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Eliza Martin is an award-winning performing artist — an actor (CAEA & ACTRA member), theatre creator & playwright — and children's author. Off the stage and page, she works in arts education, and combines many creative disciplines in her therapeutic work with children and youth, as an arts-based child and youth care practitioner (M.A. CYC).
Eliza was born and raised in Toronto's east end. She graduated from Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts with a Drama Specialist before attending the Theatre and Drama Studies program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College -- graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree (Theatre Specialist, English Major) -- Distinction, and a Diploma in Professional Actor Training — High Distinction. Eliza has been performing, writing, and making theatre throughout her professional career — creating such works as: O (United Solo Award Best Satire, All About Solo, Critics' Choice), Harvey & The Extraordinary (My Entertainment World — 2018 Critics' Pick Award Nominee, Outstanding Solo Performance) and BLOOM (Bad Hats Theatre, New Bad Ideas 2019 Creator in Residence). Eliza's first novel Harvey and the Extraordinary, based on her play of the same title, was published by Annick Press in 2021, and translated into Czech in 2022. Her second and third book are currently being published. As a writer and creator, Eliza is interested in work that is hopeful, imaginative, and inclusive — dreaming better worlds into being. |
As an actor, some of Eliza's favourite credits include Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream with Shakespeare BASH'd, Katie in Roseneath Theatre's The Money Tree, Nora in BLOOM, a workshop with Bad Hats Theatre, Leigh in O at the United Solo Festival in New York City, Mimi in Harvey and The Extraordinary, Isabella in The Changeling — a staged reading with Shakespeare BASH'd, Molly in the Lower Ossington Theatre's Peter and The Starcatcher, Petandra in Paul and Petandra in the 2016 InspiraTO Festival (Peoples' Choice Award), Gloria in Hart House Theatre's Boeing Boeing, Hedvig in Re:Current Theatre's the Wild Duck Project, Cecily in Hart House Theatre's The Importance of Being Earnest, Hellena in The Rover, Mary Warren in The Crucible (Theatre Erindale) as well as u/s Louise in Gypsy (Hangar Theatre), and Patricia in Hiding Like Elephants (Hangar Wedge Series).
Eliza began working with children and youth through the arts as well as education early in her career, and holds a Master of Arts in Child and Youth Care (M.A. CYC) from Toronto Metropolitan University. As an interdisciplinary artist and CYC-P, Eliza's work outside of her own creative practice focuses on arts education, and therapeutic arts-based programming for child and youth populations who experience adversity. She is particularly passionate about disability justice, inclusive programming, and accessibility in the arts.
Eliza is a co-founder of Re:Current Theatre, a Toronto Monologue Slam Champion, and an alumna of the Hangar Theatre Lab Academy in Ithaca, New York.
Eliza’s other interests include yoga, camping, spin-cycling, ballet, veggie burgers, and semi-constant coffee drinking. Unfortunately, she is notoriously irresponsible about her library book returns. When not in the theatre or scribbling, she can be found working in the music and arts department of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as with Purple Carrots Drama Studio, or most recently with Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts.
Eliza began working with children and youth through the arts as well as education early in her career, and holds a Master of Arts in Child and Youth Care (M.A. CYC) from Toronto Metropolitan University. As an interdisciplinary artist and CYC-P, Eliza's work outside of her own creative practice focuses on arts education, and therapeutic arts-based programming for child and youth populations who experience adversity. She is particularly passionate about disability justice, inclusive programming, and accessibility in the arts.
Eliza is a co-founder of Re:Current Theatre, a Toronto Monologue Slam Champion, and an alumna of the Hangar Theatre Lab Academy in Ithaca, New York.
Eliza’s other interests include yoga, camping, spin-cycling, ballet, veggie burgers, and semi-constant coffee drinking. Unfortunately, she is notoriously irresponsible about her library book returns. When not in the theatre or scribbling, she can be found working in the music and arts department of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as with Purple Carrots Drama Studio, or most recently with Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts.
