Melissa Major
Major has worked on over 100 productions as a playwright, director, performer, producer, designer, stage manager and aerialist. Her plays have been produced in Toronto, New York, London, Hong Kong, Mumbai (India), Pune, (India), Williston (North Dakota), Royal Oak (Michigan), Windsor,Kitchener/Waterloo and several rural towns across the continent. Along with working in theatre, she is an elementary educator and a yoga and fitness instructor.
She is a 3 time winner of the York University President’s Prize for Playwriting, and other awards including finalist for the Hidden River Arts Playwriting Award (USA), semi-finalist for Reverie Productions’ Next Generation Playwriting Contest (New York, NY), hotINK playwriting competition, Summer Shorts Festival Playwriting Competition (USA), Emerging Artist Theatre’s Fall EATfest award (New York, NY).
Her university degree collection includes B.A.s in Theatre & Psychology, a B.Ed in Fine Arts Education from York University, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from University of Guelph.
For the last decade her work has been in the dance-theatre genre, working with dancers, aerialists and other choreographers.
What reviewers have said about her work:
“NNNN – A visually stunning contemporary dance piece…expertly executed!”
– Now Magazine on Everyday Oppressions
“NNNN – Fantastic! The depiction of the universe’s progress from uniformity to unlimited differentiation DAZZLES”
– Now Magazine on Infinitum
“4 stars! A fringe gem!”
– Eye Weekly on Even Burning
“NNNN – Reminiscent of Samuel Beckett’s enigmatic Ghost plays”
– Now Magazine on Even Burning
“Thoroughly entertaining!”
– Eye Weekly on Floozy: The Musical
“NNNNN – Major brings dark humour and a seemingly bottomless reserve of raw emotion to the role.”
– Now Magazine on Unicorn Horns
“Strongly Recommended”
– Drama.ca on Unicorn Horns
“Major’s energy is unflagging!”
– Eye Weekly on Unicorn Horns
