Michael Kras

Michael Kras

“One of the important rising playwrights of the contemporary Canadian theatre ecology.” - Colin Bruce Anthes (Artistic Director, Essential Collective Theatre)

Michael Kras is a Hamilton-based playwright, director, performer, magician, and maker. He is the recipient of the prestigious Herman Voaden National Playwriting Prize for his play The Team, which was also a 2018 Tom Hendry Award nominee and...
“One of the important rising playwrights of the contemporary Canadian theatre ecology.” - Colin Bruce Anthes (Artistic Director, Essential Collective Theatre)

Michael Kras is a Hamilton-based playwright, director, performer, magician, and maker. He is the recipient of the prestigious Herman Voaden National Playwriting Prize for his play The Team, which was also a 2018 Tom Hendry Award nominee and a national finalist for the Safe Words New Canadian Play Award. The Team made its professional world premiere at Essential Collective Theatre and Theatre Aquarius, and is published by Scirocco Drama in the anthology FIERCE: Five Plays for High Schools alongside new Canadian plays by Dave Deveau, Judith Thompson, Tanisha Taitt, and Ali Joy Richardson.

In 2022, Michael's TYA play No Big Deal made its world premiere touring with Roseneath Theatre in Toronto, after he developed the script with the company as the 2020 OAC Playwright-in-Residence.

Next, Michael is continuing development 'rip it out of my THROAT' following a term as OAC Playwright-in-Residence at Essential Collective Theatre, and has begun work on a play about millennial hustle culture - The Start-Up - with the support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Michael was the 2022/2023 Canada Council Playwright-in-Residence at Theatre Aquarius (alongside composer Stephen Ingram) to develop 'a how-to guide for the not-yet-viral,' a new electro-pop chamber musical about loneliness and social media addiction in the era of TikTok. He also holds new play commissions for Green Light Arts and Boca del Lupo.

On top of playwriting, Michael blended his skills as a director and magician as the Resident Illusions & Magic Associate for the record-breaking Canadian premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mirvish/Sonia Friedman Productions, dir. John Tiffany). He has also served as a magic director & designer for productions like the world premiere of The Extinction Therapist by Clem Martini (Magic Director, Theatre Aquarius) and A Christmas Carol (Illusion Design Associate, Florida's Maltz Jupiter Theatre).

Other works as a playwright include Zoe and Nora and Everything in Between, commissioned by Convergence Theatre as part of The COVID Confessions; Lydia, developed for the Frost Bites Festival; and The Year and Two of Us Back Here, which was developed at Theatre Aquarius and has seen multiple productions in Canada and the United States. Michael is a graduate of Humber Theatre School, an alumnus of the Theatre Aquarius Playwrights Unit, and was named a 2023 Artist to Watch by Beyond James.

"I still cannot grasp how this young artist is able to understand human beings and their complexities as well as he does. He never tells the same story twice. His work is always insightful and fresh. He is a playwright worth watching out for." - Amanda Cosby-Nesbitt, Steel City Girl Reviews

Plays

  • finsta by Michael Kras
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: drama, young audiences
    ·
    Keyword: friendship, consent + 6 more
    Genre: drama, young audiences
    Keyword: friendship, consent, LBGTQIA, social media, privacy, boundaries, teens, high school
    Drew has stopped speaking to Quinn at school. When Quinn finally corners him to ask what’s up, Drew says he discovered Quinn’s finsta: a second, private Instagram account where they share more personal content with a small, curated group of trusted followers. When Drew sent a follow request, it was denied; even though they’ve been close friends since childhood. Hurt and confused, Drew confronts Quinn about the...
    Drew has stopped speaking to Quinn at school. When Quinn finally corners him to ask what’s up, Drew says he discovered Quinn’s finsta: a second, private Instagram account where they share more personal content with a small, curated group of trusted followers. When Drew sent a follow request, it was denied; even though they’ve been close friends since childhood. Hurt and confused, Drew confronts Quinn about the finsta, prompting a complicated discussion on consent, privacy, boundaries, and what a ‘safe space’ looks like in the social media era.
  • a how-to guide for the not-yet-viral by Michael Kras
    Cast: 
    5–10
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 4 more
    ·
    Keyword: musical, musical theatre + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, movement/physical, musical, political, young audiences
    Keyword: musical, musical theatre, social media, Influencer, loneliness, friendship, going viral, coming of age, ensemble
    Book and Lyrics by Michael Kras
    Music and Lyrics by Stephen Ingram

    High school senior Hannah is desperate to go viral on the most popular social media app in human history. Enlisting the help of her filmmaker friend Margot, she uploads video after video hoping one of them will eventually catch fire. When a video finally does pop off - while featuring a friend who didn't consent to the...
    Book and Lyrics by Michael Kras
    Music and Lyrics by Stephen Ingram

    High school senior Hannah is desperate to go viral on the most popular social media app in human history. Enlisting the help of her filmmaker friend Margot, she uploads video after video hoping one of them will eventually catch fire. When a video finally does pop off - while featuring a friend who didn't consent to the video being posted - Hannah is forced to reckon with the complicated realities of sudden internet fame while her life begins spiralling rapidly out of control.

    An original electro-pop chamber musical written with composer Stephen Ingram, 'a how-to guide for the not-yet-viral' is a potent and timely look at addiction, consent, the fear of being forgotten, and what it means to come of age in one of the most troublingly public times in human history.
  • The Start-Up by Michael Kras
    Cast: 
    5–7
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: capitalism, hustle culture + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, political
    Keyword: capitalism, hustle culture, millennial, youth, affordability, climate crisis, loneliness, start-ups, coming of age
    Blast Off! is Hamilton’s buzziest new start-up advertising firm, with a small, overworked team of young talent that keeps things running as they fuel up with copious complimentary coffee and kombucha on tap; and the occasional game of ping pong.

    But as hustles, side-hustles, and side-side-hustles become an all-encompassing means of survival and the lines of work and play begin to dangerously blur...
    Blast Off! is Hamilton’s buzziest new start-up advertising firm, with a small, overworked team of young talent that keeps things running as they fuel up with copious complimentary coffee and kombucha on tap; and the occasional game of ping pong.

    But as hustles, side-hustles, and side-side-hustles become an all-encompassing means of survival and the lines of work and play begin to dangerously blur, can these young Hamiltonians get ahead in their careers without losing grip on themselves? Oh, and why the heck does their adorable downtown office keep quaking violently like it’s about to explode?

    Fiercely funny and bracingly current, The Start-Up is a play-with-magic about internalized capitalism, success, failure, hustle culture, loneliness, free beer, dental care, and OnlyFans.
  • rip it out of my THROAT by Michael Kras
    Cast: 
    4
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: music, friendship + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, political, young audiences
    Keyword: music, friendship, loneliness, Mental Health, Ambition, climate anxiety, high school, verse, death, youth
    Mona, Bradley, Hunter, and Peyton - the four misfit members of White Oak Secondary's competitive vocal quartet - are gearing up for the most important provincial competition of their young lives. With arts budget cuts looming at their school, this may be the quartet's final year if they can't prove their worth and preserve the choir for future generations by taking home the big trophy. Through it...
    Mona, Bradley, Hunter, and Peyton - the four misfit members of White Oak Secondary's competitive vocal quartet - are gearing up for the most important provincial competition of their young lives. With arts budget cuts looming at their school, this may be the quartet's final year if they can't prove their worth and preserve the choir for future generations by taking home the big trophy. Through it all, the quartet comes face-to-face with climate anxiety, impossible ambitions, loneliness, untimely vocal injuries, viral videos of botched national anthems, Juilliard auditions, and the sudden death of their choir director.

    'rip it out of my THROAT' is an anxious, lyrical howl about the value of art in crisis, and what it means to be young and have hope for a future that may never be.
  • No Big Deal by Michael Kras
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: high school, boys + 6 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, young audiences
    Keyword: high school, boys, consent, Toxic Masculinity, Mental Health, loneliness, friendship between men, sexual assault
    Longtime friends Ariel and Grayson are working at a horrible theme park for the summer to save up for college following their high school graduation. Their plan is to be roommates and take their first steps into adulthood together. But tensions created by their increasingly different ideas of growing into manhood - and a complicated incident involving fellow employee Lucy - might be enough to threaten the...
    Longtime friends Ariel and Grayson are working at a horrible theme park for the summer to save up for college following their high school graduation. Their plan is to be roommates and take their first steps into adulthood together. But tensions created by their increasingly different ideas of growing into manhood - and a complicated incident involving fellow employee Lucy - might be enough to threaten the stability of their friendship. Tackling timely themes of contemporary masculinity, bro culture, mental health, and consent, No Big Deal is a complex, funny, and humane new play for high school audiences that's sure to provoke urgent discussion.

    No Big Deal was written in residence at Roseneath Theatre under the dramaturgy of Andrew Lamb for the 2019/20 season, funded by the Ontario Arts Council. The play saw its world premiere with Roseneath in the 2022/23 season, directed by athena kaitlin trinh with set & costume design by Jackie Chau, sound design by Verne Good, production management by Cassidy Sadler, and stage management by Joanna Rumstein-Ellis.
  • Zoe and Nora and Everything in Between by Michael Kras
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama
    ·
    Keyword: high school, love + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama
    Keyword: high school, love, Covid-19, romance, queer, distance, teenagers, Relationships, poetry, loneliness
    Zoe and Nora were in a really good place.
    Then the entire world shut down.
    Now, out of school, away from each other, and stuck at home adjusting to their current realities, Zoe and Nora are trying to hold on to what they have while the world around them tries to hold on to itself.
  • Lydia by Michael Kras
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: high school, sexuality + 7 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, young audiences
    Keyword: high school, sexuality, loneliness and isolation, Men, age of consent, abuse by teacher, music, boys, teenagers
    James and Dillon, two high school students, are in their school’s choir room at lunch hour. Dillon is helping to write a song James plans to sing in front of the entire school to profess his love for his girlfriend, Lydia. But things don’t add up; Dillon has never heard of a Lydia, and James has never been seen with a girlfriend before. Who is Lydia? And why is James afraid to talk about her? A short play about...
    James and Dillon, two high school students, are in their school’s choir room at lunch hour. Dillon is helping to write a song James plans to sing in front of the entire school to profess his love for his girlfriend, Lydia. But things don’t add up; Dillon has never heard of a Lydia, and James has never been seen with a girlfriend before. Who is Lydia? And why is James afraid to talk about her? A short play about desperation, youth, loneliness, consent, and crossing the line.
  • The Year and Two of Us Back Here. by Michael Kras
    Recommendations: 4
    ·
    Cast: 
    2
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 1 more
    ·
    Keyword: millennials, Mental Health + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, young audiences
    Keyword: millennials, Mental Health, existential, technology, love, loss, isolation, retail, friendship, youth
    "It has a fragile soul and a fierce edge." - Amanda Cosby Nesbitt, Steel City Girl Reviews

    Rain and Isaac work at a terrible hat store in downtown Hamilton that no one ever comes in. Both at their own desperate yearning standstills, they struggle to overcome themselves and find connection while struggling to sell overpriced headwear. A love letter to loneliness, longing, and losing.
  • The Team by Michael Kras
    Recommendations: 5
    ·
    Cast: 
    5
    ·
    Genre: comedy, drama + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: feminism, sports + 8 more
    Genre: comedy, drama, movement/physical, young audiences
    Keyword: feminism, sports, teenagers, suicide, violence, LGBTQ, identity, high school, girls, grief
    Winner - Herman Voaden National Playwriting Prize
    Nominee - Tom Hendry TYA Award
    Finalist - Safe Words New Canadian Play Award
    Semi-Finalist - Sanguine Theatre’s Project Playwright

    Bobbie Brantwood has just returned to school following the suicide of her brother Ben, a former high school basketball superstar. To process her grief, she’s joining the White Oak senior girls’...
    Winner - Herman Voaden National Playwriting Prize
    Nominee - Tom Hendry TYA Award
    Finalist - Safe Words New Canadian Play Award
    Semi-Finalist - Sanguine Theatre’s Project Playwright

    Bobbie Brantwood has just returned to school following the suicide of her brother Ben, a former high school basketball superstar. To process her grief, she’s joining the White Oak senior girls’ basketball team as they prepare for a live-or-die battle to championships. The crushing weights of expectation, grief, and identity loom as each member of the team reaches the end of high school and stands on the precipice of their uncertain futures.

    “As relevant and human as it is entertaining, The Team is a significant addition to the Canadian theatre ecosystem.” - Colin B. Anthes (Artistic Director, Essential Collective Theatre)

    “Playwright Michael Kras has created a phenomenal piece that has audiences whispering in shock, stifling laughter, and crying in silence.” - DARTcritics
  • #dirtygirl by Michael Kras
    Recommendations: 1
    ·
    Cast: 
    3
    ·
    Genre: drama, horror + 2 more
    ·
    Keyword: thriller, slut shaming + 4 more
    Genre: drama, horror, mystery/thriller, young audiences
    Keyword: thriller, slut shaming, public shaming, social media, stress, high school
    During her best friend Bridget’s birthday party, Kiera discovers a photo she sent to her boyfriend James has ended up on Twitter with a scandalous claim that she’s sleeping with a teacher in her school. The night turns into a fight against the world, each other, and themselves. Did James post the photo? Or is something far more sinister going on? #dirtygirl is a techno-horror story about the monsters that lurk...
    During her best friend Bridget’s birthday party, Kiera discovers a photo she sent to her boyfriend James has ended up on Twitter with a scandalous claim that she’s sleeping with a teacher in her school. The night turns into a fight against the world, each other, and themselves. Did James post the photo? Or is something far more sinister going on? #dirtygirl is a techno-horror story about the monsters that lurk behind our screens.