Photo of Arun Lakra by John Shin.
Bio
Arun Lakra is an India-born, Calgary-based writer. He has written plays, screenplays, a song to protest the demotion of Pluto (unsuccessful!), and his share of illegible prescriptions. Arun’s multi-award winning play, SEQUENCE, has been published and produced across North America, including at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. His new play, HEIST, had its World Premiere at Vertigo Theatre (Calgary) in 2024, with new productions taking place at the Grand Theatre (London) and Citadel Theatre (Edmonton) in 2025.
As a writer and as a consumer, Arun gravitates to material that is thought-provoking, innovative, fast-paced, structurally complex, and also makes him laugh. Sometimes only him. Once, a presumably concussed theatre reviewer compared his work to that of Aaron Sorkin. That was a good day. Ice cream was consumed.
In addition to his creative endeavors, Arun trained as an eye surgeon at the University of Toronto and has spent 25 years practicing ophthalmology. He is passionate about the intersection of science and the arts with the bidirectional flow of ideas, and he uses his platform to encourage students (and grown-ups) to explore both spheres.
Awards
- Finalist for the Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding New Play, Heist (2024)
- Finalist for the Calgary Theatre Critics Award for Best New Script, Heist (2024)
- Winner of the Blacklist x Warby Parker $20,000 Writers Vision Grant, Los Angeles (2023)
- Quarterfinalist for The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Competition, Los Angeles, Fortunato Heist (2022)
- Winner of the Rosie (Alberta Film and Television Award) for Best Screenwriter – Drama under 30 minutes, for short film Probability (2017)
- Finalist for the Rosie (Alberta Film and Television Award) for Best Director – for short film Probability (2017)
- World Premiere, World Competition Section, Montreal World Film Festival, Probability (2016)
- Official Selection Boston Film Festival, Orlando Film Festival, Flickers Rhode Island Vortex Festival, Vancouver Asian Film Festival, Probability (2016)
- Shortlisted for New American Voices Competition, American Actors UK, London, England, Sequence (2015)
- Winner of the Best Music Video (Writer/Director) of Toronto Independent Film Festival, Must Sell Screenplay! (2015)
- Official Selection of the Orlando Film Festival and the Pasadena International Film Festival, Must Sell Screenplay! (2015)
- Winner of the Gwen Pharis Ringwood Drama Prize (Writers Guild of Alberta Literary Awards), Sequence (2014)
- Long-listed for James Tait Black Prize for Drama, University of Edinburgh/National Theatre of Scotland, Sequence (2014)
- Winner of the Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding New Play, Sequence (2013)
- Winner of the Calgary Theatre Critics Award for Best New Script, Sequence (2013)
- Winner of the Joanne Woodward/Paul Newman Award for Drama, Bloomington Playwrights Project, Sequence (2013)
- Finalist for Stage (Scientists, Technologists, and Artists Generating Exploration) International Script Competition, University of California Santa Barbara, Sequence. (Judges included 3 Pulitzer-Prize winners Tony Kushner, David Lindsay-Abaire, Donald Margulies) and 2 Nobel Laureates (2012)
- Winner of the Grand Prize, Alberta Playwriting Competition, Alberta Playwrights Network/Theatre Alberta, Sequence (2011)
- Winner of the Praxis Centre for Screenwriters Feature Film Screenplay Workshop Competition, Voices (2005)
