Martha Burns

Martha Burns is an actor, arts educator and filmmaker. She has been an ensemble member and leading actor of the Vancouver Playhouse, National Arts Centre, Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival and Soulpepper theatre companies. She is the recipient of two Gemini awards for the series, Slings and Arrows, two Genie supporting actor awards for the films Long Days Journey Into Night and Love and Savagery and two Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the plays Trafford Tanzi and The Miracle Worker. She received the 2005 Barbara Hamilton Award for excellence and professionalism in the performing arts and the 2016 Leslie Yeo prize for volunteerism. Martha has directed a short film, How are You (TIFF 2008), and a feature documentary, Robin, Mark and Richard III. From 2010 - 2017, Martha taught first year acting at the National Theatre School. In 2017 she worked with performers from Nunavut’s Qaggiavuut Performing arts society to create Kiviuq Returns, a play based on elders’ stories about the Inuit’s most beloved Shaman hero. Martha is a co founder of Masterclass Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre, The Toronto Arts for Youth award and Got Your Back.