Gary Abrahams

Since graduating from The Victorian College of The Arts in 2009 (Masters of Theatre Practice) Gary has worked extensively as a director, writer, dramaturge and actor.  While at VCA he was the recipient of The Grace Wilson Trust Award for writing, and The Jim Marks Scholarship for Artistic Practice. He participated in the 2009 Lincoln Centre Theatre Directors Lab in New York City as well as working as a dramaturge at the Playwriting Australia’s Graduate National Script Workshop. He is currently the resident dramaturge at Red Stitch Actors Theatre, developing new work for the ensemble through their playwriting program. In 2010 he wrote and directed the plays Acts of Deceit (Between Strangers in a Room) based on a novella by James Baldwin and Something Natural But Very Childish based on the short stories of Katherine Mansfield, both of which enjoyed critically successful seasons at La Mama Theatre produced by his company DPT.

Acts of Deceit was nominated for Best New writing, Best Director and Best Ensemble at the 2010 Greenroom Awards. Something Natural was nominated for Best New Writing, Best Director, Best Ensemble, Best Actor and Best Play at the same awards, winning Gary the award for best director in the independent category in 2010.

His prior directing credits at Red Stitch include the world premiere of Joanna Murray Smith’s Day One. A Hotel. Evening after accompanying Joanna as dramaturge on a workshop of the play at The Powerhouse Play Festival at Vassar College in New York and the World Premiere of ROAMby Adam Cass in 2013.  Other directing credits include Jerker (Gasworks Theatre 2009), Oh Well Never Mind Bye (Red Stitch 2010) and The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later (Red Stitch 2011) and The Pride.(Red Stitch 2012). The Laramie Project was remounted by The Arts Centre Melbourne as part of the 2012 Full Tilt Season.

He has worked as an assistant director at the Melbourne Theatre Company on the plays All About My Mother (2010),Songs for Nobodies (2010),  The Gift (2011) and Australia Day (2012)

His recent adaptation of Emile Zola’s Therese Raquin was selected as part of the 2012 Playwriting Australia Play Festival and received a performed reading at The Malthouse Theatre.