Several Canadians nominated for Drama Desk Awards for ‘Old Stock’

NEW YORK, United Nations – Several Canadians are in the running for New York’s Drama Desk Awards for the dark folk tale “Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story.”

Ottawa-raised playwright Hannah Moscovitch is nominated for outstanding book of a musical for the show, which is also up for best musical.

Her competition includes comedy star Tina Fey for “Mean Girls” as well as Kyle Jarrow for “SpongeBob SquarePants” and Peter Kellogg for “Desperate Measures.”

Christian Barry, who hails from Halifax, is nominated for directing, music, set design and lighting on “Old Stock.”

Barry shares the music nomination with Hamilton native Ben Caplan, who also stars in the show.

For set and lighting design, he’s named alongside Louisa Adamson of Halifax.

Created by Halifax’s 2b theatre company, “Old Stock” is inspired by the true stories of Jewish Romanian refugees coming to Canada in 1908.

It opened in Halifax and was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival before making its Off-Broadway debut at New York’s 59E59 Theaters.

The annual Drama Desk Awards honour productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway.

They’re voted on by theatre critics, journalists, editors and publishers covering theatre.