Stageworthy

Justine Christensen is a Toronto-born actor-writer-producer. She is a co-founder of LET ME IN, a platform through which she seeks to produce audience-engaging, socially-conscious theatre. Her past favourite acting credits include Hamlet (Hamlet & Ophelia, LMI), Rosalind (As You Like It, GBTS Theatre), and Kayleen (Gruesome Playground Injuries, Theatre at Eastminster). She has worked with Convergence Theatre, Pat The Dog Theatre Creation, and Nightwood Theatre to her hone and develop her skills as a producer. She is currently working as a writer on a number of new works, one of which is the final installation of her Chekhov adaptations trilogy, produced through LMI. Cannibal When you survive the unsurvivable, who do you become? Bridget Walker has written a play about the abduction of her son and it's a smash hit. Critics are raving, but those closest to her are sent reeling. ‘Cannibal’ explores grief, the cost of sharing your story, and what it means to be indebted to someone you love. Twitter: @scrappa

Dr. Cynthia Ashperger was born in Zagreb, Croatia where she had extensive experience in the theatre, film and television industry as an actor. She holds a PhD from University of Toronto’s Graduate Centre for Studies in Drama. She has taught acting at Ryerson School of Performance since 1994 where she also served as Director of the Acting Program. At Ryerson she has directed some twenty productions of the world classics, most recently Tales from Vienna Woods, Martin Chuzzlewit, The Chaste Maid of Cheapside, The Country Wife, All for Love, The Three Sisters and The Girl from Maxim’s.In Toronto she has worked as a director, writer, actor and producer for the last twenty five years. For her own play inc. company she directed, acted and produced the critically acclaimed production of A Summer’s Day by Jon Fosse. For Phantasmagoria Collective she has directed Tender Napalm by Philip Ridley at Toronto’s Summerworks 2013 also to great critical acclaim. In 2015 she was invited by Croatian Play Drama Theatre to direct

David S. Craig David S. Craig is a Toronto based theatre artist who has written over thirty professionally produced dramatic works, garnering many awards and award nominations. Recent premiere productions include “BOMBERS: Reaping the Whirlwind” at 4 th Line Theatre (2017)and “Lysistrata and the Temple of Gaia” at Odyssey Theatre (2018). His adaptation of “The Neverending Story” will be produced by the Stratford Festival in June of 2019. As an actor, he has performed across North America. In 2014, The City of Toronto awarded Mr. Craig with the Barbara Hamilton Award for Artistic Excellence. He is currently Past- President of the Playwrights Guild of Canada.Richard Greenblatt Richard Greenblatt is an actor, director, writer, and musician who was born in Montréal and received his acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England. He has performed in theatres across Canada and abroad, as well as in feature films, television and radio. He has directed well over 130 productions for theatres across t

On this holiday episode, host Phil Rickaby reflects on the year that was.

Adrianna is sometimes an actor, sometimes a playwright, but a full time geeky social media addict who supports mental health advocacy. She is the Host for the mental health storytelling podcast Stories Like Crazy. Adrianna was the Arts & History Host for the IAWTV award winning educational webshow Cranium Cookie, about all things edu-tastic in Canada, and the Geeky Host for Geektropolis, an online community talking about all things geek-chic in Toronto. Adrianna is also the Marketing Monster for Eldritch Theatre. http://www.adrianna-prosser.com Twitter: @adriannap Instagram: @adriannaprosser http://www.eldritchtheatre.ca/ Twitter: @eldritchtheatre Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eldritchtheatre

Thomas Gough was first on stage at the age of five, but clearly remembers acting before that. He works frequently in the Independent Theatre in Toronto, having appeared in the last few years with the Alumnæ Theatre, Safeword, Single Thread, the Storefront, Thought For Food, Theatre Lab, Plain Stage, and Unspoken Theatre, as well as Theatre By The Bay (Barrie) and the Kick And Push Festival (Kingston). Most recently he appeared in the Toronto Fringe Festival (2018) as Lionel Percy in Bakersfield Mist, and as The Reporter in Teatron Toronto Jewish Theatre's production of The Story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg.Thomas appears in The Three Ships Collective and Soup Can Theatre's new and immersive adaptation of Dickens’ timeless holiday classic set in the historic Campbell House Museum! Soup Can Theatre: www.soupcantheatre.com Twitter: @soupcantheatre Instagram: soupcantheatre Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/soupcantheatre/ Tickets: https://christmascarolto.brownpapertickets.com/

Sue Edworthy has worked in theatre, dance and opera organizations in and around Toronto such as Luminato, Opera Atelier, and Theatre Passe Muraille. She is a 2010 Harold Award recipient and recipient of the CharPR Prize for best publicity 2012 and 2013, and the 2015 recipient of the Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Arts Leadership.Sue also runs Sue Edworthy Arts Planning, a freelance marketing/PR, producing and strategic planning company for the Toronto independent arts community.www.sueedworthy.ca@sueedworthy

Mairi Babb is Toronto based actor, originally from Ireland, who came to Toronto via Winnipeg. She's been seen in everything from The Rocky Horror Show, to The Pirates of Penzance, to War Horse. You can see her now in Eldritch Theatre's Space Opera Zero, on now until December 2 at the Red Sandcastle Theatre.Twitter: @mairibabb1Tickets to Space Opera Zero: eldritchtheatre.ca/tickets

A Toronto native and graduate of George Brown Theatre School, Lisa Norton has had the pleasure of splitting her time between the worlds of stage, screen and voice acting.Her twenty-year theatre career has taken her across Canada to major venues including The Arts Club (Vancouver), Citadel Theatre (Edmonton), Theatre Calgary, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, The Globe (Regina), The Segal Centre (Montreal), Odyssey Theatre (Ottawa), Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton), and Thousand Islands Playhouse, as well as throughout the U.S. on tour with Roseneath Theatre. At home in Toronto, some of Lisa's favourite stage appearances include The Model Apartment (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Canadian Stage), And Up They Flew (Theatre Columbus), Den of Thieves (Surface Underground), Better Living and Escape From Happiness (Factory Theatre), An Acre of Time (Tarragon), and The Innocent Eye Test (Mirvish Productions). Lisa premiered new work at the Blyth Festival for three summers, played the role of Puck in A Midsum

Johnny is the Artistic Director and a founding member of Theatre of the Beat. Studied Drama at the University of Waterloo & Theatre at the University of Sussex where he focused on politically oriented theatre & practitioners. He enjoys hypothetical jokes, riding his motorcycle and lives in Stouffville, ON. #CHURCHTOO Artfully depicted through a variety of scenes and relationships, #ChurchToo explores the struggle of wading into the realities of sexual assault and examines the difficulties of speaking out in a community where the topic of sex is often considered taboo. Follow an array of characters through seven vignettes, each bringing to life stories about hidden trends within our church communities. From the secret relationship of a young woman and her pastor, to discriminatory church policies, all the way to bringing forth allegations against persons in power, #ChurchToo illuminates the messy dynamics that accompany the complicated truths of power and sexual abuse. theatreofthebeat.ca Twitter:

Crux Encounter Productions combines performance, research and development, and training to create a company unlike any other. Our mission is to be a home for stage combat. A sandbox for fellow fight directors and performers. A place to tell stories of conflict with honesty, reverence, and a commitment to safety. It is the world’s first multimedia, multiplatform stage combat company. Founders Siobhan Richardson and Jade Elliott McRae recognized that combattual theatre needs a place to live in its own right through their own work in theatre, film, and a multitude of martial disciplines. They have formed a world-class company of professional stage combat artists dedicated to the world-wide dissemination of exciting and authentic modern and historic techniques. CEP performances are simulcast so you can watch from anywhere in the world. Our research into historical systems will be available for study. And our training will further the understanding and practice of this artform for everyone from beginners to eli

To commemorate the 100^th Anniversary of the Armistice of the First World War, this worldwide premiere takes a look at the conflict through a lesser-known perspective. In November 1917, on a yam field in Nigeria, a farmer is approached by a Canadian war recruiter to join the Allied troops to push back the German advance in East Africa. The Nigerian farmer’s morality is challenged in ways he never expected. An allegory interwoven with traditional Nigerian music and stories, this new play by Zazu Oke and Vince Deiulis challenges audiences to question what they truly know about the World’s First War. DATES & TIMES: Thursday November 8th, 2018 @ 8pm (Pay-What-You-Can Preview Night) Friday November 9th, 2018 @ 8pm (Opening Night) Saturday November 10th, 2018 @ 2pm & 8pm Sunday November 11th, 2018 @ 2pm Tuesday November 13th, 2018 @ 8pm Wednesday November 14th, 2018 @ 8pm Thursday November 15th, 2018 @ 8pm Friday November 16th, 2018 @ 8pm Saturday November 17th, 2018 @ 2pm & 8pm VE

The Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective (SOTMSC) was founded in 2010 by Victoria Urquhart and Sean Horbatiuk, to cultivate a community of emerging artists with a shared interest in Shakespeare and community engagement.Annually the SOTMSC performs "Shakespeare in Hospitals". A project that is exactly what it sounds like: we create new shows, using Shakespeare’s words, designed specifically to bring to patients in hospitals across the GTA, like Mount Sinai, Sunnybrook and CAMH and more, at no charge to the hospitals or the patients.The SOTMSC continues to grow and develop projects in 2018 under the mandate of: Establishing and cultivating community engagement in areas in and around Toronto experiencing isolation based on economic, social, and physical barriers. Our mission statement is to marry classical text, contemporary performance, and audience interaction to invite and encourage people to engage with their community.https://www.spurofthemomentshakespeare.com/ Instagram: @shakespur Twitter: @shakespur

Jordi O'Dael Jordi is a Toronto based trans nonbinary performer, director, dramaturg, and producer. A UWinnipeg/Randolph College alum, Jordi has based their career on portraying 12 year old children, ancient evil constructs, and creating queer punk feminist impressionist pieces. In 2017, Jordi served as co-writer, dramaturg, producer, and performer for the award winning, breakout hit ‘NASTY’ at the Toronto Fringe. Their primary interests are the unexplained and unsettling, ghosts and ghouls, serial killers, destroying the gender binary, corgis, and using theatre as a vehicle for social change.Andrew Gaunce Born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Andrew is a Toronto based performer, writer, producer, and lifelong devotee of the horror genre. Andrew honed his performance skills at Fanshawe College’s Theatre Arts program, and has spent the last few years performing with various indie theatre companies in Toronto, including Seven Siblings Theatre, the Spur-of-the-Moment Shakespeare Collective and Monkeyman

Philip Akin has been acting and directing for over 40 years. In 2000, he was a founding member of Obsidian Theatre, Canada’s leading black theatre company, and has served as its Artistic Director since 2006. In this role, he has worked tirelessly to provide opportunities and guidance for emerging artists. In 2002, he was part of the team that launched the Obsidian Mentor/Apprentice Program, a one-of-a-kind program that has so far helped 61 black artists embark on exciting careers as directors, dramaturges, producers, production managers, lighting, set and costume designers with some of the most established performing arts companies nationwide.The Men in White by Anosh Irani Directed by Philip AkinA heartwarming tale of life, love, and cricket.When Abdul’s cricket team want to end their losing streak, they decide to recruit his brother, Hasan, who is an expert all-rounder. But bringing Hasan from India to Canada will take more than just a plane ticket, and not all of the team agree with the cost. Alternating b

Rosanna Saracino is an Italian-Canadian director, dramaturge, educator, acting coach and costume designer, who has worked in the professional theatre industry for more than twenty years, with forays into directing and acting coaching in film, TV, video and documentaries. She received her MFA from York University in Directing, was the Director in Residence at the Canadian Stage Theatre and at Shadowpath Theatre as part of the Femme5 Operative, is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of art & lies productions. She held the post of the Head of the Acting Division of the Randolph College for the Performing Arts for twenty years, and has been an instructor with the college for as long. Currently, she is teaching at George Brown, in the Theatre Department, as well as at TFS. Her freelance work has extended to companies such as the Classical Music Conservatory, the Canadian Opera Company, the PowerPlant. She is specialized in working with large casts, and stylized and physical theatre, and has worked extensively

Dark Day Monday is a curated monthly performance series featuring artists who defy expectations and break boundaries. We seek out acts that explore, play, and fuck with performance forms or genres. www.darkdaymonday.com Instagram: darkdaymonday Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/darkdaymonday Thea Fitz-JamesThea Fitz-James is part academic, part journalist, and part theatre practitioner. She is a theatre maker and performance artist, having created work with FADO in Toronto, Secret Theatre in Halifax and the School of Making/Thinking in New York. Her shows NAKED LADIES and Drunk Girl have been nominated for awards, and have toured the fringe circuit internationally.Thea is also a theatre producer, festival curator, and arts residency facilitator with the Cucalorus Festival in Wilmington, NC. Her most recent work explores contemporary depictions of women and feminism, integrating performance art and theatre to ask difficult questions around cultural norms.Thea is currently a PhD candidate in Performance Stu

Jennifer Walls is a performer producer, and voice-over actor. As a musical theatre performer she has played leading roles in a wide variety of musicals including RENT, Beauty And The Beast, The Wizard of Oz and number of Canadian premiers as well as the Dora Award nominated original musical review Off-Broadway, On Stage. She was also a finalist in the CBC hit show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?As a voice actor she has voiced recurring characters on a number of animated series' including PBS' Peg+ Cat and Amazon's Creative Galaxy and I am currently the voice of Family Jr.Jennifer is also the director of Hart House Theatre’s production of Heathers: The Musical.www.jenniferwalls.com Twitter: @jeni_walls Instagram: jeniwallstowww.harthouse.ca Twitter: @HHTheatre Instagram: hhtheatre Tickets: https://tickets.harthouse.ca/

The second Halifax Fringe Roundup! In this episode we check in with Andrew Gaunce, Laura Thornton, and Mariel Kathryn Hunter to see how their Fringes have been going, talk about shows they have loved, and about surviving Fringe exhaustion!Andrew Gaunce Instagram: @TempleGaunceAberrant Theatre Instagram: @aberranttheatreSomething WrongLaura ThorntonWalesong TheatreTwitter: @whalesongprod Instagram: @whalesongtheatreThe BirthdayMariel Kathryn Hunter Instagram: @comehomeplayI Want to Come Home

Mariel Kathryn Hunter hails from Saint John, New Brunswick and moved across the country to pursue her acting career in 2012. She has since appeared in a number of independent films and web series, as well as on stage. Most recently she has performed her one woman show on both coasts to tremendous reviews and oversold houses. Recent credits include Sarah in Donald Margulies’ Time Stands Still. She has also founded Fort Heart Productions and directed under their banner a number of shows including Two Rooms by Lee Blessing and Lepers by Robert G Barone. In the weeks prior to flying East for the Halifax Fringe Festival Hunter produced a sold out run of Welcome to the Moon & Other Plays by John Patrick Shanley. Mariel's solo play, I Want to Come Home is currently playing at the 2018 edition of the Halifax Fringe Festival. Twitter: @marielkhunterInstagram:@unknownmariel I Want to Come Home The Old Pool Hall Theatre, 6050-6070 Almon Street Thursday August 30th 6pm Friday August 31st 9pm Saturday September 1st 3: