Rebecca Singh, Principal Artist

Rebecca is a freelance artist and performer. Her work is often creation based and interdisciplinary and has been presented in theatres, at multidisciplinary festivals and literary events. She has been performing since 1994. She’s appeared in FLASHPOINT, was a regular on Fries With That? and ran and performed with the popular comedy troupe, The Montreal All-Star Cheerleaders for four years. She has represented Canada as an international artist and met the artists on this project during a residency with Volker Lösch in Germany. She manages Theatre Local as an ongoing project and is also a singer and a published poet and author.

www.cheerleaderchronicles.com

Jonathan Heppner, Associate Artist

Jonathan Heppner is a Toronto-based director and producer. Recent credits include: Headbangers (2010 Rhubarb Festival), Dirty Girls (2009 Toronto Fringe – “Outstanding Direction” NOW Magazine), Instructions to any future socialist government wishing to abolish Christmas (Asst Director, Centaur Theatre / Crow’s Theatre), and 3 seasons with Dusk Dances (Producing Manager).

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

Coleen MacPherson

She is writing a new play The Selfsame Hour, developing The Pasolini Project with TheatreRUN (Canadian Stage Festival of Ideas and Creation, Spotlight Italy Festival 2011) and touring pocket story installations with The Pocketology Collective (Art on the Danforth 2012).  Recently:  Anais Nin in the China tour of Artaud:  Un Portrait en Décomposition (TheatreRUN), Tell Your Story (Theatre Local) via skype from Paris with si vous étiez là oû seriez vous?  Coleen holds a BA from U of  T, studied Theatre and Development at Concordia and Acting at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris.

www.coleenslant.blogspot.com

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

Ruth Tait (a.k.a. Rutz)

Ruth Tait has a trained observer’s eye, used over several years. She locates her practice within both a fine art painterly sphere as well as commercial illustration. She works as a graphic designer and web designer. She also has an alter-ego: Rutz — who ventures into the primordial world of comic books, exploring themes of a somewhat feminist nature. She self-publishes her graphic novels as chap books. Currently, along with her regular employment, she has returned to Ontario College of Art to complete a degree in Design/Illustration. Her studio is located at the new Artscape Wychwood Barns complex.

www.artbyrt.com

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

Neema Bickersteth

Neema Bickersteth majored in opera at the University of British Columbia, where she received both a Bachelor and Master of Music. Neema has performed operatic roles internationally including works by Mozart, Puccini, and Weill. She has also performed contemporary creations with Urbanvessel, Nightswimming, Artistic Fraud, and Tapestry New Opera Works.

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

Leslie McCue, Lindy Kinoshameg

This youth collective is a group of young Indigenous artists from across Canada with a passion for the arts! This team has been sharing traditional stories with a contemporary twist through shadow puppetry together for two years. During Nuit Blanche they will be featuring a story called Skywoman. Skywoman is a Haudenosaunee creation story that reveals all the mysteries of how the earth began on Turtle Island, better known as North America. Come out and enjoy a story that will illuminate your evening!!

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

Cathy Gordon

Cathy is a multidisciplinary artist known for crawling across Toronto in a public divorce ceremony and building a 10ft wedding cake topped with trampolines for Nuit Blanche 2009. Current projects include Jardin Communautaire opening in Montreal on October 15, 2011. She is also the co-director of hub14 art & performance works (hub14.org).

www.cathygordon.com

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

Rae Powell, Technician

Rae is a freelance technician and technical manager. She enjoys two year round positions as Production Manager for Suburban Beast and Technical Coordinator of the Pia Bouman School for Ballet. Rae is also a pretty big fan of brunch.

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

David Tate, Fabricator

David has been working in Toronto as a fabricator and carpenter for many years. This marks his first time participating in Nuit Blanche.

For Theatre Local: Canada’s Smallest Theatre Installation

Litmus Theatre

Matt Walker 

Matt is a director, producer and actor, and a founding member of Litmus Theatre Collective (Toronto) and DMV Theatre (Halifax).  He currently works between Toronto and Halifax where he is a Co-Artistic Producer of DMV Theatre.  Matt directed the acclaimed Matchbox Macbeth in November 2010 for Litmus Theatre, which was named one of the Top Ten Plays of 2010 by Now Magazine. Matt taught acting at York University from 2007 – 2009.

Adriano Sobretodo Jr 

Adriano has appeared in theatre productions spanning the US, Australia, and Canada.  In January 2011 he joined DMV Theatre in Halifax for the Canadian Premier of Marius von Mayenberg’s The Ugly One.  In November of 2010 he played Duncan and Witch 1 in the acclaimed Matchbox Macbeth (Litmus Theatre).  Recent screen credits include The Border (CBC), and Combat Hospital (ABC.)

 Claire Wynveen

Claire is an actor, producer and teacher.  Recent stage credits include Lady Macbeth in Matchbox Macbeth (Litmus Theatre Collective), Juliet and Ophelia with The Classical Theatre Projects (dir. Charles Roy), Queen Mariana in The Bewitched (dir. Nigel Shawn Williams), Isabella in Measure for Measure (dir. Alan Dilworth) and Glass in Seven (dir. Sarah Stanley.)  Claire is a member of Toronto’s Cowgirl Choir, and is a founding member of Litmus Theatre Collective.

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011

Gail Nyoka

Novelist, playwright and storyteller Gail Nyoka won the Chalmers Canadian Play Award with her stage play Mella Mella.  Her novel for eight to thirteen-year olds, Mella and the N’Anga: An African Tale, was a finalist for the Governor General’s and several other awards.

She tells stories in schools and libraries.

storytellingwanderer.posterous.com

For Theatre Local: Tell YOUR Story 2011