The Power of One
Artist Biographies
Hamlet with Allison Moira Kelly
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Allison Moira Kelly is an actor from Gander who holds a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Memorial University, Grenfell Campus, and Masters of Fine Arts from York University. This is Allison's fifth season with Perchance Theatre.
Select previous credits include Portia (Julius Caesar), Smeraldina (Servant of Two Masters), Eliza (Our Eliza), Hermia (Midsummer Night's Dream), Masha (The Seagull). Allison has performed with RCAT, White Rooster, Mindless Theatrics, and Halfhandsome sketch comedy troupe. This summer you can check out Allison's voice in a project by Artistic Fraud in conjunction with the Bonavista Biennale in Elliston, Newfoundland. Allison is one fourth of the sketch comedy troupe Mom's Girls who had a sold out show "Mom's Girls Gone Wild" this Spring, and filmed their upcoming children's tv show "Tales From the Floordrobe". Allison is absolutely delighted to be back with Perchance again this season. |
All’s Well That Ends Well with Sheilagh Guy Murphy
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Sheilagh Guy Murphy is honoured to be born in this place we now call Newfoundland and Labrador. As a writer, director, actor and producer, she has appeared provincially and nationally on stage, radio, television, and recently short films. As Artistic Director of NL Young People’s Theatre in the early 90’s she staged and presented plays with topics that were uncharted themes in their day like, date rape, AIDS and alcoholism in youth. In co-producing Annual Musical production Our Divas do Christmas, now in it’s 16th year, she has raised awareness of and funds for , among others Mental Health, AIDS, the Refugee Association, The Gathering Place and at the same time sharing the stage with New Canadians, The Mi’kMaq Youth Choir of Conne River and persons who identify as living with disabilities.
Sheilagh loves her role as Queen of Torts at the annual fund raiser Called to the Bard presented by Perchance Theatre. She is happy Shakespeare includes older women actors and grateful to do the Countess de Roussillion. Sheilagh has won many writing awards for her short stories including the national Writers Union Of Canada short story prize for 2019. For her work raising awareness and funds for charitable organizations both provincially and nationally,, Sheilagh has been recognized with The Queen’s Jubilee Medal, The Governor General’s Award for Caring Canadian and The Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers. She is the founder of The Carol Devine Memorial Fund that supports persons who are undergoing or live with transplants. |
Dominic Arcard Recites Sonnet 18
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Born and raised in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, Dominic Arcard moved to St. John’s, Newfoundland in 2011 for his post graduate education. He graduated from Memorial University in 2017 and has since been employed by the federal government.
Dominic is trained as an actor by Danielle Irvine and has made appearances on Little Dog and Hudson & Rex. He took Danielle’s course because it seemed like a fun elective and here we are. When not at work Dominic can be found on the soccer field, gym, basketball court, a hiking trail or a couch playing video games or board games (preferably scrabble). |
The Book of Sir Thomas More with Robert Chafe
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Robert Chafe has worked in theatre, dance, opera, radio, fiction and film. His stage plays have been seen in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and in the United States, and include Oil and Water, Tempting Providence, Afterimage, Under Wraps, Between Breaths, and The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (adapted from the novel by Wayne Johnston.)
He has been shortlisted twice for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama and he won the award for Afterimagein 2010. Robert has been guest instructor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, and The National Theatre School of Canada. In 2018 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He is the playwright and Artistic Director of Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland. |
Henry VI, Part II with Kathy-Lynn Shaw
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Kathy-Lynn has been an active member of the Northern Lights Theatre Company (NLTC) based out of Labrador City, NL since 2011. She has been involved in local productions such as Sorry Wrong Chimney; Lie, Cheat and Genuflect; Miracle on 34th Street; and The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Town Women’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol. She has also participated in provincial drama festivals in such plays as God of Carnage; Fat Pig; Drowning Girls; and Fiction and has been nominated for acting awards in all four productions. She has also been involved in writing and directing with the NLTC youth group and was a stage manager with the provincial drama festival production of A Skull in Connemara.
Kathy-Lynn was involved with Perchance Theatre’s Power of Connection program in 2021 with a focus on Acting for Film and Television. Kathy-Lynn graduated from Dalhousie University with her BSc in Kinesiology and is a Certified Canadian Professional Ergonomist, a Certified Kinesiologist and is CEO of Kinetic Life Solutions Ltd. in Labrador City, NL. Kathy-Lynn was lucky enough to be born and raised In Newfoundland and Labrador and has had the luxury of living on the West and East coasts and has been in the Big Land since 2010. The beauty of the changing landscape from all corners of the province and in all seasons make it a magical place to work and live. The people, the traditions, and the scenery are unique and there is no place like it in the world. |
Troilus and Cressida with Paul David Power
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Paul David Power’s work includes roles in over 30 stage plays across the country as well as directing and producing. He was President of the Liffey Players Drama Society in Calgary AB for three years, Artistic Director for Hubcity Theatre in Moncton NB for five years and Artistic Associate for the Shakespeare by the Sea Festival in St. John’s NL for three years.
Paul identifies as a disabled artist. He owns Power Productions, a professional theatre company dedicated to the development of works and artists with a focus on the disabled, Deaf and MAD Arts domain. Paul lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. |
The Comedy of Errors with Pat Dempsey at Signal Hills NHS, The Rooms, and Bowring Park,
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“There simply isn’t any actor better suited to play Pat Dempsey’s twin brother than Pat Dempsey. His diction, his mannerisms, even his asthma! An actor who immerses himself FULLY in the role.” - Pat Dempsey
As an actor, Pat Dempsey has spent the past 5 years touring the country with the play Crippled. He has appeared on screen in principal roles in Republic of Doyle, Hudson and Rex, Surrealestate and a bunch of self-produced web stuff that you probably wouldn’t be interested in. Though he’s hilarious, one wonders if he should be allowed to write his own bios. |
Macbeth with Nicole Underhay
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Nicole Underhay was born and raised in St. John’s. Her theatre career has taken her across Canada and the US.
She spent eight seasons at The Shaw Festival and has worked on many occasions at Soulpepper, Tarragon Theatre, Neptune Theatre, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical theatre and The Citadel. After moving home two years ago Nicole worked with Frank Barry on his play ‘The Strange Case of Madam D’ at the LSPU hall. Her film and TV work includes Random Passage, The Shipping News, along with recurring roles on Murdoch Mysteries and Saving Hope. Aside from her roles in front of the camera on Hudson & Rex, Nicole is set to take the reins as Production Coordinator for Season 4 of the show, set to begin filming in and around St. John’s in the coming weeks. |
Romeo and Juliet with Michael Nolan
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Michael Nolan is a Renaissance scholar whose speciality is Elizabethan drama. His Masters thesis was a political study of Thomas of Woodstock, an anonymous Elizabethan history play. His Ph.D. dissertation was a critical edition of The Thracian Wonder, a Jacobean pastoral-comedy, likely written by Thomas Heywood and William Rowley. The critical edition was published in 1994 by the University of Salzburg.
He has taught English literature at Memorial University of Newfoundland for over twenty-five years. He has regularly incorporated Elizabethan plays into his teaching, including works of Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Heywood, and John Webster, but most particularly William Shakespeare. He has, also, taught the university’s senior Shakespeare courses, which focus on all four genres of Shakespeare’s works: comedies, histories, tragedies, and romances. Dr. Nolan has examined in this manner the whole corpus of Shakespeare. His enthusiasm for and understanding of Shakespeare is expressed by a life-long participation in theatre. He has concentrated a theatrical life of well over thirty years in the express practice of Shakespeare (and other Elizabethan authors; one of his unique performance experiences was the first reading of in four hundred years of Thomas Heywood’s The Golden Age at a Classics Conference in San Francisco in 2004). He has performed in ten years of MUN Drama’s Summer Shakespeare, about the same amount of time in Shakespeare by the Sea, and, more recently, three seasons of Perchance Theatre. I’ve heard music echo in the streets of London, seen the sunset shimmer on the canals of Venice, walked a mile of the Great Wall’s mighty crumbling, and thought “fine, but it’s not home.” |
Henry VIII with Sharon King-Campbell
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Sharon King-Campbell is an actor, storyteller, director and writer. A Newfoundlander-by-Choice, she tried to move "home" to Ottawa after completing her BFA Theatre at Grenfell Campus, but it didn't stick and she has spent the last decade building a home in NL.
Sharon has worked all over the province with companies such as Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Stephenville Theatre Festival, Grand Bank Regional Theatre, Theatre Newfoundland Labrador, and World's End Theatre. Recent stage credits include [title of show] (Best Kind), The Ladies' Foursome (New Curtain), Women Playing Hamlet (Persistence), Brazil Square (Girl Power), and her solo show, Original (skc originals/Persistence). She is also a regular teller with the St. John's Storytelling Festival. Sharon was the 2017 recipient of the Rhonda Payne Award, and her script, Dayboil, won the Arts & Letters in 2020. Sharon holds an MA English and is a current PhD candidate at Memorial University. |
King Lear with Mary Walsh
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Mary Walsh created and starred in This Hour Has 22 Minutes, CBC’s wildly popular take on current affairs. The series earned her many of her numerous Gemini awards and showcased her dynamic range of characters, including the flagrantly outspoken ‘Marg Delahunty’.
Walsh wrote, produced and starred in the Gemini award winning Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, which returned to CBC in 2017 as a feature length presentation called A Christmas Fury, with Walsh and the original cast reprising their roles. She has also been nominated for two Genies for her performances in feature films Crackie (Official selection at TIFF) and New Waterford Girl. In 2020 Walsh also starred in Happy Place. In 2017 she released her debut novel, a Canadian best-seller, Crying For The Moon. Walsh’s recent TV credits include CityTV’s Hudson and Rex, CBC’s Little Dog, Global’s Rookie Blue and HBO Canada’s Sensitive Skin, for which she was nominated for a 2017 Canadian Screen Award, and numerous guest appearances on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Select feature film credits include The Grand Seduction and Closet Monster (Official selections at TIFF 2014 and 2015, respectively), and Mambo Italiano. Outside of the film, TV and theatre world, Mary is an outspoken advocate for mental health and addiction awareness as a spokesperson for Bell Let’s Talk. She is a staunch supporter of the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health in Ottawa, she also lends her time and voice to the CNIB, St. Joseph’s Hospital and CAMH. Among her many awards and doctorates, Mary is the recipient of the Order of Canada, the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the Performing Arts, and the CSA’s Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in television acting. |
The Winter’s Tale with Patrick Foran
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Patrick Foran is an actor and producer from St. John's. Last season at Perchance Theatre Patrick appeared as Casca in Julius Caesar and as the lovable, waddling and squeeze-box adorned Brighella in A Servant of Two Masters. A veteran of Newfoundland theatre some highlights include God of Carnage, Island in the Sky (Stephenville), Nobleman's Wedding, Pirates of Penzance (Rising Tide) Proud, Nailbiter (Double Sure).
For the past 8 years Patrick has worked with the incredible team of artists at Artistic Fraud and helped bring to the stage Under Wraps, Oil & Water, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, Between Breaths (and 'Orchestral' with the NSO). Patrick is a founding member of the St. John's Short Play Festival and the Association of Professional Theatre of NL. He is a graduate of Memorial's Faculty of Business and George Brown Theatre School. During the pandemic Pat has been workshopping Marie Jones' new play Her Closely and riding his bike(s). He enthusiastically supports the St. John's Bike Plan. @patridesabike |
Henry VI Part I with Zara Matthews
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Zara Matthews is an actress and musician from St. John’s. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Russian and a Diploma in Performance and Communications Media from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Zara has a diverse performance background in theatre, voice, and classical violin. She recently performed a principal role in the feature film Black Conflux, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She is currently producing the Ethereal Piano Project, funded by Arts NL, which will be streaming on Spotify in Fall 2020. Past credits include: Be More Chill (Best Kind), Moby Dick - Rehearsed (MUN Drama), and Our Divas Do Christmas (TaDa!). Zara is a proud Newfoundlander and loves the laid-back attitude and sense of humor in our province. She hopes audiences will enjoy the breathtaking outdoor performances that Perchance is offering this season through The Power of One. |
Henry VI Part III with Michael Rhodri Smith
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Michael Rhodri Smith is thrilled to take part in The Power of One. Michael lives in St. John’s and has been performing in (once, in the Geo Centre), on and around the island since 2010. Select credits include: The Kraken/The Brass Button Man. Under the Bridge Productions – Salt Teeth Theatre Company – ACC/RCA, The Servant of Two Masters with Perchance Theatre, Caesar with Perchance Theatre, The Fights. with Rabbitown Theatre Company, The Pillowman with Graveyard Shift Productions, Cookstown with Salt Teeth Theatre Company and Jack Meets the Cat and Other Tales with School Zone Productions.
Cobblers Path is a popular spot, often lined with awestruck hikers, bullied eagles and reticent whales. The land reaches out and down like a searching tree root ending inTorbay Point where there are nooks and quiet spots over every little hill all the way down to the shore, should you brave it. Communion with yourself, the ocean or the whole world combined can go uninterrupted and the air you breath comes fresh off the Atlantic ocean just for you. When I consider the lottery I won by living here, it’s places like this that fill my heart with peace and wonder and I’m overjoyed that we can share it together with The Power of One. Michael Rhodri Smith |
Richard III with Petrina Bromley
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Petrina Bromley is an actor, singer, director, writer and composer from St. John’s, NL. She originated the role of ‘Bonnie Harris’ in the Tony nominated musical COME FROM AWAY, and continues with the show on Broadway.
She made her Stratford Festival debut in 2016 as ‘Rosalind’ in AS YOU LIKE IT, and was a member of The National Arts Centre, English Theatre Ensemble, 2013-2014. Petrina’s own musical A CALL TO ARMS, with music by Ged Blackmore, made its debut to sold out houses in St. John’s in 2017. Produced by Atlantic Light Theatre, the musical tells the heart-wrenching, true story of the Norris family from Three Arms Island, Norte Dame Bay, and the enduring sacrifice the country of Newfoundland made in WWI. It has subsequently been filmed for distribution within the NL school system as an educational aid. Petrina has worked extensively with Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland since it's inception, having participated in the creation of ten of the company's original works. Her performance as ‘Violet Pike’ in OIL & WATER, garnered strong reviews on the national scene, including recognition in Robert Cushman's “Theatre reviews in review: The year's best performances”. She is a familiar face in her home province from her work with Spirit of Newfoundland, Rising Tide Theatre’s annual REVUE, and most notably for her portrayal of the iconic Newfoundland entertainer, Joan Morrissey, in SO LET’S BRING ON OUR FAVOURITE: THE JOAN MORRISSEY STORY, by Jody Richardson and Sue Kent. |
Julius Caesar with Bridget Wareham
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Bridget is from St. John’s Newfoundland and a graduate of The National Theatre School of Canada. She also has a BA in Literature from Memorial University and a certificate in Psychology from Ryerson University. She has been working in theatre, film, television and voice over for over 10 years.
In 2018 she played Cassius in Julius Caesar with Perchance Theatre Company directed by Danielle Irvine and Beatrice in The Servant of Two Masters directed by Perry Schneiderman. Previous theatre credits include: Other Women Walk (White Rooster), directed by Ruth Lawerence, Drowning Girls (RCA), directed by Charlie Thomlinson, Merchant of Venice (New World Theatre), directed by Jeannette Lambermont-Morey, Garden Party (Corner Boys), directed by Mary Walsh, Offensive to Some (Newfoundlandartistx) directed by Lois Brown. Some of her recent film work includes Business Ethics directed by Nick Wernham (available on Prime), Under the Weather directed by Bill MacGillivray and the award winning film Hunting Pignut directed by Martine Blue. Bridget's television work includes Orphan Black, Dark Matter, Rogue, Played, Republic of Doyle and series regular on Rookie Blue. Bridget has also worked extensively as a voice over actor. Some highlights are voicing the character ‘Ursula’ in Teletoon’s George of the Jungle (2015) and narrating the audio books, The Alchemist’s Council by Cynthea Masson and Ice Diaries: An Antarctic Memoir by Jean MacNeil. She is represented by The Characters Talent Agency and lives and works in St. John’s Newfoundland where Bridget finds the landscape of Newfoundland inspiring. Every time she looks at the formations of the rocks, grass and trees she wishes she had the skills of Gerry Squires to capture the beauty of it on the page or canvas and evoke the same emotions as seeing it in person. |
Henry IV Part II with Deantha Edmunds
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Canada’s first and only Inuk professional classical singer, Deantha Edmunds, is a proud resident of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is a two-time Dora Award Nominated performer and is much in demand as a singer, actor, and collaborator in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous projects. She is also a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Circle of Artists.
Edmunds was nominated for the East Coast Music Award ‘Indigenous Artist of the Year’ in 2020 for her solo EP, “My Beautiful Home,” and in 2016 for the album “Pillorikput Inuit: Inuktitut Arias for All Seasons.” 2019 performances included the world premieres of Indigenous operas “Shanawdithit” with Tapestry Opera/Opera on the Avalon, and the Cree and Sámi double-bill “Two Odysseys” with Soundstreams/Signal Theatre/Sámi National Theatre Beaivváš. Most recently, Edmunds represented the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Against the Grain Theatre’s national film “Messiah/Complex,” accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The project received international acclaim. An urban Inuk, Edmunds aims to empower Indigenous people and share their stories. She explores and embraces her Indigeneity through poetry and song. Upcoming projects include performances at Stratford Summer Music Festival as well as recording her collection of songs, “Connections” with string quartet. Edmunds is currently writing the libretto for her opera, “ingutak” which will be the first opera sung in English and Inuttitut. |
Much Ado About Nothing with John Sheehan
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John has been working professionally as a stand up comedian since 2008. He has performed at The Winnipeg, Halifax, and St.John's comedy festivals, all of which were broadcast nationally on CBC television. He has also been featured on CBC Radio's The Debaters, and has opened for international comedy stars Caroline Rhea, Gerry Dee and Louis CK.
He also has the distinction of being the only comedian in the long history of Yuk Yuks, Canada's number one chain of comedy clubs, to perform in the professional shows, having never done an open mic night for the company. He has since headlined Yuk Yuks clubs in St.John's, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Saint John. In December 2017, John had his first tour with Team Canada, entertaining Canadian Forces members serving abroad. Stops included Ukraine, Greece, and Kuwait. The reaction was such, that he was invited back for two more tours, a visit to France, and a return trip to Lviv, Ukraine. John has also had the privilege of performing for 3 seasons at Perchance Theatre. |
Antony and Cleopatra with John Rao
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John Rao lives and works in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. John is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in visual art, music, theatre, and film. John has a B.F.A. from Grenfell College, B.Ed. from Memorial University, and an M.F.A from Emily Carr University.
John has been producing theatre, music, and art events for 28 years and teaching for 21. When he isn't teaching the amazing students of Holy Heart High School, he produces work as AOR Presents. He recently directed Dracula (2019) and 1984 (2020) for his mentoring project, the ARC program, where young performers work with guest artists to develop their performance skills. John has worked and performed on TV (Republic of Doyle, Hatching, Matching, and Dispatching, Little Dog, A Christmas Fury), film (Hey Day, Diverted, Above and Beyond), and stage (Rocky Horror Show, Divas among others). He has a studio practice which includes photo conceptualism, and sound and light scape art installations, which he exhibited at the Charles H. Scott in Vancouver (2016). Now in his 17th year at Holy Heart, John teaches Drama, Dance and Musical Theatre, and produces/directs productions for the HHM Performing Arts Certificate program which he created in 2010. John is thankful for the opportunity to work with the amazing Danielle Irvine and her excellent team on this extraordinary theatre project. |
Othello with Darryl Hopkins
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In between touring the world with Robert Chafe's Tempting Providence, & winning Best Actor at the Monaco International Film Festival, for his role in Noel Harris' film Touch, Darryl Hopkins met a bunch of great people, walked many a mile & sang a few songs.
You can find his music online at www.avalonstanley.com |
Love's Labour's Lost with Owen Van Houten
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Known as a versatile actor and musician, Owen Van Houten has performed with companies across the province including: Rising Tide Theatre, Grand Bank Regional Theatre Festival, Best Kind Productions, Perchance Theatre, as well as Atlantic Repertory Company in Saint John, New Brunswick. Owen has created and/or performed in numerous short film and video projects, including a currently airing spot on NTV - Have you spotted him? A "mover"?
Owen is a drummer, b-boy, martial artist, yogi, and amateur boxer with an official record of 2 wins and 2 losses. He first set foot on this island in 2005, from his home city of Toronto. Since then he has studied, worked, and lived in awe and appreciation of the beauty and the humour of this place and its people. To set the perfect atmosphere for this week’s monologue, we were delighted to receive permission to feature the glorious piece, Valse des Niglos, from the album, The Empress, by Dwayne Cote and Duane Andrews.
Steeped in the rich musical traditions of Cape Breton and Newfoundland, Dwayne Cote and Duane Andrews twist their inimitable blend of East Coast Celtic and Roots music with strands of Gypsy and Jazz sounds. Heavily influenced by the brilliance of master violinists such as Winston Scotty Fitzgerald and Jascha Heifetz and legendary Gypsy Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, these stellar performers have been touring individually for years. In 2010 the two old friends combined forces to release their self titled debut duo album which was followed up with their 2012 release The Empress and earned awards from MusicNL, MusicNS the ECMA and Independent Music Awards. |
Wendy Woodland has been part of the performing arts scene in western Newfoundland for over thirty years, working with both music and theatrical festivals: Stephenville Theatre Festival, Gros Morne Theatre Festival, Gros Morne Summer Music, Wintertide Music Festival, Stage West Theatre Festival and TNL. She has also appeared with Opera On the Avalon, based in St. John’s. As a crossover singer she has performed across the province in many capacities and her work is varied; soprano soloist, actor, producer, director, emcee, adjudicator, event coordinator, conductor. She is part of the artistic staff of both the Atlantic Boychoir, and Atlantic Girls Choir, conductor of the Bay of Islands Musical Arts Choir as well as a voice
instructor at the Graham Academy - a Performing Arts School in Corner Brook.
Past credits include The Phantom of the Opera (Wardrobe Mistress/Ensemble) Evita (Eva Peron), Sound of Music (Mother Abbess), Nunsense (Sister Mary Amnesia), 1949 (Rachel), Into the Woods (Witch), The Music Man (Marian), Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene), Oliver (Nancy), King of Broadway (Alma), Lucy Duhart’s West Side Saloon (Lucy), Ruddigore (Rose Maybud), Suor Angelica (Suor Genovieffa), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Lucy). Named 2018’s “Artist of the Year” by the city of Corner Brook, she has appeared collaboratively in concert with Kelly Ann Evans, pianist Jennifer Matthews, cellist Heather Tuach, Duo Concertante, Steve Candow and Alan Klaus, Brian Way and BS Productions, and has produced one woman shows at the Corner Brook Rotary Arts Center.
instructor at the Graham Academy - a Performing Arts School in Corner Brook.
Past credits include The Phantom of the Opera (Wardrobe Mistress/Ensemble) Evita (Eva Peron), Sound of Music (Mother Abbess), Nunsense (Sister Mary Amnesia), 1949 (Rachel), Into the Woods (Witch), The Music Man (Marian), Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene), Oliver (Nancy), King of Broadway (Alma), Lucy Duhart’s West Side Saloon (Lucy), Ruddigore (Rose Maybud), Suor Angelica (Suor Genovieffa), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Lucy). Named 2018’s “Artist of the Year” by the city of Corner Brook, she has appeared collaboratively in concert with Kelly Ann Evans, pianist Jennifer Matthews, cellist Heather Tuach, Duo Concertante, Steve Candow and Alan Klaus, Brian Way and BS Productions, and has produced one woman shows at the Corner Brook Rotary Arts Center.
King Richard 11 with Wendy Woodland
Bartlett's Point, Curling, NL
Bartlett's Point, Curling, NL
The Two Noble Kinsmen with Erika Squires
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Erika Squires is a multi-faceted artist from St. John’s, Newfoundland. They are a student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, studying English with a specialization in Theatre and Drama as well as the Diploma in Film and Stage Technique. Erika is trained as an actor and director by Danielle Irvine; and teaches at Courtney Fowler Performance Academy. Erika is currently writing their first play, Baby, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and ArtsNL. Their favourite acting credits include: Julius Caesar (Perchance Theatre), Brooke in Be More Chill (Best Kind Productions), Disciple in Godspell (Etcetera Productions) Constance in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (MUN Drama.) Erika also directed Never Swim Alone which was produced by GroupHug Productions, a new 2SLGBTQIA+ theatre group in St. John’s, which Erika is the co-Artistic Director of alongside Nick Mandville.
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Edward III with Ruth Lawrence
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Ruth Lawrence is a theatre and filmmaker from St. Jacques, based in St. John’s. Her debut feature, Little Orphans, was released to critical acclaim in 2020 and won the Borsos Competition Best Canadian Feature at Whistler Film Festival. Ruth directed the CBC doc, Circus by Komatik; the comedy webseries, Buy the Boards, and was a writer/director on the feature rom-com, Hopeless Romantic. She directed The Ennis Sisters’ Shine Your Light for the CMHA’s 100th Anniversary. This year, she will direct several short-form TV series’ for Fibe.
As White Rooster Theatre’s Artistic Director, she is dedicated to producing the work of women artists. There, she created the performance walk, Other Women Walk. As an actor, she played the lead role of Jenny in the 2020 feature, Under the Weather, directed by Governor General Award winning filmmaker, William MacGillivray. |
The Tempest with Jodee Richardson
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A self-styled "creative engineer", Jodee Richardson works in most facets of the performing arts, making and partaking in projects that are grounded in local culture and sensibility but resonate internationally. He lives with his dog Nan in St. John's.
Woody Point was chosen for the Caliban monologue because it is one of the most awe-inspiring environments in the world, let alone NL, and his cherished home away from home. |
Twelfth Night with Joan Dicker
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Joan Dicker was born and raised in the most northerly Inuit community of Nain in Nunatsiavut. She is a retired teacher, having taught for 38 years in her hometown teaching mostly her native language, Inuktitut. After being retired for four years, she decided to try something different and is now the manager of the new Illusuak Cultural Centre in Nain.
Joan has also done a lot of singing in both English and Inuktitut with friends and is part of the Inuit Moravian church choir. She loves to take part in the choir and has been involved with many community events over the years. An avid volunteer, Joan is married with a daughter, a son and three grandchildren. |
The Merry Wives of Windsor with Amelia Manuel
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Amelia Manuel is an actor/singer/writer from Clarenville, NL. Amelia has appeared on Republic of Doyle and starred in the films, Hunting Pignut and Black Conflux. Past theatre roles include Dorine in Tartuffe (National Arts Centre), Millie in Birthday Balloon (Rising Tide Theatre), Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Velma Kelly in Chicago (Stephenville Theatre Festival), Anna in Closer (c2c Theatre), Juliet/Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet (New Curtain Theatre Company), and Myra Bennett in Tempting Providence (Theatre Newfoundland Labrador). Amelia has written and performed and toured in the musical Brand New Beat, as well as the political sketch comedy show Revue ‘10,’11,’12,’16,’17,’19 (RTT).
This monologue was filmed outside the family home of my paternal grandparents, where my father and his siblings grew up in Catalina. This house is where my dad was born. |
Henry IV part I with Andy Jones
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Andy Jones was born in St. John's, Newfoundland. He is one of the founding members of the Resource Centre for the Arts at the L.S.P.U. Hall.
Besides performing in theatre productions across Canada, Andy was notably a member of the groundbreaking Newfoundland comedy troupe CODCO, in incarnations both theatrical (4 theatre pieces) and television (38 episodes). He has also written, performed, and nationally toured five one-man comedy shows. His other works include Albert, his one-act play for one man and a budgie bird, The Lady with the Lapdog (a theatrical adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s short story), Tartuffe (an adaptation of Moliere’s classic to a 1930s Newfoundland setting), and the children’s plays The Queen of Paradise's Garden, and Jack Meets the Cat (co-written with the Sheila’s Brush Theatre Company collective.) |
The Taming of the Shrew with Zachary Cross
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Zachary Cross is a professional entertainer living in St. John’s. After attending Grenfell Campus’ acting program, Zachary went on to work with known theatre companies in Newfoundland such as: Perchance Theatre, Rising Tide, and TNL.
Zachary also writes, produces, and gets silly with his sketch comedy troupe Halfhandsome, best known for their Almost Baymous shows . Most recently he can also be seen on television on shows including Frontier, Hudson and Rex, and Maroni. |
Timon of Athens with Paul Ewan Wilson
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Paul is very thankful to be given the opportunity to work with Perchance Theatre at Cupids on this amazing project!
Born in England, Paul emigrated from there to Australia when he was a teenager and discovered his passion for theatre following a Grade 10 trip to Sydney to see Les Misérables! Trained at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Paul had a few gigs in Melbourne, but he then met his now wife of almost 20 years, and relocated to Ontario, Canada with her to start a family! In 2008 Paul relocated with his family to Harbour Grace, Newfoundland so his children could grow up close to their grandparents. Paul loves living, and working, here and is constantly gobsmacked by the pure, natural beauty that is Newfoundland! Work here in Newfoundland includes six seasons with Perchance in various roles including; Mark Antony (JULIUS CAESAR), Florindo (THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS), Trigorin (THE SEAGULL), Oberon (A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM), Orsino (TWELFTH NIGHT), Capulet (ROMEO & JULIET), and Macbeth (MACBETH). Other Newfoundland stage roles include; Lady Lungley (SEAL SLIPPERS – Resource Centre for the Arts), Joseph Buquet (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA – Opera on the Avalon), Dan (THE VALLEY – New Curtain Theatre), Mr. Wormwood (MATILDA THE MUSICAL - PMP), Buddy (WE WILL ROCK YOU – TADA), Widow Rhubarb (TANGLY – RCAT), Leap (LEAVE OF ABSENCE – NCT), Jackie “Dad” Elliot (BILLY ELLIOT – Atlantic Light Theatre), Pip/Theo Wexler (THREE DAYS OF RAIN – Sweetline), Lonny (ROCK OF AGES - TADA), and Dr. Fine (NEXT TO NORMAL – Best Kind). Having appeared in numerous short films, and two episodes of REPUBLIC OF DOYLE, Paul was also seen on screen in the popular “Don’t Travel. Explore.” commercials for Marine Atlantic. You can see him in the recurring role of Vanstone on the Netflix/Discovery Channel series: FRONTIER, and Paul feels extremely fortunate to have just finished filming the recurring role of Anthony Tamblyn in the new American SYFY network TV series, THE SURREALTOR – which will premiere in 2021! Check out Paul's full IMDb listing here. Paul hopes you enjoy watching this monologue as much as he enjoyed working on it with Danielle. Like so much of Shakespeare’s work it is so relevant for the world we live in today – even with COVID-19! Stay happy and healthy, everyone – and Season’s Greetings to you all! |
Measure for Measure with Lisa Inkpen
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Lisa Inkpen’s love of acting was sparked in jr. high school. It was here that Lisa first realized that she loved acting.
Lisa’s work is primarily in film, most recently appearing on Frontier, Little Dog, The Ashford Connection, Hudson and Rex, and Maroni. Lisa is a Writer/Producer of Still Need You, and has been working on writing a series of shorts cumulatively named Snapshots. This project seeks to capture concepts, specific situations, a moment in time, an event or a specific emotion or response to an event. The stories are varied in content, thought provoking and relatable. Being a lover of all things Science Fiction, she would love to one day grace the screen/stage in a post-apocalyptic story. Lisa moonlights at home as a classical, albeit amateur pianist (Chopin being a particular favourite) as well as being a voracious reader. She reads 3-4 books per week and feels there isn't enough time in this universe to absorb all the information and stories this world has to offer. Lisa lives in St. John’s with her husband and two children. “Growing up in a province so very rich in culture and art is a true blessing. We as Newfoundlanders are story tellers at heart. We love and desire to share our knowledge, love, heartbreak and humour through our art. I pinch myself every time an experience presents itself that allows me to fulfill a creative need to story tell. Being able to work creatively in my home province of NL is a dream come true for me.” |
Coriolanus with Stephen Oates
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"All hail, Stephen O. Oates, the Great Pretender, Maker of the Special Supper, Administer of Feline Insulin, Master Baker, He Who Causes Blood Pressure to Rise and Expectations to Fall, Vicar of the Anabaptist Unitarian Church, Shovellor of Driveways and the least talented member of this crew whom he is so humbled to be a part of."
Stephen has been known to venture out of the kitchen and on to the stage and screen, most recently being seen in movie theatres and on line in A Fire in the Cold Season, as well one of the stars of CBC’s hit series, Littledog. |
Two Gentlemen of Verona with Greg House
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Greg House is an actor, musician, and teacher from Corner Brook and a graduate of the BFA Theatre Program from Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Over the years he has worked with Theatre Newfoundland Labrador, Gros Morne Theatre Festival, Rising Tide Theatre, Stage West Theatre Festival, and Gros Morne Summer Music. Greg has spent most of his life in this beautiful province and does not take for granted how lucky we all are to live in such a pristine and tranquil part of the world. He is thrilled to be a part of The Power of One. Past roles with Perchance Theatre include Banquo in Macbeth, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Edward IV in Richard III, Groomio in The Taming of the Shrew, Medvedenko in The Seagull and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. My name is Pacey Spencer. I was rescued from the St. John’s SPCA at six weeks old, and spent the first four years of my life on the east coast.
This is where I first developed a love of the arts. My sister and I began our vocal training by singing along as our Mom and Grandmother played the piano and have continued strengthening our voices by singing with every siren that passes by. In 2014, my family and I moved to Nunavut for a year before settling in Corner Brook, NL. For the last five years, our home has been filled with music and dance, which has further strengthened my love and appreciation of the arts. I am so excited for my first acting job and am honored to be working with Danielle Irvine and Perchance Theatre. I would like to say a huge thank you to Laura Bruijns for taking such good care of me on set, Tom Cochrane for making me look so good on camera and to Greg House, my scene partner, mentor and second favorite human, for seeing potential in me and giving me this opportunity. To bark, or not to bark, that is the question…woof. |
The Merchant of Venice with Elizabeth Hicks
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"Elizabeth Hicks is an actor, writer, and filmmaker from Carbonear, Newfoundland. She holds a Master’s degree in English and a Diploma in Performance and Communications Media from Memorial. She and her work have been featured at the Women’s Work Festival, St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Nickel Independent Film Festival, St. John’s Shorts, and sketch comedy festivals in NYC, Chicago, and Toronto.
Past acting credits include LAURA in The Father (Mindless Theatrics/30for60), ANNIE in Squawk (Resource Centre for the Arts, provincial tour), ANGIE/DARLENE in Private Eyes (Power Productions), various roles in two summer seasons at Rising Tide Theatre, and now Perchance Theatre’s The Power of One. As a playwright, Elizabeth was recently commissioned as one of seven playwrights for Artistic Fraud’s The Other Side of This. She writes and performs regularly with sketch comedy troupes Mom’s Girls and Halfhandsome (Almost Baymous, The Ho Ho Ho Christmas Show, I’m Just A Girl). She teaches English at Memorial. Elizabeth has spent much of her life travelling this province from east to west and back again. She is grateful to be able to live and work in this spectacular place." |
King John, with Rhona Buchan, at “The Top of the World”
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Rhona plays the roles of actor, lawyer, consultant, student, twin mum, and spouse in St. John’s, NL.
Rhona first fell in love with Shakespeare when performing Maria in Twelfth Night and Titantia in A Midsummers Night’s Dream under the direction of Gordon Jones, and Portia in Julius Caesar under the direction of Jillian Keiley. She trained in acting at Ryerson Theatre School, and went on to perform with theatre companies in Ontario and Newfoundland, such as The Establishments Theatre Co, Neighbourhood Zoo, Rising Tide Theatre, and Artistic Fraud. She appeared in some short films and commercials, and had favourite roles on CBC Radio’s the Great Eastern. Rhona also holds a BA from Memorial University, an LL.B from University of Ottawa and she is a candidate for an LL.M in Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall, York University. After many years practicing criminal and family law, she is currently training in mediation. For 17 years Rhona’s performances took place in the court room, until Perchance Theatre presented the thrilling opportunity to play Arkadina in Chekov’s The Seagull under the direction of the internationally recognized talent of Thomas Moschopolous - an exhilarating experience with a richly gifted company. Rhona was first exposed to the stark, barren beauty of this King John “Top of the World” location when traveling to circuit court on the south coast of Newfoundland. It looks across Conne River and Miawpukek First Nation. The south coast, and Bay d’Espoir in particular, has secured a special place in her heart since she married into it. Her family has a cabin in a luscious cove on Bay d’Espoir. Rhona encourages everyone to visit the diverse, under-explored beauty of the south coast! “Mad world, mad kings, mad composition!” May our world, it’s leaders and their strategies, be not mad going forward. |
Titus Andronicus with Steve O’Connell
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Steve is a Newfoundland actor and director who has returned to the works of Shakespeare, again and again, since his first appearance as a nun-chuck wielding Gregory, in Gordon Jones’s gang-inspired production of Romeo & Juliet in 1992. Since then, he also appeared in two other productions of R & J as Friar Lawrence.
Other Shakespeare credits include: Cassius and Brutus (twice) in Julius Caesar; Bottom, Oberon and Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Macduff and Banquo in Macbeth; Shylock in The Merchant of Venice; Edmund in King Lear; and Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing; as well as title roles in Richard III, Macbeth, Henry V and Antony and Cleopatra. From the director’s chair, Steve has also adapted and guided M: The Scottish King, Richard III: Shakespeare’s Bloody Dog, Othello and Hamlet. As for this offering, Steve was a horror movie freak growing up; his bedroom a splattered shrine to Jason, Michael, Freddy and Leatherface. So, it should be of no surprise that Titus Andronicus has long been on his bucket of blood list. He has always imagined what backdrop would best suit Shakespeare’s most blood-drenched and diabolically delectable tale. He thinks we’ve found it here in the desolate forests near Middle Cove. For G.J. (who always believed) ... Happy Hallowe’en ... and Bon Appétit!!! |
Henry V with Alan Doyle
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There are few artists capable of appealing to music fans of all stripes, and Alan Doyle is one of them. From the moment he burst onto the scene in the early 1990s with his band Great Big Sea, Canadians fell in love with the pride of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, whose boundless charisma and sense of humour was eclipsed only by his magnetic stage presence.
His influence is now being heard in a new generation of artists as his solo work continues to endear him to roots music fans everywhere. That’s clearly evident on Alan’s new EP Rough Side Out, which finds him collaborating with Canadian country music superstars Dean Brody and Jess Moskaluke, while at the same time offering his own distinctive interpretation of contemporary country. The seeds for Rough Side Out were planted in 2012 when Brody asked Great Big Sea to record the song “It’s Friday” with him for the Platinum-selling album Dirt. For Alan, that was the moment he realized the door to the country music world was open for he and other east coast Celtic-leaning artists, and since then he’s warmly embraced building closer ties. “My personal journey with the whole thing has been very organic,” Alan says. “When my parents weren’t listening to traditional folk music, they were listening to country music on the radio. So, when I began creating my own musical identity, I was inspired by artists who were able to blend those two worlds.” The same could be said of the songwriting and production team on Rough Side Out, which includes Alan’s frequent collaborators Donovan Woods and Todd Clark. Both have been bringing a new sensibility to Nashville, in part due to their individual backgrounds within the Canadian independent music scene, making Rough Side Out a natural progression of their past work with Alan. “The songs on this record all have strong personal meaning to me,” he says. “I believe the best songwriters in any genre are the ones who can look in their own backyard and find something they want to sing about. In a way, that’s why I wanted to call this record Rough Side Out. It’s a Newfoundland expression I love and have used before that refers to clapboard that’s only sanded on one side. Houses in Newfoundland always have the rough side out because it holds the paint better, but it’s also a metaphor for who we are as people. Most of us have the rough side out— in the best possible way, of course.” Fittingly, the EP’s first single is a reunion with Dean Brody, “We Don’t Wanna Go Home,” a rousing ode to having the perfect night out at your favourite watering hole. It’s a theme that carries on from Rough Side Out’s opening track, “We’re Gonna Love Tonight,” a celebration of freedom that bears all the hallmarks of an Alan Doyle anthem aimed at bringing people together. And what country music excursion would be complete without a classic duet? That was the basic idea behind recording “What the Whiskey Won’t Do” with Jess Moskaluke, a thrilling first-time experience for Alan. “I’ve always wanted to do this kind of duet,” he says. “I’d written songs like that for other people but never for myself. I had the title in my back pocket for a while, and it was a case of just waiting until the right circumstances came along. And being such a fan of Jess, she was the perfect person to sing it with, mainly because her voice has so much more range than mine!” The song describes a couple turning to the bottle in order to get over each other and serves as a reminder of the dangers of overindulgence. Along with the EP’s other great ballad, “It’s OK,” “What the Whiskey Won’t Do” underscores Alan’s long-time work in support of addiction and mental health organizations. However, in a purely musical vein, Alan felt a lot of personal satisfaction in capturing a note-perfect cover of John Mellencamp’s “Paper in Fire,” led by his renowned fiddle player Kendel Carson. “I think in some ways that song really tied the whole project together,” Alan says. “First off, it’s a song I’ve always loved and always wanted to record. But to do it justice, you really need the right players, and the people we had for these sessions could absolutely nail it. The song also shows the change in how country music is perceived. I think if Mellencamp released The Lonesome Jubilee today, it would be regarded as a country album.” Listening habits have indeed changed dramatically and looking back it’s incredible how the humble group of Newfoundlanders who formed Great Big Sea—with a simple goal of bringing their modern take on the music of their home province to mainstream ears—made such an indelible mark on a national scale. But with songs like “When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down),” “Ordinary Day,” and their cover of R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” now ingrained upon the Canadian consciousness, there can be no disputing Great Big Sea’s status as one of the country’s most influential bands of the past three decades. Now as we enter a new decade of music, the notion of genres feels even more antiquated. Connecting with as many listeners as possible continues to be Alan’s top priority, and he cheekily admits he tried to stack the deck in his favour with the EP’s final track “I Gotta Go.” It’s a tailor-made concert staple if there ever was, containing the soon-to-be immortal line, “20 songs if they love me, only 18 if they don’t.” At this point, it would be hard to find any Alan Doyle fan who would choose to leave a show until he’s expended every ounce of energy on stage. Ultimately, Rough Side Out is an Alan Doyle record, which remains a category all its own |
Pericles with Santiago Guzmán in
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Santiago Guzmán is a writer, performer, and director for theatre and film from Mexico City, now based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Memorial University, Grenfell Campus.
It is in Santiago's keen interest to promote diversity onstage and onscreen, to encourage folks with diverse backgrounds to share their talents and stories with the arts community in Newfoundland and Labrador, but most importantly exhort Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to see their homeland with a diverse perspective. His work is very brown, very queer, and very real. Santiago is the Artistic Director of "TODOS Productions: Theatre and Film for All", an organization that seeks to promote, produce, and support the work of under-represented artists in Newfoundland and Labrador. Due to his work with TODOS, he was listed in 2019 as an innovator in Atlantic Business Magazine's edition of 30 under 30: Newfoundland and Labrador. He is also the Artistic Associate for Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre in Halifax, NS. Locally, Santiago has worked with White Rooster Theatre, Rising Tide Theatre, Power Productions, Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company, Shakespeare By The Sea Festival, Blue Pinion Films, The Nickel Independent Film Festival, NIFCO, CNA Digital Filmmaking Program, and CBC NL. It is a dream coming true for Santiago to be finally working with Perchance Theatre. Although Santiago might have arrived to Newfoundland and Labrador by 'accident', it was this place who pushed him to honour and celebrate his essence, and allowed him to be the man and artist the he is today. |
Cymbeline with Deidre Gillard-Rowlings
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Deidre is from the Great Northern Peninsula. She holds a BFA in theatre from Memorial University and is a founding member of Bare Boards Theatre.
For a decade, from 2002 - 2012, she toured nationally and internationally performing the role of MYRA BENNETT with Theatre Newfoundland Labrador's production of "Tempting Providence", by Robert Chafe. Deidre has worked with theatre companies on the island and across the country, including 4 seasons at The Stratford Theatre Festival. She played VIOLET in “Heyday!”, Gordon Pinsent's M.O.W, AUDREY in Season 3 of "Republic of Doyle" and is featured as an IRISH NUN in Discovery’s “Frontier”. She’s currently co-writing a NL comedy - drama TV series,“The Storys”, a children’s book, “Tickle Bridge Station”, and a screen play Nobody’s Girl”. She owns a little piece of property in Gros Morne National Park which she is developing as skills collective. Selected credits include: MARY in Des Walsh's "Rocking the Cradle" / Tarragon Theatre, Toronto, ON CHRISTINE in Daniel MacIvor's "How it Works”/ Prairie Theatre Exchange, Winnipeg, MB MARY/ NORA / LILLY in "Stars in the Sky Morning" & AGNES in "Marion Bridge" / Bare Boards, St. John’s & Corner Brook, NL HOLLY in Norm Foster's "Kiss the Sun, Kiss the Moon" / Western Canada Theatre, Kamloops, BC SARAH in "The Bondagers" / Two Planks and a Passion, Ross Creek, NS PIMPLE in "School for Clowns" & BEATRICE in "The Servant of Two Masters" / Wonderbolt Circus, St. John’s. FRANCES in “Fly Me to the Moon” / The Grand. London, ON HAGGE in Tangly & Seal Slippers (Pantos) / Resource Centre for the Arts, St. John’s KATHERINE in "Taming of the Shrew” / New Curtain Theatre, Clarenville, NL HELEN in Lisa Moore’s “February” / Rising Tide, Trinity, NL Stratford Theatre Festival credits include: YVETTE POTTIER in “Mother Courage and Her Children” 2ND WITCH in “Macbeth” AUDREY in “As You Like it” CHORUS LEADER in “Oedipus Rex”. |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Rhiannon Morgan at Lockston Path Provincial Park |
Rhiannon Morgan is a Canadian actor based in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Following her supporting role in the 2019 feature length film, Black Conflux, she went on to co-star alongside Alison Woolridge as Lore in the CBC Gem special, The Existence of Magic (2020). In 2016, she played Colleen in the CBC Documentary, Newfoundland at Armageddon and was also cast as Claire in Away from Everywhere.
Before her starring role in the 2018 short film, New Woman, for which she received two Best Actress nominations, Rhiannon had leading roles in numerous other shorts, as Amelia opposite Joel Thomas Hynes in Bait (2014), as Anna in Waste It (2017) and as Sadie in Brad (2010). Rhiannon also co-starred in the web series, Moving On as Angela (2015) and appeared as Fiona Michaels in season three of CBC’s Republic of Doyle (2012). She played The Banshee in the 2019 short film, Always Going Never Gone and her most recent role is that of Kay in the feature film, Little Orphans, co-starring Emily Bridger and Marthe Bernard (2020). Growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador instilled in Rhiannon a love of the Atlantic ocean and an intense appreciation for the province's wild and diverse landscape. She currently resides in Port Rexton on the Bonavista Peninsula. |
As You Like It with Greg Malone at Perchance Theatre in Cupids, NL |
Greg Malone is a cynic philosopher in the tradition of Diogenes and Lenny Bruce and, as one of the original founders of CODCO, is perhaps best known for the CODCO TV series and his wicked impersonations of political icons like George Bush, the Queen and, of course, Barbara Frum. He has received many awards for writing, performing and directing, including a dozen Gemini Awards.
Greg was born in St. John’s in 1948. He was educated at St. George’s School, St. Bonaventure’s College. Gonzaga High School, and Memorial University where he graduated with a BA in English. In May 2000, Greg was awarded an Honourary Doctorate of Letters from Memorial in recognition of his achievements and contribution to the artistic and academic communities. Besides the sixty-three, award winning CODCO TV shows, Greg wrote and performed in forty-three WGB shows for CBC Television. His work includes films, many television specials, radio programs, countless stage shows and international theatre tours. He directed and edited the popular and award-winning docudrama film, The Untold Story of the Suffragists of Newfoundland, in which he also appears as Sir Richard Squires. His wildly funny one man special for the Comedy Channel, Pocket Queen, picked up the Gold Award for Comedy at the Houston International Film and Television Festival. In 1995 Greg wrote and directed the award winning, Sex, Drugs and HIV to raise awareness of the impediment prejudice is to the health care of persons living with HIV or AIDS. As a political activist, he is recognized across Canada for his part in the campaign that successfully stopped the privatization of Newfound and Labrador Hydro, and his consistent efforts to protect the Environment. In recent years he has been a Motivational Speaker to many groups across the Country on topic such as Globalization, Privatization, AIDS, Sex, Spirituality and of course the Environment. His presentations are inspired and hilarious, peppered with the impersonation for famous characters. Greg appears as Finn in the popular drama Republic of Doyle on CBC TV. In February of 2009 Greg’s first book, a memoir, You Better Watch Out was published by Random House Canada. His latest book, Don’t Tell the Newfoundlanders, is about the international collusion that brought Newfound into the Canadian Confederation, is a national bestseller and was released in paperback in January 2014. In 2013 Greg played Loomis in Meg Coles’ Our Eliza at Neptune in Halifax and Richard III at the NWTP’s Shakespeare Festival. Greg is a dedicated amateur theologian, spending endless hours trying to reconcile the new cosmology with a medieval Catholic education. In his spare time, he enjoys scriptural exegesis, historical reading and writing and, of course, is an avid eater. |
