PODCAST SERIES # 10 – Orange Dot (Coming Soon)
Sean Dixon – Playwright
Sean Dixon’s Governor General nominated play, ‘A God in Need of Help’ (produced by Tarragon Theatre and published by Coach House Books), serves as a companion piece to ‘The Orange Dot’ even though the former is set in Venice in 1605 and the latter in Toronto in 2017. He has written extensively for BC’s Caravan Farm Theatre, Ontario’s Blyth Festival, Toronto’s Summerworks Festival and Victoria’s Theatre SKAM. His novels and short stories include ‘The Girls Who Saw Everything’, ‘The Many Revenges of Kip Flynn’, and ‘Sic Transit Gloria at the Humber Loop’. Currently he is writing a play for the Tarragon about adoption among Neanderthals and Early Modern Humans, as well as a novel set in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood about a kidnapping gone awry.
Vikki Shaw – Director
As the previous Artistic Director and founder of DVxT Theatre, Vikki’s work included a multi award-winning production of Ibsen’s The Doll House adapted by John Murrell, the acclaimed Soulpepper production of Happy Days starring Martha Burns and a site-specific production of The Turn of the Screw at the Campbell House Museum. DVxT received 19 Dora Nominations and 12 Dora Awards for their work. Recently, Vikki directed The Orange Dot (Theatrefront), Top Girls (The Shaw Festival), Good People (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), Tainted (Moyo Theatre), 4.48 Psychosis (Necessary Angel), The Misanthrope (Associate, Stratford Shakespeare Festival), The Mill Part 4 : Ash (Theatrefront/Young Centre), Romeo & Juliet (Canadian Stage); The Last Five Years (The Grand Theatre); Creon(Theatreworks). Vikki has collaborated with Buddies in Bad Times, Crow’s Theatre, Factory Theatre, Great Canadian Theatre Company, The National Arts Centre, Nightwood Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Theatre Smith-Gilmour, Soulpepper, Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Calgary, Theatre Direct and the Urge Collective.
Daniela Vlaskalic – Actor
Daniela is an award winning actor and writer and has worked extensively across Canada. Selected credits include: The Orange Dot (Theatre Front); Disgraced (Magnus Theatre); Cockroach (Alberta Theatre Projects); Pith! The Exquisite Hour, The Bull the Moon and the Coronet of Stars (Theatre Department); The Money Shot (Ground Zero Theatre); Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet (Belfry Theatre); Drama (Alberta Theatre Projects; playRites ’12; Betty Nomination); Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (Theatre Aquarius); Doubt (Canadian Stage); The Drowning Girls (Tarragon Theatre, Gateway Theatre, Belfry Theatre, Persephone Theatre, Citadel Theatre, MTC); All’s Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew (Stratford Shakespeare Festival). As a playwright, Daniela co-wrote the multiple award-winning play; The Drowning Girls, which has received multiple productions nationally and internationally and is published by Canada Playwrights Press. @danivlaskalic
Shawn Doyle – Actor
Shawn is a multiple award-winning actor who works extensively in Film and Television. The Orange Dot marks his first time back on stage in ten years. Past theatre credits include the original production of Problem Child (Factory Theatre); A Number (Canstage, Dora Award); Gagarin Way (Crows Theatre/World Stage Festival); A Christmas Carol (YPT); Where Is Kabuki (Factory); Four Lives Of Marie (Tarragon Theatre); Safe Haven (Neptune Theatre); Digging For Fire (Factory); The House Of Martin Guerre/ Fabulous Party (Livent).
PODCAST SERIES # 9 – Iceland
Nicolas Billon – Playwright
Nic’s stage work has been produced around the world. His triptych Fault Lines garnered the 2013 Governor-General’s Award for Drama. In 2014, his play The Elephant Song was released as a feature film and garnered Nic a Canadian Screen Award and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award for his adaptation.His latest play, Butcher, premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects in 2014. It has since been produced across the country and is being made into a feature film by Rhombus Media. A graduate of the CFC TV Writing Program, Nic recently wrote for CBC’s TV series X Company. nicolasbillon.com
Claire Calnan – Performer
Claire is an actor, producer, and theatre maker. Acting credits include: Iceland (Why Not Theatre, Factory Theatre, International tour), Tribes (Theatre Aquariu
Christine Horne – Performer
Christine’s stage credits include Iceland (WhyNot Theatre), The Road to Paradise (Human Cargo/Crow’s), Tom At The Farm (Buddies), The Seagull (Crow’s), Belleville (Company Theatre), Farther West (Soulpepper), Between the Sheets (Nightwood), The Great Gatsby (The Grand), Andromache (Necessary Angel), Romeo and Juliet (Canadian Stage), The Turn of the Screw (DVxT), Miss Julie: Sheh’mah (KICK Theatre), Twelfth Night (Resurgence), Bluebeard (Toronto Fringe), and Gorey Story (Thistle Project). Film and TV credits include Hyena Road, The Captive, Stories We Tell, Sex After Kids, Tru Love, Entangled, We Wanted More, The Stone Angel, Othello, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, Saving Hope, Remedy, Republic of Doyle, Rookie Blue, King, and Played. Christine has been nominated for three Dora Awards (winning in 2010 for The Turn of the Screw) and two ACTRA Awards. She recently won a Canadian Screen Award for her work on Remedy.
Kawa Ada – Performer
A graduate of The Boston Conservatory, Kawa has played leading roles at Factory, Tarragon, Canadian Stage, the Belfry, the Grand, Cahoots, several seasons at The Shaw Festival, and on Broadway. He is a member of the acting company at Soulpepper, having received a Dora Award for his debut performance in Accidental Death of an Anarchist. His play, The Wanderers, was recently released by Playwrights Canada Press, making him the first Afghan-Canadian published playwright.
*Director of Stage roduction: Ravi Jan
PODCAST SERIES # 8 – Vitals
Rosamund Small – Playwright
Rosamund Small is a playwright interested in all forms of theatre, including musicals, documentary, traditional, sketch and immersive works. Her new show TomorrowLove opens in Toronto this November (Outside the March). In January 2017 Rosedale Heights School of the Arts premieres Rosamund’s large-scale, one hundred character immersive experience Maven Academy, a piece created for a cast of 100 teenage performers. She also collaborates regularly with choreographer Robert Binet on multidisciplinary and dance works (Orpheus Becomes Eurydice with the Banf Centre and The National Ballet, and Terra Incognita with Wild Space Ballet). Rosamund is a member of the Soulpepper Academy.
Katherine Cullen – Performer
Katherine is an actor and playwright based in Toronto. She is an associate artist with Outside The March and has appeared in various productions including, Mr. Marmalade (Sookie / Emily the Babysitter), Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play (Outside The March / Convergence Theatre / Sheep No Wool), Vitals (Dora Nomination), and most recently, Mr.Burns, A Post-Electric Play. She is currently working alongside Britta Johnson to create Stupidhead!: A Musical Comedy, debuting at Theatre Passe Muraille in 2017. Stupid head! also appeared at last years’ Summerworks Festival and won Best New Performance Text.
PODCAST SERIES # 7 – Short Stories
Eric Peterson – Actor, Timekeeper & Chemo Sabe
Eric Peterson is one of Canada’s most accomplished actors, and a winner of four Gemini Awards and a Dora Award. He is best known for his roles in Street Legal (1987), Corner Gas (2004) and Earth (1998). He is married to Annie Kidder.
Roy L. Rabideau – Writer, Timekeeper
Roy L. Rabideau holds degrees in Visual Arts and Education from the University of Windsor. He is a multidisciplinary artist who has exhibited both here at home and abroad. He is the author of two novels, “The Long Short Summer” and his soon to be published second novel, “The Timekeeper, a Dale Evans mystery”. You can find him on his Facebook page, “We’ll Fly Press”.
John Mullin – Writer, Chemo Sabe
John Mullin is a retired high school history teacher. He is married and lives in Brighton Ontario with his wife Susan. His interests are reading (mostly history), travel and his two granddaughters.
Barbara Budd – Actor, The Fall of Andrew Allen & House
is a Canadian actress, narrator and radio announcer. She is known for 3 Men and a Baby (1987), Screening (2006) and Turning to Stone (1985). Between 1993 and April 30, 2010, she was the co-host of CBC Radio One’s As It Happens.
Eric Koch – Writer, The Fall of Andrew Allen
Bio coming soon!
Chris Nash – Writer, House
Chris Nash is a retired psychologist, short fiction write and poet from Sudbury Ontario. She published her novel “Temperance Lloyd: Hanged for Witchcraft in 1682″, on the 330th anniversary of that execution. Her novel, “Priest Hole” awaits publication. She is married to Canadian poet, Roger Nash.
Tony Nappo – Actor, Betting on Death
Tony was born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. He attended the University of Toronto for two years before transferring to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City where he graduated in 1991. He has appeared in numerous films and television shows and many independent Canadian films.
Vera Constantineau- Writer, Betting on Death
Vera Constantineau is an internationally published poet and short fiction writer. Her work has appeared in online journals, print journals and anthologies. She is a member of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild, the Manitoulin Writers’ Circle and the Writers Community of Durham Region.
Lisa Ryder Cohen – Actor, A Classified Heart
Lisa Ryder Cohen is an actor and writer based in Toronto. Acting credits for theatre include Zadie’s Shoes (Factory Theatre), Possible Worlds (Theatre Passe Muraille) and the continuing world tour of Helen Lawrence (Canadian Stage). Television credits include five seasons as a lead on Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda and guest appearances on Killjoys (Syfy), and Remedy (Global). A public reading of Lisa’s new play, A Blow in the Face, will be held at the Tarragon Theatre in August 2016.
Sophie Holdstock – Writer, A Classified Heart
Christine Horne – Actor, The Double Down
Christine’s stage credits include Iceland (WhyNot Theatre), The Road to Paradise (Human Cargo/Crow’s), Tom At The Farm (Buddies), The Seagull (Crow’s), Belleville (Company Theatre), Farther West (Soulpepper), Between the Sheets (Nightwood), The Great Gatsby (The Grand), Andromache (Necessary Angel), Romeo and Juliet (Canadian Stage), The Turn of the Screw (DVxT), Miss Julie: Sheh’mah (KICK Theatre), Twelfth Night (Resurgence), Bluebeard (Toronto Fringe), and Gorey Story (Thistle Project). Film and TV credits include Hyena Road, The Captive, Stories We Tell, Sex After Kids, Tru Love, Entangled, We Wanted More, The Stone Angel, Othello, Lost Girl, Murdoch Mysteries, Saving Hope, Remedy, Republic of Doyle, Rookie Blue, King, and Played. Christine has been nominated for three Dora Awards (winning in 2010 for The Turn of the Screw) and two ACTRA Awards. She recently won a Canadian Screen Award for her work on Remedy.
Gail Packwood – Writer, The Double Down
Gail Packwood is a Toronto based arts administrator. Currently she is the Managing Director at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Previous positions include Director of Project Management and Creative Logistics at Catalyst TCM, Executive Director of the Artists’ Health Centre Foundation (now Artists’ Health Alliance) and seven years with Mirvish Productions in various positions in company management and production. Gail was a 2010 Arts Management Fellow at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Prior to her time in Washington, Gail was the Associate Producer at the Canadian Stage Company. From 2005-12, she was President of the Board of Directors for the Theatre Centre, a highly regarded interdisciplinary arts incubator. In 2011, Gail was the recipient of a Harold Award from the Toronto theatre community. Gail holds an MA (Drama) from the University of Toronto and a BFA in Theatre from York University.
Raoul Bhaneja – Actor, Benji Hayward
Raoul Bhaneja- A graduate of The National Theatre School, since moving to Toronto twenty years ago, Raoul has performed extensively in television, film and theatre. Last year he was nominated for a Dora Award for his musical Life, Death and The Blues and most recently appeared on stage (and co produced) the box office breaking play Disgraced as part of the Off Mirvish season.
Jennifer McKinley – Writer, Benji Hayward
Jennifer is a writer, producer and performer from Toronto. Select productions include The Underpants, New Ideas Festival (Alumnae Theatre); Jacqueries, Part 1 (Jacob Niedzwiecki/SummerWorks), recipient of the Buddies In Bad Times Award For Risk And Innovation. Jennifer has performed clown, sketch and stand-up comedy and she has presented stories at storytelling nights and competitive literary readings. Jennifer performed excerpts from her upcoming solo show, Operation SUNshine, at CRAPSHOOT! (Theatre Passe Muraille) and the 2016 Feminist Art Conference Residency (Artscape Gibraltar Point).
Pamela Sinha – Clutched by The Hair (Actor)
Pamela Mala Sinha is an award winning actress and playwright working in theatre, film and television. Her first solo play, Crash, which she also performed, garnered six Dora award nominations and 4 wins, including Outstanding New Play. Her second play, Happy Place, premiered at Soulpepper Theatre in 2015. Pamela is writing the screenplay for Happy Place for Sienna Films Toronto, and is currently at work on a new play commission for Soulpepper Theatre Company. She will be touring CRASH with them internationally in 2017.
Cynthia Matthews – Writer, Clutched by the Hair
Cynthia has worked as a chamber maid, potato peeler, data entry operator, teacher, and vice-principal of special education programs. She writes, paints, and instructs online courses for teachers in Bruce County, Ontario. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in literary journals in USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/CindyIsabelMatthews, @Matthec1957or cindymatthews.ca.
PODCAST SERIES # 6 – Theory
Norman Yeung – Playwright
Norman works in theatre, film, and visual arts.
His play “Theory” won First Place in the Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition in 2015. “Deirdre Dear” premiered at the Neil LaBute New Theater Festival in St. Louis. “Pu-Erh” premiered at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto and was nominated for four Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding New Play. “Pu-Erh” was a Herman Voaden finalist in 2009. He was a member of Canadian Stage’s BASH! artist development program, fu-GEN’s Kitchen Playwrights Unit, and Tapestry New Opera’s Composer-Librettist Laboratory. He is featured in the book “Voices Rising: Asian Canadian Cultural Activism” by Xiaoping Li. As an actor, Norman’s film and television credits include a supporting role in “Resident Evil: Afterlife” (Sony/Screen Gems), a series regular role in “Todd and the Book of Pure Evil” (SPACE/CTV), and roles in “Rookie Blue” (ABC/Global), “Murdoch Mysteries” (CBC), and “King” (Showcase). He recently performed in the Canadian Premiere of “Chimerica” at Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Canadian Stage. He holds a BFA in Acting/Theatre from the University of British Columbia and a BFA (Honours) in Film from Ryerson University. Norman grew up in East Vancouver and lives in Toronto and Los Angeles.
Sascha Cole – IsabelleSascha is a producer and Dora nominated actor based in Toronto. As an actor she most recently performed in Better Angels: A Parable as part of SummerWorks, which won the award for Best Production. Other recent credits: My One Demand, a live film with the UK’s Blast Theory for Luminato, the remount of Jordan Tannahill’s Post Eden, as part of the NAC Ontario Scene. Anne Carson’s Antigonick (NOW magazine’s ‘Artist to Watch’). Other favourite stage credits: New Jerusalem (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company), Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet (GCTC), Shakespeare’s Nigga (Obsidian Theatre), Dutchman (lemonTree Creations-SummerWorks), playing the title role in The Diary of Anne Frank (Shakespeare In Action), The Apology (Next Stage-Dora Nomination), Bethune Imagined (Factory Theatre), Rock N Roll (Canadian Stage/Citadel), and Whale Music (Seventh Stage). For film and television she has appeared in: Houdini & Doyle, Killjoys, Remedy, Murdoch Mysteries, The Family, The Great War, and Clarissa. Sascha is a graduate of the British American Dramatic Academy Shakespeare Intensive as well as the National Theatre School of Canada.
Audrey Dwyer – Lee
Audrey Dwyer has been working in theatre and film for nearly twenty years as an actor, writer, director and dramaturge. Her directing credits include The Aftermath by Lisa Codrington (FemFest) and The Apology by Darrah Teitel (Next Stage) for which she was nominated for a Dora Award for Outstanding Direction. Audrey has also directed many staged readings and has led many workshops for new Canadian plays. Audrey’s first screenplay, The Cupcake, won Best Story at Ottawa’s Digi60 Festival. She was a member of the Obsidian Theatre Writer’s Unit (2012), then Obsidian’s Development Unit (2013) and then became their Playwright in Residence (2014). She was awarded the Cayle Chernin Award for Theatre in 2015. Her first full-length play called Calpurnia – a satirical comedy on race, class and politics set in Toronto – was well received at Nightwood Theatre’s New Groundswell Festival in 2014. Her theatre work includes a co-production with Mirvish Productions and The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, RMTC’s Good People, thirsty at The National Arts Centre, Nightwood Theatre’s The Penelopiad, Mirvish/Studio 180’s Clybourne Park and Studio 180’s The Overwhelming. She was also in Canadian Stage’s Dream in High Park – The Tempest, she was in Obsidian Theatre’s Black Medea, and Mirvish/RMTC’s Medea. She played Hulda in Blue Planet at Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre and Penelope in Danny, King of the Basement with Roseneath Theatre. She starred in Carousel Player’s Patty’s Cake, which won a Dora Award for Outstanding Children’s Production. She was also in Second City’s Touring Company. Her television and film credits include Da Kink in My Hair, Man of the Year with Robin Williams and Atom Egoyan’s Where The Truth Lies. She was the Associate Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre from 2008 – 2009. She has led workshops, taught classes and is a mentor to numerous theatre artists. She is the Artistic Director of Cow Over Moon Theatre, a theatre company for children. She graduated from The National Theatre School of Canada in 2001.
Qasim Khan – Davinder
Qasim is a Dora Award nominated actor whose recent work includes: Das Ding (Canadian Stage/ Theatre Smash); Alice Through The Looking Glass, Anne of Green Gables – The Musical, A Misfortune(Charlottetown Festival); Alligator Pie, The Crucible, The Royal Comedians, Dirt (Soulpepper); A Craigslist Cantata (Acting Up/ National Arts Centre/ Alberta Theatre Projects/ Citadel Theatre); Beneath the Banyan Tree (Theatre Direct); and and Shannon 10:40 (Videofag). He has played roles on The Riftworld Chronicles, Saving Hope, Nikita, Dan For Mayor, and Little Mosque on the Prairie. Qasim is a graduate of the Soulpepper Academy, holds his degree from the University of Toronto/ Sheridan College, and is an International Actor Fellow of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Upcoming: Hamlet, All’s Well That Ends Well(Canadian Stage); Das Ding (1000 Islands Playhouse); Alligator Pie (Soulpepper National Tour); and The Millennial Malcontent (Tarragon Theatre).
Darrel Gamotin – Jorge
Darrel Gamotin is an actor and playwright. His most notable acting credits include BANANA BOYS (Factory Theatre), WAITING FOR GODOT (Modern Times Theatre), TOUGH! (Factory Theatre), and BLUE PLANET (Young People’s Theatre). He was also a performer, creator, and producer of the Dora Award nominated MONDAY NIGHTS co-produced and presented by the Theatre Centre.
Starr Domingue – Safina
Selected Credits: Alice In Wonderland (Aletheia Cameron), Sweeney Todd (Ensemble), Sweet Charity (Frenchie), Pygmalion (Londoner) / Shaw Festival; Oil And Water (Originated the role of Vonzia) / NAC; Porgy & Bess (Choreographer) / Szeged Festival; Dreamgirls (Lorrell) / ArtsClub; Binti’s Journey (Binti) / YPT; Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Resident Director/Dance Captain/US Charlaine – performed) / European/Broadway National Tour; All Shook Up (Lorraine) / MSMT; Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Charlaine), Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal) / CanStage; Cookin’ At The Cookery (Young Alberta) / ASF / Citadel; Hairspray (Dynamite/US Lil Inez) Mirvish Productions / Charlottetown Festival / ArtsClub; Adventures of a Black Girl… / du Maurier Theatre. Film/TV: Odd Squad (Puppy Master) / PBS Kids; Lost Girl / Prodigy Pictures; Psyche / USA; Hairspray (Pearl) / New Line Cinema; 4Square (4Tone) / Corus; Cheetah Girls / Disney. Thanks to SG, Mumma and God, without whom I am nothing.
Kyle – Orzech – Richard
If I Were You (Theatre Aquarius), The Divine: A Play for Sarah Bernhardt (Shaw Festival), Beneath the Banyan Tree (Theatre Direct), Arcadia (Shaw Festival, Mirvish), In the Heights, Jesus Christ Superstar (YES Theatre), Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project), Scooter Thomas Makes It To The Top Of The World, The Velveteen Rabbit (Theatre New Brunswick), Wife Begins at Forty (Upper Canada Playhouse), Far From the Heart (Sheatre), It’s Munsch Time! (George Brown Theatre School). Film, TV and Animation: Storming Juno (History), Wendy (Red Kite Animation), Fuzzy Tales (CBC).
Ash Knight – Omar
Ash graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramtic Art in England. He’s worked around the world: England (“Romeo and Juliet” Birmingham Stage Company, “Hamlet”, “The Tempest” in London); U.S.A. (“Same Time Next Year” Blue Heron Arts Center in New York City); Canada (“a Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Count Of Monte Cristo” the stratford festival,”Carried Away On The Crest Of A Wave” Tarragon Theatre, “Wise Woman Of Abyssinia” Theatre Centre, “Free As Injuns” Buddies In Bad Times,”Paperseries”, “Fear and Misery of the 3rd Reich” Summerworks, “Beneath the Banyan Tree” N.A.C.); Uganda (“Cake” Ugandan National Theatre in Kampala). Ash is a Dora award nominated actor (“Brothel #9” Factory Theatre), and is expanding into writing and directing. His first play “’enkidu and Gilgamesh” was workshopped in London, England and New York City. He regularly works on new play development workshops and with the Stratford Festival on directing/teaching Shakespeare.
ESTHER JUN – Director of Original Workshop Production
Esther was originally trained as an actor in NYC and then completed her directing degree at Drama Centre London in 2006. She is the Co-Artistic Director of Directors Lab North and most recently was a 2015 Neil Munro Intern Director at the Shaw Festival. She also originated the role of Janet in Soulpepper’s Kim’s Convenience.Upcoming: Assistant director of John Gabriel Borkman (Stratford); Director: The Last Wife (The Belfry & GCTC) Elsewhere:Director: Rococo (Shaw Festival); And Now, The End (Ante Up Productions); Bremen Rock City (Song Trolley Productions); Cowboy Mouth, Trout Stanley (Heart In Hand); Yellow Face (Hart House); Fear and Misery of the Third Reich (DeusXM); First Hand Woman (Fire Up Productions). Co-director: Hiding Words (Eventual Ashes); Strange Mary Strange (Theatre on the Verge). Assistant director: You Never Can Tell, Light up the Sky (Shaw Festival); The Crucible (Soulpepper). Et cetera:Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Directors Lab North. www.directorslabnorth.com.
PODCAST SERIES # 5 – Grade 8
Dwayne Morgan – Playwright
Dwayne Morgan began his career as a performer in 1993. A year later, he founded Up From The Roots entertainment, to promote the positive artistic contributions of African Canadian and urban influenced artists. Morgan is host and producer of his own TV show, Poetically Speaking, on the AfroGlobal Television Network. In 2014, he received the Renaissance Planet Africa Award for Career Achievement, and was acknowledged by the Ontario Black History Society as a Community Trailblazer, following up on his 2013 Scarborough Walk of Fame Induction. Morgan is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada, a 2012 National Team Poetry Slam Champion, and four-time runner up. He has received both the African Canadian Achievement Award, and the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts, and is the winner of 3 Canadian Urban Music Awards (2001, 2003, 2005). In 2005 he was recognized as Poet of Honour at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Vancouver. In 2008, Morgan’s contribution to the Arts and Canadian society were recognized on the Legacy Black History Month poster. Morgan has published 8 books, and has collaborated with Driftwood Studios to film Three Knocks, a ten-minute film based on his domestic violence poem of the same name, which premiered in Toronto’s Reel World Film Festival.
PODCAST SERIES # 4 – LO (or DEAR MR. WELLS)
Rose Napoli – Playwright
Rose is a Toronto-based playwright, actress, and producer. Her first play, Oregano, was shortlisted for the Tarragon Emerging Playwright’s Competition and premiered at the Storefront Theatre enjoying sold-out houses and critical acclaim. Her plays include: Ten Creative Ways to Dispose of your Cremains, Lo (Or Dear Mr Wells), and SHREW (A Big Fat Italian Comedy Inspired by William Shakespeare). She has taken part in Nightwood Theatre’s Write from the Hipprogram and the Playwright’s Unit with the Thousand Islands Playhouse. Coming up, Rose will be developing her short play, A Death and the Marias, into a full-length piece with the Playwright’s Unit at the Tarragon Theatre. As an actress, Rose is a two-time participant in the Banff/Citadel Professional Theatre Program and has worked in theatres across the country. Currently, she is playing the title role in The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh at Roseneath Theatre.
Vivien Endicott-Douglas – Actor
David Jansen – Actor
David has performed leading and supporting roles in theatres throughout Canada and the U.K., including Tarragon, Canadian Stage, Mirvish Productions, Soulpepper, Theatre Passe Muraille, Necessary Angel, Factory, Videocabaret, The Theatre Centre, five years at the Stratford Festival, four years at the Shaw Festival, and a season with The Peter Hall Company. David also directs, teaches, and works at the Tarragon as Interim Literary Coordinator. He and his wife Fiona live in Niagara on the Lake, and have two daughters, Molly and Nora.
PODCAST SERIES # 3 – QUIVER
Anna Chatterton – Playwright
Anna Chatterton is a playwright, librettist and performer. Her play Within the Glass was recently produced at Tarragon Theatre where she is a playwright in residence. Anna co-writes and performs with the Independent Aunties (Breakfast-Theatre Centre, Frances, Mathilda and Tea– Theatre Passe Muraille, Clean Irene & Dirty Maxine-Buddies). Their play Gertrude and Alice will be produced with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre March 10-27th. As a librettist her work has been produced by Canadian Opera Company (Swoon), World Stage/Harbourfront Centre(/Urbanvessel (Voice Box) The Banff Centre (Crush) and Theatre Centre/Urbanvessel (Stitch–Dora nomination for Best New Opera). Upcoming is Rocking Horse Winner in May (Tapestry Opera) Anna is also the Playwright-in-Residence at Nightwood Theatre this season and was recently invited to be a playwright in residence at the National Theatre School of Canada.
PODCAST SERIES # 2 – BETTER ANGELS: A PARABLE
Andrea Scott – Playwright
Andrea is a professional writer, producer and actor with a Masters’ degree in Theatre from the University of Toronto who made the transition to writing theatre in 2010 with the one person play, Damaged, about the life of a transgender woman. Since then she has written several plays including Eating Pomegranates Naked, Frenemies, Swings & Roundabouts, and Better Angels: A Parable which won the award for production at the 2015 SummerWorks Theatre Festival in August. Upcoming projects include her Theatre for Young Audiences play, Princesses Don’t Grow on Trees and Don’t Talk to Me Like I’m Your Wife in August 2016.
Akosua Amo-Adem
Since graduating from York University’s BFA Theatre program in 2009 Akosua she has appeared in a variety of plays around the city. Her selected credits include Soulpeppers Farther West (as Lily) directed by Diana Leblanc, The Crucible (as Tituba) directed by Albert Schultz, The Royal Comedians (as Rival) directed by Laszlo Marton, Dirt (Ensemble) Directed by Leah Cherniak Canadian Stage and Theatre Passe Murailles The Middle Place (as Kaaliha/Dee) directed by Alan Dilworth. She is also a graduate of the 2012 Soulpepper Academy and performed at Canadian Stage this winter as part of the cast Domesticated written by Pulitzer- and Tony-winning author Bruce Norris and directed by Phil Riccio. Upcoming: Venus’ Daughter (Obsidian Theatre) and Father Comes Home From the Wars (Soulpepper)
Sascha Cole
David Christo
David Christo most recently performed the 45-minute solo centrepiece of BYSTANDERS by David Levine (Gallery TPW), and in the immersive Ukrainian folk musical Counting Sheep by Mark & Marichka Marczyk at SummerWorks (NOW Magazine Outstanding Production / Ensemble / Design). He has also performed at Tarragon Theatre in The Charge of the Expormidable Moose, Brockton Collective in Sad Object / Bad Object (Toronto Festival of Clowns), Buddies In Bad Times in Leora Morris’ adaptation of Engaged by W.S. Gilbert (Rhubarb Festival), the old Theatre Centre in the World Premiere of Ajax (por nobody) by Alice Tuan (SummerWorks 2012), Harbourfront Centre in The Sheets, The… by Salvatore Antonio (HATCH 2012). Upcoming: Sheets by Salvatore Antonio (VideoFag in May) and Don’t Talk to Me Like I’m Your Wife by Andrea Scott (SummerWorks 2016)
Peyson Rock
Peyson Rock previously appeared in ‘Dutchman’ for lemonTree Creations. Other theatre credits include The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Factory/Obsidian Theatre), Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead and King Lear (Soulpepper), Awake (Expect Theatre/Fringe Festival), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Canadian Opera Company), and Bunnicula (YPT). Among his film and TV credits are ‘Saving Hope’, ‘Beauty & the Beast’, ‘King’, ‘Da Kink in My Hair’, ‘The Deadbeat’, and ‘Romeo!’ He is a two-time recipient of the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Association Showcase Award for his work on the children’s series ‘Incredible Story Studio’. His work can also be seen in the Ubisoft video games ‘Far Cry 4’ and the highly anticipated upcoming title ‘Tom Clancy’s The Divison’. Peyson is an NTS graduate.
PODCAST SERIES # 1 – AGAMEMNON
Nicolas Billon – Playwright
Nicolas Billon is a Canadian writer, best known for his plays The Elephant Song, Iceland, and Butcher. His work has been produced in Toronto, Stratford, New York, and Paris. His triptych Fault Lines garnered the 2013 Governor-General’s Award for Drama. In 2015, Nicolas garnered a number of awards, including the 2015 Canadian Screen Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Elephant Song), the 2015 Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award — Movies & Mini-Series (Elephant Song), and the 2015 Calgary Theatre Critics Award for Best New Script (Butcher). For full biography click here.
Sarah Kitz – Director
A Toronto director, actor and writer, Sarah is co-director of The AMY Project 2015 and assistant director on the world premiere of Daniel MacIvors Cake and Dirt at Tarragon Theatre. Recent directing credits include Part 1 of Pandemic Theatres BIRTH: A Trilogy, The Nice Guy (Wrecking Ball #16), Three More Sleepless Nights (Bad Joe/Playwright Project), Savage in Limbo (Bob Kills Theatre). Sarah was director in residence at SoulO Theatre Festival and a participant of Directors Lab North 2014. She has worked with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, as an Assistant Director with Soulpepper Theatre Company, and has been a member of the Playwrights Unit at Theatre Passe Muraille. In Spring 2015 she directs Antony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare in the Ruins) in Winnipeg. Sarah has been a member of the Stratford Festival Company, a graduate of the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre, and has acted across Canada. Recently Sarah played Edna St. Vincent Millay in a workshop production of With Individual Desire by Susanna Fournier, developed by Lady Parts Theatre, in the New Groundswell Festival at Nightwood Theatre.
Andy Trithardt – Sound Designer
As sound designer: Late Company (Why Not/Theatre Centre), Dive (The Mermaid Collective), Liver and Sucker (Theatre Brouhaha), All the Ways You Scare Me (Paradigm Productions/ Rhubarb), The Skriker (Red One), Piece By Piece (The McGuffin Company/NSTF). He has released three solo albums (An Understated Elegance, The Sixteen Most Surprising Things, and Secret Fun), one with his band The Furious (7pm, We Are All Yawning), and is currently finishing up his newest album Grand Mal. As actor: Big Plans (The Storefront Theatre) and Brantwood (The Canadian Musical Theatre Project). Upcoming: Dalton and Company (Cart/Horse) at the Theatre Centre.
Amy Keating – ELECTRA
Amy is a Dora-nominated actor, and founding member and company manager of Outside the March. Acting credits with OtM include Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, Passion Play, and the Dora-award winning Mr. Marmalade. Other favourite credits include Wormwood (Tarragon Theatre), I, Claudia (TiFT), The Amish Project (GreenLight Arts), New Jerusalem (HGJT), After Miss Julie (RedOne Theatre), Pacamambo (Canadian Rep), Loyal Ronin: The Working Girls’ Version (Spotlight Japan, Canadian Stage), Water Under the Bridge, The Forest in My Room (Carousel Players), Inside (Appledor Productions), and The Importance of Being Earnest (Capitol Theatre). Amy is delighted to be playing video games with these talented humans!
Brigit Wilson – CLYTEMNESTRA
Returning for her 11th season at The Stratford Festival as Duchess Senior in As you Like It, a witch in Macbeth and Toinette in The Hypochondriac. Previously for Stratford: Pericles, as the Bawd, and The Alchemist as Dol Common, King John, Christina, the Girl King, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Swanne: George III, All’s Well That Ends Well, Quiet in The Land, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Count of Monte Christo, Triumph of Love, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending, The Merchant of Venice, The Comedy of Errors, An Ideal Husband, Three Sisters, Bartholomew Fair, Peter Pan, The Grapes of Wrath. Elsewhere: The Passion of Narcisse Mondoux (Grand Theatre), Enron (Theatre Calgary), The Merry Wives of Windsor, Glorious, Man of La Mancha (TBTB), The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom Conners, Another Seasons Harvest (Blyth Festival), The Odd Couple (Segal Centre), Orpheus Descending (MTC& Mirvish Productions), Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (Five & Dime Productions) (Dora Nomination) For TV: 4 seasons as Harriet Sims on The Campbells, The Hitchhiker, Street Legal, Parole Board, Verdict, and various commercials. For film: Beyond Innocence, Anne of Avonlea, The Marriage Bed, Echoes in the Darkness, and Lustre.
Earl Pastko – OLD MAN
Originally from Chicago where he began his theatrical career, came to Toronto in 1984 and has worked extensively in theatre, film and tv in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada. Most recent performance as Rosario La Chiura in The Mermaid Collective production of DIVE this past summer at Arraymusic Space. Many thanks to all involved in the creation of Agamemnon.
Marcel Stewart – HALAESUS
Marcel Stewart is an actor, emerging playwright, and arts-educator. As an actor, Marcel has performed in the critically acclaimed Wilberforce Hotel (The Blyth Festival). Selected credits include: Small Axe (Theatre Centre), Theatre of the Film Noir (Atlas Stage Canada), Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project), Toronto the Good (Factory Theatre), A History of Breathing (Persephone Theatre), Who Knew Grannie (Factory Theatre), and Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare in Action). As an educator/mentor for youth, Marcel has conducted workshops in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Saskatoon. Marcel co-founded Shakespeare in the Ruff. The company has received praise for their inventive staging methods and community involvement, which Marcel spearheaded as the creator of the Young Ruffian Apprenticeship Program. Currently, Marcel is exploring the relationship between Shakespearean language and hip-hop music, as he is in the midst of developing a hip-hop adaptation of Macbeth. Upcoming Projects: Dalton’s Company (The Theatre Centre), Richard Pierpoint in Up The Garden Path (Obsidian Theatre).
Nigel Shawn Williams – AGAMEMNON
Nigel Shawn Williams is the Associate Artistic Director at Factory Theatre. He is a four time Dora Mavor Moore Award winner as an actor and director. His theatre credits include four seasons each at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, as well as performing in most of the major centres in Canada. His theatre career includes credits of over 25 years as an artist. Selected credits include: Saint Joan, Race, Topdog/Underdog, The Odyssey, Harlem Duet, Belle, Stuff Happens, Six Degrees of Separation and Angels in America. Nigel is also heavily active in new play development and has helped develop over 30 new plays either working as an actor, director or dramaturge.
Ron Kennell – AEGISTHUS
Ron first appeared in Agamemnon as part of the Chorus in the Josephine LeGrice directed production of The Oresteia (Equity Showcase). He was also a part of the chorus in the Ted Hughes version of the David Latham directed Agamemnon (Stratford Festival). He is thrilled to appear as Aegisthus in Nicolas Billon’s exciting new production and to work with this incredible company of friends, new and old. Ron will appear in Modern Times’ production of Death of the King at the Theatre Centre in April, before it transfers for a short run to the Stanford Persian Studies Department. Ron is grateful to be back on stage after a considerable time exploring other creative pursuits, including writing and acting for film and TV. The writer of the award winning short film Reveille and feature film Dr. Cabbie, he also appears in Ubisoft Far Cry Primal, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the feature film Pompeii, TV’s Reign and Netflick’s Hemlock Grove.
Samantha Brown – CASSANDRA
Samantha Brown is a Toronto based actor and a recent graduate of York University’s conservatory program. She is thrilled to be working on this piece with an amazing cast and crew who have made her feel so welcome. This is her first time being in the Next Stage Theatre and she could not be more excited. Most recently Samantha has worked with Native Earth in the Wasageechuk Festival this past month. She would like to thank those who never doubted her and believed in her throughout this incredible journey, one which is still unfolding each day.
Susanna Fournier – CHRYSOTHEMIS
Acting credits: The Supine Cobbler (It Could Still Happen), Twisted (Factory Theatre), lulu v.1, v.3 (the red light district), The Fun Palace Variety Show (Small Wooden Shoe), Pride and Prejudice (The Grand Theatre), Geometry In Venice (Crow’s Theatre), TV and Film: X-Men: Days of Future Past, Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy, I’ll Follow You Down, Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery, Being Human, 12 Monkeys, Reign. Upcoming: ShadowHunters. Writing Credits: Stencilboy and Other Portraits, ALL THE WAYS YOU SCARE ME, The Empire Trilogy, There Is a Woman Here, MEDEA, Vincent, Take Rimbaud (Paradigm Productions), LOVE ME, No Bodies Home, and a core collaborator on the Red Light District’s adaptations of the lulu plays. www.susannafournier.com
Zita Nyarady – IPHIGENIA
Zita Nyarady is a dance-theatre-circus artist. Her interdisciplinary performances have been presented at Rhubarb, Toronto Festival of Clowns, Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival, NBacts Theatre Festival and Theatre Passe Muraile. Internationally she has worked with the National Gallery in Jamaica, Dance House in Scotland, Pilobolus in Connecticut, Odin Teatret in Denmark and Klintkalaset in Sweden. Recent projects include Susannah Bird (Bike Circus), Circus Sessions (Harbourfront Centre), Young Innovators Lab (Nightwood Theatre) and The Global Stilt Congress (Carpetbag Brigade). Zita is co-artistic director of The Grand Salto Theatre and will be touring their acrobatic-comedy-kazoo duo Philip & Lucinda on the 2016 Western Canadian Fringe circuit. Zita graduated from Dell’atre International School of Physical Theatre and is currently a PhD candidate in Performance Studies at York University.