RENT

Book, music, and lyrics: Rent.

Jonathan Larson received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Rent. He also won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 1994 Richard Rodgers Award for Rent and twice received The Gilman & Gonzales-Falla Theatre Foundation's Commendation Award. In 1989 he was given the Stephen Sondheim Award from American Music Theatre Festival, where he contributed to the musical Sitting on the Edge of the Future. In 1988 he won the Richard Rodgers Development Grant for his rock musical Superbia, which was workshopped at Playwrights Horizons. He composed the score for the musical J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation, which was presented by En Garde Arts in 1995. Mr. Larson performed his rock monologue tick, tick... BOOM! at Second Stage Theater, The Village Gate and New York Theatre Workshop. In addition to scoring and songwriting for Sesame Street, he created music for a number of children's book-cassettes, including Steven Spielberg's An American Tail and Land Before Time. Other film scores include work for Rolling Stone magazine's publisher Jann Wenner. He conceived, directed and wrote four original songs for Away We Go!, a musical video for children. Rent, his rock opera based on La Bohème, had its world premiere on February 13, 1996 at New York Theatre Workshop. Mr. Larson died unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm on January 25, 1996, ten days before his 36th birthday. His music (including songs cut from his shows) is archived in the Library of Congress.

2023: Director of Rent. Eighth season. Thom Allison is a Canadian Screen Award winner for the role of "Pree" in KILLJOYS. Broadway: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Stratford Festival: Romeo and Juliet, Into the Woods. Shaw Festival: Ragtime, Guys and Dolls, A Little Night Music. Other credits include: Miss Saigon, The Who's Tommy and Rent (Mirvish); Cabaret (Theatre Calgary); Evita (Theatre Calgary/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); and The Drowsy Chaperone (The Citadel, National Arts Centre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre). Directing: Million Dollar Quartet (Theatre Calgary); Up Close and Musical, You Can't Stop The Beat (Stratford Festival); Seussical, Mary Poppins (Young People's Theatre). TV/Film: Slasher, Coroner, Canada's Drag Race, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Hudson & Rex, Murdoch Mysteries, Kim's Convenience.

2023: Choreographer of Rent. Fifth season. Stratford: Man of La Mancha, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, Forum, Cabaret. Elsewhere: Choreographer: Saturday Night Fever (National Tour); Billy Elliot (GoodSpeed); Play It Cool and The Apple Boys (Off-Broadway); State Fair (The Rev); Newsies (Drayton); Once on This Island (Acting Upstage, Dora Award for Outstanding Choreography). Associate choreographer: Tony Award-winning Jagged Little Pill (Broadway, National Tour, Australia); Broadway's A Bronx Tale and Kennedy Center's Next to Normal, and assistant choreographer for Broadway's revival of Jesus Christ Superstar and We Will Rock You National Tour. TV/Film highlights: Disney Plus' World's Best (Associate Choreographer, Tommy Kail Producer); Degrassi: The Next Generation, Don't Talk to Irene. Marc was movement consultant for Vogue magazine (Annie Leibovitz, Charlize Theron) and has worked with Katy Perry, NYC Ballet, Patti Lupone and Neil Young. @kimelman, marckimelman.com.

2023: Director of Music for the Stratford Festival. Music director of Rent. 14th season. Stratford: Chicago, Why We Tell the Story, Finally There's Sun, Billy Elliot, The Music Man, A Little Night Music, Funny Thing Happened..., Carousel, Man of La Mancha, Kiss Me, Kate, Evita, HMS Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance. In concert: Up Close and Musical (Stratfest@Home), The Fantasticks, Passion, Next to Normal. Elsewhere: Show Boat, Ragtime, The Lion King (Toronto/US tours); Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Billy Elliot, Lord of the Rings (Mirvish); Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Meridian Hall); Annie Get Your Gun (Massey Hall); The Threepenny Opera (Soulpepper); London Symphonia's Enchanting Broadway. Recordings: Carousel, Crazy for You (Stratford Festival); The Voice Next Door (Marcus Nance). Training: Vocal Coaching and Accompanying, U. Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Et cetera: Dedicating 2023 in memory of friend and colleague Peter McBoyle. 

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2023: Set designer of Rent. Sixth season. Brandon is a set and costume designer based in Toronto with work appearing on stages across Canada, most recently: Mamma Mia! (Drayton Entertainment); Boy Falls From The Sky (Mirvish Productions); and Blackout (Musical Stage Co. and Canadian Stage). He was nominated for the 2017 Pauline McGibbon Award, and the 2018 and 2020 Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design. He's also a multiple Dora award nominee and two-time winner. Brandon recently won a Merritt Award for his work bringing Viola Desmond to life in the world premier or Controlled Damage. For more information and to see his portfolio please visit www.brandonkleimandesign.com.

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2023: Head of Design for the Stratford Festival and lighting designer of Rent. 19th season. Stratford (selected): Chicago, Richard III, Billy Elliot, Little Shop of Horrors, Birds of a Kind, Rocky Horror, The Music Man, The Tempest, Napoli Milionaria!, Guys and Dolls, The School for Scandal, Macbeth, A Chorus Line, Hamlet, The Sound of Music, Oedipus Rex, King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, Fiddler on the Roof, The Matchmaker, Twelfth Night. Elsewhere: Piaf/Deitrich (Mirvish); A Christmas Carol (Theatre Calgary); Bluebeard's Castle (COC, 2022); Così Fan Tutte (Israeli Opera, COC); Il trittico, Jenufa, Maria Stuarda, Albert Herring (Pacific Opera Victoria); A Doll's House Part 2 (RMTC/Mirvish); Tartuffe (Canadian Stage/Stratford); The Humans (Citadel/Canadian Stage); A Word or Two with Christopher Plummer (CTG/Stratford, Los Angeles); Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Sideways (La Jolla Playhouse); Chimerica (RMTC/Canadian Stage).

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2023: Projection designer of Rent and assistant projection designer of Monty Python's Spamalot and A Wrinkle in Time. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Selected video and projection design credits include - Homes: A Refugee Story (Grand Theatre); Brigadoon (Shaw Festival); Sweat, Steel City Gangster (Theatre Aquarius); Much Ado About Nothing (Bard on the Beach); Nobody's Children, Hansel & Gretel, Robin Hood (Yellow Door Theatre Project); Driving Miss Daisy, Miracle on 34^th St., Enemy of the People, Wizard of Oz, 1984 (Saint John Theatre Company); Rinaldo (Pacific Opera Victoria); Julius Caesar, Richard III (The Shakespeare Company). Training: Bachelor of Performing Arts (Capilano University); Studio 58. Corwin is a full member of ADC. Awards: Award for Technical Merit from CITT - LeVoyage (Flip the Switch); Robert Merritt award - Chasing Champions (Ship's Company); multiple Betty Mitchell, Jessie Richardson and Sterling award nominations. 

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2023: Sound designer of Rent. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Joshua is a Canadian-American sound and systems designer based in New York City, and has worked extensively on Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, International productions and sound system installations.  Recent design selections include Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (Broadway, w/Jefferson Mays), West Side Story (Teatro Lirico di Cagliari), Ragtime (Calgary Philharmonic), Million Dollar Quartet (Theatre Calgary), A Little Night Music (Arizona Opera), Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (National Tour), The Color Purple (National Tour), Jerry Springer: The Opera (Signature Theatre), A Time Like This (Carnegie Hall). Broadway associate design selections include: Flying Over Sunset, The Ferryman, The Iceman Cometh, Falsettos, American Psycho, The Visit and Act One. Awards: L.A. Ovation Award, L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award, Connecticut Critics Circle Award. Full credentials listed at ReidSoundDesign.com. 

2023: Supervising fight director for the 2023 season. 12th season. Stratford: Supervising Fight Director 2022, Associate: 2013-2020 seasons, Assistant: 2004, 2009 seasons. Elsewhere: Fight director - Bengal Tiger... (Crow's Theatre); Black Drum (Soulpepper); Peter and the Starcatcher, Sweet Charity, Cyrano (Shaw); Don Giovanni, War and Peace (COC). Film/TV Stunts (selected): The Boys (four seasons), See, FUBAR, Jack Reacher, What We Do In The Shadows, The Lost Symbol, Hardy Boys, The Man from Toronto, It Chapter Two, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Schitt's Creek, Murdoch Mysteries, Ginny & Georgia, Jupiter's Legacy, Supergirl, Impulse, I Was Lorena Bobbitt, Save Me, Frankie Drake, Titans, Umbrella Academy, The Expanse, Designated Survivor, Suicide Squad, Dark Matter, Killjoys, 12 Monkeys, Bitten, The Strain, Pompeii, Orphan Black, Total Recall. Training: Supreme Fight Master Elite Level 3. BFA, Ryerson University. Awards: SAG nomination, Best Stunt Ensemble, 2021, 2023 Paddy Crean. Online: @GeoffScovell.

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2023: Intimacy Director of Rent, Much Ado About Nothing and Wedding Band. Second season. Stratford: Hamlet (2022). Elsewhere: Intimacy Professional - Civil (Netflix); Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation (Lifetime/MUSE); Fat Lady Sriracha (Sriracha Productions); Sin and Sorrow are Common to All, The Judas Kiss (Talk is Free Theatre); Salome Learns to Dance (7 Veils Productions.); Pomegranate Opera (Buddies in Bad Times); Happily Undead After (Canadian Film Centre). Movement Director: The Monkiest King (CCOC). Director - The Magic Flute, Pirates of Penzance (Opera Lyra/OYA touring productions). Actor - nine seasons at the National Arts Centre (resident actor with the NAC English Theatre, 2012/13); The Cherry Orchard (Modern Times); Like Wolves (GCTC); Better Days (Paragraph Pictures). Recent media credits: Assassins Creed: Odyssey, Valhalla (Ubisoft). Et cetera: Alix's film chemography: a study in light can be found on CBC Gem: Reflections. Online: @alikisideris, alixsideris.com. Gratitude to David, Meagan, Amanda. This one's for you, Richard C.

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2023: Drag consultant for Rent. Second season. Stratford: Drag consultant for Chicago; Pearle Harbour's Agit-Pop! (Meighen Forum). Elsewhere:Distant Early Warning (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre); Justin's drag persona Pearle Harbour continues to tour across Canada with Agit-Pop!, Chautauqua, and more (Imperial Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Yukon Arts Centre, The Cultch, High Performance Rodeo, Factory Theatre, PuSh, etc etc etc.). Voiceover:The Big Sting, Animal Person, MeThree, Tremendous Things (Penguin Random House); Peep & The Big Wide World (PBS). Awards: Audience Choice Award (SummerWorks); John Kaplan Legacy Award for a Canadian Stage Performer; 3 Dora Mavor-Moore Award nominations in Outstanding Performance and Outstanding Costume Design. Online: pearleharbour.com. Instagram: @pearleharbour. Et cetera: This queen feels very grateful to be among theatre royalty.

2023: Associate choreographer of Rent. Second season. Stratford:West Side Story (Velma), Cyrano de Bergerac (Guthrie award recipient). Elsewhere:Rock of Ages (Mirvish); We Will Rock You, Juke Box Hero (US National Tours); Iphigenia in Taurus (Canadian Opera Company);  Mamma Mia!, Chicago, The Music Man (Drayton). Gadfly: Klorophyl (Dora Award Winner best ensemble). Film/TV:Suits, Designated Survivor, Degrassi, Christmas in the Wilds, Hometown Holiday, Psycho She Met Online. Choreography:Peter's Final Flight (Co-choreographer, Ross Petty Productions); The Wedding Planners (Amazon Prime); David Foster Foundation, Gateway for Cancer, ChildHelp Gala and numerous industrials across North America. Jen has worked with New Kids on the Block, Katy Perry, CeeLo Green, Tony Vincent, and Deborah Cox. Love and gratitude to my family and to Marc for this incredible opportunity. @gloss_ent @jennifermote.

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2023: Associate conductor and keyboard for Rent. Sixth season. Stratford: Associate conductor and keyboard for Chicago, Billy Elliot The Musical, The Music Man; rehearsal pianist for HMS Pinafore; music director of Northern Tracks; the Birmingham Conservatory's 2020 production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona; Shakespeare School's Musical Theatre Intensive; Musical Theatre Training with In The Wings: Online Theatre Training. Elsewhere: Conductor of the Stratford Symphony Youth Orchestra. Keyboard for Elf: The Musical (The Grand Theatre). Associate conductor of Call It Love (Eclipse Theatre); Sweeney Todd (Opera on the Avalon). Music director of Susannah (Peck Productions and London Community Players); JUDY: Stonewalled! (LINK theatre); The Secret Garden (London Community Players); Company (Music Theatre on the Thames); Street Scene (Halifax Summer Opera Festival); The Daughter of the Regiment (Fountainhead Theatre and London Community Players).

(he/him) Langham Directors' Workshop 2023

2023: Assistant director of Rent. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Director: The Drowsy Chaperone, Pippin (associate director), Sweet Charity (co-director) (St. Lawrence College); Mary Poppins in Concert (Yes Theatre); Stag and Doe (Tweed and Company); Carrie the Musical (sold out concert fundraiser for the AFC). Favourite acting roles include: Mordred in Camelot (Drayton Entertainment), Bud Frump in How to Succeed… (Drayton); Mary Sunshine in Chicago (Globe Theatre) and swinging the original Canadian company of Kinky Boots. Et cetera: Thomas is proud to have worked as assistant to many great Canadian directors including Ashlie Corcoran, Tracey Flye, Marcia Kash, Richard Ouzounian, Kate Hennig, Stafford Arima and now the fabulous Thom Allison. He is incredibly grateful to them for sharing their knowledge and kindness. Working at the Stratford Festival is a dream come true.

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2023: Assistant set designer of Rent and King Lear. Stratford debut. Elsewhere: Set designer of Wake 2.0 (Borealis Soul); Asst. set designer of Suor Angelica and L'heure Espagnole (Royal Conservatory of Music); Asst. set and costume designer of La Bohème (Against the Grain) and No One's Safe (The Banff Centre); Model maker for Three Women of Swatow (Tarragon). Film/TV: Set designer of The Handmaid's Tale S5, Jack Reacher S2 and Mayor of Kingstown S1. Asst. costume buyer for French Exit. Training: B.Des in Environmental Design (OCADu) and Eco-Scenography for Performing Arts Residency (TRIGA Creative). Online: kimsue.format.com, @kimsuebar. Et cetera: Kim Sue dedicates this season to Dawn, Tom, Gloria and Dwight.

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2023: Assistant costume designer for Rent. Second season. Stratford: Costume builder for the 2009 season. Elsewhere: Costume Design for The Shape of Home: Songs in Search of Al Purdy (County Stage/Crow's); Outside Mullingar, A Beautiful View, The Drawer Boy, Mary's Wedding, Stones in His Pockets, A Midsummer Night's Dream (County Stage); Mules (TheatreFront); Hairspray, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Divas Do It All (Sharon Playhouse), and beyond. Film/TV: Assistant costume designer for the upcoming feature The Dead Don't Hurt; background costume supervisor or set costumer for many, including Accused, The Marsh King's Daughter, A Higher Loyalty, Jupiter's Legacy, The Handmaid's Tale, Hotzone S1.Online: @reliena Et cetera: with love and gratitude, always, to family, friends, fellow creators and most of all, John.

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2023: Assistant costume designer of Rent. Fifth season. Stratford: Assistant costume designer of Chicago (2020), The Crucible, Coriolanus, Long Day's Journey into Night, Tartuffe. Elsewhere: Costume design - Gem of the Ocean (Shaw Festival); Prodigal (Howland Company); Into the Woods (YES Theatre); The Great Shadow (4th Line); La Bete, Sweeney Todd, The Judas Kiss, Into the Woods, Herringbone, The Yalta Game, For Both Resting and Breeding (Talk is Free Theatre); Poison (Coal Mine); Romeo and Juliet (Lost & Gone); Little Thing, Big Thing, Don't Misunderstand Me (Festival Antigonish). Head of Wardrobe - Peter's Final Flight, Alice in Winterland (Ross Petty Productions); Is God Is, New Monuments, (Canadian Stage); Orphans for the Czar, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Julius Caesar (Crow's Theatre). Awards: Dora Award nomination- Sweeney Todd (TIFT), Pauline McGibbon Award nomination (2022). Online: lauradelchiarodesign.com

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2023: Assistant lighting designer of Rent, Much Ado About Nothing and Les Belles-Soeurs. Second season. Stratford: Assistant lighting designer of Chicago, Hamlet, The Miser. Elsewhere: Lighting Design: London Road (MacEwan University); La Boheme, Is He Dead?, Almost Maine, The Underpants, Stupid F***ing Bird, Threads: Impact (University of Wisconsin - Madison); The Drawer Boy (Port Stanley Festival Theatre); Three Sisters (University of Windsor). Associate Lighting Designer: The Rhubarb Festival (Buddies in Bad Times). Assistant Lighting Designer: White Girls In Moccasins (Buddies in Bad Times); Tea (University of Wisconsin - Madison); Old Wives Tale (Port Stanley Festival Theatre). Training: MFA - Theatre and Drama - Lighting Design (University of Wisconsin - Madison); BAH: Drama and Communication Media and Film (University of Windsor).

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2023: Associate sound designer of Richard II and assistant sound designer of Rent, King Lear, Frankenstein Revived and Les Belles-Soeurs. Stratford debut. Stratford: DWP 2022 (sound designer); Chicago, Hamlet and Death and the King's Horseman (assistant sound designer). Elsewhere: Associate sound designer for Orphée+ (Edmonton Opera); sound designer for John Ware Reimagined (Blyth Festival); composer for video projects Alone Together, Four, What Happened To Lee (Human Body Expression); composer, musician for A Midsummer Night's Dream (Stratford Pirate Transmission); orchestra for Singin' In The Rain, Piaf/Dietrich, Ain't Too Proud, (Mirvish); percussionist with TorQ Percussion Quartet and Ladom Ensemble. Recording:  Debut album Guess I'm A People Too (2019) available on all platforms. Et cetera: Thinking of you this season, Peter.

2023: Production stage manager of the Tom Patterson Theatre and stage manager of Rent. 27th season. Stratford: Shows include Chicago, Billy Elliot, A Chorus Line, Crazy for You, Fiddler on the Roof, Camelot, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, Hello, Dolly!, The King and I and others. Elsewhere: Over 40 years as a stage manager in live entertainment including gala events, music concerts, opening ceremonies and fundraising events. Over 25 years with the Canadian Opera Company as a stage manager; production stage manager and resident director of Jersey Boys, Toronto; 25 years as a singer/dancer and choreographer in Canadian theatre; associate director/choreographer to her mentor, Alan Lund. Et cetera: Love to Paul, daughters Stephanie and Jennifer, son-in-law Andrew, and her grandchildren, Kennedy, Koston and Connor. Happy to be working through this pandemic!!

2023: Assistant stage manager of Rent and Les Belles-Soeurs. Second season. Stratford: Assistant stage manager for Chicago and Hamlet. Elsewhere: Tiffany has been an assistant stage manager with the Canadian Opera Company for 20 seasons working on shows such as Aida, Turandot, Elektra, Götterdämmerung, Louis Riel, Falstaff, Don Giovanni, La Bohème, Rigoletto, La Clemenza di Tito, Die Fledermaus, L'Amour de Loin, A Florentine Tragedy, Gianna Schicchi, Death in Venice, Iphigénie en Tauride and more. Tiffany has also been a stage manager with Opera Hamilton for Barber of Seville and The Pearl Fishers. Tiffany worked with The National Ballet of Canada in past seasons on such shows as Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Swan Lake and Innovation. Tiffany's favourite job is being a mom to 3 beautiful girls, Kennedy, McKinley and Reagan.

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2023: Assistant stage manager of Rent. Stratford debut. Elsewhere:Glory (Chemainus Theatre Festival), The Music Man, Back in '59 (Thousand Islands Playhouse); Have You Seen My Sister, Innocents (Alberta Theatre Projects); Orphans for the Czar (Crow's Theatre); Digital Now (Spur-of-the-Moment Shakespeare Collective); Singalong Jubilee (Geordie Brown Productions). Upcoming:Once (Thousand Islands Playhouse). Et cetera: Cristina would like to thank her friends, mentors, and loved ones.

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2023: Assistant stage manager of Rent and Les Belles-Soeurs. Fourth season. Stratford: Apprentice stage manager of Chicago, The Miser, Three Tall Women; Festival Theatre Production Assistant. Elsewhere: Stage manager - Bluebeard's Castle (Against the Grain Theatre); rochdale (SummerWorks). Assistant stage manager - The Breathing Hole (National Arts Centre); The Tender Land (University of Toronto Opera). Apprentice stage manager - Homes: A Refugee Story, Home for the Holidays (Grand Theatre); Angel (Opera Atelier); Cinderella: The Panto (Capitol Theatre); August: Osage County (Soulpepper). Rehearsal assistant - Don Giovanni, The Resurrection (Opera Atelier). Apprentice production manager - Twelfth Night (a Company of Fools). Training: York University, SM Arts. Et cetera: Caitlin would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for all of their support.

2023: Production stage manager of the Festival Theatre. Ninth season. Stratford: Assistant stage manager of Chicago, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Romeo and Juliet, A Chorus Line, As You Like It, Hamlet, The Sound of Music, Crazy for You and Fiddler on the Roof. Elsewhere: Stage manager of Tell Tale Harbour, Anne of Green Gables - The Musical (Charlottetown Festival); The Hockey Sweater (Segal Centre/NAC); The Candidate (Citadel Theatre); Hamlet (Perchance Theatre); Into the Woods (Opera on the Avalon); Glenn, Farther West, Great Expectations, Dirt, Long Day's Journey Into Night, High Life (Soulpepper); The Mill, parts 1 to 4 (Theatrefront); Peter and the Starcatcher, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Western Canada Theatre); It's a Wonderful Life, The Rocky Horror Show (Theatre New Brunswick); Shakespeare in Love, Happy Days (Neptune Theatre); Generous (Tarragon Theatre).

2023: Production stage manager of the Festival Theatre. Eighth season. Stratford: Most recently, Guys and Dolls (2017), As You Like It (2016), Twelfth Night (2011). Elsewhere:& Juliet (Toronto); Come From Away (Winnipeg and Toronto); Kinky Boots (Toronto); The Heart of Robin Hood (Winnipeg and Toronto); Les Misérables (Toronto and Melbourne); The Wizard of Oz (Toronto); War Horse (Toronto). Many theatres across Canada. US tours of Chicago, The King and I.

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2023: Festival Theatre production assistant. Stratford debut. Elsewhere:Elf: The Musical (The Grand Theatre); King Henry Five (Driftwood Theatre); RUR: A Torrent of Light (Tapestry Opera); Art in Transit: Luminato on the Go! (Luminato Festival Toronto), Grounds for Goodness (Jumblies Theatre); Finding Home: A Salmon Journey Up the Humber River (Theatre Direct and Animacy Theatre Collective); Life Assignment (Theatre Nidāna). Et cetera: Special thanks to Ana and Manuel Bustamante for their endless love and support!