Touchstone Theatre

Production Manager and Lighting Designer, True Love Lies

Adrian is a Vancouver based lighting designer who’s previous credits for Touchstone include Demon Voice, Herr Beckman’s People, The Dissemblers, Unity 1918 and Grace (selected). Other local and national credits include work for Bard on the Beach, The Electric Company, Vancouver Opera, Ballet BC, The Vancouver Playhouse, Pacific Opera Victoria, Theatre Calgary, Citadel Theatre (Edmonton), Canadian Stage Company (Toronto), and the Charlottetown Festival among many others. Adrian has been the recipient of four Jessie Richardson awards for his work as a lighting designer and is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.

Music and Lyrics, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Originally from Nova Scotia, Allen Cole has worked variously as composer, lyricist, book writer and/or musical director on musical theatre works such as The Wrong Son (co-produced by the NAC and Arraymusic), Hush (Theatre Passe-Muraille), The Crimson Veil (directed for the Caravan Farm Theatre by Peter Hinton), and Anything That Moves (Tarragon Theatre, co-created with Ann-Marie MacDonald and Alisa Palmer). His musical Pélagie (co-created with Vincent de Tourdonnet) was first co-produced by the NAC and the Canadian Stage Company in 2004, and toured the Maritimes both in English and en français for Two Planks and a Passion in 2005. With librettist Maristella Roca, he composed an opera, How It Storms, for the Evergreen Club, a Toronto based gamelan orchestra. Allen has also composed music for the Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival and Soulpepper. Allen has won numerous awards, including four Doras, a Merritt Award and a Best Film Score Award from the Atlantic Film Festival. His latest musical, Rockbound, recently played to great acclaim in Canning and Chester, Nova Scotia. 

Julia, Goodness

Amy Rutherford is a graduate of The National Theatre School of Canada and studied at the Stratford Festival of Canada’s Conservatory Programme. She most recently performed in The Odd Couple and As You Like It for Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company. Other theatre roles include: Viola (Twelfth Night), Nina (The Seagull), Elvira (Blithe Spirit), Jenny (The Shape of Things), and Alison in Daniel MacIvor’s You Are Here. She was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 2004 for her work in the musical Tequila Vampire Matinee. TV roles include: Murdoch Mysteries (Bravo), Angela’s Eyes (NBC/Lifetime), Naked Josh (Showcase), Four Minutes (ESPN), Confessions of an American Bride (Lifetime). Amy is currently developing her own television series with creative partner Amy Stewart called The Amy and Amy Show.

Composer, Love Songs

Born in 1968 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She studied composition with Dusan Radic at the University of Novi Sad and with Zoran Eric at the University  of Belgrade before completing a Master’s degree at the Université de Montréal under José Evangelista. Her catalogue includes orchestral and piano works and several chamber music compositions. She has also written numerous scores for the theatre. Between 1995 and 1998, Ana Sokolovic received awards from the SOCAN Young Composers’ Competition for Ambient V for two violins, Secret de polichinelle for four instruments, and Pesma for mezzo-soprano and seven instruments. In 1999, she was awarded the First Prize at the CBC National Young Composers’ Competition for her work Géométrie sentimentale in the chamber music category, as well as the Grand Prize (all categories). Sokolovic has received commissions from the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec, the Brune dance company, the Quatuor Molinari, the Esprit Orchestra, the Orchestre baroque de Montréal, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Queen of Puddings Music Theatre Co., the Pentaèdre wind quintet and pianist Marc Couroux, and she has been the recipient of several grants from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts. In 1996, she was the Quebec Delegate at the Unesco International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. 

David, True Love Lies

Currently Andrew is teaching at VFS, Leap Studios and Studio 3. He is Preparing to direct two Canadian premieres of Michele Riml's new plays- On The Edge and Into The Wild. He is honored to be in this production of True Love Lies directed by the brilliant Ms. Dunn and surrounded by an amazing cast.

Royce, True Love Lies

Anton Lipovetsky is from Vancouver, BC. He is the creator of FLOP!, a one-man musical he performed at the 2011 Edmonton Fringe, and a co-writer of The Park (Studio 58), which received two productions last year and an Ovation Award for Outstanding New Work. Favourite acting credits include: Charrington in 1984 (Virtual Stage/Studio 58), Antipholus of Syracuse in Comedy Of Errors (Studio 58) and Mark Cohen in Rent (Fighting Chance). Delighted to make his professional debut, he wishes to thank Katrina and Touchstone Theatre for the fantastic opportunities they’ve granted him this year. Anton is a graduate of Studio 58.

Lighting Designer, Love Songs

Bonnie has designed lights for over 200 productions across Canada and internationally for theatre, opera and dance. Canadian companies include Canadian Opera, Opera Atelier, Opera Lyra, National Ballet, Canadian Stage, N.A.C., Ballet B.C., Tarragon, Soulpepper, Stratford and Shaw. International companies include New Zealand Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Mannheim Opera, and over 12 new productions for the Kevin O'Day Ballett - Mannheim, Germany. Bonnie has received 11 Dora nominations and two Dora awards. She lives in Toronto with her husband Glenn Davidson and sons Jacob and Oliver.

Director, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Bradley is delighted to be directing Hard Core Logo: Live in Kamloops for the PUSH festival and Touchstone Theatre. Bradley is honoured to be working with such a great team. Originally from Montreal he is a graduate of Bishop’s University. After graduation he moved to Vancouver where he acted in theatre and film and founded the theatre company Big Tree Productions. Bradley then completed his MFA in Directing at the University of Alberta and then joined Theatre Network to create and produce the multidisciplinary emerging artist festival – Nextfest. Bradley was appointed Artistic Director of Theatre Network in 2000. Recent directing credits include: Thunderstick; Poster Boys; Buddy; Without You; Alias Godot; Misery; A Beautiful View; Closer and Closer Apart; Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad; the Sterling award-winning play Summer of My Amazing Luck; True West; Girl in a Goldfish Bowl; The Leisure Society; Hosanna; Marion Bridge; A Skull in Connemara; The Sterling award-winning glam rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, Lawrence & Holloman, and High Life.

Period Dance Instructor, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

A consultant in historical movement and a choreographer for theatre, film and opera, Catherine’s recent contracts include School For Scandal (Arts Club), Cherry Orchard (UBC Theatre), Mary Stuart (Blackbird Theatre), Eugene Onegin (UBC Opera), the new music opera Kanon (U of Manitoba Opera), and the play Boi e Buro, (Sao Paulo, Brazil). As Historical Performance Ensemble’s AD, Catherine has written and reconstructed musical plays, and produced, directed and performed in these and some 240 other highly researched historical music/dance/song events in public, school and corporate environments. Since 1979 Catherine has taught in professional theatre training programmes (Studio 58, TooBa Physical Theatre Centre, UBC and SFU drama departments). She has led historical dance workshops across Canada and in Nicaragua and Brazil. She creates, performs and produces contemporary Vocal Body works with True North Performance. With internationally acclaimed women's choir, Elektra, Catherine performs, records and tours extensively, including to Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. Holding Honours degrees in Dance (York) and Drama/English (Queen’s) and with extensive studies in singing technique, she continues to expand her knowledge of 15th to 20th century performance practice through personal research and with the world’s leading historical dance and singing experts. 

Wig Design, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Christine Hackman first got her hands on peoples' heads in 1997 and has been wigging away ever since. Starting Hackman's Head Office in 2004 on a wig and a prayer, she has touched some of Vancouver's finest (from the neck up), and considers her company to be "bi-coastal" since branching out to Victoria. She has worked extensively for Bard on the Beach, Arts Club Theatre, Carousel Theatre, Electric Company, Pacific Opera Victoria, various private clients, and MastersFX. She is especially thrilled to be wigging her first Touchstone show, and to indulge her love of big hair. Christine is a graduate of Studio 58.

John Oxenberger, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Clinton Carew is an award winning artist who works in and across the fields of theatre, music and media arts. Combining his background as an actor, a writer’s ear, and a technician’s sense of innovation, Clinton’s work is marked by daring and wit with a sensitivity to emotional truth. This means he is as comfortable in front of the curtain as he is behind the scenes-- sometimes at the same time. Recent projects include director and editor of a video for The James Murdoch Band (nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award), director and editor of two no-budget music videos for Christian Hansen and the Autistics, principal actor in the feature film The Pharmacist, director, lighting and sound designer for George Szilagyi's Sterling Award Winning Production of Hockey Stories for Boys and his directing projects at the University of Alberta: Stone Cold Dead Serious by Adam Rapp, Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, Romeo Romiette by Trina Davies, and Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. He is thrilled to be acting in his second play for November Theatre, where he is an Artistic Associate.
 

Set Designer, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Cory is an accomplished set, costume and lighting designer originally from Ontario. Cory recently graduated with an MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta. Cory previously attended Carleton University, where he obtained a degree in Architecture. He has also studied design at Ryerson Theatre School. Cory has designed sets, costumes and lighting for many productions throughout Ontario, Alberta and the recently Vancouver. He has also toured through Europe with a Co-designed production of Bashir Lazhar. Recent Theatre Design Credits include The Woman in Black (Lighting-Sterling Nomination) and Mump and Smoot: Cracked for Theatre Network; Grumplestock's for Surreal Soreal Theatre, Ribbon for Ground Zero; The Good Woman of Setzuan for Studio Theatre (Thesis Production Design).
 

Playwright, Almighty Voice and His Wife

Daniel is a Delaware from the Six Nations lands on the Grand River. He holds an Honours B.A. in General Fine Arts from York U and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from U.B.C and teaches playwrighting in the Department of Drama at Queen’s University in Kingston. His plays include Coyote City, a nominee for the 1991 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, The Indian Medicine Shows, a winner of the James Buller Memorial Award for Excellence in Aboriginal Theatre and The Dreaming Beauty, First Prize Winner in the One Act Category of the 1990 Theatre Canada National Playwrighting Competition. He is also the author of Delicate Bodies and Sixteen Jesuses, poems, and co-editor of the Oxford University Press book. An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in English, 3rd Edition, 2005. His most recent publications are Pursued by a Bear, Talks, Monologues and Tales (2005) and Kyotopolis (2008), both from Exile Editions. A new edition of Almighty Voice and His Wife will appear from Playwrights Canada Press in August.
 

Lighting Design & Production Manager, Almight Voice and his Wife

David is a designer, technician, manager various, and one of the Co-Artistic Directors of Theatre Jones Roy. Last season, David created lighting designs for Macbeth Reflected (Theatre Jones Roy), Future Folk (Sulong Collective/Theatre Passe Muraille), Letters to my Grandma (Theatre Jones Roy/Theatre Passe Muraille), and was the tour manager and designer for Theatre Jones Roy’s tours of Pyaasa and Letters to my Grandma to Victoria, Ottawa, London and Vancouver. He was also Production Coordinator for Canadian Stage’s Festival of Ideas and Creation. David is Coordinator of the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace.
 

Set Designer, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

David has gotten off to busy start this season with designs for the Electric Company/Arts Club production of Tear the Curtain, Don Quixote for the Arts Club and the Vancouver Playhouse production of The Fantasticks. David is the recipient of a number of Jessie awards and most recently a nomination for Touchstone's Demon Voice. David is a graduate of Emily Carr University and he earned an MA in Scenography in 2002 at London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and DAMU, Prague. David is a member of ADC and is most passionate about the role of the designer as a key player in authoring work.

Almighty Voice and his wife

Derek is currently living in Chicago and is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of Mortar Theatre Company. He has worked both internationally and regionally. Derek was most recently seen in Mortar Theatre’s Inaugural production of Inherit the Whole in the role of Doug, which was a World Premiere play written by Dana Lynn Formby. Derek has worked regionally with Pennsylvania Centre Stage, Next Stage, Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre, and Montana Shakespeare Company. He graduated with his MFA in Acting from Penn State University and graduated with his undergraduate degree from Adams State College. He is originally from Denver, CO, but mostly grew up on the Reservation in Southern Oklahoma and is an enrolled Tribal Member of the Wichita Nation.
 

Music Director, Love Songs

A native Gaelic speaker, Dáirine Ní Mheadhra began her professional career at the age of seventeen as a cellist with the Irish National Symphony Orchestra. In the same year, she was offered a full scholarship to London’s Royal College of Music, but she remained with the orchestra. In subsequent years Dáirine developed an interest in both conducting and contemporary music. In 1990 she founded the new music ensemble Nua Nós. This ensemble comprised the principal chairs of the Irish National Symphony Orchestra and rapidly established itself as the leading exponent of contemporary music in Ireland. Nua Nós was awarded an AIB Better Ireland Arts Award and their CD of chamber works by Irish composer Gerald Barry was nominated as best CD worldwide of music by a living composer for 1995. In the same year Dáirine immigrated to Canada to join her new Canadian husband John Hess. They founded Queen of Puddings Music Theatre and under her inspired direction as resident Artistic Director, Queen of Puddings has emerged as a bold and provocative leader of contemporary opera in Canada.
 

D'Aubray, Gaoler, Desgrais, Executioner, Chorus, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Donald Adams has been a professional actor since the age of 18. He is now 53. You do the math. He has appeared with the majority of major theatres in Canada. (Still working on Neptune and Shaw.) Favourite jobs include The Second City (London and Toronto) 1983-1984, Stratford Festival 1985-1987, Touchstone Theatre 1999-present, and some odd little shows like The Oresteia (Agamemnon) directed by Torquil Campbell, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (Electric Company 2001- Jessie award), and, last but not least, running The Shakespeare Centre, 2004-present, which provides Shakespeare training to Vancouver's professional actors. Most recently Donald produced, directed and played Macbeth for the school's showcase/fundraiser. In his spare time, Donald appears in movies and TV (see http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0010920/) and writes and records his own songs. (see http://www.myspace.com/dogadams and http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/DG-Adams). He is thrilled to be in another musical!

Set and Costume Designer, True Love Lies

Drew is a three time Jessie Award winning designer and seven time nominee. Recently Drew designed the sets and costumes for Hansel & Gretel (Vancouver Opera in Schools), and the sets for Steel Magnolias (Chemainus), 1984 (Virtual Stage), Much Ado About Nothing and Antony & Cleopatra (Bard on the Beach), Brighton Beach Memoirs and Annie (Gateway). Since graduating from Studio 58 four years ago, he’s designed over 60 shows. He also trained as a visual artist at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Concordia University and apprenticed privately in Montreal as a glass sculptor.

Technical Director, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Elisha Burrows grew up in a theatre family and has lived in Vancouver, Toronto, and on Hornby Island. Since graduating from Simon Fraser in 1997, he has worked as a theatre and film technician, DOP and director on various documentary films and as a content producer on various multimedia projects. Over the last five years he has worked as a technical director in theatre. Company credits include Leaky Heaven Circus, Ruby Slippers Theatre, and Pi Theatre. This will be Elisha's third show as technical director with Touchstone. Congratulations to all those who had a hand in creating this show.

Costume Design, Mimi(or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh is glad to be returning to work on another production with Touchstone Theatre. She has spent the past four years as a costume designer in the film industry working on several television films and a couple of features. She graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2002 with a BFA in Technical Theatre and Design (Major in Costumes) and has a diploma in fashion design. Some of her previous work includes Prodigal Son, The Trigger, League of Nathans and Palace of the End for Touchstone Theatre, Tideline, a co-production of Touchstone and neworldtheatre, and Kiss The Moon, Kiss The Sun for Western Canada Theatre. Farnaz looks forward to keeping her roots alive by working on one or two theatre shows a year and continuing on expanding her experience in the film industry.

Lighting Designer, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Gillian is thrilled to be returning to Vancouver to light Mimi. Recent lighting designs include Toyer (Lyric East), Lands and People (Brooklyn Arts Exchange), I Was Barbie (Summerworks), the Toronto premiere of Soulless (Factory Studio Theatre) as well as three seasons with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as an Assistant Lighting Designer. In Vancouver, Gillian most recently lit Jesus, My Boy and Driving Miss Daisy (Pacific Theatre), and The Unexpected Man for which she received a Jessie nomination. Gillian is currently working towards her MFA in Lighting Design from NYU (Tisch) and will return to New York this winter to light Noel Coward’s Design for Living and assist on Tennessee Williams’ Orpheus Descending. Her online portfolio can be viewed at www.gillianwolpert.com

Kane, True Love Lies

Greg is excited to be working at Touchstone again after last year’s successful run of Mimi at the Shadbolt & the Firehall. Favourite roles:Hunter, [title of show] (Jessie nomination for Best Ensemble, HomeShark Equity Co-op); Hedwig, Hedwig & the Angry Inch (Hoarse Raven); Malcolm, The Full Monty (Patrick Street & Persephone); Bilbo (cover), Lord of the Rings (Mirvish); Mr Mayor, Seussical (Carousel); Lita Encore, Ruthless! (Ophidian); Sparky, Plaid Tidings (The Centre/Stuart Ross); Le Beau, As You Like It (Bard on the Beach).Greg is still gob-smacked that he will be playing Albin in La Cage aux Folles at the Vancouver Playhouse this December.

Set & Costume Design, Almighty Voice and His Wife

Jackie Chau has worked as a set and costume designer in Montreal, Chicago and Toronto, and her work has toured internationally. She has taught set and costume design in the US, and studied theatre design at Concordia (Montreal) and Northwestern (Chicago). Selected Toronto design credits include: Sexy Laundry (Theatre Aquarius), Annie Mae’s Movement, The Place Between, Salt Baby, Giiwedin (NEPA), Antigone Insurgency, Someone Is Going To Come, Talking Masks (One Little Goat), The Taxi Project (PEN Canada), Gas Girls (New Harlem Productions), The Making Of St. Jerome (eastBOUND Theatre), Pu-Erh (Know Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (TD Dream in High Park/Can Stage). Film and TV: Inside (Rabid Pictures), The Ache (Feature-Wondrous Light), CBC Kids-Get Set For Life Tour (CBC Television), The Feud (Pilot-Frantic Films/CBC). Jackie was named in NOW magazine's Top 10 Theatre Artists of 2009 and has received 3 Dora nominations for outstanding set design.

Projections Designer, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Jamie designs across Canada. His resume includes: The Canadian Stage Theatre company, the NAC, The Vancouver Playhouse, Theatre Calgary, Bard on the Beach, The Arts Club, Gateway Theatre, The Electric Company, Pi Theatre, The Belfry, The Actors Repertory Company, The Yukon Arts Centre, and many more. A graduate of Studio 58, he is the recipient of 7 Jessie Richardson Award Nominations, 1 Jessie Richardson Award, the 2008 Mayor Arts award, the 2007 Sam Payne award, and the 2006 Earl Klien Memorial Scholarship. www.jamienesbitt.ca.

Stephen, Goodness

Mr. Nicholsen’s theatre credits include: Drayton Entertainment (The Ballad of Stompin' Tom, Country Legends); Tarragon Theatre (Moliere); Festival of Classics (A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet). Film and TV include: The Shape of Rex; Blizzard; Roughing It; Murdoch Mysteries; Flashpoint; Against The Wall; Falling Skies. 

Mimi, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Jennifer is delighted to be making her debut with Touchstone Theatre after spending her summer playing Cleopatra and Beatrice at Bard on the Beach. Her stage credits include Beyond Eden, The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, A Little Night Music, and Hello Dolly (Vancouver Playhouse); It’s a Wonderful Life, The Real Thing, Here on the Flight Path, Sylvia (Arts Club); The Triumph of Love (Blackbird Theatre); The Real Thing (The Belfry Theatre and Manitoba Theatre Centre); Company (Skycorner Productions); Number 14 (Axis Theatre); twelve seasons with Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival including Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra, Othello, The Tempest, Titus Andronicus, The Winter’s Tale, Troilus and Cressida, Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice, Two Gentlemen of Verona. A Jessie Richardson award winner, Jennifer received her BFA in Acting from the University of Victoria.

Composer/Musical Director, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Joe “Shithead” Keithley is best known as leader of Canada’s most influential punk bank D.O.A. and as the Canadian godfather of punk. He has influenced everyone from Green Day and Sonic Youth to The Offspring and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and recently authored his first book, I Shithead, a life in punk.

Carolyn, True Love Lies

Katharine is delighted to be back at Touchstone. Most recently, Katharine was seen as Rivkeh in Pacific Theater’s Canadian premiere production of My Name is Asher Lev and will be playing Cunningham in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Cultch later this season. Some favorite past roles include: At Pacific Theatre - Folly in Holy Mo, the title roles in St. Joan (Jessie nomination for Best Actress) and Agnes of God, Joy in  Shadowlands (Jessie nomination), Lindsay in Sister Calling My Name. At Touchstone - Donna in How It Works, Sara in Demon Voice; At Pound of Flesh Theatre - Cunningham in the reading of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot; At Chemainus Theatre - Milli in Queen Milli of Galt; At Theatre Calgary - Nellie in Summer and Smoke, Belle in A Christmas Carol, Katerina in Amadeus; At Theatre Junction - Prudence in Beyond Therapy, Helena in Look Back in Anger; Katharine started her professional career at the Citadel Theatre in Robin Phillips’ young company in the productions of The Crucible and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Katharine holds a B.F.A. from the University of Calgary and M.A. from the University of British Columbia.

Director, True Love Lies

Katrina Dunn is a Vancouver-based Director, Artistic Director and Producer. She has been the Artistic Director of Touchstone Theatre since 1997, overseeing that company's all-Canadian mandate, and working with many of Canadian Theatre’s most important players. In 2003 she co-founded, with Norman Armour, the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival; an annual city-wide performance festival which has quickly become one of the city’s most important cultural events. Her many freelance directing credits include work for the Arts Club Theatre Company, Bard on the Beach, and Studio 58. She has been nominated six times for Jessie Awards in Outstanding Direction, and won twice – once for her work on Michael Healey's Kicked, and once for her co-direction of Judith Thompson’s Palace of the End.

Madison, True Love Lies

A Studio 58 grad, Lara's thrilled to return to Touchstone where she last played 'Star' in Hippies and Bolsheviks (Jessie nomination). Select theatre credits: 'Beth'- A Lie of the Mind (Main Street Theatre, Jessie nomination), 'Flora'- Studies in Motion (Electric Company), 'Rosalind'- As You Like It (Bard on the Beach), 'Lady Caroline'- Enchanted April (Arts Club), 'Anna'- The Wedding Pool (SKAM, Jessie nomination). Select screen credits: recurring and guest starring roles on Battlestar Galactica, Defying Gravity, Exes and Oh's, Supernatural, Sanctuary. Upcoming, Lara will be seen at the Vancouver International Film Festival in Motion 58's short, Wait for Rain, and as 'Ophelia' in Bruce Ramsay's feature adaptation of Hamlet.

Mathias Todd, Goodness

Layne Coleman spent last year teaching acting at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. He has been in living in Saskatoon co-writing, co-directing, and co-producing a feature film entitled, The Shape of Rex, which is now in post-production. 
 

Older Althea, Goodness

Ms Franck’s theatre credits include Necessary Angel/Luminato (Tout Comme Elle); Seventh Stage Theatre (9 Parts of Desire), Factory Theatre (El Paso; Consecrated Ground); Harbourfront Centre Theatre (The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God); Leah Polsuns Theatre (Sweet Mama Stringbean); Bluma Appel Theatre (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), and Swan Song of Maria. Film and TV include: Spenser For Hire; Blue Murder; Cagney and Lacey; Short Circuit 2.

Francoise, Madame de Carpentier, Mother, Chorus, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Linda Quibell is co-Artistic Director (with David Bloom) of Felix Culpa. She has appeared most recently with Wild Excursions (The Boy Who Went Outside), the Playhouse (Top Girls), University of Alberta (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Patrick Street Productions (Into the Woods), Pi Theatre (8th Land), Bard on the Beach (Timon of Athens, Julius Caesar). For Felix Culpa, she has performed many shows over the years, including Revenge, Und, Salman Rushdie and Me…a love story, The Compleat Works of Love and most recently, Donald and Lenore.

Director/Choreographer, Love Songs

Marie-Josée Chartier’s career as a choreographer, dancer, director, vocalist and teacher extends through the worlds of dance, contemporary music, opera and multimedia. In 2003, she founded Chartier Danse. As Artistic Director, Chartier brings artists of diverse disciplines together from the beginning of the creation to allow the development of layered and integrated work. Her choreographic oeuvre is largely inspired by visual art and contemporary music and she has collaborated with some of Canada’s finest artists. Her repertoire has been presented in Canada, Europe and Latin America as well as being broadcasted on major television networks. She has received numerous grants and awards notably the K.M. Hunter Award for Dance, Dora Mavor Moore Awards in 2002 and 2005, as well as nine Dora nominations in Choreography, Performance and Production. Upcoming: premiere of Stria a solo work for Chartier, co-creation with PPS Danse of Contes pour enfants pas sages premiering at the Festival Coups de Théâtre in Montréal, performing the music of Aperghis for the X Avant Festival, and the ongoing touring of Love Songs (Queen of Puddings Music Theatre), Constantinople (Gryphon Trio) and several productions of l’Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal.

Stage Manager, True Love Lies

A Graduate of UBC Theatre’s Production & Design Program, Marijka freelances in stage management and artist logistics around Vancouver. Recent stage management credits include Mimi, or A Poisoner’s Comedy (Touchstone Theatre), Cendrillon (UBC Opera), The Nutcracker (Royal City Youth Ballet), and The Return of Futuristi (BellaLuna/UBC Theatre). 

Book and Lyrics, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Mimi was Melody’s debut as a co-creator at Tarragon. Previous writings may be read in Tarragon’s Snappy Shorts, as well as numerous sketches at the Toronto Second City mainstage. Melody is currently working on a one person play entitled Miss Caledonia. As an actor she has performed from Brantford to Singapore. Tarragon credits include: her Dora Award-winning performance in Little Mercy’s First Murder (co-production with the Shaw Festival), the original production of Jason Sherman’s It’s All True, and Well. Additional acting credits include: Factory Theatre (Trout Stanley); Two Planks and a Passion Theatre (Our Town); LKTYP (I Think I Can); Soulpepper (Blithe Spirit); Canadian Stage Company (Habeus Corpus); Necessary Angel (The Seven Lears, The Europeans, Swollen Tongues, The Piper); Stratford Festival (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie). As a Second City alumna, Melody has directed the National Touring Company for two years and just recently directed their much lauded mainstage revue 0% Down. Other comedic turns include An Awkward Evening with Martin & Johnson with co-creator Bob Martin.

 Directo, Almighty Voice and His Wife

Michael is an actor, choreographer, director and educator. Recent choreography includes The Threshing Floor created with Santee Smith, Untitled # 1535 for the Dusk Dances Festival, Triptych a short film which premiered on Bravo Television in 2007, Kent Monkman’s 5 channel video installation, Dance to the Berdashe, Pimooteewin (The Journey) the first Cree opera with music by Melissa Hui and libretto by Tomson Highway, and Almighty Voice and his Wife for Native Earth Performing Arts. Michael is currently co-chair of the Aboriginal Council at York University, where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre.
 

Writer, Goodness

Michael Redhill was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1966, but has lived in Toronto most of his life. Educated in the United States and Canada, he took seven years to complete a three-year BA in acting, film, and finally, English. Since 1988, he has published five collections of poetry, had eight plays of varying lengths performed, and been a cultural critic and essayist. He has worked as an editor, a ghost-writer, an anthologist, a scriptwriter for film and television, and in leaner times, as a waiter, a house-painter, and a bookseller. Currently, he is the publisher and one of the editors of Brick, a journal of things literary. His most recent books are Fidelity, a collection of short fiction, from Doubleday Canada, Martin Sloane, a novel from Doubleday Canada (nominated for the Giller Prize, 2001, The Trillium Prize, 2001, The Torgi Award, 2002, The City of Toronto Book Awards, 2002, The Books in Canada/Amazon.com Best First Novel Prize 2002, and winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, Canada/Caribbean 2001), Light-crossing, a collection of poetry from Toronto’s House of Anansi Press, and Building Jerusalem, a play, from Playwrights’ Union Press, (winner of the 2001 Dora Prize for Best New Play, recipient of a Chalmers Award for Playwriting 2001, and nominated for a Governor General’s Award 2001). Goodness, since its premiere at Tarragon in 2005, has played in New York City; Girona, Spain; and Edinburgh, Scotland, where it won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award and a Fringe First. Upcoming productions include theatres in Helsinki, Barcelona, and California. His most recent novel, Consolation, won the City of Toronto Book Award, and was long-listed for the 2007 Man Booker Prize. He is currently living in France.
 

Sound Designer, True Love Lies

Rinaldi is a Vancouver sound designer/actor/writer. Select Design credits include: Becky's New Car, Arts Club Theatre; Beyond Eden, Vancouver Playhouse; Famous Puppet Death Scenes, Old Trout Puppet Workshop; The Dissemblers, Touchstone Theatre; Ali and Ali 7, Neworld Theatre; The Goat... Or Who is Sylvia, Third Street Theatre; The Project, Solo Collective; [Sic], Theatre SKAM; Cozy Catastrophe, Rumble/Theatre Melee. Mike's sound designs have been nominated for and have won awards in Edmonton, Calgary, and Victoria.

Joe Dick, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Michael was born in Regina, trained at the University of Alberta, but he now calls Vancouver home. As Artistic Producer of November Theatre, Michael toured The Black Rider across North America from 1998-2008. He produced and performed in this labour of love, which was the only show to ever win “Best Production” at the Sterling Awards (Edmonton), the Betty Mitchell Awards (Calgary) and the Jessie Awards (Vancouver); while also being nominated for “Best Touring Production” at the Dora Awards (Toronto). Favourite acting credits include: Refugee Hotel (Theatre Passe Muraille), Little Mercy’s First Murder, Life After God (Touchstone Theatre), Tideline (Neworld Theatre/Touchstone), Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, and Romeo & Juliet (Bard on the Beach); Cloud Tectonics (Vancouver Playhouse/Pi Theatre); Twelfth Night and Merchant of Venice (Free Will Players); The Blue Orphan (Catalyst Theatre); The Edible Woman (Theatre Junction); and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Theatre Network). Michael has won the Sterling for “Best Lead Actor” and has been nominated for 3 Jessies for “Best Supporting Actor (Large Theatre)”, a Betty for “Best Performance in a Musical”, an Ovation Award for “Best Lead Performance” and he received the 2004 Equity’s Emerging Artist Award. As a writer Michael wrote Ana for “Hive 3”, “Killing Konundrum” for Caravan Farm Theatre’s Everyone, and the Fringe hit Barbie Screams.

Michael Redhill, Goodness

Paul Braunstein's selected theatre credits include: Birdland Theatre's The Last Day's of Judas Iscariot, Neptune Theatre's The Devils Disciple, for the Tarragon theatre, Kilt (Dora nomination), Midnight Sun, Well, Mimi. Paul has also worked extensively with Video Cabaret in Toronto as well as Cirque du Soleil. His theatre work has taken him to the Belfry Theatre in Victoria, ATP in Calgary and the NAC in Ottawa. Film Credits include Universal Studio's The Thing, Jesus Henry Christ, and Eddie. Television includes Nikita, Murdoch Mysteries, Less Than Kind, Really Me, Saving Hope, Train 48, and Rookie Blue.

White Girl, Almighty Voice and His Wife

hails from Saskatchewan and is a proud half-breed of French, Scandinavian and Métis roots. She loves photography, visiting strange and beautiful places and being fortunate enough to hear great stories along the way. Selected theatrical credits include a reading of Tara Beagan’s Free as Injuns (Native Earth/Canadian Stage), The Red Machine Part I-IV (The Room), Bannock Republic (Persephone Theatre), Salt Baby (Native Earth), Quilchena (Cross Currents), A Very Polite Genocide (Native Earth), Stretching Hide (Theatre Projects Manitoba), Copper Thunderbird (NAC/ English Theatre/ Magnetic North). Paula-Jean is a recipient of the National Arts Centre of Canada’s David Leighton Arts Fellowship Award. PJ is deeply honoured to be a part of Native Earth’s national tour of Daniel David Moses’s Almighty Voice and His Wife. Kitatamihinâwâw.
 

Ste. Croix, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Peter wants to applaud Katrina and Touchstone Theatre for taking on a season of new Canadian musicals; he is thrilled and honoured to be part of such an exciting season. Peter was last seen as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (Western Canada Theatre) and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (Gateway Theatre). Other favourite roles include Harold Hill in The Music Man (RCMT), Piano Man in Dirty Blonde (Arts Club/Belfry), Frankie in Forever Plaid (Gateway/Arts Club), George in She Loves Me (Arts Club), and Posthumous in Cymbeline (Bard on the Beach) directed by Katrina. Lately, Peter has taken to directing such shows as Oklahoma! and Guys and Dolls (Chemainus Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Persephone), The Emperor of Atlantis (City Opera), as well as Into the Woods, The Full Monty, and Bat Boy: the Musical for his own company Patrick Street Productions.

Bucky and Others, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Rachael has worked with Michael Scholar and November theatre for many years now and each experience has been an honour and a privilege. It has afforded her the opportunity to travel and perform across the country and do theatre that leaves her truly inspired. Rachael is so happy to be back with this fantastic company and back amongst dear friends creating once again! Most recent credits include: playing Ali in Quest Theatre's production of the Invisible Girl and Rosalind in As You Like It at the Citadel Theatre.

Assistant Stage Manager, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Recent credits include Twelve Angry Men (Hardline Productions), The Josephine Knot (Theatre Bombus), and Six Mixed (triPOD Dance Collective). Rebecca has also worked with the Belfry Theatre and Kaleidoscope Theatre, as well as Theatre Junction GRAND where she was the Company Manager for their Resident Company of Artists in 2007/2008. She is a graduate of the University of Victoria. Rebecca would like to thank Touchstone Theatre for this opportunity.

Stage Manager, Almighty Voice and His Wife

Richard Cliff is an Ottawa based Stage Manager, Production Manager and Administrator. He is proud to have worked for such diverse organizations as CAPAB Opera, Mainline Theatre, Imago Productions, the AWEsome Festival, Mister Leather Ottawa, the Lumière Festival and the National Arts Centre. Favourite productions include Snowman directed by Peter Hinton for Imago Theatre and Dido and Aeneas (with Actéon) directed by Marshall Pynkoski for Opera Atelier. Richard is also a founding member of The Wundertakers, a group of Ottawa based professional theatre artists dedicated to the production of live magic events. Look for their show Come Into Our Parlour in Ottawa in April, 2011.

Sound Designer, Almighty Voice and His Wife

Richard is a sound designer, actor, fight director and producer. Credits include China Doll (Nightwood Theatre), Late & Black Medea (Obsidian Theatre Company), Bear With Me (Nightwood Theatre), The Unnatural and Accidental Women, Salt Baby (Native Earth Performing Arts) as a sound designer and Banana Boys (fu-GEN Asian-Canadian Theatre Company), Little Dragon (K’now Theatre) and The Forbidden Phoenix (Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People), and Peter Pan and King of Thieves (Stratford Festival) as a performer. He accomplishments in these productions have garnered him multiple Dora Mavor Moore nominations. He was supposed to be an accountant, but instead used his knowledge of accounting to help in running his company fu-GEN, which is dedicated to the development of Asian-Canadian Theatre Artists.

Book and Lyrics, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Rick Roberts is a playwright, actor, and director. As an actor, he has recently appeared at the Tarragon Theatre in Molière, John and Beatrice, and Rune Arlidge. Other credits include Hotel Loopy and The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine (Theatre Columbus; Dora nominations for both); Fire (Canadian Stage; Dora nomination), Brutus in Julius Caesar (Citadel Theatre) and at Stratford as Zastrozzi. Film and television acting credits include: Traders, L.A. Doctors, An American in Canada, This is Wonderland, Passage, Jonestown: Paradise Lost, Pontypool and Z.O.S. He wrote and directed Fish/Wife, which was named one of the top ten plays of 2002 by the Globe and Mail, and Kite in 2004 for which he was nominated for two Dora awards for directing and writing. His play (nod) (Theatre Gargantua) was nominated for a Dora Award for best production in 2003. He also contributed pieces to The Gladstone Variations (Dora nomination) and Autoshow for Convergence Theatre. He directed an acclaimed production of 4:48 Psychosis for Summerworks. Rick is a graduate of the National Theatre School. Rick lives in Toronto with his wife, Marjorie, and his two sons, Ben and Isaac. 

Director, Goodness

Ross Manson is an actor, director, and translator, and the founding Artistic Director of Volcano. He is the winner of a KM Hunter Award (for theatre), has been nominated for Dora awards as both an actor and director (winning in the latter category), and has been nominated for The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre. He trained in England at the University of London (MA in Theatre, specialty in Directing), in Germany (Directing apprenticeship, Stadttheater Freiburg), and in Canada (Banff School of Fine Arts). He also holds a pre-medical Biology degree with Distinction from Mount Allison University.

Selected productions directed for Volcano include: Another Africa, The Four Horsemen Project, created and directed with Kate Alton (Dora awards for Outstanding Play, Production, Direction, and Lighting); The Arabian Night (Roland Schimmelpfennig) at the SummerWorks Festival (Audience Choice Award, Best Production, highest attendance in 14 year history of festival); Variété at the Gladstone Hotel (1 Dora award, 5 nominations); Two Words for Snow (Richard Sanger) at Artword Theatre (3 Dora awards, 6 nominations, Governor General’s Award nomination); Weather (Rebecca Hope Terry) at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Factory Theatre, Toronto, and tour of England; Mortality (Carol Shields, Tomson Highway, Paul Quarrington, Stephen Dobyns) at the Theatre Centre, Toronto; Lambton Kent (André Alexis) at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh; Nerd, co-created with Kate Alton for Overall Dance; Building Jerusalem, by Michael Redhill, (Dora awards for Outstanding Play and Production, Chalmers New Canadian Play Award, Governor General’s Award nomination). Ross has also directed for the Blyth Festival and CanStage. Upcoming work includes directing for the Svenska Teatern in Helsinki, and Theatre du Pif in Hong Kong, plus tours of work to Berlin and Dublin.

As an actor, Ross has appeared in film, television, radio, and in leading roles at over 20 theatres across Canada. He has worked for such directors as Ireland’s Joe Dowling, England’s Jonathan Miller and Braham Murray, and Canada’s Richard Rose and Daniel Brooks. Selected recent roles include Cardinal Barberini in Brecht’s Galileo (Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia), Marcus in Brad Fraser’s Cold Meat Party (Factory Theatre, Toronto), and one of a cast of five that presented Goethe’s Faust (Tarragon Theatre, Toronto).

Ross has translated three plays from German: Woyzeck (staged in 1993 by Volcano); The Third Land (staged in 1994 by Volcano) and, currently underway, The Caucasian Chalk Circle (a project led by Richard Greenblatt, with new music by John Millard).

Brinny, Louis XIV, Chorus, Xylophone, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Having recently opened The Vox Box Voice studio where he teaches singing technique and coaches theatre auditions, Sanders is glad to back in the theatre fray with this wonderful creative company. He has performed across Canada and toured internationally. Some favorites of his over 50 performing credits include the Man in Marry Me A Little which he also produced, Sparky in four different productions of Forever Plaid, and multiple roles in Reading Hebron produced by the Firehall Theatre. Voice over credits include Popeye's hamburger scarfing buddy Wimpy. TV credits include Da Vinci's Inquest, Touching Evil and Titanic (miniseries). He has dabbled in many things including writing one man shows about the environment for provincial parks, scoring a short film, directing theatre and teaching a choir. On top of teaching voice Sanders runs a sing along choir and teaches a four part harmony class.

Singer, Love Songs

Her voice has been described as luminous and her acting witty and feisty — Shannon Mercer has been hailed as “one of Canada’s most promising young sopranos” and a “Leader of Tomorrow (Maclean's).” Her award-winning discography includes O Viva Rosa by Francesca Caccini, Wales ~ The Land of Song, the 2009 JUNO Award-winning Gloria!: Vivaldi’s Angels, Bach and the Liturgical Year, Mondonville, English Fancy, (Analekta) and Marin Marais’s Sémélé (Glossa). She also starred in the comic opera Burnt Toast and Monty Python funny-man Eric Idle’s Not the Messiah, both now available on DVD. Highlights of her 10-11 season include a tour in Canada of Ana Sokolovic's Love Songs, a one-woman virtuosic tour-de-force opera produced by The Queen of Puddings Music Theatre which met with enthusiastic response at the 2010 Holland Festival, Bach’s St. John Passion with the Arion Baroque Orchestra (to be recorded by ATMA), as well as the same work with the Portland Baroque Orchestra on their tour to Seattle.

Costume Designer, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Sheena Haug is a freelance theatre artist who loves to play dress up. Along with Hard Core Logo Live, Sheena is looking forward to working on Hunchback this season (Catalyst Theatre/Citadel). Recent credits include Costume Design for Dry the Rain (Workshop West), Associate Costume Design for Spine (Studio Theatre/RealWheels), Costume Design for The Woman in Black (Theatre Network) and Costume and Lighting Design for Hwy 63: The Fort Mac Show (Azimuth Theatre). She is the Costume Associate for Frankenstein and Nevermore (Catalyst Theatre). She was also head scenic painter for Seedsavers (Workshop West). Sheena holds a BFA in Theatre Design (U of A, '08) and certificates for Costume Cutting and Construction (RDC, 2003, 2004). Whenever she finds herself between shows, Sheena spends many happy hours at the Theatre Garage.
 

Assistant Stage Manager and Props Collection, True Love Lies

Stacy Sherlock received her BFA in technical theatre design and production from UBC in 2009. Currently she is interning with the Arts Club for Dramaturgy and at Electric Company Theatre as an Administrative Assistant. As part of this years’ Walking Fish Festival, Stacy recently performed her devised show At First I Thought It Was... Select credits include: Production Design for Frisk (Neworld Theatre – HIVE 3) Mrs. Klein (Jericho Arts Centre) and RADIUS (Open Source Theatre), Technical Direction/Production Management for House/Home (Pi Theatre – HIVE 3), Assistant Stage Management for After The Quake (Pi Theatre & Rumble Productions), Box Office Manager/Production Assistant for PodPlays (Neworld Theatre) and Sea Of Sand (The Only Animal), Sound Design for LoveSong (Edmonton / Vancouver Fringe Festival) Macbeth (Carousel Theatre) and The Idiot’s Karamazov (UBC).

Musical Director, Mimi (or A Poisoner's Comedy)

Steven is thrilled to be making his debut with Touchstone Theatre. A lover of all things musical theatre, he is proud to be a part of the West Coast premiere of this hilarious new Canadian musical. Recent credits: Musical Director and 'Moist' in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Broadway West/Relephant Theatre); Sound Designer for The Exquisite Hour (Relephant Theatre); 'Orsino' in Twelfth Night and Musical Director and 'Narrator' in The Rocky Horror Show (Project X); Musical Director for Where's Charley? (Studio 58); Carnival (New West Theatre); and 'Zoltan Karpathy' in My Fair Lady (Western Canada Theatre). A graduate of the Theatre Arts program at Grant MacEwan College, Steven is a Jessie Award-winning and OVATION! Award-nominated musical director for Seussical (Carousel Theatre) and Edges (Streamlight Productions). Upcoming projects include: Seussical with Carousel Theatre. He would like to dedicate his work on this production to an inspirational friend, Jeremy Tow.

Young Althea, Goodness

Tara is an actor, writer and producer. As an actor, she worked in both classical theatre and new work. Some favourite classical roles include Juliet (Citadel), Rosalind (Stratford Festival Conservatory), Hermia (Citadel), Lady Anne (Free Will Players), Lady Bona (Stratford Festival). Tara has accumulated an enviable list of workshop & performance credits on some of the most daring new plays in Canada. A few credits include Marilyn Monroe in My One and Only, and Pal in Down the Main Drag (both at ATP), and a season of new works at the Blyth Festival. Other roles include Celeste in Transit of Venus (Workshop West), Mayella in To Kill a Mockingbird (Citadel/MTC), Catherine in Proof (Globe), and Scout in Popcorn (Citadel), for which she won the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. Tara’s training includes the Oxford School of Drama and a BFA in Acting from the University of Alberta. She occasionally writes for Frank Moher's online magazine at HYPERLINK "http://www.backofthebook.ca/"www.backofthebook.ca. Tara is the producer of Goodness in Rwanda, a feature documentary about the tour of Goodness to Rwanda in 2009, to be released in 2012.  HYPERLINK "http://www.goodnessinrwanda.com/"www.goodnessinrwanda.com
 

Billy Tallent, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Telly James is an actor/playwright born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He is a graduate from Mount Royal University’s Theatre Arts Program. This is Telly’s debut with November Theatre, Theatre Network, and Touchstone Theatre. He is beyond thrilled to be a part of such a great company. As an actor Telly has been seen in Beyond Eden (Theatre Calgary/Vancouver Playhouse), The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (National Arts Centre/Western Canada Theatre), The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (Alberta Theatre Projects), The Tempest and The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare in the Park, Calgary). In his spare time, he is writing plays or making music with his band, Mia’s Matic.
 

Pipefitter, Hard Core Logo: LIVE

Toby is very excited to be working with Touchstone Theatre for the first time. Toby has been a professional performer in Vancouver since he was 16 years old. Highlights include, The Dishwashers (Canadian Prenier) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (Arts Club Theatre) Design For Living, Lifeskills, Gutenberg! The Musical! (PH Theatre), Balnkety Blank the Musical, A Twisted Christmas Carol (Belfry Theatre). Toby won the Canadian Comedy Award in 2008 for Best Sketch Troupe with Canadian Content. That group went on to perform at the Leicester Square Theater in London England. Toby is a graduate of Studio 58.