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Instructors
Instructors
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Kathryn Akin
Kathryn Akin is a Canadian performer, teacher and director based in London, England for the last fifteen years. She has recently finished a long performance contract in the West End and is back teaching in Toronto for the summer and early autumn. Kathryn teaches all kinds of performers who are interested in applying the benefits of Alexander Technique and it has been an integral part of her own wide ranging performance work for almost twenty years.
Kathryn qualified as a teacher of the Alexander Technique from 1994-1997 with Walter Carrington, one of Alexander’s first generation of teachers and his assistant for many years. She is a member of The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique ( MSTAT) and also trained in movement and devising with master teacher Monika Pagneux ( Lecoq, Peter Brook) and various members of Complicite. Kathryn has taught or directed at the leading British drama schools- RADA, LAMDA, The Central School of Speech and Drama and The Mountview Academy. She has worked in professional training and performance settings such as Shakespeare and Company in the US, Equity Showcase Theatre and Canadian Stage here in Toronto and in London with the Dende Collective and the internationally renowned British theatre company, Shared Experience. Before relocating to the UK, Kathryn performed in both plays and musicals on many Canadian main stages including the Shaw Festival, The National Arts Centre, The Grand Theatre, The Elgin Theatre, Young People’s Theatre and the Royal Alex as well as with CBC radio and television. In the UK her performance credits include plays and musicals at well known theatres such as the Bristol Old Vic, the Traverse Theatre, the Tramway, the Dundee Rep, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Lyric Hammersmith, the New End and the King’s Head as well as various productions in the West End. Most recently she was the alternate ‘Nettie’ to opera star Lesley Garrett in Lindsay Posner’s highly acclaimed production of CAROUSEL at the Savoy. Kathryn also works frequently as an actor for BBC Radio 4 and as a voice actor on feature films, documentaries, commercials and animation. UK camera credits include the mini series CAMBRIDGE SPIES (BBC 2 TV) and the recent short film, ELEVEN FIFTY SIX. |
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Brenda Bazinet
Ms. Bazinet is an actor, director and acting instructor. She has performed on stages across the country. Some of her recent acting credits include: Ring Round the Moon, The Wild Duck (Soulpepper): Old Love (Lighthouse Festival Theatre); The Goat, Equus (Citadel Theatre); The Price (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Ashes to Ashes (Summerworks); Death of a Salesman (Neptune Theatre); End of Civilization (Factory Theatre); Leaving Home (Blyth Festival). She has over 100 film and TV including the mini-series Flashpoint, Burn Up, MVP, Custody, Sins of the Father, This is Wonderland, Redemption, Haven, Puppets Who Kill, Rabbittown and A Grief Shared (Gemini Award). Her recent directing credits include: Featuring Loretta, Problem Child, Adult Entertainment (Fanshawe College Theatre Program); End of Summer, The Chekhov Project (George Brown Theatre School); Love List (Iguana Productions, Mexico), Blown Sideways Through Life (Toronto Fringe Festival - Best of the Fringe); Of the Fields Lately (Sudbury Theatre Centre); The Sea, Under Milk Wood (Actors Repertory Company). Brenda has taught acting at Fanshawe College, George Brown Theatre School, Ryerson (Act II), Humber College (Acting for Film and TV Program), Equity Showcase, Armstrong Acting Studio and ACTRAWORKS.
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Rod Ceballos
Recent directing credits for Mr. Ceballos include: The School for Scandal for Seattle Shakespeare Company; All's Well that Ends Well, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona for Shakespeare in the Square in Brampton; After the Fall for Equity Showcase Theatre; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune for BirdLand Theatre (both productions in Toronto); The Rover for Humber College; A Chaste Maide in Cheapside for Theatre Erindale; The Women, Ravenscroft, Bus Riley's Back in Town, People in the Wind and six other one-act plays by William Inge, and Stage Door for the University of Windsor (the latter two projects as part of their Works-in-Progress series).
Mr. Ceballos is a past participant in the Directors Lab at Tapestry New Opera Works and recipient of an artists development grant from Opera.ca to work as a director/observer with Tapestry New Opera Works and Opera Ontario in Hamilton. He is a past associate artistic director for The Empty Space Theatre in Seattle where he directed Accidental Death of an Anarchist, What the Butler Saw, The Empress of Eden, and the U.S. professional premiere of Charles Tidler’s Blind Dancers. He served as artistic director for the Idaho Shakespeare Festival for whom he directed Titus Andronicus, Troilus and Cressida, Henry VIII, Macbeth, The Crucible, and The Skin of our Teeth among others. He was artistic director for the Shakespeare Festivals of Chicago and Cincinnati, directing Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Imaginary Invalid, and Catch-22; artistic coordinator for the Lakeside One-Act Festival in Michigan, directing The Inca of Perusalem, Man of Destiny, The Celebration, Enchanted Night and the Successful Life of 3; resident director for the Virginia Shakespeare Festival, directing Wild Oats and The Beggar’s Opera; and assistant director at the Shaw Festival on Neil Munro’s production of The Seagull. He was artistic chair for Willamette University Theatre in Oregon where he directed Once in a Lifetime, Othello, The Cherry Orchard, Blood Wedding, The Maids, Women of Troy among others. He served as head of acting for theatre programs at Boise State University in Idaho and the University of California, Davis. Recent directing work includes: Waiting for Lefty, The Real Inspector Hound, and Pinter’s The Lover for Seattle University, The Woman in Black for St. Croix Festival Theatre in Wisconsin, All my Sons for Willamette University, and Rebecca for Ocala Civic Theatre in Florida. He has taught acting classes for the Theatre Performance program at Humber College (Shakespeare), Randolph Academy (Shakespeare) and for Equity Showcase Theatre. He will be directing The Man of Mode for the University of Windsor in January 2009 and Half Life for A.C.T. Productions (producer for Shakespeare in the Square) in Brampton in June 2009. |
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Beth Anne Cole
Beth Anne Cole is a distinguished singer, actress, songwriter and teacher who has appeared in theatres in England, Canada and the U.S. In London she starred as Luisa in “The Fantasticks”; in New York she performed at Carnegie Hall; in Canada she played the title role in “Rose Marie” at The Shaw Festival, Margot in “The Desert Song” and Loulou in “Hit the Deck”, also at Shaw. Other international appearances include Hampstead Theatre Club in London, Actors’ Studio in New York, American Repertory Theatre in Boston, Stratford Festival and Royal Alexandra Theatre in Canada. The Boston Herald called her “a superb singer actress” for her performance in “Kurt Weill: Songs Degenerate and Otherwise” at the Market Theatre.
“She has the timing of pure artistry”. - Toronto Star Beth Anne wrote and performed on “Sesame Street” and appeared for twenty-two years on CBC-TV’s “Mr.Dress-Up show for children. She devised and performed numerous items for the CBC Radio show “Morningside” over an eight year period, produced her own concert tours and has two CDs to her credit, “Gifts in the Old, Old Ground”, an album of her original songs, and “Song under the Stair”, a collection of Yiddish folk songs. Teaching: Beth Anne has been teaching speech, singing and acting for over twenty years. In Canada she has taught at Humber Theatre School and The Second City; in New York at Michael Howard Studios, Circle-in-the- Square Theatre School and her own private studio. She has lectured at George Brown College in Toronto and conducts “Voice Clinics” in which she teaches clear speech, how to speak in public effectively and communication skills, thus improving sales and success in business to her clients. She is able to diagnose vocal challenges quickly and provide the client with tools for change. “I tend to live in my head and Beth Anne helped me to connect mind and body so my voice could develop its full potential” - A. Jiminez, diplomat, United Nations “I know Beth Anne to be a teacher of rare ability, insight, with deep concern for her students, many of whom have reported getting work in the theatre as a direct result of her coaching” - Michael Howard, master teacher, NY Directing credits include four full-length cabaret shows for the students of Circle-in-the-Square Theatre School in New York, presented at the Broadway Theatre Circle-in-the Square and at the Triad Theatre, New York City. |
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Yuval Daniel
An accomplished writer, actor and director,Yuval has written six screen plays, including 'Teddy Bear' which was produced into a 90 minute feature in 2007.Working in both French and English, he wrote and directed the ten episode docu-drama series 'Tele-Litte' for TFO-TVO. He also wrote the documentary 'We Were There', a homage to Canadian veterans who fought in Israel’s war of independence and had the honor of working with Associated Producers' Simcha Jacobovici writing and directing for the series 'Scandal! Then & Now' for History Television. Early in his career he wrote and directed shorts for 'Real Life' with Erica Ehm. Yuval won first prize at the Forum Awards for Best Government Video for his entry, 'Let’s Do Business'.
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Rosemary Dunsmore
Rosemary is an award winning actress, director and teacher whose career has taken her across Canada, the United States and Europe. She was just awarded the Actra Award for best female performance for her work in the independent feature The Baby Formula which is currently playing the festival circuit with great success. She spent three seasons at the Stratford Festival playing such roles as Helena in Dream, Celia in As You Like It and Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire. She was awarded the Masque Award in Quebec for her performance in Wit, the first English speaking actress to be so honoured. She won a Dora for Straight Ahead/Blind Dancers. She has been nominated for Doras on three other occasions. Her first major television appearance in CBC’s Blind Faith won her the Earl Grey Award. Her frequent television appearances have garnered her four Gemini nominations. She is probably best known for her role as Katherine Brooke in Anne of Green Gables-The Sequel, Aunt Abigail in The Road to Avonlea and the title role in the CBC series Mom P.I. Some favourite roles: Total Recall, St Urbain’s Horseman, The Interrogation of Michael Crowe, Profoundly Normal, Liar, Liar, The Winning Season, and Citizen Duane. She is also a busy director. Recent directing credits include: Sexy Laundry, Here on the Flight Path, Whale Music,Jane Eyre, Hockey Mom Hockey Dad, Virginia, Measure for Measure, Dinner with Friends, Wuthering Heights, Fighting Words, Walking on Crimson, All’s Well That Ends Well and The Glace Bay Miner’s Museum. She teaches at Equity Showcase, the National Theatre School, University of Toronto, George Brown College, SIFT and independent workshops across the country. She is the Actor in Residence at the Canadian Film Centre. She was chosen by Macleans Magazine in 1990 for the Honour Roll of Canadians Who Make a Difference. Rosemary recently appeared on stage in Festen, The Sisters Rosenswieg, The Glass Menagerie (Toronto) and in Long Day’s Journey Into Night and Glorious!(Montreal). She has recently finished shooting the feature film Orphan, the BBC miniseries Burn Up, Hallmark MOW Saving Grace, CTV MOW The Good Times Are Killing Me and Pocket Change’s feature At Home By Myself With Me.
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David Ferry
David Ferry has worked extensively as an award winning actor on stage, television, radio and film in Canada and the U.S. in a career that has spanned nearly 40 years, performing on and off Broadway, at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and at all the major Canadian regional and alternative theatres. This season he appeared as Captain Ahab in the Festival world premiere of a new Moby Dick. He recently completed filming a principal role on the feature film All Saints Day. He is also an award winning director and dramaturge in the theatre, and has served as Artistic Director at three theatre companies. Most recently he was artistic director of Resurgence Theatre Company for four years where he directed A Midsummer Nights Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Saltwater Moon and Talley’s Folley amongst other plays. This past season he directed the acclaimed production of The Pillowman for CanStage and Birdland. He directed 36 Views for ARC (2006 DORA nomination Best Production) as well as the world premiere of Brendan Gall’s Alias Godot at Teatro della Limonaia’s Festival Intercity in 2006 (and invited back in 2007 to remount it). He won two 2006 DORA awards (Toronto’s theatre awards) for direction and lighting design for his production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot for Toronto’s Birdland Theatre Company which also won best production. He has just completed compiling and editing a selection of monologues from Canadian play scripts called He Speaks for Playwrights Canada Press. He is currently editing a collection of plays by James Reaney for Playwrights Canada Press.
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Simon Fon
Simon Fon has taught thousands of people in stage combat, from coast to coast, over the past 18 years. He is a member of Fight Directors Canada, and holds the title of Fight Master. As a stunt coordinator he most recently worked on COOPER’S CAMERA with Dave Foley, Disney’ Power Rangers In Training, and Marvel’s Spiderman the DVD training spot. Some recent stunt performing credits include series stunt double (season III) for the character of "Jesse" on the TV series Mutant X. Hemingway V.S. Callaghan for CBC, Earth: Final Conflict, Prince Charming-HBO and Tracker for TV/Film. Simon also worked on the Genie Award winning short Hangman’s Bride as Fight Director and actor. In theatre Simon has worked at Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, Factory Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraislle, YPT/Lorraine Kimsa, The Grand Theatre (London), Theatre By The Bay (Barrie). Simon has also worked on the Dora Nominated Romeo & Juliet - Remixed with eXpect theatre/Spark productions. He teaches at George Brown College, University of Toronto, York University, Banff Centre for the Arts, University of British Columbia, Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Equity Showcase - Players Academy, Rapier Wit Studio, and Fight Directors Canada National workshops (96, 97, 01, 02, 03, 04).
www.simonfon.com/ |
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Michele George
Michele George brings a wealth of talent and experience to her master classes. She is a published writer, successful actor, director and teacher who has worked both Nationally and Internationally. Highlights, of which there are many, include engagements with The National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Factory Theatre, York University, George Brown Theatre School, Soul Pepper, University of Toronto, Equity Showcase Theatre, the Tamba School in Japan, The Centre for Performance /Wales, and the International Centre for Theatre Research in Paris where she worked closely with the acclaimed Peter Brook, including performances in “Orghast at Persepolis”, “The Ik”, Mere Ubu in “Ubu Roi”, the African journey, “Conference of the Birds” and many more. Michele is the recipient of much support from the Canada Council for her creative endeavours and received the Freddie Stone Memorial Award for Innovation in Canadian Music.
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Rebecca Golden
Rebecca has appeared across Canada in productions for adults and children. An actor for over 10 years, she is a graduate of the Victory Artists Conservatory, and studied Classical Theatre with Ada Brown-Mather in Avignon, France. Selected stage credits include Clouds, Assemblywomen and Lysistrata (Ancient Comic Opera Company), The Angelina Project (Albert Invincible), The Lesson (Hitherto), Penelope the Impostor (Theatre CounterClockwise), Girls ‘n’ the Hood (Nightwood) and Taming of the Shrew (Archangel).
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Janet-Laine Green
Ms. Green has been a working actor/director/producer and teacher for more than 25 years with 9 Gemini and Genie nominations. Recent film and TV roles include Dead Lawyers, Niagara Motel, This is Wonderland, Playmakers, Blue Murder, The Stone Angel, I Me Wed, and a series regular on MVP. Ms. Green holds an M.F.A. in directing from York University. Directing and producing credits include Yerma, Medea, Menopositive, Pillow Talk and Pajama Games. She has appeared in starring roles in major theatres across Canada, A Streetcar Named Desire in the United States, and was nominated for a Dora award for her work in Transit of Venus. Janet-Laine has been teaching the subtleties of acting for the camera at EST for over thirteen years. She has taught at universities and colleges, ACTRAWORKS, the Summer Institute of Film and Television, University of Debrecen (Hungary), Humber College, The Players Academy, Dean Armstrong School, Theatre Escambray in Cuba, Women in the Directing Chair in Banff, and is highly regarded as a private coach for actors, and film productions, most recently for the new Disney series Aaron Stone.
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Linda Griffiths
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Elva Mai Hoover
Ms Hoover has been a working actor, instructor and coach for over thirty years and has four Gemini and Genie nominations. She has had continuing roles in film and television – like Elvira Lawson in Road to Avonlea, Mrs Edison in The Edison Twins, Beth on Riverdale and Ted’s Mom in Queer as Folk. Her credits number over fifty film and television proects, including most recently Molly: American Doll, For Love of Olivia, Midwives, and Stolen Miracle. Selected stage credits include Rabbit Hole, Romeo and Juliet, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, Homeward Bound, and The Bush Ladies. She has appeared at the Stratford Festival and played leading roles in regional theatres across Canada and is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
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Bernadette Jones
BERNADETTE JONES / Director, Dialogue Coach, Acting Teacher
Bernadette’s professional association with Michael Shurtleff started in 1984 and continued till his death this past year. She was responsible for all the master classes he gave in Toronto over a ten-year period. Bernadette has been teaching professional actors for 25 years in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Shurtleff’s studio in Los Angeles. She has extensive on-set experience coaching lead actors for TV Series, MOWs, Mini Series and Feature Films. Bernadette completed her university studies in English and Drama at Concordia University in Montreal. Since that time she has directed over thirty theatre productions and received Dora Mavor Moore award nominations on numerous occasions. Bernadette’s first short film aired on W-TV’s ‘Shameless Shorts’. “Bernadette has the distinction of being the very best. There is no other teacher to compare to her skills in handling actors and in imparting to them a system whereby they will have the specifics of how to solve any acting problem for the rest of their acting lives.” (Michael Shurtleff, Los Angeles – 1997) Michael Shurtleff: Casting Director/Playwright/Teacher/Author - AUDITION www.bernadettejones.com |
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Beth Laing
Beth Laing studied Movement Psychology under the late Yat Malmgren, at the Drama Centre, London. She has taught actors and opera singers on both sides of the Atlantic for 17 years. Beth is also an actress and director with credits in film, television, radio and stage.
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Kate Lynch
Teacher
Equity Showcase Theatre, The Stratford Festival Conservatory, The Shaw Festival, The National Theatre School, George Brown Theatre School, the University of Toronto Drama Program Director Starchamber by Noel Coward, The Shaw Festival (upcoming); The Nutalls by Michael Healey, The Blyth Festival; Hands Across the Sea by Noel Coward, The Shaw Festival Studio; Courting Joanna (adapted from Alice Munro) by Marcia Johnson, Theatre Passe Muraille; Descent by Tom Walmsely, Theatre Passe Muraille; Three Squares a Day by Tom Walmsley, Theatre Passe Muraille; The Dispute by Mariveaux, Summerworks Festival; Health Class by David Craig, Roseneath Theatre; Blood by Tom Walmsely, Theatre Passe Murraille; A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare, Theatre Passe Muraille Writer Go Forth and Multiply directed by Alissa Palmer, Summerworks Festival; Tales of the Blonde Assassin directed by Sue Minor, Fringe Festival (adapted for CBC Radio); The Road to Hell (co-written with Michael Healey) directed by Andy McKim, The Tarragon Theatre |
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Anna MacKay-Smith
Anna is an actor, teacher, director, writer, producer and Artistic Director. She was first introduced to Uta Hagen’s exercises over thirty-five years ago at The Drama Centre, London, England where she studied acting with HB Studio Master Teacher, Doreen Cannon. She continued her studies of this work in Toronto with teachers from the HB Studio, Carol Rosenfeld and William Hickey. Having taught acting for over twenty-five years, Anna founded and was Artistic Director of the Toronto acting school, The Players Academy for over ten years. She taught the Uta Hagen technique at the school as well as at York University in the BFA program. Anna currently is teaching acting at George Brown College, University of Toronto, Mississauga. She also offers individual coaching and classes.
She graduated from Ottawa University with a BA in theatre and the Drama Centre in London, England in a three year acting program. She went on to work in regional theatres across Canada including the Stratford. Anna went on to get her MFA in Directing from York University where she later taught for many years. She is also the Founder of MotherTree Projects, a theatre company that creates large theatrical productions from the stories of women. For over fifteen years she has been the Co-Founder with Kenneth Welsh and Artistic Director of The Motley Theatre Company, a professional play reading company that has produced more than 80 plays with actors such as Rachel McAdams, Paul Gross and Gordon Pinsent. |
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Leon Marr
Producer/Director/Screenwriter
Director and Screenwriter, Leon Marr, is based in Toronto, Canada. He is internationally recognized for his acclaimed feature film, Dancing In The Dark, which was the Official Selection at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Toronto Festival of Festivals, New York, and twenty other festivals around the world; as well as the winner of three Genie Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay. He also has a lengthy career in television production. As Creative Consultant, he was instrumental in winning Platinum and Gold at the 2007 International MarCom Awards, for a new series of industrial training videos for WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) - a Canada-wide, legally-mandated program, for training all employees working with hazardous products. His current feature film projects in development include: as Co-Producer, together with Pieter Kroonenburg, and Director for his Original Screenplay Finale, a psychological thriller which has received development funding from Telefilm Canada; as Co-Producer, together with Buffalo Gal Pictures, and Director for his Original Screenplay Winter Love, a love story; as Co-Producer and Director for his Original Screenplay Say A Prayer For Me, a psychological thriller which received funding from Telefilm Canada, the OFDC, and FUND; as Writer for his Original Screenplay Zero Tolerance, an environmental thriller; as Co-Writer, together with Sherry Soules, on his Original Screenplay Half-Way There, a romantic comedy; and as Co-Writer, together with Sherry Soules, on her Original Screenplay If Looks Could Kill, an environmental drama. His Screenplay Consultant credits include: The Wolf and The Crow, a dramatic love story, written by Sherry Soules; The Prince of Cool, based on the life of Chet Baker, which is being produced by Pieter Kroonenburg; Rialto (2004); Best Friends (Goldie Hawn & Burt Reynolds), directed by Norman Jewison; and Iceman, produced by Norman Jewison and directed by Fred Schepsi. IMDB.com: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0550004/ |
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Kevin McCormick
Mr. McCormick has worked as Artistic Director, Producer, Director, Acting Instructor, and Consultant. Some directing credits include: The Fantasticks, The Sound of Music, In God's Own Country, Oklahama, The Stronger, Camelot, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wait until Dark, and Suddenly Last Summer. He founded Theatre Collingwood, and remained there as Artistic Director for many years. He was also AD of the Meaford Opera House. While pioneering theatre in Meaford and Collingwood he helped to launch activity in Southampton and Wasaga Beach. He was a founding member of the Toronto Association of Acting Studios and served as Chairman for several years. Some teaching appointments include York U., Ryerson Theatre School, Seneca College, Leah Posluns, Canadian College of Dance, and National Ballet of Canada. Kevin trained at Ryerson, as well as the Banff School of Fine Arts and the University of New Brunswick. Kevin is currently working on a book entitled In Search of the Artist Within: Conversations on Acting.
www.theactorstutorial.com/ |
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Peter Messaline
Peter has not worked outside the entertainment industry in forty years. He has appeared on stage across Canada, including both Festivals, in the States, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He voiced the Daleks in the first 'Dr Who', and has played principal and guest star villains, with the occasional good guy, on 'Traders', 'Goosebumps', 'Above And Beyond', and the recent indie 'Unlucky' and many, many commercials.
He is the most-published Canadian arts career writer, with Making It, the CHRC guide to arts careers, The Agents Book for AMIS, The Tax Kit and The Actor's Survival Kit, now in its fifth edition. Now he performs, gives seminars in tax, finance, and art-repreneurship, and prepares tax returns. |
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Tedde Moore
Tedde comes from a distinguished theatrical family and has been a professional actress for almost 50 years. She is a founding memberof The Actor's Repertory Company and she has co-written (with actor Lynda Mason Green) a book of Canadian performer's anecdotes 'Standing Naked In The Wings'. She has a Genie for her film work and enjoys ongoing affection for her role as 'Miss Shields' in the cult film A Christmas Story. She won the 2002 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance, Independent Theatre. Summer 2004 she was text coach for David Ferry's acclaimed production of Much Ado About Nothing at Resurgence Theatre Co, Newmarket and has worked on two more of his acclaimed Shakespeare productions; The Taming of the Shrew for ShakespeareWorks, at Ashbridge's Bay, Toronto and Midsummer Night's Dream, Resurgence Theatre Co, Newmarket. She teaches at Equity Showcase, The Player's Academy, The Royal Conservatory of Music as well as privately.
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Martha Ross
Martha Ross, trained at L’Ecole Jacques LeCoq in Paris, brings with her 30 years of creating original theatre. With Theatre Columbus, the company she co-founded with Leah Cherniak in 1983, Martha created many new works (The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine; The Attic, The Pearls and Three Fine Girls; And Up They Flew, etc) The company was nominated three times for the Chalmers award for Best Canadian Play, winning it in 1999 for The Bertayal. The company also won 9 Dora Mavor Moore Awards and received 47 nominations. Martha has also had a celebrated career as a playwright, performer and teacher.
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David Smukler
Mr. Smukler is one of the most respected voice teachers in North America. He is on the faculty of York U.'s Dept. of Theatre where he supervises the Voice Teacher Diploma in the MFA Acting Program, is the Director of the National Voice Intensive held each May in Vancouver and teaches professional classes at EST. After training at Carnegie Institute of Technology and Columbia U., he had a Rockefeller Grant to study voice production according to the principles of Iris Warren under Kristin Linklater. As a voice coach in Canada, England, the Netherlands, and the US, he has worked in theatre from classical theatre, opera and musical theatre, film, television, radio, to contemporary and experimental theatre and music with such companies as: the Stratford Festival (nine seasons), Alberta Theatre Projects, CanStage, The Royal Alex, The National Arts Centre (Canada); the Tyrone Guthrie and the Open Theatre (United States), the Royal Court and the English Opera Group (England); as well as the Apple, Centrum and Globe theatre companies (The Netherlands). He has taught at major drama schools in the US, England, The Netherlands and Canada.
Mr. Smukler has coached on over a hundred and twenty-five film and television productions. |
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David Sparrow
Appearing as an actor in over eighty film and television roles, David has also written three screenplays including 'Teddy Bear' which he sold to Super Channel in 2008 and is now available on DVD, four short films, two sitcom pilots, over 20 hours of sketch comedy, many short stories, a selection of poetry and songs and a children’s book. He has written for CBC Radio and CITY TV and has written many commercials for Radio, TV and the Internet.
In 1999, David’s hit play 'The Honey Murders' was staged for sold-out crowds at The Scared Fools Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. The LA times said of David, "He channeled Ralph Kramden to the stage". In 2002, David won 2nd place in Pirate Radio’s 5.1 Surround Sound Challenge for a car repair spot entitled 'Falling Apart'. His short screenplay 'So Easy' won honorable mention and was a semi-finalist in Fade Magazine’s 2005 Screen Writing Contest (there were over 2000 entries). |
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Sean Sullivan
Sean Sullivan began his movement career by winning the U.S. National Masters in Mime Tournament at the age of sixteen. He then spent two years training and touring with Richmond Shepard, (‘American Foremost Mime’ and pioneering teacher, a student and follower of Etienne DeCroux and Marcel Marceau).
Mr. Sullivan split his time between working in traditional theatre and touring his original mime pieces in the classic solo concert format throughout the west coast. After studying at the American Conservatory Theatre, (San Francisco), in their Masters classical theatre program, a solo play was written for Mr. Sullivan, ‘Baby Redboot’s Revenge’, by southern California playwright Philip-Dimitri Galas. An amalgam of styles, from vaudeville to hyper-mimetic physicality, show tunes to stream of consciousness rants, the play embodied the skills of the very physical European theatre with North American content. Mr. Sullivan was dubbed ‘a virtual Nijinsky of performance art’ by the New York Times, (Peter Marks), after his Manhattan debut in the New York International Fringe Festival. A run at the renowned off-Broadway theatre P.S. 122 followed, along with a tour and series of physical workshops in Poland and the Czech Republic. He continues to stress in his own work the importance of physical commitment, in tandem with fully realized textural, psychological and emotional work. His workshops in the U.S. and Europe have always focused on the inherent synchronicity between the physical and the intellectual/emotional work of the actor. |
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RH Thomson
R.H. Thomson one of the nation's leading film, television and stage actors. He was honoured with numerous awards during his career. He was the director of The World Theatre Festival in Toronto as well as hosting the CBC television series Man Alive for two seasons. Advocacy has always been part of his life both on arts and social issues.
He has played lead roles in most of the country's theatres. He has directed at Theatre Calgary, Theatre New Brunswick, The Belfry Theatre, The Tarragon Theatre, GCTC, ShakespeareWorks and The Neptune Theatre. His most recent television appearance was on the CBC mini series The Englishman's Boy. |
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Andrew Tidmarsh
Following his BA in English and German and his MA in English (both from London University) Andrew worked briefly as a standup comedian before being asked to run a theatre company in Wuerzburg in the South of Germany. The theatre company soon expanded into touring its productions to theatres and festivals throughout Germany.
Returning to UK, Andrew was became an assistant director at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. He has directed at Shakespeare’s Globe, Jermyn St Theatre, Wimbledon theatre studio among many other venues. In 2002 Andrew directed Much Ado About Nothing in the Manila in the Philippines. Since 2001, Andrew has lectured in Elizabethan theatre and theatre history at Goldsmiths, University of London. He continues to do so. Andrew helped to set up the MA in European Classical Acting at Drama Centre London; a course involving students attending partner institutions: Vakhtanghov Institute in Moscow and Shakespeare’s Globe in London. Andrew was the course director of this course until 2007. Andrew currently works at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he set up the Academy’s new Foundation Course, of which he is the Course Director. Andrew also runs the Young Actors’ Summer School and the Chekhov Summer School. As well as RADA and Drama Centre, Andrew has worked at East 15 and Central School of Speech and Drama. In addition to working on Classical Texts, Andrew’s other main professional interest is working with writers and devising work. He directs for the “Goldsmiths New Voices” new writing festival at the Tristan Bates theatre every year. Andrew’s approach is concerned with encouraging every actor to engage with his or her creativity with confidence and security. A safe and structured environment is immediately established with the actors. They are no longer concerned with right or wrong, but instead are free to build with imagination and ownership. Underlying this approach is Andrew’s solid technical understanding of effective storytelling and the crafts needed by the versatile actor. Andrew lives in London with his partner and their four-year-old son. |
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Ann Turnbull
Ms Turnbull is a graduate of the Ryerson Acting Program and has been a Professional Actress for over twenty-five years with extensive experience in theatre, film and tv, commercials and voice.
Ms. Turnbull has worked in theatres such as the Shaw Festival (4 seasons), Citadel Theatre, Royal Alexander Theatre, Globe Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Cleveland Playhouse, Theatre Aquarius, Ford Centre, Magnus Theatre and Stage West. She has worked with directors such as Christopher Newton, Richard Monette, Jeannette Lambermont, Bob Baker, Steven Schipper and Al Waxman. Ann's film and television work includes principal roles on Queer As Folk, Eleventh Hour, Blue Murder (3 episodes), Wild Card, Odyssey 5, 72 Hours True Crimes, Real Kids Real Adventures, Goosebumps, Model Behaviour (Disney MOW), A Day In The Life (MOW) and The Defenders (MOW). Ann has been featured in over fifty on-camera commercials including ads for Service Canada, Reynolds Wrap, Universal Mobile, Westjet, Best Buy, Leon's, KFC, Colgate, Sears, Ford Winstar, Sunoco, ScotiaBank, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Black Diamond Cheese, Uncle Ben's Rice, Fruit By The Foot, Royal Bank, Stapes, Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, Houston Chronicle, California Democratic Campaign and muliple voice ads for Home Depot. Ms. Turnbull is also an on-going guest teacher and director at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts and Richmond Hill High School. |
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Peter Van Wart
Mr. Van Wart is a member of the fellowship of actors who made up the International Shakespeare's Globe Company 2002 in such roles as Richard III and Pandarus and received the Christopher Plummer Fellowship Award.Peter has been teaching Shakespeare for the Actor at Uof T.and The Randolph Theatre Academy. He also founded The Classical Theatre Lab at Equity Showcase in 1998. Peter is a familiar face on TV and film over the past 25 years.Highlights on stage include; Touchstone in As You Like It,Serge in Art,Malvolio in Twelfth Night, the King in Alls Well That Ends Well S.I.T.S.the Duke in Measure for Measure and Boyet in Loves Labours Lost at the York Shakespeare Festival,Titus in Titus Andronicus in Halifax, Meneleus in Trojan Women in Los Angeles. As a director, Peter brought R&J Brampton from development to the stage in 2007 and helmed The Original Practices productions of Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night at the Heritage Theatre in Brampton September 2005. Other directorial accomplishments include Shakespeare on the Thames' inaugural production of Twelfth Night in 2002 and their 2004 production of As You Like It held in Gibbons Park in London, Ontario. He has directed The Taming of the Shrew at the Rose Theatre in Brampton in the summer of 2008.He also played Pseudolus in the Rose Theatre production of A Funny Thing Happened On THe Way To The Forum.
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Robert Verlaque
Mr Verlaque is currently a member of the Faculty of the Terry Schreiber Studio and Theatre in New York City conducting Beginner Intensives, Conservatory Training and Summer Intensives. He is directing George Bernard Shaw's "You Never Can Tell" for an off Broadway NY opening in May, 2011.
Robert has been a professional actor, director and writer for over 25 years and has enjoyed a wealth of TV , Film and Stage credits as well as national commercials. Recent appearances include "The Lois Wilson Story" with Winona Ryder and Barry Pepper, "Crash & Burn", "Regenesis", "Martha Behins Bars" with Cybill Shepherd. He has also worked with Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Mike Nichols, Harvey Keitel, Ally Sheedy, Lou Gossett Jr., Tom Selleck. He is a produced playwright and screenwriter. Mr Verlaque has been a faculty member of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts , and Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York and Equity Showcase Theatre in Toronto and is a, in demand audition coach in Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver and New York. |
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Joe Ziegler
SOULPEPPER Founding member; for 2009: Director: Travesties. Actor: Parfumerie.
FOR SOULPEPPER: Director: Ring Round the Moon, Mary Stuart, Our Town, King Lear, Hamlet, The Winter’s Tale. Actor: A Christmas Carol, Uncle Vanya, The Time of Your Life, The Wild Duck, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, The School for Wives. OTHER THEATRE: Director: Shaw Festival; Stratford Festival; Canadian Stage; Grand Theatre in London; Citadel in Edmonton; Theatre New Brunswick; Neptune Theatre in Halifax. Actor in theatres across the country, on television, film and radio. OTHER: Graduate of the National Theatre School. UPCOMING: Director: A Moon for the Misbegotten (Shaw); Actor: The Trespassers (Stratford). |