Stageworthy

Janelle Hanna is an actor, educator, and short sassy woman, and is thrilled to be premiering her first full length solo show Bad Baby Presents: Rules Control the Fun at the Toronto Fringe. This will be Janelle’s 5^th Toronto Fringe appearance, past Fringe credits include: Eternal Friendship with a Spotless Smile (Patron’s Pick),Virginia Aldridge, BSc, Sitting in a Tree, and Fantastic Extravagance. Other credits include: Frankenstein Live (The Arts Engine), Knot Tied (Lab Cab Festival), Eligible(BravoFact), Neighbourhood Watch, The Duvet (Film Army), Swell Broad,Commencement (Convection Productions), Last Man Hanged, Ring Round the Moon, Pillar to Port Walkabout (Gairbraid Theatre), Anne of Green Gables (Stirling Festival Theatre). Janelle is a graduate of the Masters in Acting program at York University where she played such roles as Cordelia/Foole in King Lear, the Knight in The Knight of the Burning Pestle, Volumnia in Coriolanus, Alcestis in Alcestis, and Flute/Thisbe in A Midsummer N

Ardyth Johnson trained with mime artist Adrian Pecknold at The Manitoba Theatre School in Winnipeg and then received a scholarship with The Manitoba Theatre Centre to further her studies with Mime Unlimited School of Physical Theatre (Jacque Le Coq) in Toronto (graduate). Ardyth studied and graduated at Second City Conservatory, also master clown and buffoon with Philippe Gaulier, plus other masters of mime, corporeal mime, clown, slap stick and comedy. Ardyth she holds a B.A in theatre studies from the University of Winnipeg. Ardyth has toured throughout North America with Mime Unlimited, Theatre Beyond Words and many other companies. When Ardyth is not performing, she is busy teaching physical theatre all over Canada and Internationally.http://www.ardythjohnson.weebly.comhttp://www.ardythjohnsonhighlanddance.weebly.comWeirder Thou ArtNorth American humans you think William Shakespeare wrote Mac Beth ha, ha, ha..well we'll tell you the truth (wink wink) who really wrote the play. Three bouffon women (if you

Chantal is an artist and educator with a diploma in musical theatre from the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. She has been behind the annual Oakville Holiday Pantomime for the past four years as co-writer, director, and choreographer. As a writer, director and producer, her work has been seen in several festivals including the Toronto and Vancouver Fringe Festivals as well as The Short Short Play Festival. The 2017 Toronto Fringe will be her third as writer/producer for “GREY”, previous years were her plays “Perceptions of Love in the Pursuit of Happiness” and “Quarterlife”. Selected acting credits include TV’s “About A Girl”, “Blood Ties”, and “Psych” as well as performing on stage in cabarets, musicals, and plays both in Toronto and Vancouver. Chantal works with drama students aged 12-95 through Sheridan College, Centre Stage Theatre School, and Shadowpath Theatre Productions, who honoured her with their Artist of the Year Award in 2015.@chantalfordeGrey:Twleve years ago Richard Buttle killed Jayde

The Seat Next to the King Behind the door of a public washroom in a Washington, D.C. park, two lives linked to the country's most influential figures collide when a white man seeking a sexual encounter meets a black male stranger. Winner of the 2017 Toronto Fringe FesIval New Play Contest, this bold, affecting piece tackles race, sex, the meaning of 'manhood', and the cost of reconciling each for two disparate human beings with a shared innate need. Featuring blistering performances by Kwaku Okyere and Conor Ling, The Seat Next To The King is directed by Tanisha Taitt. The Seat Next to the King was the winner of the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival New Play Contest Tanisha Taitt - Director Tanisha is a director/actor/playwright/arts educator/activist and accidental essayist. She has worked with Obsidian, NAC, The Musical Stage Company, Nightwood, BIBT and Soulpepper, and spent two seasons as a Resident Artist-Educator with YPT. Tanisha is a Drama mentor for tdsbCreates, a TDSB/TAC initiative that brings professi

Sex T­-Rex, Toronto’s hottest comedic theatre company, teams up with the Storefront Theatre for a double bill of old school cinematic entertainment and adventure. Watch out Wildkat! and Swordplay, both award-winning A resident company at Toronto’s Bad Dog Theatre, has wowed audiences across the country since their inception nearly a decade ago. Watch out WildKat! premiered at the Montreal Fringe in 2014, receiving five star reviews from the CBC, The Torontoist, and Halifax’s The Coast, as well as taking home the awards for Best Show and Best Comedy at the Atlantic and Montreal Fringes. Swordplay: A Play Of Swords, the second half of this action-packed double feature, is a love letter to classic Swashbucklers and retro fantasy video games that inverts the genre’s stereotypes while offering a sophisticated parody on more modern offerings like Game of Thrones.Watch out Wildkat! and Swordplay, both award-winning comedies by Sex T-­Rex, run March 11th ­- 27th.Sex T-Rex will be presenting three of their award-winni

Maureen Gualtieri, playwright and general word-wrangler, was born and raised in Toronto. Her newest play, Odd One Out, will be premiering at the 2017 Toronto Fringe. Her work has been seen at previous editions of the Toronto Fringe (BQ, as part of Trip; Monkey Love), Protestival (Whose Body is This; The Franklin Street Elementary School Grades 1, 2, & 3 Present Their Spring Pageant, “Officer Bubbles Goes to Hell, Or, Civil Disobedience is for Everybody!”), and other local festivals. She has directed, assistant directed, stage managed and script coordinated in venues such as Hart House Theatre, the Hamilton Fringe, and Tarragon Theatre. She graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada's playwriting program in 2012. Odd One Out: 1950. A love triangle. A secret attraction. A college student disappears in the woods. Ten years later, her rival lovers reunite in an attempt to solve the otherworldly mystery: what really happened to Clementine Yates? Playwright: Maureen Gualtieri Director: Elizabeth Trai

Scott Dermody a Markham, Ontario native, he is now a Toronto-based theatre professional. He is the co-founder and creative core member of Soup Can Theatre and is the Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). Scott’s career in the performing arts thus far encompasses on and off stage roles. He has been a Producer for most Soup Can Theatre shows, as well as having a crack at Directing (for Soup Can Theatre and V-Day Toronto) and Production Managing (Soup Can Theatre, Single Thread Theatre, and V-Day Toronto). Through Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program, Scott worked with and was mentored by Aislinn Rose, independent producer and Artistic Producer of Praxis Theatre. As an actor, Scott has played in classics, avant-garde multidisciplinary work, clown turns, children’s theatre, murder mysteries and a few short films. He has taught introductory theatre courses in GTA-area schools, and ran a theatre camp in Vaughan for two years. Scott holds a BA in theat

Pantsuit Improv are graduates of Bad Dog Comedy Theatre's Narrative Studio program, with past direction by Etan Muskat (Interim Artistic Director of Bad Dog Theatre) and training with Jess Bryson (Bad Dog Academy Director), Colin Munch (Second City Toronto mainstage), and Sex T-Rex (2016 Second City Award for Best Comedy, Wasteland). Inspired by captivating storytelling, Pantsuit creates comedic performances that mirror current film and television.Since their acclaimed Narrative Studio graduate show Family Portrait in August 2016 as part of Bad Dog’s Homecoming Week, Pantsuit has performed at the Big City Improv Festival; received an Honourable Mention at the 2016 Blockbuster Week competition; and on Wednesday, May 17th at 9:30pm, Pantsuit headlines the final episode of Spring Binge at Bad Dog Theatre with The Magic-Er School Bus: improvised adventures with Ms. Frizzle's new class!Pantsuit Improv is: Hamed Dar, Brittney Drysdale, Tara Federko​, Devon Henderson,​ Christina Nicolaou,​ Cecilia Serafina​, Jackie

Annie is an actor/mover, shaker & theatre creator! Currently based in Toronto, but originally from Minnesota, she is a graduate of George Brown acting school and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Manitoba. Outside of Toronto she has created and performed in shows in Minneapolis, San Francisco & Winnipeg. She is a co-founder of Fourth Gorgon Theatre, as well as a founding member of Theatre Georgian Bay. Most recent productions: The Jungle Book (Magnus Theatre), Twelfth Night (Theatre Georgian Bay), We Must have More Men (Theatre by the Bay), Romeo & Juliet and Peter Pan at Old Flame Brewing Co., You Know I Know at the Toronto Fringe, Pirate Life (Pirate Life), Molly Bloom (Fourth Gorgon Theatre), Upcoming: The Dark Lady (Mystic Horde), Turtleneck (EmerGENce Theatre), and is currently creating a new musical adaptation of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren to set sail on Lake Ontario this summer! Instagram: tuma2ma Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annie.tuma Website: http://www.fou

Luke Reece is a storyteller, community builder, and artist-educator from Mississauga. He loves engaging with young-in-craft artists that are as diverse as the community he lives in. Luke is the Apprentice General Manager and a Resident Artist-Educator at Young People’s Theatre, Artistic Director of Little Black Afro Theatre, co-creator of Dark Nights, captain of the 2017 Toronto Poetry Slam Team, and previously the Associate General Manager of Obsidian Theatre Company. He has a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree from York University, where he studied Theatre and Creative writing.Twitter: @lareece93 Instagram: lareece93www.littleblackafro.com Twitter: @littleblackafro Instagram: littleblackafrowww.darknights.ca@darknightsTOdarknightsTOStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Mad Power is an arts organization dedicated to the encouragement of artistic achievement and the protection of the rights of psychiatric survivors. Miles G. Cohen (Producer & Project Director) Mr. Cohen is a survivor with 40 years theatre experience. A graduate Of Bishop’s University, Canadian Mime School, Playhouse Acting School, and an alumnus of The Second City Touring Company he has performed and taught in theatres and institutions across Canada. He currently teaches at “Learn” a CAMH day program as well as “Encore” a CAMH pilot program for patients on the ward. He is a member and past board member for Workman Arts; a CAMH based arts organization. He is a founding director for Friendly Spike Theatre and a founding member of Kytes youth theatre for street youth. He has been a facilitator for an adult encounter group at Bridgepoint Health Centre and taught meditation at the Ralph Thornton Centre. Stephen LaFrenie (Producer and Actor) Stephen has performed and taught physical theatre for over 38 years.

Alex Dault is the Artistic Director of Theatre by the Bay in Barrie, Ontario. The company recently pivoted from performing classics to devising new work. Alex is in the process of creating a verbatim play called "The Five Points" about downtown Barrie created from more than one hundred interviews with local people over the course of the last six months. This show will be presented in July 2017 at the Mady Centre for the Performing Arts. 2016 will be Alex’s eleventh season with the company. For Theatre by the Bay, he has directed productions of Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and Nine Mile Portage. He previously acted in The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like it and was part of the original young company production of Treasure Island in 2002. Alex is also a member of Single Thread Theatre Company, a company which creates site-specific theatre all over Canada. Alex has studied at Ecole Philipe Gaulier, George Brown Theatre School and Queen’s University. @alexdaulth

Rosamund is a playwright best known for her works Vitals (Dora Awards Outstanding New Play/Outstanding Production) and this season’s TomorrowLove™, both produced by Outside the March. She has written traditional fiction, immersive/site-specific, verbatim, and many forms in between. She also collaborates regularly with choreographer Robert Binet on multidisciplinary and dance works (Orpheus Becomes Eurydice with the Banf Centre and The National Ballet, and Terra Incognita with Wild Space Ballet). This January, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts premiered Rosmund’s large-scale, one hundred character immersive experience Maven Academy, a piece created for a cast of 100 teenage performers. Rosamund is a member of the Soulpepper Academy. @smallrosamund Vitals on indigo.ca: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/vitals/9781927922248-item.htm Vitals on Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Vitals-Rosamund-Small/dp/1927922240/ Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://fac

Siobhan Richardson returns to Stageworthy to talk about intimacy for the stage and Intimacy Directors International.Siobhan is an actor/fighter/singer/dancer, currently based in Toronto, but originally from Kitchener-Waterloo, and trained at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria. Tours and travelling are one of the perks of the job! Acting credits include Lucy Debrie (And Then The Lights Went Out, Stage West Calgary), Mo (Mo and Jess Kill Susie, Harley Dog Productions), Lady Capulet (Romeo and (her) Juliet Headstrong Collective/Urban Bard), Solange (The Maids, Whirligig Productions), the twins Jessica and Julia (The Last Resort, Stirling Festival Theatre), and the world premiere productions of The Madness of the Square (Cahoots Theatre Projects) and The Forbidden Phoenix (Citadel Theatre and LKTYP).www.SiobhanRichardson.com demo reel: www.tinyurl.com/SRreel twitter: @fighteractress Instagram: @fighteractress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiobhanRichardsonActresswww.imdb.me/siobhanrichardson

The Storefront Theatre and the Spadina Avenue Gang, present the world premiere production of Tough Jews, by internationally celebrated writer Michael Ross Albert and directed by Storefront founder and Co-Artistic Director Benjamin Blais draws frightening historical parallels between a forgotten chapter of Toronto’s history and the city’s current emerging climate of intolerance. Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and one of the largest riots in Canadian history, Tough Jews is the story of an immigrant family of would-be criminals, and their struggle to rise above their station in a violent, intolerant cityhttp://thestorefronttheatre.com/ Twitter: @storefrontto Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheStorefrontTheatreStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Alec Toller is a playwright, actor, director, and Artistic Director of Circle Snake Productions. Circlesnake Productions uses collaborative creation to produce new work with a cinematic approach to storytelling. Circlesnake uses genres that are rarely put on stage to explore new approaches to theatre. Circlesnake grounds heightened theatricality through the understated realism of filmic performance. Circlesnake explores the intersection between theatre and film to find powerful new stories.Circlesnake presents Slip, March 23 - April 2, at the Tarragon Workspace.Slip follows Detective Lynne Barrett as she tries to piece together a mysterious death: a woman is found dead on the floor of an abandoned apartment with debris strewn everywhere, and a symbol carved into her arm. Her attempts to uncover the truth are disrupted by the overwhelming complexity of the case, and Lynne must untangle a mystery that escapes the simplicity of a single story. A play about crime, memory, and storytelling.Slip is nominated for 3

Rob Kempson is a theatre artist and educator. A graduate of queen’s university, rob works as a playwright, director, and performer. Writer/director: Mockingbird (Next Stage Theatre Festival); Shannon 10:40 (Timeshare); explicit (Rhubarb Festival); #legacy (Harbourfront Centre); in my own skin (YRDSB); the HV project (Community); intersections (TDSB Arts co-op). Director: Violet’s the pilot, Rose’s Clothes (Thousand Islands Playhouse); Songs for a New World (Claude Watson). As a performer, he was most recently seen starring in his Dora-nominated musical The Way Back to Thursday (Theatre Passe Muraille). He was a member of the 2014 Stratford Festival Playwrights’ Retreat, and is currently a resident artist educator at Young People’s Theatre and the Associate Artistic Director at the Thousand Islands Playhouse.http://www.robkempson.com Twitter: @rob_kempsonTrigonometryGabriella wants action. Jackson wants a scholarship. Susan wants a family. In this new play by Rob Kempson, three disparate people find themselves

Victoria Velenosi is a storyteller and tells stories to anyone who will listen. She is half of the partnership that runs Brick and Mortar, home of The Attic, The Box and The Commons. At any given time, she can be found either on stage, behind a computer, or under a pile of cats. Most impressive credits include a list of shows you’ve probably never heard of. ☺Vikki is a graduate of the University of Windsor Acting Program and Straeon Acting Studios. Vikki believes that every artist has an important voice and, with the right stage, they can change the world. #DREAMBIGGERABOUT Brick and Mortar: Brick and Mortar started independently as The Box and The Attic by Vikki Velenosi and Kasey Dunn. They came together in 2016 to form Brick and Mortar and open a third space, The Commons. Each of their studios is unique and yet they share a common principle: The belief that artists deserve clean, beautiful space to work in.Each space is well-located, non-traditional, artist run, bright, open, and alive with history and cha

Rosemary Doyle is the founding Artistic Director of the Red Sandcastle Theatre and the Wilde Festival Foundation for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario Canada. An actor, since the tender age of 8 years, she prefers to think of herself as a Theatre Person, because she acts, directs, writes plays,sings, hangs lights and builds sets or costumes on regular basis. She is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC and is the mother of two teenaged boys.http://redsandcastletheatre.com/@rosemaryedoyleStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

D.J. Sylvis has been involved in theatre for over 25 years as an actor, director, technician, playwright, and producer. He is a founding member and playwright-in-residence of Monkeyman Productions, Toronto’s geekiest theatre company. D.J. is inspired by monkeys, robots, cats, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Bigfoot, that theme song from The Greatest American Hero, Arthur Kopit, 80s-era Justice League comics, various dystopias from his childhood(including Bible School), Lego spacemen, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (just the hosting segments), potato chips, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, yellowed sci-fi paperbacks, friends, enemies, strangers in the night… and all things strange and wonderful in this world.http://www.djsylvis.com/@deejsylvisStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod