Mitch and Murray Productions
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| Company type | Theatre company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Aaron Craven |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| Website | mitchandmurrayproductions |
Mitch and Murray Productions is a Canadian theatre company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 2012 by Artistic Director Aaron Craven, the company produces contemporary plays. The theatre also hosts acting workshops for the autistic community.
History
[edit]
Aaron Craven established Mitch and Murray Productions in 2012 with an aim of introducing contemporary plays to Vancouver. The company is named for two characters in the David Mamet play Glengarry Glen Ross.[1]
The company has staged Vancouver premieres of works by such playwrights as Will Arbery,[2] Mike Bartlett,[3] Duncan Macmillan[4] and David Mamet.[5] Mitch and Murray Productions and its artists have been nominated for Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards.[6] In 2023, the company staged the premiere of Craven's play Instantaneous Blue,[7] a semi-autobiographical work about a family's struggles with Alzheimer's disease.[8][9]
The company also is home to The Working Actors Gym, an acting school in Vancouver,[10] and hosts acting workshops for the autistic community.[11]
Productions
[edit]Among the company's productions is Instantaneous Blue by Aaron Craven (2023).[12][13][14] The play explores the generation torn between raising their young families and caring for aging parents. It is based on Craven's experience in caring for his parents who were simultaneously diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's.[7][12] In 2025, the company produced Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery (2025). The 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist[citation needed] is centered on Christian conservatism.[15][16]
Other works staged by the company include:
- Fifty Words by Michael Weller (2011)[citation needed]
- Race by David Mamet (2012)[17]
- Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo (2013)[18]
- Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet (2014)[19]
- Rapture, Blister, Burn by Gina Gionfriddo (2015)[20]
- Detroit by Lisa D’Amour (2016)[21]
- Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason (2018)[22]
- Body Awareness by Annie Baker (2019)[23]
- Lungs by Duncan Macmillan (2020)[4][24][25]
- Snowflake by Mike Bartlett (2021)[3][26]
- An Intervention by Mike Bartlett (2024)[27]
References
[edit]- ^ Newton, Steve (2021-12-01). "Aaron Craven's Mitch and Murray Productions took its name from David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ "Theatre Review". www.vancouverplays.com. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "Mitch and Murray Productions presents Snowflake at the Red Gate Revue Stage from December 10 to 23". The Georgia Straight. 2021-10-08. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "Mitch and Murray Productions presents Lungs at Studio 16 in November". The Georgia Straight. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Speed-the-Plow is a wild good time". The Georgia Straight. 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Bollwitt, Rebecca (2022-06-15). "The Jessie Awards 2021-2022 Celebrating Vancouver Theatre". Vancouver Blog Miss604. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "news/canada/british-columbia/aaron-craven-instantaneous-blue-dementia-1.6704586".
- ^ "radio/q/thursday-jan-5-2023-román-zaragoza-aitch-alberto-and-more-1.6703625".
- ^ "entertainment/local-arts/mitch-and-murray-productions-celebrates-10-year-anniversary-with-world-premiere-of-instantaneous-blue". vancouversun.
- ^ "The Working Actors Gym with Aaron Craven". Vancouver Actor's Guide. May 29, 2017.
- ^ Smith, Charlie (2024-01-08). "Theatre artist Aaron Craven teams up with Telus to offer Atypical Acting workshops for youths and adults on autism spectrum". Pancouver. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "With world premiere of Instantaneous Blue, Mitch and Murray Productions celebrates 10th anniversary, to January 22". Stir. 2025-10-16. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (Jan 3, 2023). "Instantaneous Blue delves into the disarray dementia brings into the lives of families". Vancouver Sun.
- ^ "Instantaneous Blue - GlobalNews Events". Global News. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ "Heroes of the Fourth Turning explores Christian conservatism". Stir. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ ""Heroes of the Fourth Turning" ruminates on the sharpest edges of the human condition". The Georgia Straight. 2025-01-29. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ Warner, Andrea (2012-11-16). "Race is a myopic view of the world". The Georgia Straight.
- ^ "Becky Shaw is funny, intelligent, and provocative". The Georgia Straight. 2013-11-25. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- ^ "Speed-The-Plow Refines the art of Witty Conversation | News". Daily Hive. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- ^ "Women debate career vs family in Rapture, Blister, Burn". Vancouver Is Awesome. 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- ^ Wasserman, Jerry (2016-11-07). "Theatre review: American dream on the precipice in distressed Detroit". Vancouver Sun.
- ^ Wasserman, Jerry (2018-10-09). "Theatre review: Sex with Strangers focuses on how online world meets real life". Vancouver Sun.
- ^ "Body Awareness". www.vancouverplays.com. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- ^ "Alumnus Michael Scholar, Jr. '16 Directs Duncan Macmillan's 'Lungs' at Studio 16 | School of the Arts". arts.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ "The well-acted Lungs stays smart". The Georgia Straight. 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ "Snowflake looks at holiday intergenerational divides, at the Red Gate Revue Stage December 10 to 23". Stir. 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
- ^ Derdeyn, Stuart (2024-03-07). "An Intervention dives into the rupturing of personal relationships over Middle Eastern politics and more".