Andrew Kushnir | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 (age 45–46) |
| Occupation | actor, playwright |
Andrew Kushnir (born 1980) is a Canadian playwright and actor.[1] He is most noted as co-creator with Damien Atkins and Paul Dunn of The Gay Heritage Project,[2] a theatrical show dramatizing aspects of LGBT history which was shortlisted for the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play in 2014.[3]
Early life and education
Born in Montreal and raised between Montreal and Winnipeg,[4] Kushnir is a second-generation Ukrainian-Canadian.[5] His maternal grandfather, Peter Kushnir, at 17 served as a messenger for the Waffen SS Galicia Division (later the 1st Ukrainian Division) before escaping from a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy and immigrating to Canada. Peter became a master watchmaker who designed the Zenith Extra RR 56 railway pocket watch and served as a significant influence on Andrew's later work.[5][6]
He was active in the Ukrainian Youth Association and performed in community pageants as a child.[6] He attended high school in Winnipeg, where he received The Loran Scholarship Award. Kushnir later graduated from the University of Alberta's BFA Acting Conservatory.[5]
Career
The artistic director of Project Humanity, a theatrical organization that uses the arts to raise social awareness, Kushnir specializes in verbatim theatre, which addresses social issues by creating theatrical presentations from the real testimonies of people affected by them.[1] His plays have included Captain Princess,[7] foto, The Middle Place,[8] Small Axe,[9] Wormwood[10] and Towards Youth: A Play on Radical Hope.[11] Towards Youth was published in 2022 by University of Toronto Press.[12]
Following his grandfather's death, Kushnir travelled across Europe and Ukraine to retrace his family's history.[5][13] This research resulted in his documentary play The Division (formerly The Time Piece), which examines family mythology and historical memory.
In 2023, he directed Nick Green's Casey and Diana for the Stratford Festival.[14]
Personal life
Kushnir came out as gay at age 19.[5]
Activism
In 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kushnir founded the We Support LGBTQ Ukraine Fund in partnership with the Veritas Foundation.[15] The fund provides direct humanitarian aid to queer and trans Ukrainians, specifically to those who are internally displaced or marginalized.[16] By 2024, the fund had raised over $125,000[4] for Ukrainian NGOs such as KyivPride and Gender Zed.[17]
References
- ^ a b "Kushnir, Andrew". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, March 5, 2019.
- ^ "Gay Heritage Project has a bright future". Toronto Star, November 24, 2013.
- ^ "TAPA ANNOUNCES 2014 DORA AWARD NOMINEES". The Theatre Reader, June 2, 2014.
- ^ a b "Soulpepper Theatre - Plays, Concerts & Musicals". soulpepper.ca. Archived from the original on 2026-01-11. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ a b c d e Bajus, Daria (2020-07-28). "Andrew Kushnir - 2019 REACH Mentorship recepient[sic]". newpathway.ca. New Pathway. Archived from the original on 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ a b Kushnir, Andrew (2022-02-25). "My love for the giant that is Ukraine". macleans.ca. Maclean's. Archived from the original on 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ "For shame: Playwright takes on guilt and organized religion with musical flair". Edmonton Journal, November 25, 2006.
- ^ "Shelter from the norm". National Post, February 22, 2011.
- ^ "Project: Humanity play deserves to be seen". Toronto Star, January 25, 2015.
- ^ "Powerful play revels in deceptive simplicity". Toronto Star, November 20, 2015.
- ^ "Theatre meets research project: Andrew Kushnir followed a professor around the world to write his latest play". The Globe and Mail, March 6, 2019.
- ^ "University of Toronto Press - Hope in a Collapsing World". University of Toronto Press. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
- ^ "Crow's Theatre announces packed 2025-26 season, including major partnership with Soulpepper". intermissionmagazine.ca. Intermission Magazine. 2025-04-09. Archived from the original on 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ Karen Fricker, "‘My mother burst into tears’: Inside ‘Casey and Diana,’ the most moving Canadian play of the year". Toronto Star, June 10, 2023.
- ^ "Transcripts: Queer(y)ing Museums Episode 4: Special Episode on Ukraine with Andrew Kushnir". museum.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ "About - LGBT Ukraine Support". lgbtukrainesupport.com. Archived from the original on 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ "We Support LGBTQ Ukraine Fund - Veritas Charity Services Inc". veritascharityservices.com. Archived from the original on 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
