 2021
  • Fall On Your Knees (adaption) - 2023

Television

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Year Title Credited as Network Notes Ref.
2013 Played Writer CTV 2 episodes
2015 X Company Co-producer CBC Television 6 episodes
2015-2016 Executive editor, writer and co-writer 9 episodes
2022–present Interview with the Vampire Co-executive producer AMC 6 episodes [14][15][16]
Writer 2 episodes
2023 Little Bird Co-creator Crave, APTN lumi 3 episodes [17]
Executive producer 6 episodes

Awards and honours

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Moscovitch won Dora Mavor Moore Awards for In This World (2010) and "Infinity" (2015). She won both the Trillium Book Award and Toronto Critic's Awards in 2014 for This Is War. She has won the Nova Scotia Masterworks Award for "Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story", and the SummerWorks Prize for Best Production for The Russian Play.

She received the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (2016) in the Drama category, becoming the first Canadian woman to win the prize.[18]

She was the winner of the Governor General's Award for English-language drama at the 2021 Governor General's Awards for her play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes.[19]

Award nominations received by Moscovitch include the Siminovitch Prize, the Governor General's Award, the Carol Bolt Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the KM Hunter Award and the Toronto Arts Council Foundation Emerging Artist Award.

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2005 SummerWorks Contra Guys Award Best New Script Essay Won [20]
2006 SummerWorks Jury Prize Outstanding New Production The Russian Play Won [21]
2007 Toronto Arts Council Foundation Emerging Artist Award Nominated [22][23]
2008 Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Play Essay Nominated [24]
Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Play East of Berlin Nominated [24]
The K.M Hunter Artist Award Nominated [24]
2009 The K.M Hunter Artist Award Nominated [24]
Carol Bolt Award East of Berlin Nominated [24]
Governor General’s Literary Award Drama East of Berlin Nominated [24]
2010 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize East of Berlin Nominated [24]
Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Play for Young Audiences In this World Won [25]
Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Production The Huron Bride Won
Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Play The Huron Bride Nominated
2013 Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Play Little One Nominated [24]
Carol Bolt Award This is War Nominated [24]
Toronto Theatre Critics’ Award Best Canadian Play This is War Won [24]
2014 Trillium Book Award Outstanding work of literature in Ontario This is War Won [26]
2015 Siminovitch Prize Finalist [27]
Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Play Infinity Won [24]
New York Fringe Festival Overall Excellence Award Little One Won [24]
Gascon-Thomas Award Award for Revitalizing Canadian Theatre Awarded [28][24]
2016 Donald Windham-Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes (Beinecke Library, Yale University) Drama East of Berlin Won [29][30]
2016 Nova Scotia MasterWorks Arts Award What a Young Wife Ought to Know Finalist [24]
2017 Fringe First at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Won [24]
Herald Angel at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Won [24]
Siminovitch Prize Finalist [27][24]
2018 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Book of a Musical Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Nominated [24]
Dora Mavor Moore Award Best Touring Production What a Young Wife Ought to Know Nominated [24]
Toronto Theatre Critics’ Award Best Canadian Play Bunny Won [24]
Nova Scotia MasterWorks Arts Award Lieutenant Governor Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Won [31]
2019 International Opera Awards World Premiere Category Sky on Swings Won [32]
Toronto Theatre Critics’ Award Best New Canadian Musical Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Won [24]
Governor General's Literary Awards What a Young Wife Ought to Know Nominated [33]
Dora Mavor Moore Award Best New Play Secret Life of a Mother Finalist [34]
2021 Governor General’s Literary Award Drama Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes Won [24]
2022 Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award Fiction Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes Shortlisted [35]
2024 Canadian Screen Awards Best Drama Series Little Bird Pending [36]

References

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  1. ^ Lewis, Jules (2014-02-18). "Hannah Moscovitch". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  2. ^ a b Morrow, Martin (2015-03-31). "A play that takes the cosmos personally". Torontoist. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
  3. ^ Sage, Amanda (2014-10-03). "Hannah Moscovitch, playwright sensation". Kickass Canadians. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  4. ^ Zekas, Rita (2008-01-19). "Play's the thing with Hannah Moscovitch". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  5. ^ Prokosh, Kevin (2009-11-19). "What's her line?". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  6. ^ "Glendon's bpNichol reading series welcomes Hannah Moscovitch". York University. 2010-03-05. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  7. ^ Posner, Michael (2009-01-13). "Hannah Moscovitch: Hit factory". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  8. ^ Ouzounian, Richard (2007-10-20). "Hannah Moscovitch is already famous". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  9. ^ Kaminer, Michael (2013-02-23). "Canada's guiltiest playwright". Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  10. ^ a b "Guild profile". Playwrights Guild of Canada. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  11. ^ Bedard, Kelly (2013-01-11). "This Is War by Hannah Moscovitch". Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  12. ^ Victoria Ahearn, "‘The Amazing Race Canada,’ ‘Letterkenny’ spinoff join upcoming Bell Media lineup". Toronto Star, June 10, 2021.
  13. ^ "Playwright Hannah Moscovitch commissioned to create new play for U of A Studio Theatre's 2015-16 season". www.ualberta.ca. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  14. ^ Maga, Carly (January 27, 2023). "100% that Moscovitch: One of Canada's most acclaimed playwrights is reaching a whole new audience". CBC. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  15. ^ Szklarski, Cassandra (December 21, 2022). "Canadian writer for 'Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire' addresses fan backlash". Mountain View Today. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  16. ^ Murphy, Aisling (October 29, 2022). "From Toronto stages to the 'Interview With the Vampire' writers' room, playwright Hannah Moscovitch is having a moment". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  17. ^ Linville, JD (February 2, 2023). "Indigenous-Led Drama 'Little Bird' Gives Voice to Canada's Stolen Generation". Variety. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  18. ^ "Hannah Moscovitch". Windham–Campbell Literature Prize. February 29, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  19. ^ "Inuk author Norma Dunning wins $25K Governor General's fiction prize" Archived 2021-11-17 at the Wayback Machine. Coast Reporter, November 17, 2021.
  20. ^ "The fest's best". Now Toronto. August 18, 2005. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  21. ^ Lewis, Jules (February 18, 2014). "Hannah Moscovitch". Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  22. ^ "Arts Team Interview – Hana Moscovitch on The God That Comes". January 16, 2013. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  23. ^ "Hannah Moscovitch". Workers History Museum. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Hannah Moscovitch - Playwright". Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  25. ^ Piane, Charlie (June 2, 2010). "Dora Award Nominations Announced, Ceremony Held 6/28". Broadway World. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  26. ^ Medley, Mark (June 17, 2014). "Hannah Moscovitch wins Trillium Book Award for This is War". National Post. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Hannah Moscovitch - Finalist, 2014, 2017". Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  28. ^ "National Theatre School of Canada awards a Gascon-Thomas Award to playwrights Hannah Moscovitch and Olivier Choinière". October 23, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  29. ^ "Hannah Moscovitch". Windham Campbell Prizes. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  30. ^ Ghert-Zand, Renee (March 21, 2016). "Jewish-Canadian playwright awarded top literary prize". Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  31. ^ "Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Wins 2018 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award". NS Masterworks. November 13, 2018. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  32. ^ "International Opera Awards - Winners-Nominees". Opera Awards. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  33. ^ Anderson, Porter (December 13, 2019). "Canada's 2019 Governor General's Literary Awards Honor French and English Writings". Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  34. ^ "Secret Life of a Mother". Maev Beaty. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  35. ^ "Atlantic Book Awards reveal 2022 shortlists". Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  36. ^ Weaver, Jackson (March 6, 2024). "BlackBerry, Sort Of, Little Bird dominate Canadian Screen Award nominations". CBC. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
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