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Eliza Martin is an award-winning theatre artist, writer, and artist educator and arts facilitator. She combines many creative disciplines in her work with children and youth, as a 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. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Theatre Specialist, English Major) with distinction from the University of Toronto, and a Diploma in Professional Actor Training with high distinction from Sheridan College. She 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 therapeutic arts-based programming for child and youth populations who experience adversity. As a creator, Eliza is interested in work that is hopeful, imaginative, and inclusive. She aims to celebrate the beauty in the seemingly small moments, and tell stories with humour, heart, and whimsy. She believes that the greatest art connects, unifies, and transforms. |
Some of Eliza's treasured theatre credits include Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream with Shakespeare BASH'd, 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), Emily in Bodies and Patricia in Hiding Like Elephants (Hangar Wedge Series). Eliza starred in Seven to Forty Cinema's short film No Connection, which was an Official Selection of 2016 GCN Film Festival, Future of Film Showcase in Toronto, the Korean International Expat Film Festival in Seoul, Vertical Movie Festival in Rome, and Vertifilms Festival in Prague.
Eliza has been writing, creating theatre, and performing her own work throughout her professional career. She began writing and performing solo theatre in 2014, and has created 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 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. Her first children's novel Harvey and the Extraordinary, based on her play of the same title, was published by Annick Press in November 2021.
Eliza’s other interests include yoga, art, camping, ballet, and semi-constant coffee drinking. Unfortunately, she is notoriously irresponsible about her library book returns. She's passionate about community arts, independent bookstores, veggie burgers, and sloths. When not on-stage or scribbling, she can be found working with children and youth in a hospital and community setting, serving as the Programs and Services Coordinator of Purple Carrots Drama Studio, or facilitating creative workshops around the city.
Eliza has been writing, creating theatre, and performing her own work throughout her professional career. She began writing and performing solo theatre in 2014, and has created 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 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. Her first children's novel Harvey and the Extraordinary, based on her play of the same title, was published by Annick Press in November 2021.
Eliza’s other interests include yoga, art, camping, ballet, and semi-constant coffee drinking. Unfortunately, she is notoriously irresponsible about her library book returns. She's passionate about community arts, independent bookstores, veggie burgers, and sloths. When not on-stage or scribbling, she can be found working with children and youth in a hospital and community setting, serving as the Programs and Services Coordinator of Purple Carrots Drama Studio, or facilitating creative workshops around the city.
