The Hockey Sweater: A Musical

Emil’s stage works for the young and the once-were-young include Sanctuary, Bluenose, Derailed, Beneath the Banyan Tree, The Book of Ashes and his adaptation of Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine. Two of Emil’s plays – Mourning Dove and his adaptation of Ian Brown’s The Boy in the Moon – premiered in Ottawa at the Great Canadian Theatre Company. The staging of The Boy in the Moon by Crow’s Theatre was selected as one of the top ten productions of 2017 by The Globe and Mail and nominated for a 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play. It will run at Thousand Islands Playhouse in summer 2019. Works-in-progress include The Boys of Vedem, a play commissioned by Seattle’s ACT based on the true story of imprisoned Jewish teens who created a secret magazine in the midst of the Holocaust; April, a new play Emil is developing for and with the divine Louise Pitre; and Then the Lyrics, a young adult novel. A laureate of the 2014 K.M. Hunter Artist Award in Literature, Emil’s debut novel for young readers, Young Man with Camera, was a Governor-General’s Award finalist and won the Vine Award for Canadian Jewish Literature.

Originally from Newfoundland, Jonathan is a composer, music director, pianist, singer, actor, lyricist and writer. Composer: Eight musicals, including The Hockey Sweater: A Musical, the award-winning Variations on a Nervous Breakdown, and music for A History of Summer (with Drama Desk Award Winner Adam Mathias). He has written over 20 original scores for theatre, including shows spanning four seasons at the Stratford Festival, A Christmas Carol (NAC), and the CBC TV Christmas movie, A Christmas Fury. He trained at BMI New York’s Lehman-Engel Workshop for Musical Theatre Writers and won its Harrington Award for Outstanding Writing Achievements. Musical Director: over 30 productions, including Fun Home (Vancouver Arts Club), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (Segal Centre), and The Light in the Piazza (Theatre Calgary/The Musical Stage Company). Featured as a classical pianist at Carnegie Hall at the age of 16, he has performed as an actor in over 70 productions for theatre, film and TV. Most recently, he played Michael in I Do, I Do (GMSM) and Lionel Percy in Bakersfield Mist (Centaur Theatre/Arts Club Theatre Company). Other favourites include: Much Ado About Nothing, The Miser (Stratford Festival/Broadway), The Producers (Mirvish Productions), Flashpoint (CTV), Republic of Doyle (CBC), Heyday (CBC), Ted in 2 Pianos 4 Hands (six productions, including first national U.S. tour), Valjean in Les Misérables (Atlantic Light Theatre), Molina in Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Talk Is Free Theatre) and three seasons at the Stratford Festival.

Roch Carrier was born in Sainte-Justine, Québec, on May 13, 1937. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957 from Université Saint-Louis in Edmundston, New Brunswick, a Master of Arts degree from Université de Montréal, and a doctorat ès lettres degree (1970) from University of Paris. In 1964, he joined the Collège militaire royal where he taught French literature. In 1970, his play La guerre, yes sir! was presented at Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal. Meanwhile, he wrote the script for Le martien de Noël which became the first feature-length film for children made in Canada. In 1971, La guerre, yes sir! toured in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia and the Stratford Festival. In 1973, he returned to the Collège militaire royal where he was Head of the French Department and Coordinator of the Canadian Studies program while also sitting on the boards of different cultural organizations. In 1990, he was appointed Rector of Collège militaire royal. In 1994, he was appointed Director of the Canada Council for the Arts, and became the National Librarian in 1999. Now considered classics, many of Roch Carrier’s novels have been translated into English and other languages.

Officer of the Order of Canada, Roch Carrier is also the recipient of the Stephen Leacock Medal. Mr. Carrier holds honorary degrees from Université de Moncton in New Brunswick, York University in Toronto, Memorial University in Newfoundland, Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and University of British Columbia in Vancouver. 

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Donna Feore directed the world premiere of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical at the Segal Centre in 2017 and is delighted to bring the musical to the NAC. Ms. Feore is one of Canada’s most versatile creative talents and has been highly praised for her work with the Stratford Festival. This season, Ms. Feore received accolades for having directed and choreographed an “utterly spectacular” production of The Music Man and for her “top notch” and “delicious” direction/choreography of what is now the longest running show in the Festival’s history, The Rocky Horror Show. Other Festival productions include Guys and Dolls, The Madwoman of Chaillot, A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music, Crazy for You, Fiddler on the Roof, Cyrano de Bergerac, Oklahoma! and Oliver!.

For NAC Orchestra, Ms. Feore was Creative Producer and Director of the world premiere of the immersive, multidisciplinary work, Life Reflected which, having now toured across Canada, is headed to Europe in May 2019. Also for NACO, she directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Other directing credits include the world premiere of Yorkville (Blyth Festival); Tom Stoppard’s Rock & Roll and It’s a Wonderful Life (Canadian Stage); and Lecture on the Weather by John Cage and A Soldier’s Tale with F. Murray Abraham (Detroit Symphony). Selected opera credits include staging and choreography for the Canadian Opera Company’s Siegfried, which she remounted for the Opera National de Lyon. Also for the COC: Tosca, Red Emma and Oedipus Rex, which earned her a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best Choreography. Selected film and television credits include Mean Girls, Eloise, Treading Water, Politics is Cruel, Martin and Lewis and Stormy Weather. Upcoming: Director and Choreographer of Billy Elliot the Musical and Little Shop of Horrors at the 2019 Stratford Festival.

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At the age of three, Wyatt Moss began dancing at Bojangles Dance Arts, a top competitive studio in North America. Since then, his work as a soloist and competitive group dancer has garnered hundreds of overall awards throughout the United States and Canada. Wyatt is also a multiple top-ten finalist at the Dance Awards in Las Vegas and Orlando, and recent winner of the Junior Soloist Title at the VIEW Dance Challenge. Wyatt is currently taking a year off from competitive dance to focus on acting and singing. He is thrilled to be playing a lead role in The Hockey Sweater: A Musical and is also excited to be joining the 2019 cast of Billy Elliott the Musical at the Stratford Festival.

Claire Lautier has played leading roles on stages in Canada, New York, across the United States and abroad, and has been featured in mainstream motion pictures and on television. She also spent six seasons as a leading actor at the Stratford Festival. As a singer, she has performed as a soloist with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, created and performed the Metamorphosis Concert through the Stratford Festival’s Monday night Music Series, and made concert appearances everywhere from cathedrals to private residences. She is an Honours graduate of Duke University and The Juilliard School. 

Ian has performed across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Japan and Taiwan. He spent five seasons at the Stratford Festival and three at the Shaw Festival. Selected credits include John Hancock in 1776 (American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco); Harry Bright in Mamma Mia! (U.S. National Tour); Walter Hobbs in Elf (Grand Theatre); Georges in La Cage aux Folles (Neptune Theatre); George Banks in Mary Poppins (Capitol Theatre); Hucklebee in The Fantasticks (Victoria Playhouse Petrolia); Anne of Green Gables, Emily (Charlottetown Festival); Enjolras in Les Misérables (Royal Alexandra Theatre); André in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Moonpath Productions); and Father Deslisle in the original production of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical (Segal Centre). He has participated in workshops for new musicals as William in Pollyanna (Toronto) and Mr. Tetley in Something Wicked This Way Comes (Theatreworks, California, NYC, and Toronto). Ian is also a teacher at St Lawrence College and has studied vocal pedagogy at Queen’s University, Penn State, and the Boston Conservatory.

Richard is thrilled to be making his NAC debut, reprising the role of Roch Carrier. He is a two-time Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Ensemble in a Comedy for the hit CBC series The Tournament. His theatre credits include Zangler in Crazy for You (Segal Centre); La Trémouille in Jeanne la pucelle (Segal Centre/Place Des Arts); David in Damn Those Wedding Bells (Segal Centre); Mr. Lawrence in Girl in the Goldfish Bowl (Hudson Village Theatre); Ray in Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Spectrum Theatre); and Greta in Bent (Centre Calixa-Lavallée). His film and television credits include The Whole Nine Yards, Being Human, The Great Gatsby, Mirror Mirror, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Stonewall, Mulroney: The Opera, the award-winning All You Can Eat Buddha, and the soon-to-be-released The 20th Century.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Scott’s theatrical credits include leading roles in Rock of Ages, Red Rock Diner (Stage West Calgary), Forever Plaid (Panasonic Theatre/Fallsview Casino), Oliver! (Stratford Festival/Theatre Aquarius), and the original production of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical (Segal Centre). His film credits include The Dark, Summerhood, Victoria Day and Your Beautiful Cul-de-sac Home. His television credits include Murdoch Mysteries, Saving Hope, Degrassi: The Next Generation, My Babysitter’s a Vampire, Haven, Really Me, and TV movie, Sticks and Stones. He has dozens of animation credits to his name, including Peep and the Big Wide World, Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends, Captain Flamingo, Franklin, Arthur, 6teen, Totally Spies!, and BeyWheelz.

Kate Blackburn is so excited to be returning to this show, and for her debut at the NAC! Originally from St. Albert, AB, she is a graduate of the Capilano University Musical Theatre program and has performed all over the country as a musical theatre artist. Select credits include Fiona in Shrek the Musical (Globe Theatre); Kathy in Singin’ in the Rain (Port Hope Theatre); Deb in Elf the Musical (Chemainus Theatre Festival); Polly in Crazy for You (Gateway Theatre), and Nina in In the Heights (Arts Club Theatre Company).

Andréane started voice lessons at the age of five and has never stopped singing. She first studied at Campus Notre-Dame de Foy where she completed a three-year program in singing interpretation, then completed one year of jazz interpretation at Laval University. After being part of the Young Company in Charlottetown, she pursued Music Theatre and completed the three-year program at Sheridan College. Her credits include the North American Broadway tour of Les Misérables, Les précieuses ridicules for Théâtre français de Toronto, Rent at the Panasonic Theatre, and Sweeney Todd at Capitol de Québec.

Omar’s theatre credits include The Wizard of Oz (Young People’s Theatre – Dora Mavor Moore Award); Legally Blonde (Theatre Aquarius); West Side Story (Vancouver Opera Company); Cabaret, Trojan Women (Stratford Festival – Tyrone Guthrie Award); Peter Pan (Neptune Theatre); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Stagewest, Mississauga); The Lion King, The Lord of the Rings (Mirvish Productions); Touch the Sky (Young People’s Theatre). His film and TV credits include Mirror, Mirror (Relativity Media); Repo: The Genetic Opera (Twisted Pictures); Da Kink in My Hair (Global); Da Vinci’s City Hall (CBC); and Once Upon a Mattress (Paramount). 

Evangelia Kambites is a performing artist based in Toronto. Notable stage credits include Avenue Q (Arts Club Theatre Company, Jessie Richardson Award Outstanding Ensemble Performance); The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (NAC/Centaur Theatre/Black Theatre Workshop, Montreal English Theatre Award for Best Production); I Think I’m Fallin’ – The Songs of Joni Mitchell (Belfry Theatre); for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (Soulpepper); Hadestown (Citadel Theatre); The Secret Chord: A Leonard Cohen Experience (Soulpepper). Her upcoming projects include Little Shop of Horrors and Billy Elliot the Musical (Stratford Festival). On television, she has appeared in Minority Report (FOX); Heroes Reborn (NBC); Incorporated (SYFY/CBS); and The Boys (Sony/Amazon). She is an alumna of Randolph College and Queen’s University (BAH Music/Drama). 

Brandon is honoured to rejoin his The Hockey Sweater: A Musical family, share this special story in Canada’s capital, and make his NAC debut! Born and raised in Montreal and a graduate of Sheridan’s Music Theatre Performance program, his favourite credits include Roy Gardner in Anne & Gilbert (The Guild, PEI); the original production of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical (Segal Centre); three seasons with PEI’s Feast Dinner Theatres (French Kiss, Scandalous!, Shucked); three seasons of historical re-enactment with the Confederation Players (Confederation Centre); Chairs (Montreal Fringe Fest); Floyd Collins, Dogfight, Senza Luce (Theatre Sheridan); and Rumspringa Break (Canadian Music Theatre Project).

Jaime is excited to be a part of bringing this iconic Canadian story to the stage. Her favourite past roles include Matilda in Matilda the Musical (Mirvish Productions/Dodgers’ National Broadway Tour); Small Alison in Fun Home (Arts Club Theatre Company); July and understudy for Annie in Annie the Musical (Mirvish Productions/London’s West End Tour); Jemima in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Align Entertainment); and Young Cossette in Les Misérables (Arts Club Theatre Company).

Oliver is thrilled to be a part of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical in his debut at the National Arts Centre! This summer, he played the role of Flounder in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid and has also performed at the Stratford Festival in both Macbeth (Young Macduff) and Romeo and Juliet (Page). Oliver is very excited to be returning to Stratford in 2019 in Billy Elliot the Musical!

Zoë’s selected theatre credits include Gretl in The Sound of Music; The Music Man (Stratford Festival); Susan in Miracle on 34th Street (Neptune Theatre); Small Alison in Fun Home (Calithumpian); Belinda/Little Fan in A Christmas Carol (Soulpepper); Tootie in Meet Me in St. Louis (Confidential Musical Theatre Project); Chip in Beauty and the Beast (Drayton Entertainment); Ivonka in Once, Young Shrek in Shrek, and Elf (Grand Theatre). Her film and TV credits include Anne with an E. (CBC, Netflix); Toothbrush Song and Hair music videos (CBC Kids); Roots of Men (Chris Di Staulo); Lucas (CFC). She was named the Royal Conservatory of Music Regional Gold Medal Vocalist and is an Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association Provincial winner for piano composition. Her upcoming projects include Billy Elliot (Stratford Festival).

Lucas is thrilled to return to The Hockey Sweater: A Musical, after being part of the 2017 world premiere at the Segal Centre. His select stage and TV credits include Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka, Chip in Beauty and the Beast (Lower Ossington Theatre); Colin Craven in The Secret Garden in Concert (Podium Concerts); Michael Banks in Mary Poppins (Lower Ossington Theatre, three seasons); Brody on Top Wing (Nick Jr, Winner of 2018 Young Entertainer Award); Fico on Doki (TVOKids). Lucas studies vocal music, musical theatre, piano, ballet, tap and jazz.  

Shechinah made her musical theatre debut in the 2018 UK touring production of Annie (Mirvish Productions). She voices a variety of lead characters in the animated series Peg + Cat (PBS), Corn & Peg and Blue’s Clues (Nickelodeon), The Polos (Radical Sheep), PJ Masks (Disney), and Little People (DHX Media). Her film and TV roles include the lead role of Umsindisi in Warrior and Savior (St. Tropez Award-winning feature directed by Salvatore Sorrentino). She has a recurring role as Sophie in Rookie Blue (ABC/Global) and has done guest appearances on Creeped Out (The Family Channel), Max and Shred (Nickelodeon), and Odd Squad (PBS/TVO). Shechinah trains in boxing, gymnastics, and all aspects of dance, and has won competitions for hip hop and acro.

Isabella is thrilled to be a part of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical. Her live theatre credits include Matilda the Musical (Mirvish Productions, Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee for Outstanding Ensemble); Matilda (Dodgers Entertainment NY, U.S. National Tour); The Wizard of Oz and Aladdin (Drayton Entertainment). Her other credits include Murdoch Mysteries (CBC). She has trained at Dimensions in Dance, MJ Johnson Vocal Studio, and with Stacy Smith for acting. She is represented by The Talent House. She will appear in Billy Elliot the Musical at the Stratford Festival in 2019.

Liam resides in Toronto, Ontario. He made his debut starring as Fletcher in the acclaimed musical The Bodyguard, and has worked in commercials, print, and numerous television and film projects. An experienced singer, dancer, and actor, Liam studies under the direction of Vlad’s Dance Company, which has led him to excel as a young artist. He is thrilled to share the stage with the talented cast of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical.

Oran has composed the musicals Mythic (Charing Cross Theatre, London), Damascus Square, Sex Today Love Tomorrow, and for the television shows Sesame Street (Israel), and Peg + Cat (PBS). On Broadway, he composed new dance arrangements for Fiddler on the Roof and contributed additional orchestrations to the Anastasia cast album. He orchestrated The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: The Musical at the Segal Centre in Montreal, and has written arrangements and orchestrations for John Legend, Andrea Bocelli, Kristin Chenoweth, Hugh Jackman, Deborah Voigt, Disney Parks, New York Philharmonic, L.A. Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, The New York Pops, The Great American Musical, My Life is a Musical, and Alan Menken. He was educated at Berklee College of Music and its BMI Workshop, and is also a fellow at the Royal Opera House, London.

Michael has designed sets and costumes for theatre, opera and ballet for companies across Canada. He recently designed the set for the world premiere of Hadrian at the Canadian Opera Company, the costumes for Ricciardo e Zoraide at the Rossini Opera Festival in Italy and Frame By Frame for Ex Machina and The National Ballet of Canada, as well as the sets for The Music Man and The Rocky Horror Show at the Stratford Festival. His set design for Cabaret at the Shaw Festival was featured at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space in 2015.

Louise Bourret is an artistic coordinator and designer with over 30 years of experience in hair, makeup, set design, costumes and stage management. She has collaborated with Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, Festival des FrancoFolies de Montréal, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Légendes Fantastiques, Cavalia, Era: Intersection of Time (Shanghai), and many more. Her Segal Centre credits include Guys and Dolls, Sherlock Holmes, The Seagull, Glengarry Glen Ross, Top Girls, Funny Girl (Head of Wardrobe); The Secret Annex, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: The Musical, Prom Queen: The Musical (Assistant Costume Designer); Marjorie Prime, The Angel and the Sparrow, Soul Doctor: Journey of a Rock Star Rabbi, The Dybbuk, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, The Producers, Tribes, My Name Is Asher Lev, Noises Off, Million Dollar Quartet, It Shoulda Been You (Costume Designer), She is a Montreal English Theatre Award winner for Outstanding Costume Design for Travesties.

Since 1974, Luc has been lighting up stages for theatres and operas across the country. He has worked for the Centaur Theatre, Mirvish Productions, Soulpepper Theatre, Compagnie Jean-Duceppe, Segal Centre, Canadian Stage, Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, Montreal Young Company, Grand Theatre, Calgary Opera, Opéra de Montréal, Pacific Opera Victoria, Belfry Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, NAC, Opera McGill, Opera Lyra, Edmonton Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Théâtre le Clou, Théâtre Bouches Décousues, Dynamo Théâtre, Théâtre Tout à Trac, and RustWerk ReFinery. He has won awards for best lighting for his work on Le tour du monde en 80 jours at Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in 2015, for Harold et Maude at Théâtre Jean Duceppe in 2017, and for Le bizarre incident du chien pendant la nuit, also at Duceppe. He teaches at the National Theatre School of Canada. 

Based in Montreal’s Mile-End, Normal Studio is a visual design studio specialized in scenography, video and multimedia environments. Its work is primarily in television, the performing arts and monumental projects. In every moment of the day, Normal Studio generates meaningful moments and seeks compelling human connections. It is constantly looking to exceed what’s possible, from the personal and professional, and from the artistic and technological points of view.

Peter works as a sound designer, sound engineer and technical director in music, theatre, circus, dance and television. A Bulgarian native, he attended university in Russia and began his career in studio recording before discovering the world of live performance. His experience includes 15 years and numerous creations with 4D Art/Michel Lemieux/Victor Pilon; Rain with Cirque Éloize; and multiple productions with Les 7 doigts de la main. With the Segal Centre, he’s designed sound for several musicals including Prom Queen: The Musical, Funny Girl, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: The Musical, and Belles Soeurs: The Musical. Most recently, Peter co-founded the Cassia Project, through which he’s led performance projects in Lithuania, Greece and Bulgaria.

Ms. Baggley is very happy to be back with NAC English Theatre as Assistant Director on The Hockey Sweater: A Musical. She has been assistant director to Donna Feore on seven productions at the Stratford Festival: The Music Man, Guys & Dolls, The Madwoman of Chaillot, A Chorus Line, The Sound of Music, Crazy for You, and Fiddler on the Roof. She also assisted Ms. Feore on Life Reflected, an immersive multimedia project with the NAC Orchestra. She was an actor for 15 years, performing with the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, NAC English Theatre (If We Are Women, Hard Times), narration with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and several regional theatres. Upcoming projects include Assistant Director to Ms. Feore on Billy Elliot the Musical for the Stratford Festival in 2019.

Nick is a graduate of McGill University and holds a postgraduate certificate from The Royal College of Music in England. His recent Music Director credits include Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat (Côte St-Luc Dramatic Society); A Century Songbook, It Shoulda Been You, The Producers (Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Segal Centre); and as Associate Music Director: Prom Queen: The Musical, Funny Girl, and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: The Musical (Segal Centre).

Most recently, Tina was assistant choreographer on Prom Queen: The Musical (Segal Centre). She had the pleasure of choreographing Fancy Nancy for the Côte St-Luc Dramatic Society. She has performed for the Toronto PamAm Games, and in Return to Grace (Canadian Tour); Adventure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line); Aïda (Opéra de Montreal); and Forever Michael (Cairo Opera House). She has also had the privilege of being the lead female dancer in the short film ONDEK.

Originally from Newfoundland, Krista has stage managed across the country, from Opera on the Avalon in St. John’s to Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops. Her favourite highlights include Shakespeare in Love (Neptune Theatre); Glenn (Soulpepper); The Mill, parts 1 to 4 (Theatrefront); Anne of Green Gables – The Musical (The Charlottetown Festival); Peter and the Starcatcher (Western Canada Theatre); The Rocky Horror Show (Theatre New Brunswick); Generous (Tarragon Theatre); The Last Five Years (Theatre and Company); and six seasons as an assistant stage manager with the Stratford Festival.

Victoria Wang is a Toronto-based stage and production manager. Her selected credits include Love and Information (Canadian Stage); speaking of sneaking (Riser Project); The Pigeon King (Blyth Festival); Othello (Driftwood Theatre); Binti’s Journey (Theatre Direct); HROSES (It Could Still Happen); Like There’s No Tomorrow (Architect Theatre); The Misanthrope and The Importance of Being Earnest (Guild Festival Theatre); Whiplash (music video); and Orchid (short film). Outside of theatre, Victoria is also an installation artist. Her ongoing community piece memory palace project had its first showing at the Toronto Fringe Festival’s Postscript Patio. Victoria is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the National Theatre School of Canada.

Brandon is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s Production Program, and a 2014 alumnus of the John Abbott College Theatre Program. His recent credits include Apprentice Stage Manager on Imago Theatre’s Other People’s Children, Apprentice Stage Manager on Centaur Theatre’s Successions, and Tour Manager for Joe Jack & John’s Dis Merci. Brandon is elated to be a part of Hockey Sweater’s continuation at the National Arts Centre.

Sherry Dayton and Michael Walters’ theatrical credits include the original Broadway transfers and Canadian premieres of Matilda, Once, Jersey Boys, The Toxic Avenger, The Producers, and Hairspray. Recent animation credits include reboots of animation classics from our childhood including Peanuts, Inspector Gadget, Babar, and Franklin as well as “new” classics that kids today will someday want to share with their own kids including PAW Patrol, PJ Masks, Junie B. Jones, and Mike The Knight.

Rachelle keeps busy on both sides of the footlights. She co-directed the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre’s production of The Dybbuk, helmed Savyon Liebrecht’s new romantic comedy, The Guest, for the JPL Hebrew Theatre also at the Segal Centre, and is currently preparing to direct a new play, Daughters of Mile End, for Labyrinth Productions. Rachelle also acts, most recently for the screen in the sequel to Northpole, on the web in Yidlife Crisis, does voice work for animated films, and teaches drama at Villa Maria High School in Montreal. 

Penny has worked internationally as a producer and production/stage/tour manager of theatre, dance, music, festivals, and even the Moscow Circus. She also had a career in film and TV, producing documentary series for the CBC, NFB, BBC, S4C, National Geographic and Discovery US. Penny recently returned to Montreal after 14 years as Executive Director of the Citadel Theatre (Edmonton). She is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada and a recipient of the Maclab Enterprises Award for Excellence in Arts Administration and the Rozsa Award for Innovation. For over four decades, Penny has been involved in the development, production and promotion of many new works including the English premiere of Hosanna by Michel Tremblay, The Daisy Theatre and Penny Plain by Ronnie Burkett, Vimy and Shakespeare’s Will by Vern Thiessen, and currently Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown which had its Canadian premiere at the Citadel in 2017 and is now playing at the National Theatre (UK). She is proud to join the Segal Centre and a fantastic creative team to bring this new production of The Hockey Sweater: A Musical to NAC audiences and beyond.