2023-03-11 19:002023-03-25 21:0060Canada/Eastern🎟 NAC: Ottawa: Fall On Your Knees - Part Two
https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/30733
In-person event
A National Arts Centre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage, Neptune Theatre, Grand Theatre production.
Based on Ann-Marie MacDonald’s best-selling debut novel, our closing installment of Fall On Your Knees takes us to Harlem and the early jazz scene. Love blossoms, seemingly a world away from the constraints of family and social convention.
A play with shocking twists and unforgettable characters, Fall On Your Knees is a journey through love, betrayal, the inescapable...
≈ 3 hours with two intermissions
· With intermission
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Scan the QR code at the venue's entrance to read the program notes before the show begins.
Last updated: March 10, 2023
Director's Note
Like so many readers, I remember where I was when I read Fall On Your Knees because I remember the effect the novel had on me. As a young, queer, gender non-conforming person, born and raised on the East Coast into a family whose tree included immigrants, settlers, secrets, and surprises, I was moved and inspired by the novel; I felt seen by the story and stirred by the hope that lay in the characters’ reckoning with truth – however searing.
As a theatre maker, I was struck by what I recognized as an inherently theatrical engine driving the novel; I could see, hear and feel the worlds that MacDonald created. I was inspired to explore a theatrical adaptation because I knew that this voice, which continued to speak and sing in my imagination long after I set the book down, would speak and sing as powerfully to an audience. I’m grateful that Ann-Marie (who is, full disclosure, my wife) allowed me to try.
I have had the good fortune to assemble a remarkable team of collaborators. Over the past ten years my company, Vita Brevis Arts, with the support of many incredible theatre companies and artistic leaders, has shepherded the project through a development process designed to listen to the voice of the novel; to explore the material and discover the style of the piece. My first partner in this endeavour was the brilliant Hannah Moscovitch, who had not only the talent and vision but also the courage and stamina to take it on.
The shared dream of our collaborators was to bring to the stage the dynamic of the novel; its sweep of love and ambition; its page-turning suspense; the deep relationships that readers develop with characters who are flawed, gifted and often wounded. All this, along with the sheer delight of a story animated by music and passion.
When it came out, Fall On Your Knees was immediately remarkable for the lesbian love story at its heart but as time has gone on, the long overdue reckoning with racism in our society has rendered other veins in the novel more urgent than ever. In the twenty-five years since I first read it, my children have grown up, my parents have passed away, and both my perspective and our world have shifted. In light of the increasing vulnerability of so many of our communities, the larger embrace of the novel’s story of family, both chosen and biological, is all the more poignant and powerful.
Fall on Your Knees is above all a story of passion – for life, for love, for truth and ultimately for redemption. I am beyond grateful to the many, many collaborators who shaped this piece over the years and above all for the cast and company of this premiere production. Their love for and care of the story and its characters are a source of profound inspiration. I hope that you are inspired by their artistry, and I thank you for being here with us today.
Alisa Palmer is a theatre director, playwright, and producer whose work crosses genres. Palmer’s work is characterized by vivid performances, a bold use of music, and a passionate commitment to the body politic. Ms. Palmer has premiered and toured original and provocative theatre creations for close to thirty years and has directed numerous world premieres of Canadian plays including East of Berlin by Hannah Moscovitch, Sibs by Diane Flacks and Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon Theatre), Body Politic by Nick Green (Buddies in Bad Times) Belle Moral (Shaw Festival and NAC) and most recently Hamlet-911 (Stratford Festival) both by Ann-Marie MacDonald. Ms. Palmer spent eight seasons at the Shaw Festival (selected credits: The Women, Sunday in the Park with George, The Philanderer and Pal Joey) and directed the box office breaking production of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) featuring the playwright in the leading role (Canadian Stage). As Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre, Ms. Palmer oversaw the premiere of landmark plays including Djanet Sears’ Harlem Duet and Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, and Alex Bulmer’s Smudge, the first professional play by a visually impaired theatre maker. Ms. Palmer directed Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls at Soulpepper and Cloud 9 (Mirvish Entertainment), where she was also Resident Director for the World Premier of Lord of the Rings. Currently Ms. Palmer is the Executive Artistic Director of the National Theatre School of Canada, English Section. Ms. Palmer is the recipient of numerous awards, including numerous Dora and Chalmers Awards. She is a three-time finalist for the Siminovitch Prize for Directing and is a proud recipient of a Harold Award. Ms. Palmer is Artistic Producer of Vita Brevis Arts.
Alisa Palmer est une metteuse en scène, dramaturge et productrice dont le travail transcende les genres. Son œuvre se distingue par des mises en scène saisissantes, aux effets visuels puissants, misant sur une utilisation audacieuse de la musique et abordant des thématiques politiquement et socialement engagées. Ses créations théâtrales originales et provocantes sont présentées en tournée depuis près de 30 ans. Elle a mis en scène de nombreuses premières mondiales de pièces de théâtre canadiennes, dont East of Berlin de Hannah Moscovitch, Sibs de Diane Flacks et Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon Theatre), Body Politic de Nick Green (Buddies in Bad Times), ainsi que Belle Moral (Festival Shaw et CNA) et, plus récemment, Hamlet-911 (Festival de Stratford), deux pièces écrites par Ann-Marie MacDonald. Alisa Palmer a passé huit saisons au Festival Shaw (parmi ses collaborations, mentionnons : The Women, Sunday in the Park with George, The Philanderer et Pal Joey) et mis en scène la production à succès Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), mettant en vedette la dramaturge dans le rôle principal (Canadian Stage). En tant que directrice artistique du Nightwood Theatre, Alisa Palmer a chapeauté la première de pièces marquantes, dont Harlem Duet et Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God de Djanet Sears, et Smudge d’Alex Bulmer, première pièce professionnelle écrite par une artiste de théâtre ayant un handicap visuel. Alisa Palmer a mis en scène deux pièces de Caryl Churchill : Top Girls au Soulpepper Theater et Cloud 9, produite par Mirvish Entertainment, compagnie pour laquelle elle a été metteuse en scène en résidence lors de la première mondiale de Lord of the Rings. Alisa Palmer est actuellement directrice artistique de la section anglaise de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada. Elle a remporté de nombreux prix, y compris plusieurs prix Dora et Chalmers. Elle a été trois fois finaliste au prix Siminovitch de la mise en scène et est une fière lauréate d’un prix Harold. Alisa Palmer est productrice artistique à la compagnie Vita Brevis Arts.
The National Arts Centre Foundation wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to two of Canada’s greatest theatre champions: NAC Foundation board member Margaret Fountain, C.M., D.F.A. (hc), D.H.L.(hc) and her husband David Fountain, C.M. of Halifax. Their generous leadership support has helped to bring this acclaimed Canadian story to stages across the country.
NATIONAL CREATION FUND
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $200,000 supported a new approach to translating the novel from page to stage, with significant time dedicated to exploring non-literal, theatrical ways to capture and embody the power of the story. The Fund’s support also made the final two development workshops possible.
Acknowledgements and Gratitude
Thank you to the many artists whose talents and generosity shaped this stage adaptation. It cannot be said enough that works of theatre are shaped by many hands and hearts and Canadian theatre practitioners are among the very best in the world for creating new work. This list is an attempt to shine light on those artists but there are many more who worked behind the scenes or who are not included here by oversight. Please accept our thanks.
Trish Lindstrom, Alice Snaden, Fiona Byrne, Ryan Allen, Sabryn Rock, Lucinda Davis, David Storch, Krystin Pellerin, Daren A. Herbert, Jacoba Barber-Rozema, Adrianne Pieczonka , Lesley Barber, Sam Khalilieh, Dalal Badr, Marcus Nance, Tony Nappo, Yanna MacIntosh, Evan Buliung, Paul Sportelli, Marla McLean, Graeme Somerville, Kawa Ada, Diana Donnelly, Alana Hibbert, Kate Hennig, Joanna Falck, Antoine Bedard, Kate Smith, Peter Haworth, Anna Hardwick, Will Lafrance, Damien Broomes, Aurel Pressat, Lauren Barnett, Luciano Decicco, Karli Feldman, Nathan Simmons, Jeff Newberry, Vanessa Sears, Sabrina Weinstein, Melanie Phillipson, Robin Evan Willis, Gloria Mok, Evalyn Parry.
Special thanks to Jeanine Tesori and Reza Jacobs whose musical expertise and generosity of spirit was invaluable to our journey.
Thank you to Mel Hague, Patricia Cerra, Kimberley Rampersad, Jillian Keilley, Maggie Fairs, Cassandra Nicolau and Alanna Palmer for insight, guidance and care.
Special appreciation to Cherissa Richards, Michael Hart, Doug Price, Sarah Miller and Ciaran Brenneman for the long days of generosity and joy in the rehearsal room.
Thank you to the many producers, administrators, and artistic directors whose support over the years made this project possible including Linda Intaschi, Brian Sewell and David Mirvish of Mirvish Entertainment, Jackie Maxwell and the Shaw Festival, Daryl Cloran at The Citadel Theatre, Jim Nichols at New York Theatre Workshop, Anita Gaffney, Andy Lunney, Monika Seiler, Nina Lee Aquino and the team at the NAC, Heather Moore, Chris Dearlove and Sarah Garton Stanley at the National Creation Fund. Thank you to Elaine Calder, Patricia Cerra and Paul of VBA. Above all thank you to David Abel, Paul Beauchamp and Elissa Horscroft. Your faith, commitment, ingenuity and compassion are indescribably powerful. Our weekly meetings over the past five years were a lifeline.
– Alisa Palmer
World Premiere
A National Arts Centre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage, Neptune Theatre, Grand Theatre Production
FALL ON YOUR KNEES
World Premiere Adaptation for the stage by Alisa Palmer and Hannah Moscovitch
Co-Created and Written by Hannah Moscovitch
Co-Created and Directed by Alisa Palmer
Production Dramaturgy by Mel Hague
Based on the Novel by Ann-Marie MacDonald
Part 1: Family Tree
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Early 1900s to 1960s
Approximately 3 hours with 1 intermission
Part 2: The Diary
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and New York City, New York
Early 1920s to 1967
Approximately 3 hours with 2 intermissions
Please note this performance contains:
partial nudity, graphic violence, sexual content, sexual violence, strong language,
e-cigarette performance, smoke and haze. Trigger Warning: parental abuse, incest, childhood sexual abuse
Lead Donors: Margaret Fountain, C.M., D.F.A.(h.c.), D.H.L.(h.c.) and David Fountain, C.M.
Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
Alisa Palmer is a theatre director, playwright, and producer whose work crosses genres. Palmer’s work is characterized by vivid performances, a bold use of music, and a passionate commitment to the body politic. Ms. Palmer has premiered and toured original and provocative theatre creations for close to thirty years and has directed numerous world premieres of Canadian plays including East of Berlin by Hannah Moscovitch, Sibs by Diane Flacks and Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon Theatre), Body Politic by Nick Green (Buddies in Bad Times) Belle Moral (Shaw Festival and NAC) and most recently Hamlet-911 (Stratford Festival) both by Ann-Marie MacDonald. Ms. Palmer spent eight seasons at the Shaw Festival (selected credits: The Women, Sunday in the Park with George, The Philanderer and Pal Joey) and directed the box office breaking production of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) featuring the playwright in the leading role (Canadian Stage). As Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre, Ms. Palmer oversaw the premiere of landmark plays including Djanet Sears’ Harlem Duet and Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, and Alex Bulmer’s Smudge, the first professional play by a visually impaired theatre maker. Ms. Palmer directed Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls at Soulpepper and Cloud 9 (Mirvish Entertainment), where she was also Resident Director for the World Premier of Lord of the Rings. Currently Ms. Palmer is the Executive Artistic Director of the National Theatre School of Canada, English Section. Ms. Palmer is the recipient of numerous awards, including numerous Dora and Chalmers Awards. She is a three-time finalist for the Siminovitch Prize for Directing and is a proud recipient of a Harold Award. Ms. Palmer is Artistic Producer of Vita Brevis Arts.
Alisa Palmer est une metteuse en scène, dramaturge et productrice dont le travail transcende les genres. Son œuvre se distingue par des mises en scène saisissantes, aux effets visuels puissants, misant sur une utilisation audacieuse de la musique et abordant des thématiques politiquement et socialement engagées. Ses créations théâtrales originales et provocantes sont présentées en tournée depuis près de 30 ans. Elle a mis en scène de nombreuses premières mondiales de pièces de théâtre canadiennes, dont East of Berlin de Hannah Moscovitch, Sibs de Diane Flacks et Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon Theatre), Body Politic de Nick Green (Buddies in Bad Times), ainsi que Belle Moral (Festival Shaw et CNA) et, plus récemment, Hamlet-911 (Festival de Stratford), deux pièces écrites par Ann-Marie MacDonald. Alisa Palmer a passé huit saisons au Festival Shaw (parmi ses collaborations, mentionnons : The Women, Sunday in the Park with George, The Philanderer et Pal Joey) et mis en scène la production à succès Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), mettant en vedette la dramaturge dans le rôle principal (Canadian Stage). En tant que directrice artistique du Nightwood Theatre, Alisa Palmer a chapeauté la première de pièces marquantes, dont Harlem Duet et Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God de Djanet Sears, et Smudge d’Alex Bulmer, première pièce professionnelle écrite par une artiste de théâtre ayant un handicap visuel. Alisa Palmer a mis en scène deux pièces de Caryl Churchill : Top Girls au Soulpepper Theater et Cloud 9, produite par Mirvish Entertainment, compagnie pour laquelle elle a été metteuse en scène en résidence lors de la première mondiale de Lord of the Rings. Alisa Palmer est actuellement directrice artistique de la section anglaise de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada. Elle a remporté de nombreux prix, y compris plusieurs prix Dora et Chalmers. Elle a été trois fois finaliste au prix Siminovitch de la mise en scène et est une fière lauréate d’un prix Harold. Alisa Palmer est productrice artistique à la compagnie Vita Brevis Arts.
Hannah Moscovitch is an acclaimed Canadian playwright and TV writer whose work for the stage has been widely produced across Canada and internationally. She has won numerous accolades for her playwriting, including the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize and the Governor General’s Award. Past writing for the stage includes: East of Berlin, This is War, Bunny, Sexual Misconduct of the Middles Classes, and Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (co-created with Ben Caplan and Christian Barry). In television, Hannah is the Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer of Little Bird for Bell Media and Rezolution alongside Jennifer Podemski. Most recently, Hannah was Co-Executive Producer on Interview With The Vampire for AMC with Gran Via and Dwight Street Book Club producing.
Hannah Moscovitch est une célèbre dramaturge et autrice de télévision canadienne, dont les œuvres scéniques ont été largement produites au Canada et à l’international. Elle a remporté de nombreuses distinctions pour ses pièces de théâtre, notamment le prestigieux prix littéraire Windham-Campbell et un Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général. Parmi ses œuvres dramatiques récentes, mentionnons : East of Berlin, This is War, Bunny, Sexual Misconduct of the Middles Classes et Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (cocréation avec Ben Caplan et Christian Barry). À la télévision, Hannah est cocréatrice, productrice générale et autrice principale de Little Bird pour Bell Media et de Rezolution en collaboration avec Jennifer Podemski. Plus récemment, Hannah a été coproductrice générale de Interview With The Vampire pour la chaîne AMC, avec les compagnies de production Gran Via et Dwight Street Book Club.
Ann-Marie MacDonald is an author, playwright, and actor. She is known for her novels, Fall On Your Knees, The Way the Crow Flies, Adult Onset, and Fayne, as well as her plays, Goodnight Desdemona (Good MorningJuliet),Belle Moral: A Natural History, and Hamlet 911. Her work as an actor on stage and screen has earned her a Gemini Award and a Genie Nomination, and she hosted and narrated CBC TV’s documentary series, Life and Times and Doc Zone. Her writing has been honoured with awards including the Chalmers, the Dora Mavor Moore, the Governor General’s, and the Commonwealth Prize. Ann-Marie is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. In 2019 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to the arts and her activism for LGBTQ2S+ rights.
Ann-Marie MacDonald est une autrice, dramaturge et actrice. Elle est reconnue pour ses romans Fall On Your Knees, The Way the Crow Flies, Adult Onset et Fayne, ainsi que pour ses pièces de théâtre Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet),Belle Moral: A Natural History et Hamlet 911. Son travail d’actrice sur scène et à l’écran lui a valu un prix Gemini et une nomination aux prix Génie. À la télévision de la CBC, elle a présenté et narré les séries documentaires Life and Times et Doc Zone. Pour ses écrits, Ann-Marie MacDonald a reçu de nombreux prix, dont les prix Chalmers et Dora Mavor Moore, le Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général et le Prix du Commonwealth. Elle est diplômée de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada. En 2019, elle a été nommée Officier de l’Ordre du Canada en reconnaissance de sa contribution aux arts et de sa défense des droits des communautés 2ELGBTQ+.
Alisa Palmer is a theatre director, playwright, and producer whose work crosses genres. Palmer’s work is characterized by vivid performances, a bold use of music, and a passionate commitment to the body politic. Ms. Palmer has premiered and toured original and provocative theatre creations for close to thirty years and has directed numerous world premieres of Canadian plays including East of Berlin by Hannah Moscovitch, Sibs by Diane Flacks and Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon Theatre), Body Politic by Nick Green (Buddies in Bad Times) Belle Moral (Shaw Festival and NAC) and most recently Hamlet-911 (Stratford Festival) both by Ann-Marie MacDonald. Ms. Palmer spent eight seasons at the Shaw Festival (selected credits: The Women, Sunday in the Park with George, The Philanderer and Pal Joey) and directed the box office breaking production of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) featuring the playwright in the leading role (Canadian Stage). As Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre, Ms. Palmer oversaw the premiere of landmark plays including Djanet Sears’ Harlem Duet and Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, and Alex Bulmer’s Smudge, the first professional play by a visually impaired theatre maker. Ms. Palmer directed Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls at Soulpepper and Cloud 9 (Mirvish Entertainment), where she was also Resident Director for the World Premier of Lord of the Rings. Currently Ms. Palmer is the Executive Artistic Director of the National Theatre School of Canada, English Section. Ms. Palmer is the recipient of numerous awards, including numerous Dora and Chalmers Awards. She is a three-time finalist for the Siminovitch Prize for Directing and is a proud recipient of a Harold Award. Ms. Palmer is Artistic Producer of Vita Brevis Arts.
Writer / Adaptor / Co-Creator Hannah Moscovitch
Hannah Moscovitch is an acclaimed Canadian playwright and TV writer whose work for the stage has been widely produced across Canada and internationally. She has won numerous accolades for her playwriting, including the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize and the Governor General’s Award. Past writing for the stage includes: East of Berlin, This is War, Bunny, Sexual Misconduct of the Middles Classes, and Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (co-created with Ben Caplan and Christian Barry). In television, Hannah is the Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer of Little Bird for Bell Media and Rezolution alongside Jennifer Podemski. Most recently, Hannah was Co-Executive Producer on Interview With The Vampire for AMC with Gran Via and Dwight Street Book Club producing.
AuthorAnn-Marie MacDonald
Ann-Marie MacDonald is an author, playwright, and actor. She is known for her novels, Fall On Your Knees, The Way the Crow Flies, Adult Onset, and Fayne, as well as her plays, Goodnight Desdemona (Good MorningJuliet),Belle Moral: A Natural History, and Hamlet 911. Her work as an actor on stage and screen has earned her a Gemini Award and a Genie Nomination, and she hosted and narrated CBC TV’s documentary series, Life and Times and Doc Zone. Her writing has been honoured with awards including the Chalmers, the Dora Mavor Moore, the Governor General’s, and the Commonwealth Prize. Ann-Marie is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. In 2019 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to the arts and her activism for LGBTQ2S+ rights.
Based in New York & Toronto, Sean Mayes enjoys a varied career as a conductor, music director, orchestrator, arranger, composer, author & educator, spanning the range of numerous musical styles between Broadway, theatre, opera, classical & pops. Conducting credits include: Hadestown & MJ (Broadway), The Color Purple (Canadian Premiere), and BlackBroadway with American Pops Orchestra (PBS National Broadcast). Other credits include: Come From Away (Music Supervisor, Finland), aportia chryptych (Composer/ Music Supervisor, Canadian Opera Company), King Lear (Composer, Stratford 2023). André De Shields with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Orchestrations, Music Direction). Other: Co- author of An Inconvenient History of Black British Musical Theatre& Reframing the Musical (Bloomsbury).
Établi à New York et Toronto, Sean Mayes jouit d’une carrière diversifiée en tant que chef d’orchestre, directeur musical, orchestrateur, arrangeur, compositeur, auteur et enseignant, et couvre un large éventail de styles musicaux, allant de la musique de comédies musicales, de théâtre et d’opéra, au classique et à la pop. Ses collaborations à titre de chef d’orchestre comprennent : Hadestown & MJ (Broadway), The Color Purple (première canadienne) et Black Broadway with American Pops Orchestra (œuvre diffusée à l’échelle nationale sur PBS). Il a aussi pris part aux productions suivantes, notamment : Come From Away (direction musicale, Finlande), aportia chryptych (composition et direction musical, Compagnie d’opéra canadienne) et King Lear (composition, Festival de Stratford 2023), An Evening withAndré De Shields avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Baltimore (orchestrations, direction musicale). Il a coécrit l’ouvrage An Inconvenient History of Black British Musical Theatre & Reframing the Musical (Bloomsbury).
Cherissa Richards has appeared on stage and screen throughout Canada. Recent directing credits: Red Velvet (Crow’s Theatre); Harlem Duet (Bard on the Beach); Meet me at Dawn (Theatre by the River); VOICE (Prairie Theatre Exchange); The Power of Harriet T (Manitoba Theatre for Young People). Cherissa is a Crow’s Theatre RBC Rising Star Emerging Director recipient-‘21, Why Not This Gen Directing Fellow-‘21, she received a directing diploma from National Theatre School directing residency in independent study-‘21. Directing residencies: Bard on the Beach, Shaw Fesitval, Stratford Festival. Upcoming Directing: Trouble in Mind (Royal MTC/Citadel), Julius Caeser (Bard on the Beach) 2023, Diggers (Prairie Theatre Exchange/Black Theatre Workshop) 2024.
Cherissa Richards s’est produite sur scène et à l’écran partout au Canada. Parmi ses mises en scène récentes, mentionnons Red Velvet (Crow’s Theatre); Harlem Duet (Bard on the Beach); Meet me at Dawn (Theatre by the River); VOICE (Prairie Theatre Exchange); et The Power of Harriet T (Manitoba Theatre for Young People). Cherissa a été nommée « étoile montante de la mise en scène » 2021 par la RBC et le Crow’s Theatre et lauréate de la bourse ThisGen en mise en scène du Why Not Theater en 2021. Elle a obtenu un diplôme en mise en scène de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada, après avoir pris part au programme de résidence indépendante en mise en scène (2021). Résidences en mise en scène : Bard on the Beach, Festival Shaw et Festival de Stratford. En 2023, elle mettra en scène Trouble in Mind (Royal MTC et Citadel) et Julius Caeser (Bard on the Beach), et en 2024, Diggers (Prairie Theatre Exchange et Black Theatre Workshop).
Natasha Powell is a Toronto native who has been working in the dance industry for 17 years. Her soulful approach to movement that transcends genre can be seen and felt in her choreography and teachings. No stranger to the stage, Natasha has collaborated and created over 20 dance works for live performance. As the founder, artistic director, and choreographer for her company HOLLA JAZZ, she created the award-winning show FLOOR’D – the company’s first full-length production, presenting historical jazz dances in a new light. The production was nominated for four Dora Mavor Moore Awards (including Outstanding Original Choreography by Powell, and Outstanding Production) winner of the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, and named one of top 10 dance shows.
Originaire de Toronto, Natasha Powell œuvre dans le milieu de la danse depuis 17 ans. Autant dans ses chorégraphies que ses enseignements, elle privilégie l’approche expressive du mouvement et le mélange des genres qui ont fait sa renommée. Habituée de la scène, Natasha a collaboré et créé une vingtaine de spectacles de danse. En tant que fondatrice, directrice artistique et chorégraphe de sa compagnie HOLLA JAZZ, elle a créé le spectacle primé FLOOR’D, la première production intégrale de la compagnie, présentant de fameuses danses jazz sous un nouveau jour. La production a reçu quatre nominations aux prix Dora Mavor Moore (dont « meilleure chorégraphie originale » de Powell et « meilleure production »), a remporté le prix de la « meilleure troupe de danse » et a été désigné comme l’un des dix meilleurs spectacles de danse.
A visionary with a passion for excellence, Hollywood Jade wears multiple hats as a choreographer, artistic director, performance coach, and media personality, among others. Selected credits: Choreographer Sleeping Beauty (Capitol Theatre), Choreographer The Soul Of Motown (Stage West), Resident Choreographer/Guest judge Canada’s Drag Race (Crave/World Of Wonder), Assistant Choreographer - The United States vs Billie Holiday (Hulu), Choreographer - Queen Tut (Fae), Choreographer - Accused (Fox).
Visionnaire et toujours en quête d’excellence, Hollywood Jade est à la fois chorégraphe, directeur artistique, répétiteur indépendant, personnalité médiatique et plus encore. Parmi ses collaborations, mentionnons : chorégraphe pour Sleeping Beauty (Capitol Theatre), chorégraphe pour The Soul Of Motown (Stage West), chorégraphe en résidence et juge invité pour Canada’s Drag Race (Crave et World of Wonder), chorégraphe associé pour The United States vs Billie Holiday (Hulu), chorégraphe pour Queen Tut (Fae), chorégraphe pour Accused (Fox).
Tereka T is a passionate performing artist and dance professional, always looking for ways to explore and tell diverse stories. She has appeared on screen and on stages in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. Credits include Facing Home: Love and Redemption (Kashedance), Shades (Esie Mensah Creations), Tribute to Harry Belafonte (Culchaworks), and Margarita (Holla Jazz). Tereka won a Dora Award for Best Ensemble as part of the cast of Floor’d (Holla Jazz). She has appeared in series American Gods and Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker and Canadian film Door Mouse. This is her first production with Canadian Stage.
Tereka T est une artiste de la scène et une danseuse professionnelle passionnée, constamment à la recherche de nouveaux moyens de raconter des histoires. On a pu la voir à l’écran et sur les scènes en Amérique du Nord, en Europe, en Afrique et aux Caraïbes. Ses collaborations comprennent notamment : Facing Home: Love and Redemption (Kashedance), Shades (Esie Mensah Creations), Tribute to Harry Belafonte (Culchaworks) et Margarita (Holla Jazz). Tereka a remporté un prix Dora dans la catégorie « meilleure troupe de danse » pour sa participation au spectacle FLOOR’D (Holla Jazz). Elle a joué dans les séries American Gods et Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker, ainsi que dans le film canadien Door Mouse. Elle participe pour la première fois à une production de la Canadian Stage.
Camellia is a Toronto based set and costume designer for theatre, opera, dance and site-specific performance installations and collaborations. Recent designs for theatre and opera include collaborations with The Electric Company, Factory Theatre, The National Arts Centre, Soulpepper Theatre, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, Tarragon Theatre, Against the Grain, Banff Centre, Boston Lyric Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Edmonton Opera, Helikon Opera (Moscow), Minnesota Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Santa Fe Opera, and Tapestry New Opera. Camellia has received six Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Toronto), a Sterling Award (Edmonton), a Chalmers Award Grant, 2006 Siminovitch Protégé Prize, and the 2016 Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award for Costume Design.
Établie à Toronto, Camellia est une conceptrice de décors et de costumes pour le théâtre, l’opéra, la danse et pour des installations-performances et collaborations contextuelles. En tant que conceptrice pour le théâtre et l’opéra, elle a récemment collaboré avec, entre autres : l’Electric Company, le Factory Theatre, le Centre national des Arts, le Soulpepper Theatre, le Festival Shaw, le Festival de Stratford, le Tarragon Theatre, Against the Grain, le Centre des arts de Banff, le Boston Lyric Opera, la Compagnie d’opéra canadienne, l’Edmonton Opera, l’Opéra Helikon (Moscou), le Minnesota Opera, le Pacific Opera Victoria, le Santa Fe Opera et le Tapestry New Opera. Camellia a remporté six prix Dora Mavor Moore (Toronto), un prix Sterling (Edmonton), une bourse Chalmers, le Prix de la protégée Siminovitch 2006 et le prix Virginia and Myrtle Cooper 2016 pour la conception de costumes.
Judith Bowden has been designing for the theatre for the past 25 years. Selected credits include: costume design for Queen Goneril and King Lear, Soulpepper Theatre. The Humans, Citadel Theatre/Canadian Stage. London Road, The Other Place, Canadian Stage. Sense and Sensibility, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Chimerica, M.T.C./ Canadian Stage. Set and Costume design for White Christmas, Gaslight, Holiday Inn, LadyKillers, Grand Hotel, St Joan, and Sweeney Todd, costume design - Cabaret, at the Shaw Festival where she has designed for the past 20 seasons. She has had the pleasure of working at a number of theatres including the National Arts Centre, The Grand Theatre, Prairie Theatre Exchange, P.O.V. Theatre Calgary, The Citadel, Crows Theatre, ATP and Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.
Judith Bowden est conceptrice de costumes pour le théâtre depuis 25 ans. Elle a notamment conçu les costumes des productions : Queen Goneril et King Lear, Soulpepper Theatre; The Humans, Citadel Theatre et Canadian Stage; London Road et The Other Place, Canadian Stage; Sense and Sensibility, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre; Chimerica, M.T.C. et Canadian Stage. Conception de décors et costumes : White Christmas, Gaslight, Holiday Inn, LadyKillers, Grand Hotel, St Joan et Sweeney Todd. Conception de costumes : Cabaret, au Festival Shaw, où elle a travaillé comme conceptrice au cours des 20 dernières saisons. Elle a eu le plaisir de travailler dans plusieurs théâtres, dont au Centre national des Arts, au Grand Theatre, au Prairie Theatre Exchange, au P.O.V., au Theatre Calgary, à The Citadel, au Crows Theatre, à l’ATP et à l’Arena Stage de Washington, D.C.
Joyce Padua is a Toronto-based set and costume designer. A BFA graduate of York University, her work as a designer and assistant has been featured in several productions including shows with the Shaw Festival, the Stratford Festival, and Factory Theatre. In 2021, Joyce was nominated as a Siminovitch Prize Protegée under designer Gillian Gallow. Previous theatre credits include: Withrow Park (Tarragon Theatre), Topdog/Underdog (Canadian Stage), Intimate Apparel (Thousand Islands Playhouse), Vierge (Factory Theatre), Fall On Your Knees (NAC/Canadian Stage/Neptune Theatre/Grand Theatre), Too True to Be Good (Shaw Festival), Year of the Rat (Factory Theatre), Desire Under the Elms (Shaw Festival), Back in ’59 (Thousand Islands Playhouse).
Joyce Padua est une conceptrice de décors et de costumes établie à Toronto. Titulaire d’un baccalauréat ès arts de l’Université York, elle a collaboré à de nombreux spectacles à titre de conceptrice ou d’assistante, notamment pour le Festival Shaw, le Festival de Stratford et le Factory Theatre. En 2021, elle a été nommée « protégée » du prix Siminovitch sous le mentorat de la conceptrice Gillian Gallow. Au théâtre, elle a pris part aux productions Withrow Park (Tarragon Theatre), Topdog/Underdog (Canadian Stage), Intimate Apparel (Thousand Islands Playhouse), Vierge (Factory Theatre), Fall Your Knees (Canadian Stage), Too True to Be Good (Festival Shaw), Year of the Rat (Factory Theatre), Desire Under the Elms (Festival Shaw) et Back in ‘59 (Thousand Islands Playhouse).
Recently: Hamlet 911, The Neverending Story, As You Like it, The Diary of Anne Frank (Stratford), The Breathing Hole, Metamorphosis (NAC), Misery, The Rocky Horror Show (Neptune), Sexual Misconduct of the MiddleClasses (Belfry Theatre), For A Look or a Touch (Pacific Opera Victoria), Tell Tale Harbour (Confederation Centre for the Arts), Between Breaths, Everybody Just C@lm The F#ck Down (Artistic Fraud), The Silver Arrow (Citadel Theatre), The Third Colour (Prairie Theatre Exchange), Secret Life of a Mother (Theatre Centre, Crows Theatre), and The God That Comes (2b). Leigh Ann is a teacher and coach at NTS. She is originally from Nfld and now lives in Nova Scotia and works all over the country. She’s honoured to be part of the telling of this story with these remarkable people.
Parmi les collaborations récentes de Leigh Ann Vardy, mentionnons : Hamlet 911, The Neverending Story, As You Like it, The Diary of Anne Frank (Festival Stratford), The Breathing Hole, Metamorphosis (CNA), Misery, The Rocky Horror Show (Neptune), Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (Belfry Theatre), For A Look or a Touch (Pacific Opera Victoria), Tell Tale Harbour (Centre des arts de la Confédération), Between Breaths, Everybody Just C@lm The F#ck Down (Artistic Fraud), The Silver Arrow (Citadel Theatre), The Third Colour (Prairie Theatre Exchange), Secret Life of a Mother (Theatre Centre, Crows Theatre) et The God That Comes (2b). Leigh Ann est enseignante à l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada. Originaire de Terre-Neuve, elle vit en Nouvelle-Écosse et travaille partout au pays. Elle se dit honorée de contribuer à raconter cette histoire avec des gens aussi remarquables.
Brian is a designer for theatre from Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador and is a graduate from The National Theatre School of Canada and Sheridan College. Selected credits include: Come From Away in concert [Mirvish, Marquis Ent], Billy Elliott, The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, Little Shop of Horrors [Stratford Festival], Elf, Grow, Mary Poppins [The Grand Theatre], Once [Segal Centre], Everybody Just C@lm The F#ck Down, Between Breaths, TheColony of Unrequited Dreams [Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland], Supper Club, Birthday Balloon [RCA Theatre]. Brian is a board member of the IATSE Local 659, The Associated Designers of Canada.
Originaire de Mount Pearl à Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador, Brian Kenny est un concepteur de théâtre diplômé de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada et du Collège Sheridan. Parmi ses collaborations, mentionnons : Come From Away in Concert (Mirvish et Marquis Ent.); Billy Elliott, The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, Little Shop of Horrors (Festival de Stratford); Elf, Grow, Mary Poppins (The Grand Theatre); Once (Centre Segal); Everybody Just C@lm The F#ck Down, Between Breaths, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Artistic Fraud, Terre-Neuve); Supper Club, Birthday Balloon (RCA Theatre). Brian est membre du conseil d’administration de la section locale 659 de l’AIEST, l’Association des designers canadiens.
Douglas Price is an award-winning composer, music director, and teacher from London, Ontario. He is an alumni of the Shaw Theatre Festival’s music directing internship program (mentor: Dr. Paul Sportelli), a masters graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and he inaugurated the position of Head of Music at the National Theatre School of Canada (2014-2020). He is the founder and creator of tunetorialz.com (an online catalogue of musical theatre lessons), and he recently launched his first book, Seventeen To Millionaire, a personal finance book for Canadian teenagers available at seventeentomillionaire.com.
Douglas Price est un compositeur, directeur musical et enseignant primé originaire de London, Ontario. Il a participé au programme de stage en direction musicale du Festival de théâtre Shaw (mentor : Paul Sportelli), a obtenu une maîtrise du Royal Conservatoire of Scotland et a été le premier à occuper le poste de responsable en chef de la musique à l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada (2014 à 2020). Il a créé tunetorialz.com, un répertoire de leçons sur la musique de comédie musicale, et a récemment fait paraître son premier livre Seventeen To Millionaire, un livre sur les finances personnelles destiné aux adolescents et adolescentes du Canada (disponible à seventeentomillionaire.com).
Selected Fight Director credits: 2019 Season (The Stratford Festival); The Last Wife, The 39 Steps, Successions (Centaur Theatre); Whole World (Carousel Players); Kitchen Radio, Stag & Doe, 2018 Season (Blyth Festival); Don Quichotte, Die Walkure, Carmen (Canadian Opera Company, Associate Fight Master). Stage Combat Instructor and Fight Director/Sexual Choreographer (National Theatre School). Intimacy Choreographer: Trojan Girls and The Outhouse of Atreus (Outside The March/Factory Theatre/Factory Theatre); OurPlace (Cahoots Theatre/Theatre Passe Murraille); TV/FILM: Stunt Performer/Stunt Actor (selected credits: SEE, Star Trek: Discovery, Pretty Hard Cases, Teen Titans, The Boys, Rabbit Hole, What We Do in the Shadows, various Ubisoft motion capture productions).
À titre de chorégraphe de combats, Anita Nittoly a notamment collaboré à : la saison 2019 du Festival de Stratford; The Last Wife, The 39 Steps, Successions (Centaur Theatre); Whole World (Carousel Players); Kitchen Radio, Stag & Doe, la saison 2018 du Festival de Blyth; Don Quichotte, Die Walkure, Carmen (Compagnie d’opéra canadienne, maître de combats associée). Elle est instructrice de combats scénique, chorégraphe de combats et coordonnatrice d’intimité pour l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada. Collaborations comme coordonnatrice d’intimité : Trojan Girls et The Outhouse of Atreus (Outside The March et Factory Theatre); Our Place (Cahoots Theatre et Theatre Passe Muraille). À la télévision et au cinéma, comme cascadeuse et actrice-cascadeuse : SEE,Star Trek: Discovery, Pretty Hard Cases, Teen Titans, The Boys, Rabbit Hole, What We Do in the Shadows et diverses productions nécessitant la capture de mouvement pour Ubisoft.
For Canadian Stage: London Road, The Syringa Tree, Rock ’n’ Roll. Other: 19 seasons with The Stratford Festival; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Cloud Nine, The Lord of the Rings, The Producers (Mirvish); Shaw Festival; War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Royal National Theatre/Mirvish); Matilda (Royal Shakespeare Company/Mirvish); Oroonoko, Chair (Theatre for a New Audience, New York). Television: Good Sam (CBS), Reacher (Amazon), Republic of Doyle (CBC). Teaching: Head of Voice, National Theatre School of Canada (2009-16); Centre for Indigenous Theatre; Birmingham Conservatory. Training: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (MA Voice), Guildhall School of Music & Drama (BA Acting).
Collaborations avec la Canadian Stage : London Road, The Syringa Tree, Rock ’n’ Roll. Autres réalisations : 19 saisons avec le Festival de Stratford; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Cloud Nine, The Lord of the Rings, The Producers (Mirvish); Festival Shaw; War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Royal National Theatre et Mirvish); Matilda (Royal Shakespeare Company et Mirvish); Oroonoko, Chair (Theatre for a New Audience, New York). À la télévision : Good Sam (CBS), Reacher (Amazon), Republic of Doyle (CBC). Enseignement : professeure de voix à l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada (2009 à 2016); Centre for Indigenous Theatre; Birmingham Conservatory. Formation : Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Maîtrise en voix), Guildhall School of Music and Drama (baccalauréat en interprétation).
Yousef Kadoura is a Disabled Lebanese-Canadian actor, writer, and curator as well as a graduate of the acting program at the National Theatre School of Canada (2017). He was the producer and host of Walking the Space, a podcast series exploring disability in the arts, and was previously the 2018 Curator in Residence at Tangled Art + Disability. Yousef’s recent theatre credits include: P.T. Barker, Inangible Adorations Caravan, as a part in Toronto’s Year of Public Art (2022) Jonathan, Jonathan La Figure du Goeland, with Geordie theatre (2021), and Jihad, Eraser, as a part of the Riser Project (2019).
Yousef Kadoura est un acteur, auteur et commissaire canadien d’origine libanaise, en situation de handicap. Il est diplômé en interprétation de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada (2017). Il a produit et animé Walking the Space, une série de balados sur les pratiques artistiques de personnes en situation de handicap. Précédemment, il a été commissaire en résidence à la galerie Tangled Art + Disability. Au théâtre, il a récemment incarné P.T. Barker dans Intangible Adorations Caravan, dans le cadre de l’année de l’art public à Toronto (2022); Jonathan dans Jonathan : la Figure du goéland, au Geordie Theatre (2021); et Jihad dans Eraser, à l’occasion du RISER Project (2019).
26 seasons at the Stratford Festival including All’s Well That Ends Well, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show, Hay Fever, The Tempest starring Christopher Plummer, The Duchess of Malfi, The Swanne Trilogy amongst others; Heisenberg, Liv Stein (Canadian Stage); Constellations (Centaur/Canadian Stage); Body Politic (Buddies); The Death Of The King (Modern Times); The Winter’s Tale (Groundling); Bombay Black (Factory); Manon, Sandra and the Virgin Mary (Pleiades); Saint Carmen of The Main (NAC/Canadian Stage); Romeo and Juliet (NAC); Mother Courage and Her Children (NAC/MTC); Real Live Girl (MTC); Fully Committed, Silence, Einstein’s Gift (Grand Theatre); Wit (Centaur); Hamlet (Neptune).
Parmi les collaborations de Michael Hart, mentionnons : 26 saisons au Festival de Stratford, notamment pour les productions All’s Well That Ends Well, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show, Hay Fever, The Tempest, mettant en vedette Christopher Plummer, The Duchess of Malfi, The Swanne Trilogy; Heisenberg, Liv Stein (Canadian Stage); Constellations (Centaur et Canadian Stage); Body Politic (Buddies); The Death Of The King (Modern Times); The Winter’s Tale (Groundling); Bombay Black (Factory); Manon, Sandra and the Virgin Mary (Pleiades); Saint Carmen of The Main (CNA et Canadian Stage); Romeo and Juliet (CNA); Mother Courage and Her Children (CNA et MTC); Real Live Girl (MTC); Fully Committed, Silence, Einstein’s Gift (Grand Theatre); Wit (Centaur); Hamlet (Neptune).
Sarah Miller is a Toronto-based freelance stage manager for live theatre and events. She’s worked with arts organizations across the country including City of Toronto Cultural Events, Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more. Select credits include: I SendYou This Cadmium Red (Art of Time); A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Capitol Theatre); What Makes a Man (Canadian Stage/Necessary Angel); MixTape (Crow’s Theatre/Grand Theatre); Bang Bang, The Crackwalker (Factory Theatre); The Runner (Human Cargo/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Monday Nights (Luminato/Theatre Centre); Of Miceand Morro and Jasp (Manitoba Theatre for Young People); Harry Potter and the CursedChild (Mirvish); Lil’ Red Robin Hood (Ross Petty Productions); Sisters, Innocence Lost, Of Human Bondage, Spoon River, A Christmas Carol, Hosanna, The Heidi Chronicles, Angels in America (Soulpepper Theatre); Forever Plaid (Starvox Entertainment); Orestes, Yaga (Tarragon Theatre); The De Chardin Project (Theatre Passe Muraille) and FreedomSinger (Project Humanity). Sarah is a mentor and instructor of Stage Management and has worked with students at Toronto Metropolitan University and Humber College.
Établie à Toronto, Sarah Miller est une régisseuse indépendante de théâtre et pour divers événements. Elle a travaillé pour des organisations artistiques de partout au pays, comme pour des événements culturels de la Ville de Toronto, le Festival Shaw, le Festival de Stratford et le Festival international du film de Toronto. Parmi ses collaborations, mentionnons : I Send You This Cadmium Red (Art of Time); A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Capitol Theatre); What Makes a Man (Canadian Stage et Necessary Angel); MixTape (Crow’s Theatre et Grand Theatre); Bang Bang, The Crackwalker (Factory Theatre); The Runner (Human Cargo et Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Monday Nights (Luminato et Theatre Centre); Of Mice and Morro and Jasp (Manitoba Theatre for Young People); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mirvish); Lil’ Red Robin Hood (Ross Petty Productions); Sisters, Innocence Lost, Of Human Bondage, Spoon River, A Christmas Carol, Hosanna, The Heidi Chronicles, Angels in America (Soulpepper Theatre); Forever Plaid (Starvox Entertainment); Orestes, Yaga (Tarragon Theatre); The De Chardin Project (Theatre Passe Muraille) et Freedom Singer (Project Humanity). Sarah est aussi mentore et instructrice en régie de scène, et a travaillé avec des élèves de l’Université métropolitaine de Toronto et du Humber College.
Virg(she/her) is a freelance stage manager and props builder based in Mi’kma’ki, Halifax Nova Scotia. Select Stage Management Credits: Elapultiek (Tour for Two Planks and a Passion) Crimes of the Heart, Boeing Boeing (Watermark Theatre) Dayboil, Good Grief, Half-Cracked, Hook, Line & Sinner (Ship’s Company Theatre) #IAMTHECHEESE (Eastern Front Theatre & Halifax Theatre for Young People) Beneath Springhill, The Lear Project (Neptune Theatre) Hamlet (Below the Salt) Brundibar (Halifax Theatre for Young People) People, Places & Things, La Calandra (Fountain School of Performing Arts) Pocket Rocket (Theatre Baddeck) Props Credits: Elf the Musical, Rocky Horror, Woman in Black (Neptune Theatre).
Virg (elle) est une régisseuse et accessoiriste indépendante basée à Mi’kma’ki, Halifax, Nouvelle-Écosse. Sélection de collaboration à titre de régisseuse : Elapultiek (Tour for Two Planks and a Passion), Crimes of the Heart, Boeing Boeing (Watermark Theatre) Dayboil, Good Grief, Half-Cracked, Hook, Line & Sinner (Ship’s Company Theatre), #IAMTHECHEESE (Eastern Front Theatre et Halifax Theatre for Young People), Beneath Springhill, The Lear Project (Neptune Theatre), Hamlet (Below the Salt), Brundibar (Halifax Theatre for Young People), People, Places & Things, La Calandra (Fountain School of Performing Arts), Pocket Rocket (Theatre Baddeck). Collaboration en tant qu’accessoiriste : Elf the Musical, Rocky Horror, Woman in Black (Neptune Theatre).
Apprentice Stage Manager (Rehearsal and Toronto)
Ciaran Brenneman
Ciaran Brenneman (they/them) is an emerging stage manager and theatre artist. They are passionate about facilitating new and impactful works of performance and are thrilled to be making their Canadian Stage debut with Fall On Your Knees. Previous credits include: Festival Production Assistant (Stratford Festival); Assistant Production Manager, You Can’t Get There From Here Volume 2 (Factory Theatre); Apprentice Stage Manager, The Grand Re:Opening Festival (The Grand Theatre); Production Stage Manager, rabbit hole (Toronto Metropolitan University); Stage Manager, The Scarborough Project (Tarragon Theatre Education and Outreach).
Ciaran Brenneman (iel) est régisseur·se et artiste de théâtre de la relève. Ciaran aime participer à la création de nouvelles œuvres percutantes et collabore pour la première fois avec joie avec la Canadian Stage à l’occasion de la présentation de Fall On Your Knees. Ses réalisations comprennent notamment : assistance à la production (Festival de Stratford); assistance à la régie : You Can’t Get There From Here Volume 2 (Factory Theatre); stagiaire à la régie : le Grand Re:Opening Festival (The Grand Theatre); régie de production : rabbit hole (Université métropolitaine Toronto); régie : The Scarborough Project (Tarragon Theatre Education and Outreach).
Tim has appeared in over 35 productions at the Stratford Festival, including John Proctor in The Crucible, Buckingham in Henry VIII, Chris Keller in All My Sons, and Horatio in Hamlet. Other theatre credits include Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Theatre, Washington DC); Death of a Salesman, Twelve Angry Men, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Soulpepper); and Private Lives (Chicago Shakespeare). Recent film and TV credits: Robyn Hood (Global), Under the Banner of Heaven (FX), You Can Live Forever (Prospector Films), and V/H/S/94 (Shudder).
Tim a joué dans plus de 35 productions présentées au Festival de Stratford, notamment John Proctor dans The Crucible, Buckingham dans Henry VIII, Chris Keller dans All My Sons et Horatio dans Hamlet. Parmi ses autres collaborations au théâtre, mentionnons : Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, D.C.); Death of a Salesman, Twelve Angry Men, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Soulpepper); et Private Lives (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Au cinéma et à la télévision, on a pu le voir récemment dans Robyn Hood (Global), Under the Banner of Heaven (FX), You Can Live Forever (Prospector Films) et V/H/S/94 (Shudder).
Adelaide Taylor / Sweet Jessie Hogan / Ensemble
Janelle Cooper
Janelle Cooper is an award-winning Actor, a Director, Choreographer, Producer, Writer, and a Founder and the Artistic Director of Ellipsis Tree Collective. Janelle’s expertise is in the excavation of lived experience through performance creation/devising and multi-genre storytelling, IBPOC artistic mentorship, and EDID (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization) education through organizations like Black Pledge and The SCPA EDID Action Committee. Select acting credits: John Ware Reimagined (Blyth), The Color Purple (Neptune/Citadel/Royal Manitoba), Twelfth Night (Theatre Calgary/NAC), Adventures of a Black Girl, I Am For You (NAC); Speed Dating (Lunchbox); Charlotte’s Web, Penelopiad, Toad of Road Hall (ATP).
En plus d’être une actrice, metteuse en scène, chorégraphe, productrice, autrice primée, Janelle Cooper est la fondatrice et directrice artistique du Ellipsis Tree Collective. Janelle cherche à approfondir l’expérience vécue par l’entremise de la création et la conception de spectacles et de récits hétéroclites, le mentorat artistique auprès des PANDC et la formation à l’EDID (équité, diversité, inclusion et décolonisation), grâce à des organisations comme Black Pledge et le comité d’action EDID de la SCPA. Comme comédienne, on a pu la voir dans : John Ware Reimagined (Blyth), The Color Purple (Neptune, Citadel et Royal Manitoba), Twelfth Night (Theatre Calgary et CNA), Adventures of a Black Girl, I Am For You (CNA); Speed Dating (Lunchbox); Charlotte’s Web, Penelopiad, Toad of Road Hall (ATP).
Diane Flacks is a writer/actor. Her 5th solo play, Guilt, dir. by Alisa Palmer, just premiered at One Yellow Rabbit, and is being developed with Tarragon. Pre-Covid, Diane played Nathan in Nathan the Wise (Stratford) and wrote & starred in the Dora nominated Unholy (Nightwood). Selected acting: 25 Questions fora Jewish Mother (WJT), Body Politic (Dora nom), Yichud (TPM). Selected playwrighting: Waiting Room, SIBS and Care with Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon), Luba, Simply, Luba (Kobzar award) and her hit solo shows Myth Me, By A Thread, Random Acts and BearWith Me (adapted from her book). She was CBC radio’s longtime National parenting columnist & TV writing includes Workin’ Moms, Baroness, and Kids In The Hall.
Diane Flacks est autrice et actrice. Son cinquième spectacle solo, Guilt, mis en scène par Alisa Palmer, a été créé par la troupe One Yellow Rabbit et est en cours de développement avec l’appui du Tarragon Theatre. Avant la pandémie de COVID, Diane a joué Nathan dans Nathan the Wise (Festival de Stratford), et écrit et joué dans Unholy (Nightwood), finaliste pour un prix Dora. Elle a joué, notamment, dans 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (WJT), Body Politic (finaliste pour un prix Dora), Yichud (TPM). Elle a écrit de nombreuses pièces de théâtre, dont Waiting Room, SIBS et Care with Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon), Luba, Simply, Luba (prix Kobzar), et ses populaires spectacles solos Myth Me, By A Thread, Random Acts et Bear With Me (adapté de son livre). Elle a longtemps tenu une chronique sur la parentalité à la radio de CBC, et a collaboré à l’écriture des séries télé Workin’ Moms, Baroness, et Kids In The Hall, entre autres.
(Selected) Jenna - Hamlet-911, Hermia - A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stratford Festival); Eva - April Fools (Segal Centre); UnCovered: Notes from the Heart (Musical Stage Co.); Girl - Once (Segal Centre); Audrey - As You Like It, Phillipa - The Taming of the Shrew (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); Andrea - Dark Vanilla Jungle (Blarney Productions); Halley -Armstrong’s War (Theatre Network); Mary Pickford - Murdoch Mysteries (Season 15). Training: National Theatre School of Canada, Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. Awards: Two-time nominee – Sterling Award; three-time nominee – Edmonton Music Award; recipient of 2019 Montreal English Theatre Award for Lead Performance in a Musical & Emerging Artist; recipient of 2019 Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists.
Eva Foote a notamment incarné : Jenna, dans Hamlet-911 et Hermia, dans A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Festival de Stratford); Eva, dans April Fools (Centre Segal); UnCovered: Notes from the Heart (Musical Stage Company); Girl, dans Once (Centre Segal); Audrey, dans As You Like It, Phillipa, dans The Taming of the Shrew (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); Andrea, dans Dark Vanilla Jungle (Blarney Productions); Halley, dans Armstrong’s War (Theatre Network); Mary Pickford, dans Murdoch Mysteries (Season 15). Formation : École nationale de théâtre du Canada et Birmingham Conservatoire for Classical Theatre. Prix : deux nominations aux prix Sterling; trois nominations aux Edmonton Music Award; lauréate de Prix du théâtre anglophone de Montréal 2019 dans les catégories « meilleure interprète principale dans une comédie musicale » et « meilleure artiste de la relève »; lauréate du prix Shirley Banks 2019 comme « meilleure artiste de comédie musicale ».
Canadian/International credits include: As You Like It (Jeff Award Nomination) and School for Lies (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Caroline, Or Change (Musical Stage Co), A Doll’s House Pt.2 (MTC/Mirvish), as well as nine seasons at the Shaw Festival and six seasons at the Stratford Festival. Deborah played Catharine Cardinal in CTV’s award-winning crime drama Cardinal, and Therese Mendez in Apple TV’s mini series Five Daysat Memorial, and starred in the feature film The Anniversary. Upcoming, Deb will be returning to the Shaw Festival to play in Blithe Spirit and The Game of Love and Chance.
Au Canada et à l’international, elle a pris part, notamment, aux productions : As You Like It (mise en nomination aux prix Jeff) et School for Lies (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Caroline, Or Change (Musical Stage Company), A Doll’s House Pt.2 (MTC et Mirvish) ainsi que neuf saisons au Festival Shaw et six saisons au Festival de Stratford. Deborah a interprété Catharine Cardinal dans la série policière primée de CTV Cardinal et Therese Mendez dans la minisérie Five Days at Memorial d’Apple TV, et a joué dans le long-métrage The Anniversary. Prochainement, Deb sera de retour au Festival Shaw pour jouer dans Blithe Spirit et The Game of Love and Chance.
Originally from Winnipeg, Samantha has performed on stages across Canada and the US. Broadway credits include Les Miserables (Cosette) Phantom of the Opera (Christine). Other selected theatre credits include: Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon (Off-Broadway), Les Miserables (Mirvish), August Osage Country, Christmas at Pemberley (RMTC), Gracie (PTE), The Mousetrap (Cape Playhouse), South Pacific (Drury Lane), Nine, The Light in The Piazza (Dry Cold Productions). Film: The Editor, Who We Are Now (TIFF Premieres). Samantha is a proud graduate of the University of Alberta BFA Acting Program. I am so very grateful to be telling this story. Much love to mama and dad. @samjeannehill
Originaire de Winnipeg, Samantha s’est produite partout au Canada et aux États-Unis. À Broadway, on a pu la voir dans Les Miserables (Cosette) et Phantom of the Opera (Christine). Ailleurs, sur la scène théâtrale, elle a pris part aux productions : Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon (Off-Broadway), Les Miserables (Mirvish), August Osage Country, Christmas at Pemberley (RMTC), Gracie (PTE), The Mousetrap (Cape Playhouse), South Pacific (Drury Lane), Nine, The Light in The Piazza (Dry Cold Productions). Au cinéma : The Editor, Who We Are Now (présentés en première au TIFF). Samantha est une fière diplômée du baccalauréat en beaux-arts (interprétation) de l’Université de l’Alberta. Je suis reconnaissante de pouvoir raconter cette histoire. Maman et papa, je vous envoie plein d’amour. @samjeannehill
Drew is thrilled to be making his NAC Theatre debut with such an incredible team of artists. He grew up on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe (Ottawa). For GCTC past credits include: Forever Young, This is War, Generous and Proud. Other favorites include: Taming of the Shrew, As you Like it, Twelfth Night, All’s Well That Ends Well (SLSF), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Company of Fools), Children of the Bear (Outside the March), Woyzeck’s Head (Third Wall), where Drew was nominated for a Prix Rideau Award. Drew is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
Drew est ravi de se produire pour la première fois au CNA avec une équipe d’artistes aussi formidable. Il a grandi sur le territoire traditionnelnon cédé de la Nation algonquine anishinaabe (Ottawa). À la GCTC, on a pu le voir notamment dans : Forever Young, This is War, Generous and Proud. Mentionnons également : Taming of the Shrew, As you Like it, Twelfth Night, All’s Well That Ends Well (SLSF), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Company of Fools), Children of the Bear (Outside the March) et Woyzeck’s Head (Third Wall), pour lequel Drew a été finaliste aux Prix Rideau Award. Drew est diplômé de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada.
Leo “Ginger” Taylor / Impresario / Ensemble
Tony Ofori
Tony is thrilled to make his NAC debut as Leo Taylor in Fall On Your Knees. Tony was born and raised in Toronto and is a 2022 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role for his performance in Soulpepper’s Pipeline. Tony is a Humber College and York University Alumni. Some of Tony’s recent productions include Actually (Obsidian Theatre), Copy That (Tarragon Theatre) and Pipeline (Soulpepper Theatre). Currently, Tony can be seen on Apple Tv’s season 3 of Daytime Emmy winning show Ghostwriter as Malcolm Turner. Want to know what’s next for Tony? Check him out at www.tonyofori.com.
Tony est ravi de se produire pour la première fois au CNA dans le rôle de Leo Taylor dans Fall On Your Knees. Tony est né et a grandi à Toronto. Il a été finaliste au prix Dora Mavor Moore 2022, dans la catégorie « meilleur acteur dans un rôle principal » pour son interprétation dans Pipeline, de Soulpepper. Il est diplômé du Humber College et de l’Université York. Parmi ses récentes collaborations, mentionnons : Actually (Obsidian Theatre), Copy That (Tarragon Theatre) et Pipeline (Soulpepper Theatre). Présentement, on peut le voir dans le rôle de Malcolm Turner dans la troisième saison de Ghostwriter, émission lauréate d’un Daytime Emmy, sur Apple TV. Pour en savoir plus sur Tony Ofori, consultez www.tonyofori.com.
Materia Piper / Charity Woman / Ensemble
Cara Rebecca
Cara Rebecca is an actor, fight director, and emerging director. Cara is thrilled to make her NAC debut with such a fantastic team! Theatre credits include: Cowgirl Up (ATP), Indecent (Segal), The Ward Cabaret (Harbourfront), Romeo & Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing (Repercussion), Don’t Read the Comments (Segal/Centaur/Fringe/Touring). FilmTV: Love in the Time of Coronavirus (self-produced), Antioch (Talisman), Pandora (Youtheatre), We F*ck (Indie), Forbidden (Discovery), Word! (TVO Kids), Elle (Fokus). Cara is a co-founder of Ragtag, a multidisciplinary collective whose inaugural installation QUEERasure will premiere in Montreal later this year. She is a graduate of the National Theatre School, McGill, and is accredited with the Academy of Dramatic Combat. @caractor_rebecca
Cara Rebecca est une actrice, chorégraphe de combats, créatrice et metteuse en scène émergente. Au théâtre, on a pu la voir dans : Cowgirl Up (ATP), Indecent (Segal), The Ward Cabaret (Harbourfront), Romeo & Juliet et Much Ado About Nothing (Repercussion), Don’t Read the Comments (Segal, Centaur, Fringe et tournée). Au cinéma et à la télévision : Love in the Time of Coronavirus (autoproduction), Antioch (Talisman), Pandora (Youtheatre), We F*ck (Indie), Forbidden (Discovery), Word! (TVO Kids), Elle (Fokus). Cara est cofondatrice de Ragtag, un collectif multidisciplinaire dont la première installation QUEERasure, sera présentée en première à Montréal plus tard cette année. Elle est diplômée de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada et de l’Université McGill, et accrédité auprès de l’Academy of Dramatic Combat. Cara est ravie de se produire pour la première à la CNA avec une équipe aussi fantastique!
Maryem Tollar is a renowned Egyptian-Canadian vocalist, known for her world music performances. She composed the music for the song Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind for Canadian Stage’s production of As YouLike It, directed by Anand Rajaram in 2022. She was nominated for a 2010 Dora Award for outstanding cast in Nine Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo; and was in the 2009 Dora Award winning production of R. Murray Shafer’s opera The Children’s Crusade, playing the role of Ariana. Her voice has been heard CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie and A.R. Rahman’s Bollywood hit, Mayya Mayya. She performs with several Toronto musical groups including: Al Qahwa and Turkwaz. Maryem was awarded the inaugural 2019 Johanna Metcalf Prize for Performing Arts.
Maryem Tollar est une célèbre chanteuse canadienne d’origine égyptienne, reconnue pour ses interprétations de musique du monde. Elle a composé la musique de la chanson Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind pour la production As You Like It, de la Canadian Stage, mise en scène par Anand Rajaram en 2022. Elle a été finaliste pour un prix Dora en 2010 dans la catégorie « meilleure prestation d’ensemble » pour Nine Parts of Desire de Heather Raffo; et a joué Ariana dans l’opéra lauréat d’un prix Dora en 2009, The Children’s Crusade de R. Murray Shafer. On a pu entendre sa voix dans Little Mosque on the Prairie, diffusé à la CBC, et dans le succès de Bollywood Mayya Mayya, de A.R. Rahman. Elle s’est produite avec plusieurs groupes musicaux de Toronto, dont Al Qahwa et Turkwaz. Maryem a reçu le premier prix Johanna Metcalf pour les arts de la scène en 2019.
To my family, friends, and fans: thank you for your support. Theatre: Hamlet in Hamlet; Praise-Singer in Death and the King’s Horseman; Helena, Flute, Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; 1851: Spirit and Voice (Soulpepper/ Myseum); 00 in The Wolves (Howland/Crow’s); Abigail in A Christmas Carol (Grand Theatre); Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in High Park); Spiker in James and the Giant Peach (Young People’s Theatre); Ariel in The Tempest (Hart House). Training: Factory Theatre Mechanicals; Randolph College. Awards: BBPA Harry Jerome Award; Dora Awards for The Wolves and Moby: A Whale of a Tale (Art & Water). Online: @yesamaka.
Je remercie ma famille, mes amis et amies, et les gens qui suivent mon travail de leur soutien. Théâtre : Hamlet in Hamlet; chanteuse de louanges dans Death and the King’s Horseman; Helena, Flute, Moth dans A Midsummer Night’s Dream; 1851: Spirit and Voice (Soulpepper et Myseum); 00 dans The Wolves (Howland et Crow’s Theatre); Abigail dans A Christmas Carol (Grand Theatre); Hermia dans A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in High Park); Spiker dans James and the Giant Peach (Young People’s Theatre); Ariel dans The Tempest (Hart House). Formation : Factory Theatre Mechanicals et Randolph College. Distinctions : prix Harry Jerome de la BBPA; prix Dora pour The Wolves and Moby: A Whale of a Tale (Art & Water). En ligne : @yesamaka.
Wellman Anthony / Ambrose / Ensemble
Dakota Jamal Wellman
Dakota Jamal Wellman is a performer, educator, and creator, originally from Port Hope (ON) and currently based in Montreal. He is an alumni of Bishop’s University (B.A. Drama, 2015) and of Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program (2015-2016). For his work on Simone Half andHalf (Black Theatre Workshop), Dakota was awarded the 2020 META for Outstanding Supporting Performance. Selected theatre credits include: Pool (No Water) (Persephone Productions), Superdogs (Segal Centre for Performing Arts), Summer of Sonnets (Repercussion Theatre), and Don’t Read The Comments (Sermo Scomber Theatre). Film/TV: The Christmas Checklist, Terror Train, The Naughty Nine, About Sex, and Fester.
Dakota Jamal Wellman est un interprète et créateur originaire de Port Hope (ON) et vivant actuellement à Montréal. Il est diplômé de l’Université Bishop (B.A. en théâtre, 2015) et a participé au programme de mentorat artistique du Black Theatre Workshop (2015-2016). Dakota a reçu un prix META, en 2020, dans la catégorie « meilleur acteur de soutien » pour son travail d’interprétation dans Simone Half and Half (Black Theatre Workshop). Au théâtre, on a pu le voir notamment dans : Pool (No Water) (Persephone Productions), Superdogs (Centre Segal des arts de la scène), Summer of Sonnets (Repercussion Theatre) et Don’t Read The Comments (Sermo Scomber Theatre). Au cinéma et à la télévision : The Christmas Checklist, Terror Train, The Naughty Nine, About Sex et Fester.
Mercedes Piper / Jeanne Lacroix / Ensemble
Jenny L Wright
Jenny is thrilled to be returning to the NAC in Fall On Your Knees. In addition to this novel being her all-time favourite, she has been involved in its creation as a piece of theatre for over a dozen years. Jenny has been in over fifty productions at the Shaw Festival since 1996, including You Can’t Take It With You, Time And The Conways, Peter Pan, Merrily We Roll Along, Pal Joey, Albertine in Five Times, Happy End, Guys and Dolls, Peter And TheStarcatcher, Oh What A Lovely War, Androcles And The Lion, Holiday Inn. Other credits include The Fighting Days (ECT), The 39 Steps, Educating Rita (Lyndesfarne), Cyberia (NAC). BFA Concordia University.
Jenny est ravie d’être de retour au CNA dans Fall On Your Knees. Outre le fait que ce roman est son préféré de tous les temps, elle a participé à son adaptation au théâtre pendant une douzaine d’années. Jenny a collaboré à une cinquantaine de productions au Festival Shaw depuis 1996, dont You Can’t Take It With You, Time and The Conways, Peter Pan, Merrily We Roll Along, Pal Joey, Albertine in Five Times, Happy End, Guys and Dolls, Peter and the Starcatcher, Oh What A Lovely War, Androcles and the Lion et Holiday Inn. On a également pu la voir notamment dans : The Fighting Days (ECT), The 39 Steps, Educating Rita (Lyndesfarne), Cyberia (CNA). Elle est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en beaux-arts de l’Université Concordia.
Mr. Mahmoud / Tommy Jameel / Maestro / Ensemble
Antoine Yared
Born in Lebanon and raised in Montreal, Antoine has worked in theatres across Canada and the US. His love of Shakespeare prompted a move to Stratford, where he spent five seasons performing classical plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Pericles, King John, The Merchant of Venice, John Gabriel Borkman, The Alchemist, The Madwoman of Chaillot and Mother Courage. Antoine’s taste for adventure then spurred him to seize the opportunity of appearing in Groundling Theatre’s production of King Lear in Toronto, before accepting a role in The Last Wife at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre. More recently, he was employed south of the border at Washington DC’s Arena Stage in A Thousand Splendid Suns – a role he’d reprised a few months after the production toured San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
Antoine Yared est né au Liban et a grandi à Montréal. Il s’est produit sur les scènes de partout au Canada et aux États-Unis. Son amour de Shakespeare l’a mené jusqu’à Stratford, où il a joué pendant cinq saisons dans des pièces du répertoire classique, comme Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Pericles, King John, The Merchant of Venice, John Gabriel Borkman, The Alchemist, The Madwoman of Chaillot et Mother Courage. Son goût de l’aventure l’a ensuite poussé à participer à la production King Lear, du Groundling Theatre à Toronto, puis à jouer dans The Last Wife, au Théâtre Centaur à Montréal. Plus récemment, on a pu le voir dans A Thousand Splendid Suns, à l’Arena Stage de Washington, D.C. et en tournée à San Diego, San Francisco et Seattle.
Kira Chisholm (she/her) is an actor and theatre-maker who grew up on the land of the Wolastoqiyik (Fredericton, NB). She graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada’s Acting program in 2022 and is currently based in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory. Recent theatre credits include Sally Bowles in Cabaret, The Brother/Mother-Showman/Gradeschool Chum in Venus, Jezebel in An Irresistible Urge to do Something Inadvisable, and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Theatre School of Canada). Velma Kelly in Chicago, Agave in The Bacchae (Theatre St. Thomas); Isabella in Measure for Measure, Lady Anne in Richard III (Bard in the Barracks).
L’actrice et artiste de théâtre Kira Chisholm (elle) a grandi sur le territoire de la Nation Wolastoqiyik (Fredericton, N.-B.). Elle est diplômée du programme d’interprétation de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada (2022) et habite à Winnipeg, sur le territoire du Traité n˚ 1. Au théâtre, elle a notamment incarné Sally Bowles dans Cabaret, le frère, la mère et artiste de scène et la camarade d’école dans Venus, Jezebel dans An Irresistible Urge to do Something Inadvisable et Puck dans A Midsummer Night’s Dream (École nationale de théâtre du Canada); Velma Kelly dans Chicago et Agave dans The Bacchae (Theatre St. Thomas); Isabella dans Measure for Measure et Lady Anne dans Richard III (Bard in the Barracks).
Naomi got her start in community shows in Calgary, then moved to Toronto “for the culture”, eventually ending up in England, where she graduated with an MFA from the Guildford School of Acting. In 2020. She has been waiting ever so patiently for theatres to re-open and is excited to have made her professional debut this year. Theatre credits include: Educating Rita (Watermark Theatre), DRACULA: A Comedy of Terrors (Segal Centre) Outside of living the dream, she’s a certified yoga instructor and either on her mat or eating ice cream. Haagen Dazs. The vanilla one with the chocolate covered almonds.
Naomi a fait ses débuts sur la scène communautaire de Calgary, puis a déménagé à Toronto pour ses attraits culturels, pour ensuite se rendre en Angleterre, où elle a obtenu une maîtrise en beaux-arts de la Guildford School of Acting (2020). Par la suite, elle a attendu patiemment que les théâtres rouvrent leurs portes. Elle est ravie d’avoir lancé sa carrière professionnelle cette année. Au théâtre, on a pu la voir dans Educating Rita (Watermark Theatre) et DRACULA: A Comedy of Terrors (Centre Segal). En plus de vivre son rêve, elle est instructrice de yoga certifiée. On peut la trouver soit sur un tapis de yoga, soit en train de manger de la crème glacée, de préférence de la Häagen-Dazs à la vanille et aux amandes enrobées de chocolat.
Douglas Price is an award-winning composer, music director, and teacher from London, Ontario. He is an alumni of the Shaw Theatre Festival’s music directing internship program (mentor: Dr. Paul Sportelli), a masters graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and he inaugurated the position of Head of Music at the National Theatre School of Canada (2014-2020). He is the founder and creator of tunetorialz.com (an online catalogue of musical theatre lessons), and he recently launched his first book, Seventeen To Millionaire, a personal finance book for Canadian teenagers available at seventeentomillionaire.com.
Douglas Price est un compositeur, directeur musical et enseignant primé originaire de London, Ontario. Il a participé au programme de stage en direction musicale du Festival de théâtre Shaw (mentor : Paul Sportelli), a obtenu une maîtrise du Royal Conservatoire of Scotland et a été le premier à occuper le poste de responsable en chef de la musique à l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada (2014 à 2020). Il a créé tunetorialz.com, un répertoire de leçons sur la musique de comédie musicale, et a récemment fait paraître son premier livre Seventeen To Millionaire, un livre sur les finances personnelles destiné aux adolescents et adolescentes du Canada (disponible à seventeentomillionaire.com).
Anna Atkinson is a singer, songwriter, composer, producer and multiinstrumentalist originally from Windsor, Ontario. She studied the viola atthe University of Victoria before spending nine years immersed in Toronto’s creative music and theatre communities. Anna performs her own music as Linaire: experimental electro-pop combining emotionally lucid lyrics with synths, strings, and lo-fi beats. A self-titled debut album was released in 2020. Anna has also contributed, both as creator and performer, to numerous projects across music, theatre, film and dance. Most recently, she was musical director, co-creator and performer in Joe Jack et John’s Les waitress sont tristes in Montreal, where she now lives.
Anna Atkinson est une autrice-compositrice-interprète, productrice et multi-instrumentiste originaire de Windsor, en Ontario. Elle a étudié l’alto à l’Université de Victoria avant de passer neuf ans dans la communauté théâtrale et musicale de Toronto. Anna interprète sa propre musique dans le cadre du projet Linaire : de l’électro-pop expérimentale combinée à des paroles d’une grande lucidité émotionnelle, avec synthétiseurs, cordes et rythmes lo-fi. Elle a fait paraître en 2020 son premier album éponyme. Anna a aussi contribué comme créatrice et interprète, à de nombreux projets en musique, théâtre, cinéma et danse. Récemment, elle a participé à titre de directrice musicale, cocréatrice et interprète à la production Les waitress sont tristes de la compagnie Joe Jack et John, présenté à Montréal, où elle habite.
The son of a proud Scottish immigrant, Spencer Murray got his start playing the bagpipes when he was 8 years old. In his twenties Spencer moved to Toronto to study saxophone at Humber College with jazz legend, Pat LaBarbera, but at night he was studying Irish flute with Junowinning Irish musician, Loretto Reid. In 2016, Spencer was accepted to the University of Limerick in Ireland, where he became the first ever Canadian to receive a Master’s degree in the Uilleann piping. Spencer has performed as a soloist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and with the Canadian company of Come From Away for over 850 performances. He is about to release his second album with his band Pipeslinger.
Fils d’un fier immigrant écossais, Spencer Murray a commencé à jouer de la cornemuse à l’âge de huit ans. Dans sa vingtaine, Spencer s’est installé à Toronto pour étudier le saxophone au Humber College, auprès de la légende du jazz, Pat LaBarbera. En soirée, il étudiait la flûte irlandaise avec le musicien irlandais lauréat d’un prix Juno, Loretto Reid. En 2016, il a été accepté à l’Université de Limerick, en Irlande, où il est devenu le premier Canadien à recevoir une maîtrise en cornemuse irlandaise. Spencer s’est produit comme soliste avec l’Orchestre symphonique d’Edmonton et dans plus de 850 représentations de la production canadienne de Come From Away. Il fera bientôt paraître un deuxième album avec son groupe, Pipeslinger.
Maryem Tollar is a renowned Egyptian-Canadian vocalist, known for her world music performances. She composed the music for the song Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind for Canadian Stage’s production of As YouLike It, directed by Anand Rajaram in 2022. She was nominated for a 2010 Dora Award for outstanding cast in Nine Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo; and was in the 2009 Dora Award winning production of R. Murray Shafer’s opera The Children’s Crusade, playing the role of Ariana. Her voice has been heard CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie and A.R. Rahman’s Bollywood hit, Mayya Mayya. She performs with several Toronto musical groups including: Al Qahwa and Turkwaz. Maryem was awarded the inaugural 2019 Johanna Metcalf Prize for Performing Arts.
Maryem Tollar est une célèbre chanteuse canadienne d’origine égyptienne, reconnue pour ses interprétations de musique du monde. Elle a composé la musique de la chanson Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind pour la production As You Like It, de la Canadian Stage, mise en scène par Anand Rajaram en 2022. Elle a été finaliste pour un prix Dora en 2010 dans la catégorie « meilleure prestation d’ensemble » pour Nine Parts of Desire de Heather Raffo; et a joué Ariana dans l’opéra lauréat d’un prix Dora en 2009, The Children’s Crusade de R. Murray Shafer. On a pu entendre sa voix dans Little Mosque on the Prairie, diffusé à la CBC, et dans le succès de Bollywood Mayya Mayya, de A.R. Rahman. Elle s’est produite avec plusieurs groupes musicaux de Toronto, dont Al Qahwa et Turkwaz. Maryem a reçu le premier prix Johanna Metcalf pour les arts de la scène en 2019.
Apprentice Stage Manager (Rehearsal and Toronto)
Ciaran Brenneman
NAC Production Team
Head Carpenter
Charles Martin
Head Properties
Michel Sanscartier
Head Electrician
Eric Tessier
Assistant Electrician
Martin Racette
Head Sound
Doug Millar
Head Flyman
Alex Griffore
Assistant Properties
David Reynolds
Heidi Strober
Assistant Sound
Jon Carter
Head Wardrobe
Linda Dufresne
Wardrobe Mistress
Jennifer Kennedy
Wig Master
Norman Couvrette
Fall On Your Knees Production
Projectionists, Wardrobe Mistresses, Masters and Attendants are members of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 471.
The National Arts Centre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
NAC English Theatre Team
Managing Director
David Abel
Artistic Director
Nina Lee Aquino
Community Outreach Lead
Rose-Ingrid Benjamin
Learning Coordinator
Aimee Bouchard
ASL Interpreter Consultant
Carmelle Cachero
Marketing Strategist
Bar Clement
Communications Strategist
Sean Fitzpatrick
Senior Producer
Alexandra Lunney
Senior Marketing Manager
Bridget Mooney
Associate Producer, Artistic Projects
Judi Pearl
Company Manager
Samira Rose
Administrative Coordinator
Monika Seiler
Technical Director
Cynthia Shaw
ABOUT VITA BREVIS ARTS
Vita Brevis Arts (VBA) was founded by Alisa Palmer to support the development of unusual theatre projects, aimed for larger spaces and audiences. VBA was created to support projects that are ambitious in scope, urgent in content and that have the capacity to speak to diverse audiences in a highly theatrical and sensually rich language. Inclusive and artistically excellent storytelling is at the heart of VBA's mission. In practice, VBA partners with established theatre companies and helps to realize projects that may be outside the box: to curate artist - driven development processes outside traditional development models, and which require sensitivity to culturally specific material. VBA is comprised of producers Alisa Palmer and Paul Beauchamp.
ABOUT CANADIAN STAGE
Canadian Stage is one of the country’s leading contemporary performing arts organizations. A collision of disciplines and cultures, Canadian Stage reflects the dynamism and complexity of Canada and is a vital artistic force locally, nationally, and internationally. In its over thirty-year history, Canadian Stage has employed thousands of artists and developed and produced hundreds of new productions. Many of the plays developed by Canadian Stage have been awarded and nominated for Canada's most prestigious literary and performing arts honours, including Governor General's, Chalmers, and Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Throughout the theatre season, nearly 100,000 patrons attend performances and workshops in its three Toronto venues.
ABOUT THE GRAND THEATRE
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum and Executive Director Deb Harvey, the Grand Theatre (the Grand) is a leading cultural hub located in the heart of downtown London, Ontario. The not-for-profit regional theatre offers diverse, relevant, and original stories from around the globe through collaborations with national and international performing arts organizations. The Grand is committed to developing, producing, and premiering original stories through its COMPASS New Play Development program. Further, it is an ardent supporter of educational programming, as demonstrated through initiatives like the High School Project and Subsidized Student Matinees.
ABOUT NEPTUNE THEATRE
Neptune Theatre is Atlantic Canada’s regional theatre, now in its 59th season. On our stages you’ll experience theatre that is uplifting and thought-provoking. Working with the best local, regional, and Canadian theatre professionals, we seek to present a thought-provoking playbill that amplifies creative voices, inspires future generations of theatre artists, and delights audiences. With a mindful and inclusive approach, we are committed to bringing stories that represent the history and diversity of our region and its people to life on our stages. The work created and presented at Neptune explores our rich history and diversity, builds understanding, and shapes dialogue, helping to create a stronger, connected community.
A National Arts Centre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage, Neptune Theatre, Grand Theatre Production
Produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
We acknowledge the support of The Canada Council for the Arts.
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