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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.kevinmccormickdirector.com
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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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Liza Balkan
Liza Balkan is a Dora Award winning actor, director, teacher, writer, dancer and singer who has been working in theatre for the past 28 years. Her recent directing credits include: Emil Sher’s Mourning Dove /Tarragon Extra Space; the TO Fringe hit Opera On the Rocks and Lake Nora Arms for Summerworks ’09 which was listed as one of the Top Ten by NOW Magazine; Opera Briefs for Tapestry New Opera Works; Little Shop of Horrors and 7 stories /CCPA, Victoria BC; Half an Hour/Directors’ Project - Shaw Festival; Orchids/Marquis Entertainment; Skylight and Trying/Persephone Theatre; The premiere of Jason Sherman’s adaptation of Gorky’s Enemies and The Good Woman of Setzuan/Ryerson Theatre School; She has assisted on productions at the Stratford and Shaw festivals, NAC and Soulpepper. Liza is also an acting coach and has taught at Sheridan, Seneca College, Academy of Film and Television, Shakesperience, and the Soulpepper Youth Outreach program. Her acting credits include productions at the NAC, Blyth Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, GCTC, Harbourfront, Elgin Theatre, Belfry Theatre, ATP, The Kennedy Centre ( Wash. DC) Theatre for the New City (NYC), as well as many Fringe and Rhubarb Festivals. She received a Dora Award for her performance in Still The Night/Theatre Passe Muraille/Tapestry/National Tour . She is presently a Writer in Residence with Crows Theatre where she is developing her project Out The Window, being produced by Crows and the Theatre Centre in Spring 2011.
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Tom Diamond
Director Tom Diamond’s acclaimed productions include premieres of Chan Ka Nin’s IRON ROAD (Dora Award) and Timothy Sullivan’s FLORENCE THE LADY WITH THE LAMP (Chalmers Award) , five productions for Pacific Opera Victoria and nine for the Canadian Opera Company. His production of SQUONK was an off-Broadway hit which transferred to Broadway where it won the American Theatre Wing's Hewes Award. He is the Resident Director/Dramaturg at Tapestry New Opera Works. His first short film, THE PERFECT MATCH, premiered at Harbourfront’s World Stage Festival. It has been seen at film festivals across North American and was nominated for Best Experimental Film at the Miami Short Film Festival. Mr. Diamond is perhaps most often recognized for his participation in the Gemini Award-winning television series BATHROOM DIVAS. Mr Diamond has taught at both the Grad and Undergrad Programmes at York University for 12 years .and at U of T for UCC Drama and the Faculty of Music. Other teaching credits include ; Equity Showcase Theatre ,Actors Tutorial, Grant MacEwan College, Theatre Ontario, Dalhousie in Halifax , Indiana University USA and the New England Conservatory of Boston, Eastman School of Music in Rochester N.Y ,The Glen Gould School, acting coach for the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Atelier Lyrique [Montreal] Opera, and master classes for the University of Western Ontario ,U of Manitoba and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Tom is on eof the most in demand acting teachers in North America.
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Lynne Griffin
Lynne Griffin - Genie nominated actress Lynne is one of Canada’s most established and successful actors. Having lived in L.A. for many years Lynne has accumulated a lengthy list of film, television movie and TV series credits. Some highlights include Black Christmas, The Amateur, Strange Brew, Heavenly Kid, Jewel, Felicity; An American Girls Adventure, Shattered City; The Halifax Explosion, Every Person is Guilty. Lynne has also worked on stage at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, The Shaw Festival and Resurgence Theatre.
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Fiona Griffiths
Fiona Griffiths is a teacher, actor, clown, choreographer and body worker.Fiona has a BFA in modern dance and choreography and an MFA in mulit-media performing arts and creative process. She has performed extensively in dance, theatre, clown and video. Fiona has taught in the graduate programs of York and Yale Universities and choreographed and coached for many professional theatre companies. As well as running independent workshops, Fiona currently teaches at the Clown Farm and with the School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
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Peggy Jane Hope
Peggy Jane Hope – Actress, singer and song writer having studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts , Ryerson Theatre School and the Humber Jazz program .Ms Hope has a long list of performance credits and has recorded and performed in a variety of locations across Canada.
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Mike Kirby
Mike Kirby has been a professional actor for over 30 years, and has appeared Off-Broadway and in major theatres across Canada, notably starring as Pat Garrett in ‘The Collected Works of Billy the Kid’ for Grand Theatre in London Ont, and in ‘Doc’ at Toronto Free Theatre. He has acted and starred in numerous feature film and television projects from ‘Meatballs’ to ‘The Kidnapping of the President’, John Boorman’s ‘Where The Heart Is’, to CBCs ‘The Susan Nelles Story’. Mike has won 12 CLIO Awards for advertising Excellence in his 30 year career as Actor, Narrator, Broadcaster, Voice Specialist and Author. He was Station Voice of HGTV Home and Garden Television Canada for 13 years, voice of Standard Broadcasting CFRB for 5 years, Host/Announcer of the 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games at Skydome in Toronto and Host/Announcer for the 1998 United Way Walk-A-Thon at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Canada. MIke has been the voice of numerous documentaries for PBS as well as the award-winning CBC documentary series “Witness”, and his hundreds of commercial clients have included Coca Cola, Hyundai, Suzuki, Nissan, Toyota, Chevy Trucks, Toronto Blue Jays, Stratford Festival, Cogeco, Rogers Cable, Mobil Oil... Mike Kirby is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater in New York City.
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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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David Macniven
David Macniven is an actor who has performed in theatre, television and film from Victoria BC to NYC including over 50 television and film projects. He has appeared in such films as ”Reaction Stick” which premiered at the Toronto International Festival, “Ham and Cheese”, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey and “Welcome to Mooseport”, starring Gene Hackman and Ray Romano. He has appeared in numerous theatre productions including the critically acclaimed “Non Sequitur” for the Toronto Fringe and the smash hit “Catering Queen” for the Fringe and at Tarragon Extra Space, as well as the hugely popular “bittergirl” in Toronto and Off-Broadway in New York. Mr. Macniven is also a writer currently developing a number of projects for the stage and for television. He is deeply involved with volunteer service-work in the arts, serving as an elected leader for the performers’ union the Alliance of Cinema Radio and Television Artists, and as a Director on the Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union founding board.
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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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Irene Pauzer
Irene Pauzer is currently Head of Voice and Speech at Ryerson University training and coaching all four years of the BFA Acting Programme as well as the vocal training in the Ryerson Dance Programme. Her previous teaching and coaching background includes seven seasons on the Coaching Team at the Stratford Festival, West Virginia University, York University, The Stratford Festival's Birmingham Conservatory of Classical Training, and Equity Showcase Conservatories with Kevin McCormack, The Voice Intensive, Randolph Academy, Moonhorse Dance Theatre as well as master classes at the On the Move Conference. Her creative research interests include the physical/vocal/ psychological connection and how these three aspects interact in communication with a recently published article The Speaking Dancer, in the VASTA [Voice and Speech Trainers Association] Journal. Most recently seen on Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures on HBO, Irene brings over twenty-five years of performing experience to her teaching with credits that include Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Twilight Zone, Street Legal, Salt of the Earth, Bridge to Silence, Mrs. Winterbourne, Martha, Ruth and Edie, Gate II, Citadel Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Banff Festival of the Arts, Autumn Leaf Theatre, Stratford Festival, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Irene trained at the Royal Ballet School, and is the recipient of grants from Actra Fraternal, Banff Festival of the Arts, and the British Arts Council.
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Sheena D. Robertson
Sheena D. Robertson is a director and photographer, and is much in demand as a theatre facilitator. She revels in working in diverse settings – with inner city youth, teachers, artists, and at institutions such as the University of Toronto, York University, The Royal Conservatory and Equity Showcase Theatre. She is particularly interested in providing creative opportunities which access the soul and story of the artist, and in using collective collaboration techniques to empower actors to create their own theatrical projects. She has directed many such collaborative projects. Much of her artistic work centers on addressing issues of social justice. Through her company Whimsical Productions, she recently produced the film Gone, directed a series of experimental ‘shorts’ focusing on the concept of ‘self’ – including a project with a group of young Muslim women, directed a documentary about advocacy in inner city Toronto, and has co-directed, translated and produced a new theatrical play entitled Lizardboy. She currently has two projects in development – a theatre piece entitled The Spaces In Between, and the Regent Park Project – a feature length film exploring the struggles of a young Black man as he tries to ‘bring himself up’ in Regent Park. She is also in production for a short film she is directing entitled Time Folds. Sheena studied theatre at the University of Toronto. She has a teaching degree, and a Masters in Education.
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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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Cathy Smith
Cathy Smith has taught acting, voice, text and movement in many diverse contexts including the Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama, University of Toronto, the University of Toronto at Scarborough College, the University of Guelph and Equity Showcase, including several acting conservatories with Kevin McCormick.
As an actor, she has appeared in theatre, film and television in Toronto, Vancouver and New York. Memorable projects include The Tempest, Blood Sonata, Thirteen Hands, The Traveling Troupe Shopolavich, Death and the Maiden, The Tiger, The Winter’s Tale and Measure for Measure. A founding member of The Beacon Theatre (Toronto), she produced and performed in many productions, including Hedda Gabler and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. She has a PhD in Drama from the University of Toronto where she is also involved in teaching communication to health professionals.
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