Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia
Ravel, Aviva
Playwright and educator, Aviva Ravel was born in 1927 in Montreal, Quebec; died June 24, 2026 at the age of 98. Her parents worked in a clothing factory. At 12, she becomes active in the Zionist-Socialist movement. After high school she became a teacher and married Nahum Ravel. They lived and worked in a kibbutz in Israel for twelve years. Two of their four children were born there; she also worked as a teacher during that time. She became involved in theatre: one of her plays was produced for Israeli radio. Between December 1967 and February 1968 she travelled between Montreal and New York three time to be a "foreign observer" at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. In 2001 at 71, she married American Al Fleitman, and moved to Pennsylvania, returning to Canada to direct and teach on occasion.
Her first work for the stage, Mendel Fish, was produced at Hart House Theatre in 1967. Her other plays include: My Bed is Green (Place des Arts), which portrays kibbutz life; The Twisted Loaf (premiered at Saidye Bronfman Centre/SBC, 1974, directed by Roy Higgins); Dispossessed (SBC, 1977, dir. Sean Mulcahy); The Courting of Sally Schwartz (La Diligence Dinner Theatre, 1990, directed by Ravel); Dance Like a Butterfly (School tour, Montreal, 1994, directed by Ravel); and Senior Moments (Stage 2, Pittsburgh 2009). She produced and directed many of her own plays for nearly thirty years. Two of her monologues were produced by CBC on Bob Weaver's Anthology program.
She edited two books of Canadian plays and translated two plays from English to French, with help of a literal translator.
Most of her work is set in the Jewish community of her native Montreal and deals with issues such as adoption, care for the elderly, the effects of the holocaust on victim and victimizer, the single woman in our society, and family relationships.
She held a doctorate from McGill University; her Ph.D. thesis was on playwright Patricia Joudry. She taught English and drama at McGill, Concordia University, Université de Montréal.
Ravel was the recipient of many awards including the Women Write for Theatre Award, Segal Award, Women's Press Club Award for Humour, Quebec Drama Festival Award, Women's Federation Honoree for contribution to Montreal theatre, and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Quebec Award. She was also awarded an honorary membership by the Canadian Association for Theatre Research in 2001.
Information provided by Edeet Ravel
Last updated 2026-07-20
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