Dawn Jani Birley is an award-winning actor, translator and theatre consultant with a strong background in physical theatre. Known for her versatile acting skills, Birley has taken on a wide range of roles. Among her notable achievements is winning the Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Actress in a Play in 2017 for her powerful portrayal of Horatio in Prince Hamlet in Canada. Another highlight of her career was her performance as Sarah in Sanaton Rakkaus (Children of a Lesser God) alongside Santeri Kinnunen in Finland in 2019. Birley also starred in The Black Drum, the first full-length signed musical produced by the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf. This groundbreaking production was featured at Clin d’Oeil in Reims, France, in 2019 and later embarked on a virtual tour in 2021.

 

Dawn Jani was classically trained by renowned theatre practitioners such as Josette Bushell-Mingo, Debbie Rennie, and Marianne Aro. She refined her craft through years of work with acclaimed theatre companies, including Teatteri Totti in Helsinki, Riksteatern Teater Crea in Stockholm, and Teater Manu in Oslo, to name just a few. Birley pursued higher education in London, earning a Master of Arts degree in Physical Theatre with Merit from St. Mary’s University. Her thesis explored the creative process of using intersectionality to unite Deaf and hearing actors on stage.

 

Dawn Jani Birley was honoured as the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf’s Person of the Year in 2017 and named Swedish Riksteatern’s Artist of the Year in 2015 for her work in När vinterns stjärnör lyser här with Norrbottensteatern. Her performances have garnered stellar reviews: “As Horatio, Hamlet’s steadfast comrade, Dawn Jani Birley is the most riveting person in the room,” and “her onstage energy is unrivalled.” For her portrayal of Joan in The Black Drum, an extraordinary signed musical, Toronto’s BroadwayWorld praised her “powerhouse performance throughout the show.” In Finland, critics raved, ‘Sanaton rakkaus on ehdottomasti Birleyn näytelmä. Toivoisin näkeväni hänet jatkossakin muissa teatterituotannoissa.” (“Children of Lesser God is definitely Birley’s play. I hope to see her in other theatre productions in the future.”)

 

Dawn Jani Birley was born in Saskatchewan to a third-generation Deaf family and proudly identifies as culturally and linguistically Deaf. Fluent in multiple languages and gifted with an uncanny talent for storytelling, she founded 1s1 Theatre, a Deaf-led company dedicated to bringing more Deaf-led stories to the stage. Birley also stars in I am Puff, an animated digital series for children that celebrates differences, diversity, and acceptance. This unique cartoon web series blends live-action and animation while incorporating American Sign Language, spoken English, and captions. Originally created by a Deaf writer in Finland, I am Puff was adapted for an online audience by 1s1 Theatre in collaboration with Why Not Theatre.

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Birley is currently a theatre professor at the newly established Deaf Arts Academy (DAA), founded by the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) to offer structured opportunities for Deaf artists across Canada.

 

In addition to her work as an actor and theatre founder, Birley was a world-class Taekwondo athlete, representing Canada on the international stage for many years.

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resumé (CV) can be sent upon request