Moonlight Schooner House Program

Page 1


Kanika Ambrose
Directed by Sabryn Rock
Daren A. Herbert. Photo: Dahlia Katz
and Nona Heaslip Foundation

Canadian Stage has four homes spread across our great city. The Bluma Appel and the Berkeley Street Complex bookend the vibrant St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood and run along what was once the shore of Lake Ontario. Our beautiful High Park Amphitheatre is nestled within the grassy mounds and forests of our city’s most beloved park. Our most recent addition, the Winter Garden Theatre, is located right in the bustling downtown core. Canadian Stage is grateful to be able to tell our stories on this bountiful land that we all share. This sacred land has held story for thousands of years: stories that live in the fabric of who we are as a nation. Canadian Stage would like to acknowledge and thank the original caretakers and knowledge keepers of this territory: the Anishinaabe Nations (including the Mississaugas of the Credit), the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Wendat and Métis Nations. We give thanks to the Nations recorded and unrecorded, acknowledged and unacknowledged, who also share the responsibility for this territory. We honour the Dish With One Spoon Treaty and our responsibility to peaceably share and care for the resources that surround us. We are honoured to be in this meeting place called Tkaronto that many First Nations, Inuit and Métis people from across Turtle Island call home.

A Necessary Angel Theatre Company Production in association with Canadian Stage and Tarragon Theatre

Moonlight Schooner

In the world premiere of Moonlight Schooner, Dora Award-winning playwright Kanika Ambrose (our place, Truth) shares an evocative tale about the systemic and deliberate breaking of Black men by colonial forces during the Windrush Generation, and the casualties left behind.

Cast

Nehassaiu deGannes Janine

danjelani ellis Vincy

Kanika Ambrose Playwright

Sabryn Rock Director

Shannon Lea Doyle* Set Designer

Des’ree Gray

Costume Designer

Raha Javanfar*

Lighting Designer

Chris Malkowski* Associate Lighting Designer

Daren A. Herbert

Timothy

Tony Ofori Lyle

Creative

Thomas Ryder Payne Sound Designer

Anita Nittoly Fight & Intimacy Director

Maria Kofman Head of Wardrobe

Chynah Philadelphia Head Of Props

Jalen Innis Production Manager & Technical Director

Laura Baxter Stage Manager

Crew

Josh Vlodarchyk Head Technician, Lighting

Jamie Robinson Sabine

Scarlett Larry Assistant Stage Manager

Peter N Bailey Dialect Coach

Mariza Coelho Production Assistant

Rhoma Spencer Cultural Consultant

Rayon Campbell, Jewelle Bowry and Bernice Small Additional Cultural Consultation

Katie Saunoris | KSPR Publicist

Ben Junor House Technician, Sound

Ode to the Queen and De Mosquito Original songs by Kanika Ambrose and Thomas Ryder Payne.

Stage and Necessary

Stage Employees are represented by IATSE Local 58 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. *Indicated designers on this production are represented by the Associated Designers of Canada, IATSE Local SC659

1 hour and 40 minutes, no intermission Content Note: Mature language and content.

We believe that when people participate in their community, good things can happen.

TD is proud to support Canadian Stage.

As part of our goal to help people feel a sense of belonging in their communities, TD supports arts and culture events, initiatives, and organizations across North America that amplify diverse voices.

Learn more at td.com/artsandculture

The world premiere of Moonlight Schooner is dedicated in memory of actor Michael Blake.

Michael Blake. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

Director’s Note

There is no singular concept of freedom amongst the characters in Moonlight Schooner. They desire and strive, in turn, to be untethered, to be unburdened, to be good, to be employed, to be satiated, to improve their status. The risks they take and encounter are personal and interpersonal. They are ships battered by waves and fighting crosswinds to find their course. The repercussions of their choices and actions will ripple through generations in the broad wake of colonialism. Kanika has written for us a window into the psychology of this striving, the adventure, excitement, humour, and struggles of hopeful and forsaken descendants of the slave trade. Moonlight Schooner reveals the limits of freedom and freewill on these men and women when thrown up against the storms and tides of history.

It is incredibly meaningful to get to work with Kanika on another story that centres Caribbean voices. This play’s characters are hilarious, heartbreaking and unnervingly familiar. The process has been emotional as we have unearthed and shared the stories of our ancestors in the rehearsal hall to try and find meaning and connection to our respective pasts so that it is present in what you are about to see. I am grateful for the immense generosity and courage of this group while building this beautiful offering.

Playwright’s Note

Moonlight Schooner is the first piece I created, from start to finish, as a mother. It’s said that, when a child is born, so is a mother. And so, this play met me at a shift in my understanding of my entire self, including as a writer.

Derek Walcott’s book of poems “The Star Apple Kingdom,” was a source of inspiration. Poems were easier to digest in the limited time I had as I learned how to nourish my writer self in whatever short pockets of the day I could.

I created Moonlight Schooner at a time of intense personal questioning; where and how did I come into the world? At whose sacrifice? What stories do I want to leave for my son? How do I want my son to understand himself in the world? It is a piece that comes from ruthless questioning and ruthless love of my new child and all of the people that sacrificed for the life we now have.

It is my hope that this piece opens more questions than answers and allows space for new asking.

This is for the women in my lineage who I never knew and the men who I wish I knew deeper. For all the people with questions about why things are and how things were that got you to exactly this point.

Special Performances of

Caribbean Communities Night

November 22 @ 7:30pm

Complimentary

Childcare

November 30 @ 2pm

Black Out Night

December 2 @ 7:30pm

Post-show Talkback

December 4 @ 7:30pm

Schooner

Pre-show Artist Talk

December 6 @ 2pm

Relaxed Performance

December 6 @ 2pm

ASL Interpreted

Performance

December 9 @ 7:30pm

Post-show Talkback

December 11 @ 7:30pm

Pre-show Artist Talk

December 13 @ 2pm

Nehassaiu deGannes – Janine

Canadian Stage: Rabby in Fat Ham. Other theatre: GNIT, Tons of Money, The House That Will Not Stand (Shaw); The High Ground (Arena); Incendiary (Woolly Mammoth); Is God Is (Soho Rep); Simon Godwin’s Much Ado (STC); Measure for Measure, Intimate Apparel, Or,,(Shakespeare & Co.); Sweat, Three Musketeers (CPH); Sweat, Never Not Once (Theatre Aquarius); COCo Dance Theatre’s Rigidigidim De Bamba De (national tour). Film/TV: “Krystal Rullan” in “Equal Standard” (Prime Video). An accomplished poet, playwright and educator, born in Trinidad and raised in Canada. Upcoming: Stratford Festival 2026 Season. nehassaiu.com

danjelani ellis – Vincy

Canadian Stage: Is God Is (Assistant Director). Other theatre: speaking of sneaking (Buddies/Groundwork Redux/Obsidian), The First Stone (GCTC/New Harlem Productions/Buddies), The Bridge (Neptune/2b/ Obsidian), Risky Phil (YPT), Lukumi: A Dub Opera (Watah), The Circle (Tarragon). Toronto-based artist and artsworker from Jamaica. Graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. Recipient of 5 Dora Award nominations and a Merritt Award nomination for outstanding performance in a featured role. Artistic producer at Obsidian Theatre Company. Dedicated to great-granny Iris, who they all call A’nola - she leave her home in Yard, at the mouth of Black River, then she send for all her children, and so is so they reach Foreign.

Daren A. Herbert – Timothy

Canadian Stage: Choir Boy. Other theatre: Three Sisters, The Brothers Size, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (Soulpepper); Yerma (Coal Mine); Sweeter (Cahoots); The Music Man (Stratford). Film/TV: “Baroness Von Sketch,” “Pretty Hard Cases,” “Kim’s Convenience” (CBC); “Private Eyes” (Global); “Falling Skies” (TNT). Awards: Dora Awards; Toronto Theatre Critics Award; LA Drama Critics Circle.

Tony Ofori – Lyle

Canadian Stage: Fall on Your Knees (Robert Merritt Award), Fat Ham. Other theatre: Pipeline (Soulpepper; Dora nomination), Wildwoman (Soulpepper; Dora nomination), Three Sisters (Obsidian/Soulpepper; Dora Awards –production & ensemble); The Death of Walt Disney (Outside the March); Serving Elizabeth (WTC). Film/TV: “Sway,” “Amazing Grace” (OWN), “A Royal Queens Christmas” (Hallmark), “Star Trek” (Paramount), “Murdoch Mysteries” (CBC), “Hudson and Rex” (CTV), “The Boys” (Amazon Prime), “The Trades” (Crave TV), “Ghostwriter” (Emmy nomination).

Jamie Robinson – Shabine

Canadian Stage: A Doll’s House (upcoming); A Midsummer Night’s Dream in High Park (as Director 2023); Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure in High Park (2019). Other theatre: Risky Phil (Young People’s Theatre, Dora Award); Gas Girls (New Harlem Productions, Dora Award nomination); Richard III (Metachroma Theatre, METAward nomination); four seasons Stratford Festival. Film/TV: “The Greatest” (Amazon/MGM), “Brilliant Minds” (Warner/ NBC), “Skymed” (Paramount), “Condor” (AT&T), “Believe Me” (Showcase), “Hudson & Rex” (Rogers), “Expanse” (SyFy), “Murdoch Mysteries” (Shaftesbury). Currently an Associate Professor for the Department of Theatre, Dance and Performance at York University.

Creative

Kanika Ambrose – Playwright

Canadian Stage: Debut. Other theatre: our place (Cahoots/Theatre Passe Muraille; Dora Award); Truth (YPT; Dora Award); Of the Sea (Tapestry/ Obsidian); The Big Easy: Music of New Orleans (Soulpepper). Tarragon Theatre OAC Playwright in Residence. Kanika is a two-time Dora Awardwinning playwright, opera librettist, and screenwriter.

Sabryn Rock – Director

Canadian Stage: Sweat (Assistant Director), Is God Is. Directing: our place (Cahoots/TPM); Truth (YPT); Shaniqua in Abstraction (Crow’s/Obsidian).

Acting: The Royale & Rose (Soulpepper); Fun Home (Mirvish/MSC), Passing Strange (MSC/Obsidian). Film/TV: “Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent” (Rogers/City TV); “The Porter” (CBC/BET+); “Station Eleven” (HBO); “Cabinet of Curiosities” (Netflix); “The Girlfriend Experience” (Starz). Toronto Theatre Critics Award (The Royale). Big love to my work wife & dream collaborator, Kanika and the NA team for this opportunity.

Shannon Lea Doyle – Set Designer

The Seagull, The Comeuppance (Soulpepper); Jesus Christ Superstar, Oliver! (YES Theatre); There is Violence (Buddies in Bad Times /Native Earth); Interior Design (Tarragon). Upcoming: Narnia (Bad Hats); Tiger Bride (Soulpepper). Thank you to Moe, Mary, John, Sara and Dave for all your support.

Des’ree Gray – Costume Designer

Canadian Stage: Assistant Costume Designer for Fairview; Assistant Costume Designer for Maanomaa; Assistant Costume Designer for Da Kink in My Hair. Other theatre: Tyson’s Song (Pleiades Theatre); Three Fingers Back (Tarragon Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar (Talk Is Free Theatre); Appropriate, Yerma (Coal Mine Theatre); Frankenstein: Revived (Stratford). Graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Production Design Program.

Maria Kofman – Head of Wardrobe

Princess Ivona (George Brown Theatre Company). Design work with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet X, Ephrat Asherie Dance, and Tiger Princess Dance Projects, Cora Dance Inc, Head Over Wheels Circus, Calder White, Yiming Cai, & more. Studied Fine Art at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (New York, NY).

Raha Javanfar – Lighting Designer

Canadian Stage: Is God Is. Other theatre: A Profoundly... (Tarragon/ Obsidian); Flex (Crows/Obsidian); A Terrible Fate (VideoCab); Sizwe Banzi is Dead (Soulpepper). Three-time Dora Award winner, five Dora nominations, Soulpepper Slaight Associate Artist, Siminovitch Protégé.

Thomas Ryder Payne – Sound Designer

Canadian Stage: Slave Play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Is God Is, You, Always, and more. Other theatre: Designs for National Arts Centre, Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Mirvish Productions, Soulpepper, Canadian Stage, Tarragon Theatre, Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, YPT & more. Film/TV: “Plain View,” “7A,” “Blood Harvest,” “Hero.Traitor.Patriot,” “Alegra & Jim,” “Robert’s Circle.” Multiple Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Studied composition with James Tenney, Honours BA, York University.

Anita Nittoly – Fight & Intimacy Director

Canadian Stage: Slave Play, Fairview, Hamlet, Fat Ham, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fall on Your Knees. Other theatre: Stratford Festival 2024 & 2025 seasons; The Welkin, Kim’s Convenience, WildWoman, Virgin Trial (Soulpepper); Bad Roads, Wights, The Bidding War. Film/TV: “Law & Order: Toronto,” “SEE,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” “Star Trek: Section 31,” “Pretty Hard Cases,” “Titans,” “The Boys,” “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Anita is looking forward to her directorial debut of The Three Muskateers in 2028!

Jalen Innis – Production Manager & Technical Director

Canadian Stage: Assistant PM for Winter Solstice (Necessary Angel). Other theatre: Die Zauberflöte (Gelnn Gould School); Peter’s Final Flight (Elgin Theatre). Measha’s Gospel Brunch, In the Wake of Progress and Built on Genocide (Luminato); Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF).

Laura Baxter – Stage Manager

Canadian Stage: Topdog/Underdog, nowhen, Sweat, Love and Information, Venus in Fur, Measure for Measure, Much Ado About Nothing, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew. Necessary Angel: What the Constitution Means to Me. Laura has had the pleasure of stage managing for theatres across the country, including Buddies in Bad Times, Soulpepper Theatre, Factory Theatre, Canadian Stage, Nightwood, YPT, Studio 180, Dance Immersion, Tarragon Theatre, Obsidian Theatre, Cahoots, Theatre Passe Muraille, Blyth Festival, Caravan Farm Theatre. Thank you to my wife Shawn and our child Amari for your unconditional love and support.

Scarlett Larry – Assistant Stage Manager

Canadian Stage: Stage Manager – You, Always. Get That Hope, Wedding Band, Richard II, Little Women, I Am William (Stratford Festival); The Secret Chord, Kim’s Convenience, The Welkin, Detroit (Soulpepper); Letters From Max (Necessary Angel); WaterFall (Theatre Gargantua); Julius Caesar, The Wolves (Crow’s Theatre); Kiviuq Returns: An Inuit Epic (National Theatre of Greenland, Qaggiavuut!, Tarragon Theatre); The Stage Manager’s Guide to Dating Assholes (Edinburgh and Toronto Fringe). MA in Art History and BFA in Theatre Production and Design from York University.

Peter N Bailey – Dialect Coach

Canadian Stage: Fat Ham (Dialect Coach). Other theatre: A World Without Shadows, The Wilberforce Hotel, Jumbo, The Real McCoy (Blyth Festival), Other Side of the Game (Cahoots Theatre/Obsidian), A Man A Fish (Persephone Theatre, New Harlem Productions).

A graduate of the Patsy Rodenburg Associate Programme. Dora Award for Best New Play (Tyson’s Song). Peternbailey.com

Mariza Coelho – Production Assistant

Theatre: The High School Project/Phantom of the Opera (Grand Theatre)

Mariza is currently studying Technical Theatre Production at Humber Polytechnic. With a long-term goal of becoming a head of props, Mariza is eager to continue learning, collaborating, and creating compelling theatrical experiences.

Rhoma Spencer – Cultural Consultant

House of Bernarda Alba (Modern Times/Aluna; Dora nomination), Solitudes (Aluna), Queen of the Road – The Calypso Rose Musical (Trinidad). Film/ TV: “Da Kink in my Hair” (Global), “Scarborough” (Compy Films), “Deep Blue” (HaMa Films Antigua), “A Pile of Dirt” (RhoJan Films). 2025 IMPACT Award in the field of Arts and Culture. Thank you to Kanika and the Necessary Angel family.

Led by Alan Dilworth, Necessary Angel Theatre Company is one of English Canada’s most vital original creation and touring organisations. The company has a history of innovation and risk taking and engages theatre artists from a variety of disciplines in the creation of new work. An influential and original presence on the national and international theatre scene for 47 years, the company has produced more than 60 productions, including 30 world premieres and 12 North American premieres. Work created by Necessary Angel has been nominated for and has won Governor General’s Awards for Drama, Chalmers Awards for Outstanding New Play, and numerous Dora Mavor Moore Awards.

Staff

Alan Dilworth

Artistic Director

Kanika Ambrose Associate Artistic Director

Kristina McNamee General Manager

Leonard McHardy Development & Communications

Brandon Moe Development Associate

Katie Saunoris | KSPR Public Relations

Richard Stursberg Chair

Diane Blake Vice Chair

Boyd Neil Board Secretary

Board

Andrea Meister Marketing Coordinator

Natasha Adiyana Morris

Special Events Coordinator

Jacob Whibley Graphic Designer

Yulia Kovaleva Web Designer

Yien Yip Bookkeeper

Sa’ad Shah Treasurer

Roslyn Kaman

Mickey Palha

Yashoda Ranganathan

Nalini Stewart

Daniel Weinzweig

Lead Season Sponsor

Lead Season Support

Diane Blake & Stephen Smith

Government Support

Lead Production Support for Moonlight Schooner

Foundation

Additional Production Support for Moonlight Schooner

Programming Support - The NA LAB

Be Our Scene Partner

At Necessary Angel, we believe theatre is about making radical connections. Through the creation and staging of extraordinary theatrical works, programs, and experiences, we connect by making meaning together, with our artists, audience, and community. We thank all our supporters who contribute at every level to make that goal a reality.

To Make a Donation visit NecessaryAngel.com.

The William and Nona Heaslip
Kevin & Roger Garland Sheena Macdonald & Phil Schmitt Sylvia Soyka

Thank you to our donors!

Individual Support

$ 50,000. +

Diane Blake & Stephen Smith*

$ 25,000. + The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation*

$ 15,000. + Meehan Family Investments Inc.*

$ 10,000. + Lindy Green Family Foundation*

Sabourin Family Foundation*

Lawrence Schafer Foundation*

The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation

$ 5,000. + Sheena Macdonald & Phil Schmitt*

Kevin & Roger Garland*

Sylvia Soyka* Richard Stursberg*

*Multi - Year Donors

Donations Received

$ 3,000. +

K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation*

$ 1,000. +

Anonymous x 2*

Elizabeth Dilworth

Roslyn Kaman*

David Latham & Jason Miller*

Sa’ad Shah

Jason Smith* Nalini Stewart*

Daniel Weinzweig

In Memory of Elizabeth Dilworth*

Pia Kleber

Robert Sirman

Barbara & Kit Moore*

$ 500. + Lisa Balfour

Bowen*

Boyd Neil*

Gail Packwood*

In Memory of Jon Kaplan

Robert Kirk & Sarah Hunt

Martin Bhadra Charitable Gift Fund

Ann & Ross

July 1, 2024 - November 1, 2025

Should there be an error in our donor listing please contact leonard@necessaryangel.com

Stuart

Patrick Smith

Yashoda Ranganathan

$ 100. +

Joel & Amanda Attrell

In memory of Richard Beaty

Marian Botsford Fraser*

Anuradha Chawla

Ian Chisholm

Joanne Dodsworth

Barbara Fingerote*

Astrid Janson*

Lisa Leon

Eleanor O’Connor

Judith Robertson

Douglas Rodger

Joyce & Alec Monro*

Nancy’s Very Own Foundation

Janet Lewis*

Michael Herrera

Susan Scandiffio

Tom Rooney

Elizabeth Sheffield

Howie Shia

Leonard McHardy & John Harvey

Don & Francie

Kendal

Nada Ristich

Joe Szekeres

Paul Butler

Suzanne Simzer

Nancy Palk

Kira Guloien

Up to $99

Anonymous

Stewart Arnott

Katie Saunoris

Carol Rowntree

Beverley Cooper

Deborah Kohn

Lori Taylor

Anonymous

Jody Timmerman

Cylla von Tideman

Barbara Millar

Brian Beagle

Stephanie Jung

Barbara Gordon*

Thank you:

Lisa Codrington, Nathan D. Simmons, Junita Correia, Ali Hand, McWood

Studios, Rick Banville, Bryn Kennedy, Tory Taylor, Justyn Nishimura, Dahlia

Katz, Virgilia Griffith, Luke Reece, Akosua Amo-Adem, Araya Mengesha, Bria

McLaughlin, Trinity Lloyd, Sascha Cole, Jordi Mand, and Humber Polytechnic.

Tarragon Theatre is a creation and playwrights’ theatre. We develop, produce and present premiere productions that investigate artistic form, offering enriching and provocative theatre experiences for the artist and audience. For over fifty years, our mission has been a foundation within Canadian theatre, new play development and dramaturgy practice. We open our doors to celebrate and learn from the scope of voices that make up our country and the various artistic practices that resonate within them. Tarragon is equally a hub for creation and development as it is a production company, with the ultimate goal of creating a meaningful environment for artists to thrive and bridge their ideas from concept to realization.

For more information visit www.tarragontheatre.com

Leadership

Mike Payette Artistic Director

Lisa Li Executive Director

Artistic & Administration

Jeff Ho Associate Artistic Director

Steph Crothers

Interim Artistic Producer

Heather Caplap

Education & Community Access Manager

Becks Hoàng-Lefranc Associate Producer Development

Mitsuki Amano Director of Development

Natalie Skov Development & Special Events Coordinator

Marketing & Communications

Alexia Bréard-Anderson Director of Marketing & Communications

Danielle Morgan Publicist

Teagan McCanny

Marketing Coordinator

Production & Facilities

Shawn Henry Director of Production

Wei Qing Tan Production Manager

Jaxun Maron Technical Director

Beatrice Freedman Assistant Technical Director

Patrick Hong Mainspace Technician

Jeuel Balane Extraspace Technician

Uri Livne-Bar Associate Technician

Kate Ingman Head Carpenter

Alannah Dzijacky Head of Props

Acadia Walsh Head of Wardrobe

Emma Burnett Head Scenic Artist

Matt Panell Facilities Manager

Patron Services

Natasha Parsons Director of Patron Services

Micaela Molina Morales Manager of Patron Services

Anita Soutendam Assistant Manager of Patron Services

Lee Stone Assistant Manager of Patron Services

Jackson Nair Patron Services Representative & Family Series Coordinator

Melissa Avalos Patron Services Representative

Dhanu Kumar Chinniah Patron Services Representative

Rahaf Fasheh Patron Services Representative

Charley Hausknost Patron Services Representative

Jonnie Lombard

Patron Services Representative

Our Family of Supporters

Annual Donors, Sponsors and Members

Canadian Stage is grateful to the many individuals, foundations and corporations that supported our activities during the 24.25 season. They allowed us to invest in artist development, build our pipeline of new work and present artistic experiences at the highest level.

$100,000+

BMO Financial Group

Ed & Fran Clark

John & Nancy Embry

TD Bank Group

$50,000-$99,999

Marilyn Baillie, C.M. & Charles Baillie, O.C.

David W. Binet

Hugh Clark & Rebecca Rive

The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation

Metcalf Foundation

$25,000-$49,999

Mark & Gail Appel

The Azrieli Foundation

Alexandra Baillie

CIBC Mellon

Ian & Kiki Delaney

Catherine Graham & Katy Graham

Debost

Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds

The Henry White Kinnear Foundation

Jim Lawrence & David Salak

Janet L’Heureux

Paul Maranger & Robert Brown

Fabio Mascarin Foundation

Trina McQueen, O.C.

Polar Asset Management Partners

RBC Foundation

Alan Rowe & Bryan Blenkin

The Sabourin Family Foundation

The Slaight Family Foundation

The Westaway Charitable Foundation

Anonymous (1)

$10,000 - $24,999

The Paul Butler and Chris Black Foundation at Toronto Foundation

Castlepoint Numa

Chartwell Retirement Residences

The Elizabeth and Tony Comper Foundation

Davies

Huw Evans & Kathryn Bird

M Fainer

Sheila Goldman

Joan and Clifford Hatch Foundation

Diane Hatch & Chris Naudie

Brendan Healy

Ken Hugessen & Jennifer Connolly

Nancy Jain

Dr. Pia Kleber

The Krstajic Foundation

Greg Lemaich & Julie Sutherland

The McLean Foundation

Remembering Otto & Marie Pick Charitable Foundation

Sandra & Jim Pitblado, C.M.

Polar Foundation

Power Corporation of Canada

$5,000 - $9,999

Sara Angel & Dr. Michael Angel

Robert & Mary Pat

Armstrong

Tony Baylis & Jacqueline Kirk

Navin Bhat

Adam Burke

Susan Crocker & John Hunkin

Margaret & David Fountain

MakeWay Foundation - Harbinger Fund

K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation

Kathy Inch & Steve Simpson

Jackman Foundation

Donald K Johnson

Kingfisher Foundation

Ron Lalonde & Jane Humphreys

Gail MacNaughton

Frances & Tim Price

The Racioppo Family Foundation

Gabrielle & Greg Richards

Dennis & Denny Starritt

Margaret Steed

$2,000 - $4,999

Pat and Tony Adams Freedom Fund for the Arts

Richard T. Adams

Norman & Leh-Sih Boersma

Antoinette Tummillo & John Carter

Covell and Edwina Foundation

Aaron Cowan

Peter Daniels & Elly Barlin-Daniels

Lynn Eakin

Dr. Roy Eappen

Monica Esteves

Robert & Julia Foster

Linda Glover & Ian de Verteuil

Colin Gruchy

Colin Hennigar & Justine Turner

Kiki Jamieson & Will Dove

Nina Josefowitz

Brett Ledger & Patricia Olasker

Peter Lyman & Judith Moses

Ian & Dorothy MacDonald

Sheena Macdonald & Phil Schmitt

Frances Mahil

Heather McMartin & David Lightheart

Qasim Mohammad

Alice Morgan

Robert Morassutti

Noel Mowat

Ed & Cindy Nowina

Perry Orestes & Tim Giguere

Linda Reed In Memory of John and Norma Rogers

In Memory of Elder Pauline Shirt

Sylvia M.G. Soyka in honour of Heather McMartin

Maple Tam

Doug & Gail Todgham

Beth Toombs

Christian Vermast

Anonymous (2)

$1,000-$1,999

Rick Archbold & Rick Feldman

Cathy Bateman

Balfour Bowen Family Foundation

Louise Cannon

The Cohen Kay Family Foundation

Chris Davis

Alexis L. Gordon

Peter Levitt & Mai Why

Trevor Lloyd

Debera McKeen

Julia & Gilles Ouellette

Richard Rooney

Rotman Family Foundation

James Spearing

Anonymous (1)

$500-$999

Agg Family Giving

Dr. Johanna Aitken

Laurie Elaine Barrett

Parveen Dhupar

Eileen Farrow

Valerie Gow

Richard Horner

Karen & Fred Leitner

Tom McGillis

Barbara Nelson

Dr. Helen Ostovich

Keith Potter

Lisa Riley

Dr. Avgi Saketopoulou

Ivor & Renee Simmons

Lois Spencer

Michael Trent

Dr. Paul Truelove

Kaley Walker

$250-$499

G. Chalmers Adams

Jean Augustine

William Beaton

Katherine Bishop

John & Jane Cawthorne

Mr. Bernard F. Cocchiola

Charmaine Dimick

Ms. Sandra Dudley

Ms. Debbie M Dumaresq

Curtis Eisenberg

Paul Faiazza

Ms. Margaret Fisher

Anne Fleming

Tim Fort

Jean E Goodier

Mr. Stanley Griffin

William A Hammond

Sherry Haynes

David Hurlbut

Mrs. Rona Kosansky

Rae & Deborah Lake

Ms. Adrian Lang

Karen Laurence

Mr. Harvey Mandel

Mrs. Kim M Maxwell

Ms. Honora McCabeSlinger

E.D. Mitchell

Susan Moellers

Ms. Diane Morgan

Manraj Pannu

Alexander Perelgut

Mr. John Roeleveld

Robert Sandolowich

Marilyn Sherman

Patricia Stowe

Carol Swindell

Mr. Ken Thomson

Mr. Dean G Valentine

Shraddha Kothari

Walker & Adrian Walker

Mr. Brent Whitby

Barrie W Zwicker

$75-$249

Beth Adams

Ted Addie

Jill Amery

In Memory of

Kenneth Burke

Sandra Appel

Jimmy Ayres

Judy Bates

Julie Bean

Kaye & Paul Beeston

Peter Bennett

Cindy Boates

Dianne Bradley

Angela Brown

Marilyn Brownrigg

Sandra L Bullock

David Cameron

Joyce & Rick Coombs

Sheila C. Coulter

Wanda Crickmay

Margaret H Daly

Nancy Davis

Raghunath Davloor

Beatrice T Donald

Elizabeth A. Dyke

Myron & Olena

Dylynsky

Leigh & Buddy Eisenberg

Jeannie Farquharson

Christopher A Ferguson

Marlene Fine

Barbara Fingerote

Donna Fraser

Karl & Barbara Freeman

Raluca Gheorghe

Jenny Ginder

Brenda Graham

Barbara Hackett & John Tory

Bonita Hart

V. Tony Hauser

Glenna Hemphill

Angela Herwin

Bonnie Horne

Lynne Howarth

Tim Hughes

Alfred Johnston

Don & Susan Johnston

Gerda Kaegi

Robert Kee

Greg H. Kelner

Edward & Ann Kerwin

Terra Klinck

Geoff Kolomayz

Heidi Kreuter

Barbara & Edgar Lea

Deborah Lecuyer

Carmen Lehman

George B Lennon

Randal Levine

Diane Mackay

Gopal Makan

Tony Mansfield

Frankie Maranger

Andrew Markowiak

Kulin Matchhar

Stephen A McArthur

Susan McClean

James Joseph

McCracken

Marjorie McLeod

Mary V McMillan

Janet McMurtry

John McQuaker

Maria J Medeiros

Jordan Merkur

Barbara Millar

Dewi Minden

Alice Morgan

Pauline Gale Morris

Michael & Olja Muller

Terry Murphy

John G Myers

Faye Rhonda Newport

Michael O’Connor

Carol Percy

Stephen W Phillips

Diane Pitblado

Jack & Bettie Powers

Pegi Rappaport

Keith Rose

Cynthia Russel

Dan & Diane Sexton

Janet Shacter

Patricia Simmie

Piali Roy & Andrew Simpson

Marvin Singer

Saneh Singh

William Solomon

Elena Soni

Andrea Sonnenberg

Michele A Spencer

Paul B Stewart

Ross Stuart

Jan Thompson

Pamela A. Thomson

Nora Underwood

Rick R. Verrette

Katherine D Vice

Martin Wade

Dianne Weinrib

Alex A Wellington

Scott C. Werry

Eleanor Westney

Shelley White

Marilyn Wilcoxen

Anthea Windsor

Nan Wiseman

Michael Zacks

Janet Zemaitis

Sharon Zier-Vogel

Anonymous

City Builders

Members Principal

SvN Architects + Planners

Partners

Aercoustics

Castlepoint Numa

DIALOG

Diamond Schmitt

Enwave Energy

ERA

Harrington and Associates

KPMB

O2 Planning and Design Inc.

RAW Design

Lifetime Giving

Canadian Stage wishes to acknowledge the generous contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations whose lifetime financial contributions to the company exceed $100,000.

Above $2,000,000

Bram & Bluma Appel

The Bluma Appel Community Trust

BMO Financial Group

TD Bank Group

$1,000,000 - $1,999,999

Marilyn Baillie, C.M. & Charles Baillie, O.C CIBC

John & Nancy Embry

Sandra Simpson

$500,000 - $999,999

David W. Binet

BMO Harris Private Banking

Susan Crocker, C.M. & John Hunkin, C.M.

Imperial Oil Foundation

Ron Lalonde & Jane Humphreys

William MacKinnon

Manulife Financial

Maureen & Roger Parkinson

RBC Foundation

Scotiabank

The Slaight Family Foundation

St. Josephs Communications Anonymous (1)

$250,000 - $499,999

Alexandra Baillie

Canada Life

Ed & Fran Clark

Hugh Clark

The William & Nona Macdonald

Heaslip Foundation

Hal Jackman Foundation

Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds

The Henry White Kinnear Foundation

Laidlaw Foundation

Loblaw Companies Limited

Trina McQueen, O.C.

Metcalf Foundation

Jack & Judith Rose

The Sabourin Family Foundation

Sylvia Soyka

Sun Life Financial

Ontario Trillium Foundation

$100,000 - $249,999

The Azrieli Foundation

Cathy Bateman

Jill E. Black & Barry Allan

M. Joan Chalmers

C.C., O.Ont & Barbara

Amesbury

Peter & Frances Chiddy

Mark & Ann Curry

Deloitte Foundation

Ernst & Young LLP

Margaret & Jim Fleck, O.C.

GE Canada

Peter & Dianne Gillin

Gluskin Sheff & Associates Inc.

Sheila Goldman

Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation

Barbara Hackett & John Tory

Hewlett Packard Canada

HSBC Bank Canada

Ken Hugessen & Jennifer Connolly

Intact Insurance Company

Ed & Ann Kerwin

KPMG Canada

Adrian Lang & Ash Taylor

Don & Marjorie Lenz

The Brian Linehan

Charitable Foundation

Gail MacNaughton

John & Kay McKellar Household

Molson Coors Brewing Company

Sandra & Jim Pitblado

Polar Foundation

Emmanuel Pressman

Timothy & Frances Price

PwC Canada

Penny & Robert Richards

Jim Riley & Nicole Sigouin

Edward S. Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc.

Ellen & Brian Rose

Schuyler Bankes & Family

TC Energy

Tridel Corporation

Chip & Barbara Vallis

Arlene & Michael Willis

Julie, Peter & James in Memory of John David Wood Anonymous (2)

Legacy Giving

We are grateful to the following individuals who have very thoughtfully and generously remembered Canadian Stage in their estates.

The Estate of Bluma Appel

The Estate of Kenneth C. Dawe

The Estate of John Gordon

Hunter Larry Lubin

The Estate of Helen

Joan Kates

The Estate of Stanley Shaw

The annual donor listing includes donations received between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025

We have made every effort to ensure proper recognition. If, however, your name has been accidentally omitted, listed incorrectly, or misspelled, we apologize. Please notify us at donate@canadianstage.com with any corrections.

Theatre Ball 2025 Supporters

Sponsors

Castlepoint Numa

Jennifer Connolly & Ken Hugessen

The Globe and Mail

Premium Table Buyers

Hugh Clark

Tim & Frances Price

Regular Table Buyers

Alexandra Baillie

Navin Bhat

Bond Paving and Construction

David Bronskill & Mark Dilworth

Helen Burstyn

CIBC Mellon

Davies LLP

Nina Josefowitz

Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds

KPMB Architects

Vafa Mirzaagha

Polar Asset Management Partners

Shaw Festival

SvN

The Mitchell Partnership Inc.

Torys LLP

Veltri Wealth Management Group

Half Table Buyers

Deloitte

Frontier Flooring

Hogg, Shain & Scheck Professional Corporation, CPAs

Treasure Hill

Event Donations $2,000+

Jamie & Patsy Anderson

Sara & Michael Angel

Ezio Bondi

Hugh Clark & Rebecca Rive

Ed & Fran Clark

Jason Cope

Eileen Costello

Aaron Cowan

Matt DuPerrouzel

Ellen & Robert Eisenberg

Ian and Rebecca Joseph

Vafa Mirzaagha

Power Corporation of Canada

Janice & J. Paul Sabourin

Julie Sutherland & Greg Lemaich

Saverio Veltri

Anonymous (2)

Table Selling Committee

Steven Casey

Hugh Clark

Nina Josefowitz

Frances Mahil

John Montesano

Drew Sinclair

Auction Support

Estée Lauder

Alexandra Baillie Legacy Fund Donors

Matching

and

Lead Donor

$10,000+

Mark & Gail Appel

Robert & Mary Pat Armstrong

Alexandra Baillie

Marilyn Baillie, C.M. & Charles Baillie, O.C.

Hugh Clark

The Krstajic Foundation

Greg Lemaich & Julie Sutherland

Trina McQueen, O.C.

Vafa Mirzaagha

Maureen & Roger Parkinson

Drew Sinclair & Liza J. Stiff

$5,000 - $9,999

Sara Angel & Dr. Michael Angel

Upkar & Nita Arora

Tony Baylis

Navin Bhat

Burstyn Family Charitable Fund

Susan Crocker & John Hunkin

Julia Foster, C.M. & Robert Foster, C.M.

Good & Well Inc

Colin Hennigar & Justine Turner

Nina Josefowitz

Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds

The Henry White Kinnear Foundation

Ron Lalonde & Jane Humphreys

John Montesano

Chip & Barbara Vallis

$100 - $4,999

David Bronskill

Adam & Gayle Burke

Doone & George Estey

Huw Evans & Kathryn Bird

Brendan Healy

Qasim Mohammad

Daniel F. Sullivan

Vandana Taxali

Thanks to our 25.26 Season Sponsors and Funders

Season Sponsor and Access Partner

Baillie Theatre Season Underwriter

The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation

David W. Binet

Paul Maranger & Robert Brown

Bluma Appel Season Underwriter

John & Nancy Embry

Dream in High Park Lead Sponsor

Production Underwriters & Sponsors

Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds

Trina McQueen, O.C.

Alan Rowe & Bryan Blenkin

BraveWorks Founding Donors

Alexandra Baillie

Ian & Kiki Delaney

Programmatic Support Lead Donors

Education & Community Outreach Lead Donor

Marilyn & Charles Baillie Family Foundation

Ed & Fran Clark Future Forward Fund Lead Donor

EmpowHer Founding Donors

Catherine Graham & Katy Graham Debost

Janet L’Heureux

Fabio Mascarin Foundation New Work Development Lead Donor

Dream in High Park

Canadian Stage

Board of Directors

Hugh Clark Chair

Navin Bhat

David Bronskill

Eileen Costello

Jamie Crotin Councillor Paula Fletcher

Management

Brendan Healy Artistic Director

Monica Esteves Executive Director

Daniel Bennett Director of Production and Facilities

Melysa Rogen Director of Marketing and Communications

Heather McMartin Director of Development and Campaigns

Beth Toombs Director of Finance and Administration

Artistic

Lynanne Sparrow Producer

Jordan Laffrenier Associate Artistic Director Laurie Merredew Assistant Producer

Manuel Chaves Manager of Education and Community Engagement

Maple Tam Vice Chair & Secretary

Diane Hatch

Colin Hennigar

Nina Josefowitz

Elaine Kierans

Frances Mahil

Trina McQueen

Finance & Administration

Sunitha Rai Manager, Payroll Administration and HR Support

Kari Seppen Intermediate Accountant

Brian Parsons Senior Manager, IT Services

Ruth-Anne Yiu Executive Assistant and Board Liaison

Development

Chris Faulkner Senior Manager, Government Relations and Foundations

Luisa Kurtz Senior Manager, Individual Giving

Gillian Hoff Manager of Special Events

Faizah Syeda Development Coordinator

Adam Burke Treasurer

Vafa Mirzaagha

Qasim Mohammad

Jeremy Opolsky

James Spearing

Daniel Sinniah

Julie Sutherland

Marketing and Communications

Shannon Tigert Senior Marketing Manager, Loyalty & Growth

Madison Zinger Senior Marketing Manager, New Audiences

Derek Ma Graphic and Digital Manager

Vaishnavi Panwar Marketing Coordinator

Michael Crumpton Senior Sales Specialist

Kledia Verria Group Sales Manager

Audience Services

Conor Copeland Ticketing and Audience Services Manager

Faisal Butt

Assistant Ticketing Manager

Abbas Abbas

Peter Genoway

Elyssia Giancola

Mima Higashi

Alex Jackson

Naomi Kaplan

Mackenzie Kerr

Colette Mbariko

Seamus Murphy

Sydnie Phillips

Veronica Schmeiser

Sienna Singh

Mya Wong

Audience Services Staff

Vandana Taxali

Chris Wood

Production

Brayden Crawford Technical Director

Meg Woods

Production & Site Manager

Matthew Hadley Building Operations Manager

Kendalin Bishop Assistant Technical Director

Marcela Prado Assistant Technical Director

Ian Kowalski Production Coordinator

Mary Spyrakis Head of Properties

Janet Pym Head of Wardrobe

Chynah Philadelphia Properties Assistant

Josh Vlodarchyk Head Technician

Karen Elizabeth Head Technician

Ben Junor House Technician

Quynh Diep Metcalf Foundation

Wardrobe and Props Apprentice

eeraduorptroppusW C naidanaegatSdna N yrassecelegnAertaehTynapmoC dnaehtstsitra t taheragnitavitpacsecneiduahtiw,gniticxe i ,evitavonndnagniniatretnesnoitcudorp. er’eduorprosnopsehtW M thgilnoorenoohcS .

eeraduorptroppusW C naidanaegatSdna N yrassecelegnAertaehTynapmoC dnaehtstsitra t taheragnitavitpacsecneiduahtiw,gniticxe i ,evitavonndnagniniatretnesnoitcudorp. er’eduorprosnopsehtW M thgilnoorenoohcS .

By Lynn Nottage

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.