People: Artists
Spine
Kevin Kerr
University of Alberta Lee Playwright-in-Residence
Kevin Kerr is a playwright, director, actor, and founding member of Vancouver's Electric Company Theatre, with whom he's worked for the past thirteen years and co-written numerous plays including The Wake, The Score, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, Flop, The Fall, and Brilliant! The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla. In 2005 he co-wrote the feature-length screen adaptation of The Score for CBC Television.
Other works include Skydive (Realwheels), Studies in Motion (Electric Company), The Remittance Man (Sunshine Theatre), and Unity (1918) (Touchstone Theatre), which earned him the Governor General's Award for Drama in 2002.
His adaptation of Secret World of Og premiered in Vancouver with Carousel Theatre in April 2009.
Currently, he's at work on a new collectively created work with Electric Company and a new play called SPINE, to be co-produced by the University of Alberta's Department of Drama and Realwheels in 2010, premiering at the UofA Studio Theatre in Edmonton and the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad at Simon Fraser University's School for the Contemporary Arts.
Originally from Kamloops, BC, Kevin studied theatre at the University of British Columbia and at Vancouver's Studio 58 acting program. His plays have been produced across Canada, in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and France.
At present he is Lee Playwright-in-Residence at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he is living with his wife, poet Marita Dachsel, and his two sons.
Bob Frazer
Director
I remember doing a play with James Sanders at Douglas College. We performed The Dumb Waiter for our final project. We weren't very prepared for the presentation and hadn't memorized our lines very well. So we decided that if we ever got lost during the performance I would send him off stage with the line, "Did you leave the gas for the stove on?" James would then go offstage where we had set up a copy of the script; he would find where we had gotten lost; come back on stage and get us back on track. Unfortunately for me I hadn't thought about how long he would be offstage trying to find the right lines. I stood on stage, doing nothing but getting sweatier and sweatier for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, James came back and got us going. I learned my lesson...I would never let someone else do that again. It would always be me who went offstage to look for our lines. Almost twenty years has passed since that really embarrassing time and a lot has changed. James graduated from SFU and I graduated from Studio 58. Both James and I take our jobs very seriously and have matured more than words could ever say. However, if you hear someone ask James to check the stove... you now know why.
James Sanders
James, a recently unemployed man in the midst of an identity crisis
In 1998, James graduated as valedictorian earning a bachelor of fine arts in theatre from Simon Fraser University.
His professional career includes acting, writing, and producing for the stage and screen. Quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury, James is committed to positive and accurate representations of disability in media. His goal is to represent characters with a disability in stories where issues of disability are not the central source of conflict. His favorite compliment for his acting was when he performed the role of Uncle Ernie in The Who's musical, Tommy. An audience member asked the director, "Why didn't James stand up during the curtain call?"
James congratulates Bob Frazer on his directorial debut with SPINE and would like to thank Kevin Kerr for taking on the challenge of such a complex script with so many personal elements. James would also like to thank everyone at the UofA for getting behind this enormous project. James is the artistic director of Realwheels. He lives and works in Vancouver with his amazingly supportive wife Barbara.
Mary Hulbert
Mary, a personal care attendant / recreational therapist / Goddess, a helpful avatar
Mary Hulbert is a proud Edmontonian, and is delighted to work with Realwheels. Mary graduated from the University of Alberta's Education program in 2006, and still teaches when she's not acting. Recent credits include: My Blue Heaven (Twenties Street Productions), Spreepark (Mischief and Mayhem), Alberto The Dancing Alligator (Kompany), After The Fall and Black Comedy (UofA Studio Theatre).
Carmela Sison
Carmela, a member of the art collective The Precursors
Carmela is a proud Vancouverite and learning to love the snow. Past University of Alberta credits include Clea in Black Comedy (UofA Studio Theatre), Isabella in Measure for Measure, and Mother in Ring Round the Moon.
Sarah Sharkey
Sarah, a researcher in a laboratory / Vixious91, a griefing avatar
Sarah is thrilled to be working with Realwheels on this new and exciting production. She grew up in the Edmonton area and was introduced to acting through Speech Arts under the instruction of Beth Dunbar. Her previous credits include: Desdemona / Ramona in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (UofA Studio Theatre), Catwoman in Bog of the Cats, Isabelle in Ring Round the Moon, Nicole in Cadaver (Digestion Theatre), and Portia in The Author's Voice (Surreal SoReal Theatre).
Darren Paul
Darren, a researcher in a laboratory
Darren's past credits include Othello / Tybalt in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) at UofA Studio Theatre, Lucio in Measure for Measure, Hugo / Frederick in Ring Round the Moon, Carthage / Xavier in By the Bog of the Cats (University of Alberta), Bassianus in Titus Andronicus, Second Merchant in Comedy of Errors, Corin in As You Like It, Brackenbury in Richard III (Freewill Shakespeare Festival), Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Hugo Ball in The Dada Play, First Crow in The Wizard of Oz (Red Deer College). Other Credits: Billy in The Goat or Who is Sylvia? (Take A Risk Theatre) and a Dancer in Sad Victoria's Pelican Day (Prime Stock Theatre).
Delia Barnett
Delia, a willing participant
Born in British Columbia and raised in Ontario, Delia completed her BA Honours in Theatre at Brock University. Selected previous stage credits include: Carol Melket in Black Comedy (UofA Studio Theatre), Marianna/Froth in Measure for Measure, Lady India in Ring Round the Moon, Josie/Monica in By the Bog of the Cats (University of Alberta), Tosha in Between Tosha and Bolek (Aether Bag Theatre, Edmonton Fringe), Fly Cast in Anime (Lucid Productions, Edmonton Fringe), Vittoria in Shovels and Sacks (Broken Sonnet Productions, London Fringe) and Bianca in Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare in the Vineyard), and Capulet in Ring Round the Moon (Brock University).
Andrea Jorawsky
Andrea, a member of The Precursors
Past credits for the University of Alberta include Mercutio / Nurse / Chorus in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (UofA Studio Tehatre) Ceil in And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little, Pompey in Measure For Measure, Capulet in Ring Round The Moon, Coco Lala in Precursor, Elsie Killbride in By The Bog of The Cats. Other Credits: Camille in Red Noses (Mount Royal University), Christine Schoenwalder in Picnic (Mount Royal University), Vagina Monologues (Mount Royal University), Ranchers'n'Rails (Mount Royal University).
Tatyana Rac
Tatyana, a member of The Precursors
Tatyana was here at the University of Alberta for two years as a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in drama before entering the BFA Acting program. Recent acting credits at the University of Alberta include Constance Ledbelly in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (UofA Studio Theatre), Isabella in Measure for Measure, the butler Joshua in Ring Round the Moon, and Hester in By the Bog of Cats. Other acting credits include playing the Fool in King Lear (Walterdale Theatre).
Adam Cope
Adam, a member of The Precursors
This is his third appearance on the Timms stage, performing last year in Assassins by Stephen Sondheim and as Colonel Melkett in Black Comedy this season. Adam was born and raised in Calgary, became a man in Lethbridge, and now calls Edmonton home. Favorite theatre credits include Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure (UofA Corner Stage), Right Brain in Edmund (Merman Productions), Roy Cohn in Angels in America (University of Lethbridge) and Fengo in Madboy Chronicle (University of Lethbridge).
Robert Markus
Robert, a member of The Precursors
This is Robert's third appearance on the Timm's Stage. Select Edmonton credits include: Titus Andronicus, Comedy of Errors (Free Will Shakespeare Festival), Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), Assassins (Studio Theatre), Measure for Measure, Ring Round the Moon, By the Bog of the Cats (University of Alberta) and Alberto the Dancing Alligator (Kompany Family Theatre). Upcoming: Wang in The Good Woman of Setzuan (UofA Studio Theatre).
Elliott James
Elliott, a pharmaceutical sales representative / Bert Van Dyke, a familiar avatar
Elliott is from Quadra Island, British Columbia. Select credits include: Gerald Ford in Assassins and Harold Gorringe in Black Comedy (UofA Studio Theatre), Angelo in Measure for Measure (UofA Corner Stage), The Messerschmann in Ring Round the Moon (UofA Corner Stage) and Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Showcase Festivals). Elliott will next appear as Yang Sun, the pilot in The Good Woman of Setzuan for UofA Studio Theatre.
Nikolai Witschl
Hokuto, a visitor from Japan / Nikolai, an avatar belonging to Hokuto
Nikolai Witschl is an Edmonton based actor, writer, and improviser. He has been a member of Rapid Fire Theatre since 2005, and routinely plays in their weekly Theatresports and Chimprov shows. Past acting credits include Bolek in Between Tosha and Bolek (Aether Bag Productions); Antipholus of Ephesus in Comedy of Errors and Quintus/Publius in Titus Andronicus (Freewill Shakespeare Festival); The Narrator in Art on Art (Catch the Keys); Brindsley Miller in Black Comedy (UofA Studio Theatre), Claudio in Measure for Measure, and Patrice in Ring Round the Moon (UofA); Folchakov in The Shark Tumor Collection, and Charon in One (Nextfest). He also co-wrote and co-starred in Nik & Stu: Counting Leaves (Flaming Yak Productions), and co-wrote Pushin' Up Daisies: A Musical (Red Rackham Productions). He is also a member of the Edmonton sketch comedy show, The Ostriphant Outfit.
Karyn Mott
Karyn, an avatar belonging to James / Lee Playwright, a narrator
Karyn Mott has previously appeared on the Timms stage in UofA Studio Theatre's productions of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) as Juliet and in Assassins as Lynette Fromme. Selected credits include Oliver! and A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre), Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Winters Tale (Freewill Shakespeare Festival), Tina Alberto the Dancing Alligator (Kompany). Karyn will next appear as God number three in The Good Woman of Setzuan at UofA Studio Theatre.
David Rhymer
Original Score and Sound Design
A multi-award winning writer and composer, his musicals include Why Freud Fainted, Wreck Beach, the War on Terror Cabaret X-Ray, a 17th Century Erotic Droll- Bawdy, the female cross dressing Trouser Parts, and An Eye for an Eye, the acclaimed musical on Weibo Ludwig and his one man war with Alberta’s Oil and Gas Industry. David’s collaborations with One Yellow Rabbit’s Blake Brooker have produced Dream Machine, an oratorio on the Beat Generation performed to critical and popular acclaim across the country, Mata Hari: Tigress at the City Gates, and the notorious Ilsa Queen of the Nazi Love Camp. In 2007 he was honored with the Greg Bond Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre in Calgary.
Jamie Nesbitt
Projections Designer
Based out of Vancouver, Canada, Jamie works across the country from Toronto to Whitehorse. Jamie's resume includes: The Canadian Stage Theatre Company, The Vancouver Playhouse, Bard on the Beach, The Arts Club, Gateway Theatre, The Electric Company, Pi Theatre, The Belfry, The Actors Repertory Company, The Yukon Arts Centre, Rumble Productions and many more. Jamie's work has also toured North America with celebrated children's theatre company Greenthumb Theatre. He is a graduate of the acclaimed theatre school Studio 58. His work has received national attention, being reviewed in the Globe and Mail and National Post. He is the recipient of sixJessie Richardson Award Nominations, one Jessie Richardson Award, the 2008 Mayor Arts award, the 2007 Sam Payne award, and the 2006 Earl Klien Memorial Scholarship. Check out his website: www.jamienesbitt.ca.
Joanna Robinson
Virtual World Content Designer
Joanna is an artist, designer and online community manager who has been a leader in virtual communities for over a decade in areas including theatre, education, video games, green technology and mixed reality events.
Joanna holds a BA in : Communications, Media, Culture and Society (Honours 2005) and a MA: Popular Culture (2009) from Brock University.
Follow Joanna on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/J0anna
Website: http://www.J0anna.com/
April Viczko
Costume Designer
April has been designing for Canadian theatres for 15 years. Her work has been seen at various theatres throughout Canada. Recently, April designed Blackbird at Citadel Theatre, Proof at Keyano Theatre, Seed Savers at Workshop West and Back to You for Musical Theatre Works in Vancouver. Upcoming productions include As You Like It at the Citadel. Other companies she has worked for include Tarragon Theatre, Factory Theatre, Moonhorse Dance Theatre, Kill Your Television, Globe Theatre, LKTYP, Theatre Calgary and Birdland Theatre for which she was nominated for a Dora Award for Outstanding Costume Design for The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. She is the recipient of two Tyrone Guthrie Awards from the Stratford Festival and in 2006 she shared the Siminovitch Prize, Protege Award.
April is a graduate of the BFA. And MFA Theatre Design programs at the University of Alberta. She is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada. She volunteers as a member of the Board of Directors and the Regional Committee as the Prairie Representative.
Sheena Haug
Associate Costume Designer
Sheena Haug is a freelance theatre artist. Recent theatre design credits include Costumes and Lights for Hwy 63: The Fort Mac Show (Azimuth Theatre); Costumes for The Woman in Black (Theatre Network); Costumes for La Cantatrice Chauve (L'Unitheatre) and Costumes and Lights for Half A League (Defiance Theatre). Sheena was head scenic painter for Seed Savers (Workshop West). She is the Costume Associate for Nevermore (Catalyst Theatre). Sheena was Assistant to the Costume Designer and Dresser for Titus Andronicus/Comedy of Errors (FreeWill Players). Sheena holds a BFA in Theatre Design (U of A, '08) and certificates for Costume Cutting and Construction (RDC, 2003, 2004). Whenever she finds herself between shows, Sheena spends many happy hours at the Theatre Garage.
Robert Shannon
Set Designer
Robert Shannon is an award-winning designer who has been recognized with the Alberta Centennial Silver Medallion for Leadership, Hard Work and Commitment in Theatre, and twice recipient of Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Production, and Set Design. He has worked extensively throughout Alberta, and has sat on the Board of Directors for the Associated Designers of Canada.
Hojin Kim
Assistant Set Designer
Jin Kim is currently in his graduating year of BFA theatre design program at the University of Alberta. He came to this program from the University of Victoria four years ago, and since then he has designed multiple shows at the University of Alberta, in the media room and as an assistant designer for several shows at UofA's Timms centre for the Arts. This coming March, he will design costumes for a UofA production directed MFA Directing candidate Leigh Rivenbark.
Nicholas Blais
Assistant to Set Designer
Nick is currently in his third year of a BFA in Theatre Design here at the U of A, and is pleased to be assisting set designer Robert Shannon on SPINE. Calgary-born and bred, he has been passionately involved in theatre throughout his life: delving into all facets as a stage manager, actor, technician and designer. Last November, Nick's lighting design appeared in June Moon, a Media Room production directed by Dave Horak. Currently in production is the fourth and final Media Room Show of the academic year, for which Nick will be designing the set; director Leigh Rivenbark's Little Dog Laughed is scheduled for presentation in the last week of March. In the meantime, Nick asks that you sit back and enjoy the show.
John Raymond
Stage Manager and Company Manager
John was Director of Production at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton from 1998 -- 2004, leading the production team on more than 60 productions over 6 seasons. John has worked as a Stage Manager for many theatres across the country including CanStage in Toronto, The Banff Centre for the Arts, Theatre Calgary, Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary, Montreal's Centaur Theatre, and the Citadel and Catalyst Theatres in Edmonton. Recent creative stage management credits include Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, winner of seven Sterling Awards (2008/2009) which toured to both The Magnetic Theatre Festival (Ottawa) and The Luminato Festival (Toronto) last Spring, and Frankenstein (2007, 2008 and 2008 Tour), winner of eight Sterling Awards (2006/2007). He will be stage managing Frankenstein again this Spring at the Timms Centre for the Arts and at CanStage in Toronto.
Emma Deobald
Assistant Stage Manager
Emma is currently in her third year of the Bachelor of Fine Arts -- Stage Management program here at the university. Emma hails from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan and has, so far, enjoyed her time in Edmonton. Her most recent stage management credits include The Dangers of Tobacco (UofA Media Room), Zachary and the Storytelling Stones (Kompany Family Theatre), Measure for Measure (UofA Corner Stage), By The Bog of the Cats (UofA), Scenes from The Shadow Box (UofA) and Cats (Peacock Musical Productions). Recent assistant stage management credits include Assassins (UofA Studio Theatre) and Rhinoceros (UofA Media Room).
Kim McCaw
Dramaturg
A professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta, McCaw is the Director of the Canadian Centre for the Theatre Creation, with over thirty years of experience in the field of Canadian new play development and Production. He has previously been Artistic Director of Winnipeg's Prairie Theatre Exchange and Program Director of the Banff Playwrights' Colony, both leaders in developing new work for the theatre.
Betty Moulton
Dialect and Vocal Coach
Betty Moulton has been an actor, taught voice, speech, text and worked as a coach for over 30 years in U.S. and Canada. Teaching in professional actor training programs includes Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas; University of Washington in Seattle, Washington; and University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia. Professor Moulton devised and now heads the new MFA program in Theatre Voice Pedagogy in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta, training new theatre voice specialists.
Select professional credits: ten seasons as the company voice, speech and text coach (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); company voice, speech and text coach for the nationally touring Nevermore (Catalyst Theatre, Edmonton); company voice coach for the Banff/Citadel Professional Acting program; company voice coach (Shakespeare in the Red, Winnipeg). She has also conducted master classes and workshops for theatre companies and acting studios that include River City Shakespeare Festival, Catalyst and Network Theatres in Edmonton and Freehold Studio in Seattle.
Lin Snelling
Choreographer and Movement Coach
Lin Snelling is a dancer, improviser, choreographer and teacher. An interest in relationship and re-invention fuel her work, which often involves creating with artists from other disciplines. Lin has performed with Carbone 14 (1989-2001) touring extensively both nationally and internationally. Last year she collaborated on The Maggie Tree's production of A Day in the Life, Wishbone Theatre's production of Bashir Lazar and two productions with L'Uni Théâtre.
Her most recent collaborations are Loop Thing with composer Michael Reinhart, performed last fall at the Fluid Festival in Calgary, Performing Book with the visual artist Shelagh Keeley, and Repeating Distance with the dramaturge Guy Cools. Repeating Distance was created as part of the Body Stroke festival in Bruges in May 2005, and has since toured to London UK, Vancouver Island, Cyprus, Athens, Kalamata, and the Impulstanz Dance Festival in Vienna. Guy Cools will be a University of Alberta Distinguished Visitor in March of this year. Lin Snelling is presently teaching movement to actors at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Her current research project called Room will be performed in Vancouver at EDAM Dance this July.
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Skydive
Kevin Kerr
Playwright
Kevin Kerr is a playwright, director, actor, and founding member of Vancouver's Electric Company Theatre, with whom he's worked for the past thirteen years and co-written numerous plays including The Wake, The Score, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, Flop, The Fall, and Brilliant! The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla. In 2005 he co-wrote the feature-length screen adaptation of The Score for CBC Television.
Other works include Skydive (Realwheels), Studies in Motion (Electric Company), The Remittance Man (Sunshine Theatre), and Unity (1918) (Touchstone Theatre), which earned him the Governor General's Award for Drama in 2002.
His latest play, an adaptation of Pierre Berton's children's classic "Secret World of Og", premieres in Vancouver with Carousel Theatre in April 2009. Currently, he's at work on a new collectively created work with Electric Company and a new play to be co-produced by Realwheels in Vancouver and The University of Alberta's department of drama in 2010.
Originally from Kamloops, BC, Kevin studied theatre at the University of British Columbia and at Vancouver's Studio 58 acting program. His plays have been produced across Canada, in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and France.
At present he is Lee Playwright in Residence at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he is living with his wife, poet Marita Dachsel, and his two sons.
Roy Surette
Co-Director
Roy has been Artistic and Executive Director of Centaur Theatre, Montreal since November 2007. In the early 1980’s he was Associate Artistic Director for Carousel Theatre in Vancouver and Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops, B.C. He became the Artistic Director of Touchstone Theatre in 1984. Roy became Artistic Director for Victoria’s premier company, The Belfry Theatre, in 1997. Favourite directing projects include: Skydive (Centaur/ Realwheels) Shirley Valentine (for nearly every major theatre across Canada, including The Vancouver Playhouse, Manitoba Theatre Centre, National Arts Centre, The Arts Club and the Citadel Theatre); Boy Wonder, The Don Juan Variations (Ballet BC); Mary’s Wedding, Unless, Urinetown: The Musical, When We Were Singing, The Drawer Boy, Homechild, A Number (The Belfry Theatre); The Coronation Voyage (Alberta Theatre Projects and the Belfry); Martha (La Maison Théâtre); Whale Riding Weather, Lion in the Streets, A Map of The Senses, Lilies (Touchstone Theatre); Overruled (The Shaw Festival) and The Number 14 (Axis Theatre).
Recently: In Piazza San Domenico, The Madonna Painter, Centaur Theatre. Directed Mom’s The Word 2: Unhinged (Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver and subsequent productions in Glasgow and Melbourne).
Etcetera: Roy is proud to have directed plays by many of Canada’s leading playwrights and has worked with most major theatre companies across Canada. He has won several Jessie Richardson awards and Victoria’s Monday Awards in recognition of his diverse body of work, most recently for Unless in 2005 and Kevin Kerr’s aerial comic tragedy Skydive, with co-director Stephen Drover in 2007.
Stephen Drover
Co-Director
Stephen trained as an actor at Memorial University’s Sir Wilfred Grenfell College. For two years he was an Associate Director for Theatre Newfoundland Labrador (Romeo & Juliet, Of the Fields Lately, East O’ the Sun & West O’ the Moon) and later taught at the Neptune Theatre School in Halifax.
At UBC he received an MFA in Directing (The Creation – thesis production). Since then he regularly returns to Memorial as a visiting assistant professor/director (The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Hamlet) and has assistant directed at the Stratford Festival (King John).
In 2004 he co-founded Pound of Flesh Theatre with the mandate of staging alternative productions of classical stories. The company has produced The Bond (an original adaptation of The Merchant of Venice), Macbeth and is currently in development for a new adaptation of a medieval morality play called Everyone for Caravan Farm Theatre.
Other favourite directing credits include PolitiKo (Ghost River Theatre, Calgary); Orphans (Wink Theatre, Vancouver); Skydive (Realwheels) for which he won a Jessie Richardson Award, Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Guild Theatre, Whitehorse),The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (Carousel Theatre).
He is the recipient of the 2007 Ray Michael Award for Outstanding Body of Work by an Emerging Director.
Bob Frazer
Daniel
Since graduating in 1994 from Studio 58, the top theatre school in western Canada, Bob has been one of Vancouver's hardest working actors. In his short career, he already has over 45 professional theatre performances to his credit. He has been nominated for eleven Jessie Richardson Theatre awards, winning six. Besides theatre, Bob has also worked extensively in film and television.
One of his favourite jobs as an artist is the development of new plays. He has been helping writers develop their plays at The New Play Centre for 15 years and has been rewarded with some outstanding experiences, including participating in the multiple award-winning "Skydive". He has been a valuable member of many new play workshops and has helped to develop over 50 plays for theatres across Canada. He has developed new plays for the Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, Touchstone Theatre, Ruby Slippers Theatre, The Solo Collective, The Electric Company, Western Theatre Conspiracy, Western Canada Theatre, Richmond Gateway, Pacific Theatre, Green Thumb Theatre, and Manitoba Theatre For Young Audiences.
Behind his abilities to help develop new plays within a group atmosphere is his desire to create greatness. He has an extremely high level work ethic and always refuses to let himself accept mediocrity. His vision and contagious work ethic has been a huge help for many new play developments. His desire for excellence has been an inspiration for new playwrights and his generosity and insight has truly been a gift for artistic directors.
James Sanders
Morgan
In 1998, James graduated as valedictorian earning a bachelor of fine arts in theatre from Simon Fraser University. His professional career includes acting, writing, and producing for the stage and screen.
Quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury, James is committed to positive and accurate representations of disability in media. His goal is to represent characters with a disability in stories where issues of disability are not the central source of conflict.
His favorite compliment for his acting was when he performed in the role of Uncle Ernie in The Who's musical, Tommy, when an audience member asked the director 'why didn't James stand up during the curtain call?'
James co-wrote and starred in A Perfect Note, a made for TV movie about love with strong diversity elements. The central character is a quadriplegic father in an interracial marriage struggling to connect with his mixed-race teen daughter. The focus of the script was maintained on their relationship dynamics and not once was disability or race mentioned.
James is the artistic director of Realwheels.
James lives and works in Vancouver with his wife Barbara.
Sven Johansson
Aerial Choreographer
Sven is Artistic Director/Choreographer of Discovery Dance, Victoria. Born in Sweden, he came to BC, Canada via the Western Arctic. After studying Laplander, Eskimo and West Coast Indian dance and music he formed Discovery Dance 1989 after creating the ES Dance (Excedere Saltatio = dance exceeding the limits) a authentic distinct Canadian new dance style and technique freeing live dance from gravity and the physical limitations of the human body giving new added dimensions for choreography and performance at the same time as lessening dance related injuries and lengthening careers.
His credits in dance include 20+ his own productions and 5 Dances for Bravo TV. Assistant choreographer Commonwealth Games -94, at Ballet Frankfurt 2000. First Prize Choreography Award Prague Festival 1999 and 2000.
His theatre credits include aerial choreography in 4 productions of “Peter Pan”, in “Ingenious Speculation”, “Tartuffe, “The Fiddler on the Roof”, "Pelagie", "Aladdin", "The Blue Planet", "Angels in America", opera "Cinderella" and "Skydive". Nominated Jessie Award, Choreography 99 and 02. Nominated Noras Award, Choreography, Toronto, 05. Award Jessie 07 for choreography “Skydive”.
Member of The Order of Canada 1994. Queen’s Jubilee Medal 2002.
Jethelo Cabilete
ES Dance Instrument Operator/ Assistant Stage Manager
A graduate of Theatre Humber’s technical and production program, Jethelo has an extensive repertoire in stage management and backstage technical work. Credits in theatre, concert, and corporate productions, include stage management, lighting, stage set-up and props. Jethelo has worked as both a stage manager and assistant stage manager with various theatre companies in Vancouver. Working with notable directors, such as Stephen Drover, Ellie King, Del Surjik, Roy Surrette, Susanna Uchatius, and John Wright, his twelve years of theatrical experience include: Skydive (Realwheels Society), John & Beatrice (Pi Theatre), doGs (Theatre Terrific), The Eighth Land (Pi Theatre), Tuesdays & Sundays (Dualminds), and Dracula: The Silver Scream (The Raymond Burr Performing Arts Centre). Special thanks to Keith for his love and support. This is for my mother…
Shane Snow
ES Dance Instrument Operator
Shane joined Skydive in 2008 as an operator touring to Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. In Vancouver, Shane has been in shows at the Arts Club Theatre (Producers, Gypsy, Beauty and the Beast), The Vancouver Playhouse (Hello, Dolly!), Boca Del Lupo (Quasimodo) and Patrick Street (Full Monty). He was also a magician’s assistant in Athens, Greece and performed at Vertigo Mystery Theatre in Calgary. As a director and choreographer, Shane has put together productions of A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, The World Goes Round, Edges: A Song Cycle, Songs For A New World, and Little Shop of Horrors. He spent six years producing and directing theatre for tourists both in Dawson City, Yukon, where he produced Diamond Tooth Gerties Can-Can Show, and in Victoria, BC, for Gotta Getta Gimmick productions and the Butchart Gardens. Shane is the 2009 recipient of the Ray Michal award for Outstanding Work by an Emerging Director.
Benjamin Miller
ES Dance Instrument Operator
Benjamin Miller is a young actor who works in Vancouver. He is currently an artistic apprentice at Pacific Theatre and is a recent graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts. He has seen Skydive several times but this will be his first show as part of the team; he is thrilled to be joining the cast/crew of this wonderful production. When not actively working he does other things. These things include, but are not limited to, writing, reading, running, rithmatic, and boxing.
Luc Roderique
ES Dance Instrument Operator
Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario; Luc moved to Vancouver in 2005 with aspirations of starting a career as an actor. He received his training at Studio 58, where you may have seen him in a number of productions including Richard III, The Boy Friend, The Ash Girl, and The Merchant of Venice. Since graduating, Luc has been keeping himself busy working with various Vancouver theatre companies such as NeWorld (Are We There Yet? - Jessie Award for Best Ensemble Performance), Bard on the Beach (Othello and Comedy of Errors), and most recently; RealWheels. Upcoming, you can catch Luc back at Vanier Park in Bard on the Beach's productions of Falstaff and Henry V; you can also look for him in a recurring role on the first season of the SyFy channel's new show Caprica.
Lee Vincent
ES Dance Instrument Operator/ Daniel
Lee’s favorite recent roles include: Various roles in Mud Island (Exit Left); Operator in Skydive (Realwheels/ PuSh); Voluminous/ Plebeian in Killing Caesar (remounted as a satellite show for the 2007 PuSh Festival); Henry Stipple in Terrible Things (Section 8 Theatre, presented by Rumble Production's Young and the Restless series); the second SS Officer in The Diary of Anne Frank (Arts Club Theatre); and the forklift-driving, wig-wearing, dock-jumping Commissionaire in Other Freds (The Only Animal). Lee is a graduate of Studio 58.
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Joanna Bennett
Joanna has been an performer her whole life. Sign language interpreting came along later and during her 14 years of freelancing she has found unique ways to combine both careers.
Jo was the first Canadian to attend TDF’s Interpreting for the Theatre program at the Juilliard School in NYC. Since then, she has interpreted many shows for such theatres as the Canadian Stage Company, Lorraine Kimsa, Soulpepper, Talk is Free Theatre, Tarragon and Theatre Direct. Framing the discussion around theatrical interpreting in Canada, Jo’s integrated approach is breaking new ground. In the summer of 2009, precedent-setting shows were mounted in Toronto with Out of the Box Productions and Clay and Paper Theatre that have become models for future work.
As a actor on screen, Jo signed hearing roles on shows such as “DOC”, “Sue Thomas FBEye” and “The Associates”. In regards to stage, Jo had a bilingual character in Talk is Free Theatre’s presentation of “Shumskawsling” (written by Michael Cyr, a Deaf playwright) At the Harbourfront Centre she produced a show called The ASL Showcase that featured various Deaf actors performing 7 original stories, one written by Jo called “Angel vs Devil”.
Creating a niche as a consultant, Jo has assisted many screen and stage creators as they work with Deaf professionals. On the exciting project, Shadows of the Sun, Jo was invited by James Sanders and Stephen Drover to collaborate as they worked with the dynamic Deaf actor Max Fomitchev. Jo also teaches about the theatre setting to interpreting students at various Colleges and facilitates workshops with interpreters seeking further professional development.
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