
After school one day in 1899, Genevieve is confronted by her new student Deng in their rural schoolhouse. The city boy feels humiliated by something the teacher did in class, but she insists she was being helpful. Their tête-à-tête reveals that the Chinese-Canadian boy and Québecoise woman share struggles although they are from worlds apart. On the cusp of a new century, the characters look ahead to a new world where marginalised women and immigrants forge a stronger voice to shape a new Toronto.
Rachel Blair – Actor | Back to the Bridge
Rachel Blair is a playwright and performer. Her most recent play, A Man Walks Into a Bar (Dora nomination for Outstanding New Play), was a sell out hit at the Toronto Fringe Festival, The Next Stage Theatre Festival, and Ottawa’s Undercurrents Festival. She holds a Masters in Performance from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England and is a graduate of York University’s Theatre Program. While in London she performed work at the Shunt Vaults and the Old Vic Tunnels. Rachel’s playwriting credits include Wake (Toronto Fringe New Play Contest Winner in 2008) and This is About the Push, a one-act developed into The Comfort Women (shortlisted for the RBC Emerging Playwright Competition in 2012 and selected for the Banff Playwrights Colony in 2014). She has been a member of writing units at Tarragon and Factory Theatre, and is currently a guest instructor/director in the joint UTM/Sheridan acting program, with a focus on devised theatre. As an actor, Rachel’s television credits include The Firm (NBC) and Lost Girl (Showcase/SyFy).
Kaitlyn Riordan – Actor | Ms. Desjardins
Via Montreal, London UK (to attend The London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts), and NYC, Kaitlyn now calls Toronto home. When not acting, Kaitlyn is the Artistic Director of critically acclaimed Shakespeare in the Ruff (Ruff) and a burgeoning playwright as well. Recent acting credits: Noises Off! (The Segal Centre), Romeo & Juliet (Ruff), Something Fishy (Lighthouse Theatre), Mockingbird (Next Stage Festival-Dora normination), Macbeth: Walking Shadows (Ruff), Look, no Hans! (Drayton), The Merchant of Venice & Blithe Spirit (Stratford Festival), The Apology (Next Stage Festival-Dora nomination). Up-Coming: Linda Griffith’s one woman show Maggie & Pierre; a look at the relationship between the Trudeaus aka Justin’s parents.
Michael Man – Actor | Ms. Desjardins
Michael Man is a Toronto-based actor and musician. Theatre credits include: The Other Shore 彼岸(Gateway Theatre), The Jungle Book (Magnus Theatre), Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing (St Lawrence Shakespeare Festival), Titus Andronicus, As You Like It(Canadian Stage), Casimir and Caroline (Howland Theatre), The Snow Queen (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Potluck Festival (fu-GEN Theatre). Selected music: Les Miserable (Pianist, Sudbury Symphony Orchestra), Goblin Market (Pianist, Theatre Kingston). Michael is a graduate of Queen’s University and George Brown Theatre School. Upcoming: King Lear, Twelfth Night (Canadian Stage).
Griffin McInnes is a director and playwright in Toronto. His work often explores the relationships between science, art and publics, and has won several writing awards including the Atlantic Writing Competition and the Norma Epstein National Writing Award. Recent projects include TomorrowLove (Associate Director, Outside the March) and Wordplay (Director, Theatre Topikos). Formerly Halifax-based, he is the co-founder and artistic director of Wit’s End Theatre and served as emerging artist-in-residence with Nova Scotia’s 2b theatre company. Griffin holds a graduate degree from the School of Experimentation in Arts and Politics at SciencesPo in Paris, France, where he studied under anthropologist Bruno Latour, collaborating with interdisciplinary artists from around the world. Read more about his work at griffinmcinnes.com.
Tony Nappo – Actor | Pow Pow Piano
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.
Barbara Johnston – Actor/Musician | Pow Pow Piano
Barbara Johnston is Toronto based performer and a Dora nominated writer and director. Writing credits include – with Anika Johnson: Blood Ties (Next Stage Festival//Edinburgh Fringe/Summerworks and featured on BBC America’s Orphan Black), and Elly’s Emotions (2015 Dora nominee, Outstanding TYA Production, Outstanding Direction); with Anika Johnson and Suzy Wilde: Summerland (Toronto Fringe 2015) and The Fence (Toronto Fringe 2016). Performing credits include ‘Vera’ (and choreography) in Doctor Silver (Outside the March/The Musical Stage Company), The Fence and Daughters of Feminists (Toronto Fringe, 2015), and principal roles on TV’s Orphan Black and Private Eyes. Barbara has been seen on stages across North America as ‘Ginger Spice’ in Wannabe: The Spice Girls Tribute and recently as ‘Gwen Stefani’ in Spiderwebs: The No Doubt Tribute Band. She has choreographed for Outside the March and musical directed for Expect Theatre’s Beats and Intentions project. Barbara is currently directing the Wexford School for the Arts production of West Side Story and works regularly with the award winning Wexford Gleeks (Wexford School for the Arts). She also runs a private music studio.