Fight Choreography ....................................................................................... Michael Ruhs
Content Warnings
coarse language; flickering lights; themes of grief, death of a loved one and abuse; loud noises; use of a weapon; depictions of supernatural horror; death by suffocation
Cast
Shelayna Chistante (Eleanor)
Shelayna Christante (she/they) is a Toronto based actor and singer-songwriter born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta They moved to Toronto to pursue their passion for acting, and graduated from George Brown Theatre School in 2023. Since graduating, Shelayna has had the absolute joy of getting to play Lucy in Bad Hats Theatre’s production of Narnia (dir. Fiona Sauder), made their Canadian Opera Company debut in Don Giovanni (dir. Amy Lane), and is delighted to be making their Fringe Festival debut in The Bluffs this summer. In her free time, you can find Shelayna embroidering or drinking steeped tea from Timmies. (Or both Definitely both ) Shelayna also wishes to acknowledge and thank all of the many, many, many loving, kind, gentle hands that have helped to guide her along her path; and there ARE many, many, many
Justine Christensen (Podcast Host)
Justine Christensen is a Toronto-born actor, writer, and producer. She is a co-founder of LET ME IN, a platform through which she produces remodelled “classic” plays for a contemporary audience, as well as running accessible Short Film Shares where creatives can submit and screen short film content. Her favourite acting credits include Kayleen (Gruesome Playground Injuries, Theatre at Eastminster), Rosalind (As You Like It, GBTS Theatre), and Bridget (Cannibal, Nextstage Festival 2019). Justine has appeared in TV series such as Murdoch Mysteries, Chucky, The Expanse, The Next Step, and The Umbrella Academy. You can follow her work on IG @letmeinprods & @justinextnsn.
Cast
Malcolm Green (Jordan)
Malcolm Green is a Toronto based actor, musician, composer and award-winning filmmaker He was born and raised in Dundas, Ontario and moved to Toronto to pursue acting after briefly studying Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo He has since starred in the short films Athletic Withdrawal and Out of the Equation, the latter of which he produced, wrote and composed the score for. He is a recent graduate of the Toronto Film School where he played Matthew in The Threepenny Opera (dir. Tanya Rintoul) as well as adapted and performed many of the songs from the original play Malcolm can usually be found fiddling with a guitar, going for a run or lying in a patch of grass and looking up at the sky. You can check out his songs “Picture of Everything (feat Kaitlyn Robinson)” (Malcolm Green) and “Armali” (Seven of One) anywhere you stream music.
Cydney Watson (Macy)
Cydney Watson (she/her) is an emerging Toronto based theatre artist entering her fourth year as a BFA Acting student at York University As a performer and creator, she is passionate about theatre that tells important stories and values performance opportunities that allow her to challenge herself through complex characters and physical transformation. As a playwright and director, the majority of her personal work is self-made or made in collaboration with other artists who share her same values, and features what may be considered taboo social issues, mainly surrounding the female experience and Queerness. Cydney is looking forward to pursuing a future in writing, directing, and performance, and hopes to continue advocating for Queer women in the arts.
production team
Jacqui Sirois (Director)
Jacqui Sirois (she/they) is a theatre director, writer, dramaturg and performer born and based in Toronto, ON She has a BA in Drama from Queen’s Univerisity and an MM from New York University in Vocal Performance, Musical Theatre. Directing credits include Double Bogey and A Period Piece (Artists in Residence), Dogfight (Queen’s Musical Theatre), Beco[me] (Vogt Studio Series) and Hannah’s Play (Hart House Theatre). Jacqui was the assistant director on She Persisted: The Musical at Atlantic Theatre Company and on A Blanket of Dust at the Flea Theatre in New York City She is a participant in the CGDC Mentee Program Jacqui is passionate about creating and sharing stories about those who are underestimated and defy expectations Go to jacquisirois com or on Instagram at @jacquisirois to stay up to date on her projects!
Sarini Kumarasigne (Playwright)
Sarini Kumarasinghe is a producer and narrative storyteller born in Sri Lanka and based in Toronto. She completed a BFA in Screenwriting at York University, where she explored her passion for writing about complex family dynamics and queer identity Sarini story edited on short films such as For Dymtro, Background Action, Pip Kids, and City Limits. She also had excerpts of her plays Dementia Americana and Pillowtalk produced and worked as a script supervisor on the short ShoeGazer and as head of wardrobe for the comedy short Driving School. She is producing a series of documentary shorts, the first being Lanterns Flicker (2023), which explore art as a form of therapy, interviewing different artists to gain insight on their work and its reflection on their sense of self.
Beau Han Bridge (Producer)
Beau Han Bridge is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker, actor, and theatre artist He holds an MFA in Film Production and a Graduate Diploma in Asian Studies from York University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Psychology from Simon Fraser University. His film works have been screened at the Dance on Camera Festival (New York), Beijing International Short Film Festival, and San Diego Asian Film Festival As an actor, he currently plays Zane in Macy Murdoch (CBC), and appeared in I Woke Up A Vampire and Death Note (Netflix). Beau has produced six stage plays under his non-profit theatre company Midtwenties Theatre, including This is Our Youth, The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant, and Yukio Mishima’s Two Modern Not Plays: Hanjo & Sotoba Komachi (winner of the Joanna Maratta Producing Award at the 2021 Vancouver Fringe Festival), and wrote three original plays Above The Hospital, Molly Misbegotten, and Persephone's Cave.
production team
Emma Davidson (Stage Manager)
Emma Davidson (she/her) is a Nova Scotian, Tkaronto-based actor, singer, dancer and stage manager She recently completed her Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance at Sheridan College where she appeared in productions of Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play (Gibson) and Bad Hats Theatre’s Alice in Wonderland (Owl/Lily/Flutist/Ens ) She also appeared in workshops of Candlewood Lake by Carl Grose and Tim Phillips (Wendy Brightly) and Believers by Ali Joy Richardson and Kevin Wong (Younger Tess) Emma would like to thank her mom, dad, and sisters Laura, Cate and Lucy for making it possible for her to be where she is in her journey.
Braden Brickner (Dramaturg)
Writer Braden Brickner is a filmmaker from Whitehorse, Yukon and a graduate from SAIT’s Film and Video Production Program as well as York University’s BFA Screenwriting Program He is completing his MFA in Screenwriting at York University. In 2014, Braden adapted the world-famous poem by Robert W. Service, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," as a short film which has since screened throughout North America. Braden also co-wrote and co-produced the Telus-funded series THE PSYBORGS He currently has several of his own works in development so visit bradenbrickner ca to stay up to date on his projects He loves genre film including fantasy and horror and is a wealth of knowledge on the subject.
Christina Dovolis (Costume Designer)
Christina is an interdisciplinary filmmaker and designer, often working with new media technologies to document how our built environments mediate community and identity Hailing from the Midwest, Christina is inspired by girlhood and gossip; Greek Orthodox mythologies; and urban growth/decay As an educator, she seeks to make digital landscapes and programs more legible and accessible to the broader public, particularly for women and marginalized communities Christina has achieved acclaim for her projects, with successful presentations at Nuit Blanche, Museum of the Moving Image, Mighty Niagara Film Fest, and University of Michigan. She holds an MA in Urban Planning from the National University of Singapore and an MFA in Film Production from York University.
Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy (Lighting Designer)
Vishmayaa is a lighting designer and researcher based in Tkaronto (Toronto). She has designed all over the world, but calls Scarborough her home. Notable credits include designing for The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Theatre Kingston, Soulpepper, and teaching lighting workshops on BIPOC centered lighting design. Outside of her design work, she just earned her JD at Osgoode Hall Law School.
production team
Mike Sirois (Set Designer)
Mike Sirois (they/him) is a Toronto-based American-Canadian antidisciplinary systems artist who works with found objects, electronics, computers & networks to explore the relationships and interactions between spaces, technology, art, and humanity.
Personal inspiration for this show was drawn from first-hand experiences on the lands of the Wahta Mohawks, Mississaugas, Anishinabewaki, Odawa, and the Penobscot Nation
Thank you to the Artist Material Fund (@artistmaterialfund).
Connor Wan (Sound Designer)
Connor Wan is a Toronto-based, British-born Chinese professional master of indecision. Mainly working in film, audio, and community organisation, Connor received a BA (Hons) in Film Production and has since explored various artistic disciplines His work spans art installations, dance theatre, competitions, podcasts, and serving as a post-production assistant for ‘The Great’ on Hulu Connor has created pieces for the V&A, Milan Fashion Week, Museum of the Home, and the BFI Living a life immersed in the arts; Connor started in dance during childhood and later moved into photography. He soon discovered his passion for storytelling and uplifting marginalised communities To enhance his voice, he delves into other disciplines such as sound design, producing, and writing
Mackenzie Parrot (Marketing & Graphic Design)
Mackenzie Parrott (they/them) is a freelance graphic designer and artist based in Tkaronto (Toronto) They work with arts organizations to create websites, posters, logos, and more. Outside of their design work, they are the artist behind Rad Habits Crafts You can find them online @radhabitscrafts
Michael Ruhs (Fight Choreographer)
Michael Ruhs is an actor for stage and screen. He is an Advanced Certified Actor Combatant with Fight Directors Canada and is apprenticing to become a Fight Instructor. He is known for his disarming wit, weapons proficiency, and punchable face. “The Bluffs” is his 3rd project with Toronto Fringe You can find out more about Michael at @michaelruhsactor on Instagram, his website michaelruhs.ca, or on IMDb
Land Acknowledgment
‘The Bluffs’ takes place in the beautiful Muskoka region which is the traditional land of many nations including the Wahta Mohawk, the Moose Deer Point, the Beausoleil, the Chippewas of Rama, the Wasauksing, the Huron-Wendat, the Georgina Island and the Moon River Metis Council.
In Tkaranto, we acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Special Thanks to
Manfred Becker
Bea Han Bridge
Lee Cannon-Brown
Nida Chaudhry
Elizabeth Dovolis
Becky Gold
Katie Gorham
Andrew Hayes
Sébastien Heins
Robyn Kay
Rob Kitsos & Meagan Woods
Kushal Kumarasinghe
Yulin Luo
Amy Luong
Em Norton
Rowan O’Brien
Sirene Quereshi
Peter & Maureen Sirois
Pat Wilson
Melissa Yang
Suzanne Wilkie, Caitlin Farley, Tiffany Ledesma and all the staff and volunteers for the Toronto Fringe Festival
David, Joey and Micah at Theatre Passe Muraille, Mainspace
Audition and rehearsal spaces provided by Factory Theatre, Winchester Street Theatre, TAPA, Vishmayaa Jeyamoorthy and Pink Light Stage
The Toronto Fringe Festival runs on a profit-share model, meaning all proceeds from your ticket to our show go directly to the artists who made it happen.
If you loved the show and want to continue to support us, please make a donation to our GoFundMe. All donations go directly back to the artists of ‘The Bluffs’.
