2025 THA Musical Award Finalists
Supported by the Dan School of Drama and Music
Small Gods, the Musical
Book by Makram Ayache (ON), Music by Landon Doak
Small Gods the Musical is a coming of age musical following the lives of five queer students who are finishing their final year of high school. They also all happen to work at Orion Shopping Center, the only mall in their small city. The musical explores the clash of capitalism and queerness as the crew takes on impossible decisions of heartbreak, first love, next steps, and following their dreams all while boasting original songs that sound and feel like the late 90s and early 2000s. At its heart, Small Gods is about queer family and creativity and a personal joy that is unique to being queer!
Makram Ayache is a Governor General Literary Award Finalist and award-winning playwright, performer, director, and producer based in Toronto. His playwriting explores representations of queer Arab voices and aims to bridge political struggles to the intimate experiences of the people impacted by them. Ayache was selected as one of six breakthrough artists in Toronto in the Toronto Star in 2023. His play, “The Hooves Belonged to the Deer” was selected as one of 10 best productions in Ontario in 2023 by the Globe and Mail and won an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for “Outstanding Independent Production” in Edmonton in 2023. Previously, His Governor General nominated play “The Green Line” (Downstage and Chromatic Theatre) garnered four Betty Mitchell Award Nominations, winning two including “Outstanding New Play.” Most recently, Ayache has written an adaption of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” titled “A Witch in Algiers” (Shakespeare in the Ruff). Alongside writing, Ayache directs, most recently directing the development showcase of “Small Gods the Musical” with Theatre Sheridan and Factory Theatre. Learn more at www.makramayache.com
Landon Doak (THEY/THEM/HE) is an award-winning actor and singer-songwriter based in Toronto. They are the Associate Artist of Bad Hats Theatre, was recently selected for Musical Stage Company’s Dan Fund, and was a faculty member at Sheridan College. Selected acting credits include Shazam! (New Line Cinema/DC Films), I Am William (Stratford Festival), As You Like It (Shakespeare in High Park/ CanStage), Peter Pan (Bad Hats Theatre/Soulpepper), A Woman of No Importance, Dance of Death (Shaw Festival), The Drawer Boy (Essential Collective Theatre), Life in a Box (Bad Hats Theatre). Selected writing credits include Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan (Dora Awards – Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Production; Bad Hats Theatre/Soulpepper), Life in a Box (Dora Award – Outstanding New Musical; Bad Hats Theatre/Toronto Fringe), Romeo and Juliet (Old Flame Brewing Company), The Welland Canal Play (Essential Collective Theatre), Pippi! (Fourth Gorgon Theatre).
Olivia O, The Musical
Book by: Diane Currie Sam (BC) & Jessica Carmona, Lyrics by: Jessica Carmona with additional lyrics by Diane Currie Sam, Music by: Gil Yaron
Olivia O, The Musical tells the story of Olivia Ortiz, a 14 year undocumented migrant who is separated from her mother at the US-Mexican border. Facing the loss of her mother, and the cruelty of the system she’s caught in, Olivia must maintain her hope, kindness and strength of will as she tries to find a home again, and unite with her American aunt she’s never met. As Olivia faces an immigration raid, and struggles to stay hopeful, her aunt Isabel, desperate to find her, has to learn to stand up for herself and her family as she fights against a system that is more powerful than she realized. Olivia O tells the epic story of a child lost in a system, a love story within a community at a crossroads, and the birth of a movement, as it weaves together themes of family, identity, and the power of hope.
Diane Currie Sam (Playwright/Co-Lyricist) is an award-winning essayist/writer, educator, and speechwriter from Coquitlam, BC. An emerging playwright and lyricist with a multi-decade career in communications, counseling and educating, she is known for her passion for understanding, deep listening skills, and creative writing work. As a freelance writer she has covered critically important social issues like mental health, sustainability, and the prevention of domestic violence. Her work as a counsellor and group facilitator has focused on the power of storytelling for healing and change, and she has led healing-focused storytelling retreats in Canada and Mexico. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia (BSc) and Trinity Western University (MA, Counselling Psychology) and lives in Coquitlam, BC.
Jessica Carmona (Lyricist/Co-Playwright) is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts (BFA in Acting) and is a current participant in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. She has worked with the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, Red Monkey Theatre, and Blackfriars Theatre in Rochester, NY. Jessica is an accomplished playwright and lyricist. She wrote Elvira -The Immigration Play, which was inspired by the life of Elvira Arellano and which has toured in several theatres and college campuses in the US. She has worked with Brooklyn Children’s Theatre to develop new children’s musicals. She has written 3 short plays and 2 full length plays. She starred in the feature film Millie and the Lords which was featured on HBO, and for which she won the Best actress award at The People’s Film Festival in NYC. She recently appeared as a costar on CBS FBI Most Wanted and NBC New Amsterdam.
Gil Yaron (Composer) is an award-winning performer/director/producer and the composer for Olivia O. Career highlights include the second national tour of Les Miserables (Mirvish Productions), Canadian Premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins and Jesse Richardson Awards (Best Director/ Best Production) for the premiere of Barbara Nickel’s SchumannBrahmSchumann. Gil recently collaborated on the score for a new musical Power. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with his two children.
The Great(er) Maple Syrup Heist
Book, music & lyrics by Ellen Denny (ON)
The Great(er) Maple Syrup Heist is a musical comedy reimagining Canada’s most infamous crime as a copycat caper committed by five feisty women. Our unlikely bandits are rebel syrup producers, fighting the all-powerful Federation of Maple Syrup Producers, which aggressively controls the market. Ringleader Brenda has drained her retirement savings in legal battles with Federation, after they block her reaping the profits of a banner season. Tiffany and daughter Tab have a national grocer looking to carry their Indigenous brand, but need funds fast to increase production. Across enemy lines is Audrey, VP of Federation, who expects to succeed her father as President. When he promotes her useless brothers instead, Audrey joins forces with the rebels to stick it to Federation! Woven throughout is a sweet queer love story between Tab and newcomer Amy, who instantly connect, despite the sticky fact Amy is engaged.
Ellen Denny (she/her) is a playwright and Dora Award-nominated actor. Her play Pleasureville (“critical subject matter with a laugh a minute” – The Buzz PEI) has been produced at Neptune Theatre and The Guild Charlottetown. Her play Take Care debuted at Here for Now Theatre and was featured in The New York Times. Ellen is co-creator of critically-acclaimed pandemic rom-com February: A Love Story with Emilio Vieira, which ran live (Globus Theatre, AlvegoRoot Theatre) and digitally (Magnus Theatre, STRATFEST@HOME). Through the Launch Pad program (Musical Stage / Yonge St Theatricals), Ellen was book writer for What Goes Up, with songwriting team Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer-Segal. Ellen has written short plays for Driftwood Theatre and Live Bait Theatre, and created in residence at The Grand Theatre. She regularly performs in plays and musicals across Canada.
Special thanks to Musical Award Peer Assessment Panelists: Kevin Wong (Chair), Jamie Bradley, and Krystle Pederson.