Gary Abrahams Gary Abrahams i(A130604 works by)
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: ca. 1997
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BiographyHistory

Actor, director and playwright Gary Abrahams left Johannesburg, South Africa, for Australia when he was 19. He enrolled in the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), Melbourne, in 1997. After graduating he moved to London, where he worked in theatre before returning to the VCA to enrol in a master's course in 2007. He also studied directing at the Lincolm Center in New York.

Abrahams created work for his company Dirty Pretty Theatre and was resident dramaturg for Red Stitch Theatre. His Acts of Deceit (Between Strangers in a Room), an adaptation of American writer James Baldwin's novel Giovanni's Room (1956), was first produced in London, and in Australia by Dirty Pretty Theatre at La Mama Courthouse Theatre, 21 January - 7 February, 2010. Abrahams also adapted stories by New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield for the stage.

Source: Robin Usher, 'Stage-Struck in a Strange Land', The Age (26 January 2010): 15

Most Referenced Works

Personal Awards

2020 recipient City of Melbourne COVID-19 Arts Grants
2018 recipient Australia Council Grants, Awards and Fellowships

Theatre Development Grants Individuals and Groups $5,782.00

Awards for Works

Yentl 2022 single work drama

'After a triumphant debut in 2022, garnering wide acclaim, four Green Room Awards and numerous five-star reviews—Malthouse is proud to present a return season of Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s Yentl. This new stage adaptation of Nobel Prize laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer’s iconic short story is the first since the 1975 Broadway play and Barbra Streisand’s iconic 1983 musical film. 

'Yentl is the journey of a young woman who defies the Jewish orthodox tradition that forbids females from studying religious scripture. When her father dies, Yentl emancipates herself by dressing in male guise, determined to live as a man to continue her studies. Religion, gender, sexual politics, and traditional Yiddish culture collide as Yentl finds her truth through faith and love.' (Production summary)

2023 nominated Victorian Green Room Awards Production : Theatre - Companies
2023 nominated Victorian Green Room Awards Direction : Theatre - Companies
2023 winner Victorian Green Room Awards New Writing for the Australian Stage
Last amended 5 Aug 2020 08:44:06
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