Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha

Live and Luminato Festival Toronto Present

Scott Joplin's Treemonisha

June 6-17

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

An opera co-presented by

Photo by Dahlia Katz.

A Volcano production in association with The Canadian Opera Company, Soulpepper, and Moveable Beast

The Land

The land we gather on is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Chippewa, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Wendat Confederacy, and many other Indigenous peoples, both known and unknown. This territory is subject to Treaty 13 and the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, and is now home for many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples from across Turtle Island.

Welcome Note from the Treemonisha Team:

Welcome to the world premiere of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha – a reimagining of an opera composed by Scott Joplin in the years leading up to 1911. In his work on the original, Joplin faced a difficult path of exclusion and discrimination as a Black composer attempting to cross over from ragtime to opera.

This new production uses all of Joplin’s original songs, adding one melody from outside the opera and a traditional Maroon spiritual from his era. With the exception of the final song (which retains Joplin’s lyrics), all the words are new, as is the entire orchestration. The characters and setting are the same as in the original, with the exception of a name change for Zodzerick, and the invention of the Nana character. Inspired by Joplin’s testament to Black female leadership, the creative team is led by Black women. These extraordinary artists have added more material for the women characters to sing and a story that resonates with the landscape of today, in the same way the original did with the America of 1911.

This production is also a testament to the power of partnerships – among artists, and among arts organizations. Volcano is producing the show with associate producers the Canadian Opera Company, Soulpepper, and Moveable Beast. TO Live and Luminato Festival Toronto have joined forces to co-present the work. Commissioners span North America and the UK; the Apollo Theater (Harlem), BAM (Brooklyn), Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Luminato Festival Toronto, Minnesota Opera, National Arts Centre (through the National Creation Fund), Southbank Centre (UK), Stanford Live (through the Hewlett Foundation), TO Live, and Washington Performing Arts.

You, the audience, are encouraged to embrace the music in any way you see fit! Cheer, talk back, applaud – because this is an opera for everyone.

TO Live and Luminato Festival Toronto present:

Scott Joplin's Treemonisha

A Musical Reimagining

A Volcano production in association with The Canadian Opera Company, Soulpepper, and Moveable Beast

Book & Libretto Adapted by Leah-Simone Bowen / Co-Librettist Cheryl L. Davis / Arranged and Orchestrated by Jessie Montgomery & Jannina Norpoth

with Principal Cast

Neema Bickersteth Andrea Baker Cedric Berry Nicholas Davis Ashley Faatoalia Marvin Lowe

Ineza Mugisha SATE Charlotte Siegel (Treemonisha standby) Kristin Renee Young

and Ensemble Cast

Tafari Anthony Robert Ball Queen Hezumuryango Khay Pulga Muchochoma (Fight Captain) Jaz ‘Fairy J’ Simone (Dance Captain) Karen Weigold Jim Williams

Additional Gospel Chorus

Michelle Adams Grace Gayle Martin Gomes Reverne Hazelwood Kathleen Simpson

Orchestra

Tanya Charles Iveniuk (concert master) Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison Valérie Despax Imani Duhe Lena

Fankhauser Tunde Jegede Brandyn Lewis Yohali Montero Peter Perez Zuri Wells

Creative Team

Composer - Scott Joplin Story and Libretto - Leah-Simone Bowen Co-Librettist - Cheryl L. Davis

Co-Arranger/Orchestrator - Jessie Montgomery Co-Arranger/Orchestrator - Jannina Norpoth

Stage Director - Weyni Mengesha Conductor - Kalena Bovell Associate Conductor - Rich Coburn

Choreographer - Esie Mensah

Assistant Stage Director - Michael Mohammed Choreographic Consultant - Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

Choreography Rehearsal Director - Rose-Mary Harbans Set Designer - Camellia Koo Additional Set Design

- Rachel Forbes Costume Designer - Nadine Grant Associate Costume Designer - Des’ree Gray Costume Assistant - Halle Turner Lighting Designer - Kimberly Purtell Wig Designer - Alicia Faith Burton

Co-Dramaturge - Deanna Downes Co-Dramaturge - Ross Manson Preliminary Costume Research & Development - Marci Rogers Copyist (Piano Vocal) - David Atkinson Copyist (Orchestral Parts) - Martin

Loomer Fight Director - Casey Hudecki Rehearsal Accompanist - Christina Faye Rehearsal AccompanistTimothy Cheung

Stage & Company Management

Stage Manager - Robert Harding Assistant Stage Manager - Laura Baxter Assistant Stage Manager - Tamara

Vukovic Apprentice Stage Manager - Keleshaye Christmas-Simpson Company Manager – Michelle Galuszka

Technical Production

Production Manager - Shawn Henry Associate Production Manager - Carlos Vareleserra

Assistant Production Manager - Aden Altemirano Touring Prep Production Manager – Crystal Lee

Artistic Director, Volcano - Ross Manson Producer, Volcano - Sheree Spencer

About the Event

Originally written by Scott Joplin (c. 1911), Treemonisha is one of the few pieces set soon after the abolition of slavery, written by a survivor of that era.

Fusing European classical music with the sounds of ragtime, folk, and gospel to create a thrilling and distinct sound, and introducing a young woman protagonist chosen by her community to lead, Joplin’s nearly-lost opera was far ahead of its time.

Working from the surviving vocal score and featuring the first all-Black orchestral ensemble in Canadian opera history, the new arrangements and orchestrations by Jessie Montgomery (Sphinx Medal of Excellence and ASCAP Leonard Bernstein award winner) and Jannina Norpoth (two-time Grammy nominee) merge musical vocabularies, reflecting the major themes of the reimagined version: split identity – African and American – and the role of one’s ancestors in coming to terms with the realities of a new land.

Led by a predominantly Black female creative creative team from across North America, Joplin’s ground-breaking opera has been reimagined with a new story and libretto by playwright and broadcaster Leah-Simone Bowen (The Secret Life of Canada), working with Emmy-nominated co-librettist Cheryl L. Davis. Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha is conducted by the first Black woman conductor in Canadian opera history, Panamanian-American Kalena Bovell, and directed by award-winning, internationally acclaimed Canadian stage director Weyni Mengesha.

This reimagined version tells a revolutionary story of a young Black woman who, in discovering the truth of her past, and overcoming enormous personal loss, discovers her power to unify a divided people, and lead her community towards a new future.

Lead Support From

With Assistance From:

S.M. Blair Family Foundation

Denton Creighton and Kristine Vikmanis

Laurence and Judy Siegel

For show access guide: luminatofestival.com/treemonisha

Not Firsts

Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha includes many significant firsts – the first all-Black opera orchestra in Canadian history, the first Black woman opera conductor, etc. These are important precedents. But when speaking of “firsts” in the 21st century, it’s important to ask: “Why are these firsts? What has actually been going on all these years?”

Black Opera and Black Classical music did not, of course, begin with Scott Joplin. However, inclusion of this music in historically White concert halls and opera houses is recent.

Black musicians have been intersecting with European Classical traditions on their own terms for generations. Often the music they have created has resulted from, even thrived on the collision of European Classical music with the many musical worlds that African diasporic people occupy worldwide. This tradition can claim a great many composers over an enormous span of time –from Europeans Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saints-Georges and George Bridgetower in the 1700s, to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in London in the 1800s, to many composers across North America. These include Joplin, of course, but also: Harry Lawrence Freeman (the first African American to write an opera that managed to make it to the present day intact, The Martyr, from 1893); Harry T. Burleigh in the early 1900s; Canadian-born Nathaniel Dett through the 1920s; Shirley Graham Du Bois (perhaps the first Black woman to have an opera performed, in 1932); Florence Price (the first Black woman composer performed by a major symphony orchestra, in 1933), and on and on – all the way past William Grant Still, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, and Stewart Goodyear to Treemonisha’s own Jessie Montgomery and kora virtuoso, Tunde Jegede. The names are legion – far too many to write here. Even more have suffered erasure from “official” history. Yet – recorded or not, remembered or not – all have brought their own voices to this music.

Could Black Classical be considered its own genre, with its own set of distinct ingredients? That’s a question with no singular answer. But there is an old and storied tradition here, with many threads and variations. It is music that is often neither entirely European, nor entirely pop, nor folk, nor gospel, nor blues, but has an energy and classicism of its own. Certainly, it is not new. If there are still “firsts” happening, the reasons for this have nothing to do with the folks who have been writing this music for centuries.

SYNOPSIS

Freedmen: A group of upwardly mobile farmers and tradespeople that have taken over plantation land that was abandoned. Historically, the Freedman were formerly enslaved people emancipated during and after the Civil War.

Maroons: A community that lives in the forests and waters for safety. The Maroons in this piece are inspired by “The Great Dismal Swamp Maroons” a group of both freed and escaped enslaved people who inhabited marshlands in Virginia and North Carolina.

ACT 1

1864. A plantation Near Texarkana, Arkansas. A young enslaved woman named Priscilla flees with her newborn baby. Moments later, Priscilla is shot. As she dies, she places the baby inside a hollow tree, hiding a small bag of luck within the child’s clothing.

Twenty years later, on her wedding day, a young woman named Treemonisha sits beneath the same tree reading, where she encounters Zodzerick, a Maroon medicine man who is feared by Treemonisha’s community of the Freedmen. Although attracted to Treemonisha, Zodzerick discovers she is betrothed to Remus. Despite not loving him, Treemonisha’s family encourages the practical match. Zodzerick offers her a bag of luck, but Remus, and Treemonisha’s mother and father, Ned and Monisha intervene because of their deep fears about Maroon practices. They view Zodzerick’s Hoodoo beliefs or “juju” as evil. Zodzerick defends himself, but Remus dismisses him, proclaiming Treemonisha as his soon to be wife and the only educated member of the Freedmen. Treemonisha tries to calm the tenison and defends Zodzerick, even offering to teach him to read. However, Zodzerick insists she isn’t the only person with knowledge. Remus and Ned force him to leave and Zodzerick departs, wishing her luck.

Later, the Freedmen join to celebrate the upcoming nuptials.Treemonisha becomes uncertain about her impending marriage. She and her sister Lucy attempt to cut wedding wreaths from the old tree, but their mother, Monisha, stops them. Monisha reveals that the tree is sacred as it is the sight of her father’s death and also the hiding place of Treemonisha as a baby. Treemonisha learns that she is not Monisha and Ned’s biological child. Feeling shocked and devastated, she realises she may not be a member of the Freedmen but a Maroon as her birth mother left her a bag of luck. She questions her identity and place in the community. Later, people gather in the church before the wedding to hear Parson Alltalk speak about the bonds of marriage. As she stands outside the church with Lucy, Treemonisha doubts her love for Remus and who she is and she decides to run away and seek answers about her birth mother. Lucy tries to stop her but Treemonisha flees and runs through the dense forest where she encounters Zodzerick. She shows him the bag of luck and he offers to guide her to someone who can provide the answers. Meanwhile, Lucy informs the community about Treemonisha’s departure, but they attribute it to Zodzerick’s conjuring. Remus, incensed, sets off to rescue her, and secretly so does Lucy.

ACT 2

The forest. As the sun sets, Zodzerick and Treemonisha reach a clearing with trees adorned with hanging bottles. Maroons emerge from the forest and Nana Buluku, their leader, welcomes Treemonisha, explaining she has been awaiting her arrival to introduce her to her mother. Initially frightened, Treemonisha is reassured by Zodzerick that their practices are not evil but a means to reconnect with the lost ones. The Maroons gather for a ceremony, and Nana takes the juju bag from Treemonisha, who agrees to participate. The ritual intensifies, and the bottles glow, filled with ancestral spirits. Treemonisha encounters the spirit of her birth mother, Priscilla, who assures her constant presence and emphasises her role in healing what is torn. Treemonisha is overwhelmed and the Maroons celebrate with a joyous dance.. Treemonisha and Zodzerick share a moment of connection. Amidst the ongoing celebration, Treemonisha confides in Zodzerick about her struggle to process what she has witnessed. They declare their love for each other, and Zodzerick asks Treemonisha to choose between the Maroons and the Freedmen, but Treemonisha refuses.

Meanwhile, Remus frantically searches for Treemonisha, consumed by despair and vowing vengeance against Zodzerick. Later, in love and planning a new life together, Zodzerick and Treemonisha walk through the trees and encounter Remus running towards them. Treemonisha attempts to explain her love for Zodzerick and her independent decision to leave, but Remus believes she has been conjured. The old tensions between the Freedmen and the Maroons escalate, leading to a merciless fight between Remus and Zodzerick. Lucy arrives, and Treemonisha tries to intervene, but Remus shoots Zodzerick. Treemonisha screams and calls out to the forest which shakes in anguish, while Remus flees. As Zodzerick lies dying, Treemonisha holds him, affirming their love, and he assures her of his eternal presence. The Maroons arrive and prepare Zodzerick’s body for a funeral procession, making it clear that Treemonisha and Lucy are not welcome to follow. At dusk, Lucy and Treemonisha, exhausted and lost after hours of walking, encounter a group of travellers who offer them rest. Treemonisha regrets her choices, feeling responsible for Zodzerick’s death and lamenting the violence and discord between the Maroons and the Freedmen. She decides she cannot return to the Freedmen, but Lucy convinces her to go back home, as there is no escaping what has occurred. The next morning, as a rooster crows in the distance, Treemonisha, Lucy, and the travellers part ways, while the Maroons prepare to confront the Freedmen as they depart the forests.

ACT 3

Treemonisha and Lucy return home, reuniting with Monisha. The Maroons and the Freedmen confront each other near the plantation, centred around the sacred tree. Tensions rise as the Maroons reveal they captured a wounded Remus, seeking revenge for Zodzerick’s death. Ned lectures the Maroons, emphasizing the Freedmen’s efforts to be recognized as citizens, while criticizing the Maroons’ supposed ignorance. Nana challenges Ned, highlighting the Maroons’ pursuit of freedom in the forests, outside of a society that will never fully accept them.

The two communities teeter on the brink of violence until Treemonisha steps in. She calls for an end to the deep-rooted hatred and confronts Remus’s wrongdoing by protecting him from the Maroons. Remus, deeply affected by this act, offers himself for retribution. Treemonisha intervenes again, mourning the bloodshed and losses on both sides. She urges them all to transcend fear and seek understanding as they are all seeking to heal from the same wound. Treemonisha asks Nana and the Parson to lead the groups together. Recognizing her as a bridge between the old world and the new, the Maroons and Freedmen elect Treemonisha as their leader instead. Treemonisha unifies the community through a celebratory dance.

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Scott Joplin, Composer

Scott Joplin’s trajectory as a composer is the stuff of legends. He was born in either 1867 or 1868. His father had been enslaved, and, though himself musical, discouraged his son from music as a career. But his mother worked extra shifts as a domestic cleaner to afford her son music lessons (while his father abandoned the family). His mother’s faith was well-placed. From these humble beginnings in Texarkana, Arkansas, through St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, and, finally, New York City, Joplin became the greatest ragtime composer in history – widely known throughout the USA in the late 1800s as “the King of Ragtime”.

But, less well known, is that he also composed classical music.

His first of two operas was written in the late 1800s (A Guest of Honor – a ragtime opera that was lost to history) and in the early 1900s: Treemonisha – Joplin’s only “grand” or serious opera. Joplin wrote Treemonisha in the years leading up to 1911, at a time when ragtime was beginning to fade in popularity. He had no support in this venture. There was no dramaturgical team, no workshop process, no wealthy backers, no opera house commissioning him. Joplin was alone. He selfpublished the piano vocal score of the work, thanks to savings from his ragtime hits. But hundreds of engraved printing plates cost the equivalent of four years’ wages, and that, with the added cost of assembling singers for a backer’s tryout, nearly bankrupted him. And no backer would touch Treemonisha – a serious all-Black opera about an educated Black woman becoming a leader was simply too much for New York City in the early 1900s (and not just the 1900s, it wasn’t until 2021 that the Met finally staged its first opera composed by a Black person – Terrence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones).

Joplin died in penury in 1917, and was buried in an unmarked grave. He was broken by disease and a dream unrealized. His hand-written orchestral parts for Treemonisha were lost – unwittingly thrown into a dumpster years later. A further loss, in fact, is that Joplin worked on revising Treemonisha with Harry Lawrence Freeman after it was published – Joplin finally finding an expert collaborator. Those revisions, too, did not survive. A symphony and a piano concerto he wrote suffered a similar fate. So much of what might have been was snuffed out. Scott Joplin was finally recognized with a Pulitzer prize in 1976. The New York Times published his obituary in 2019, over one hundred years late.

In spite of everything, though, Treemonisha has persisted. Many subsequent composers have created orchestrations to replace the missing Joplin instrumental parts. There are at least three new Treemonishas in circulation right now (Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s, and Isango’s in South Africa being the other two). Each is reimagining the material in different ways – in that centuries-old tradition of classical music composers reinterpreting one another’s work (Bach reworked Vivaldi, Mozart reworked Handel, and so on).

Joplin is no longer alone in his efforts.

Scott Joplin's Treemonisha A

Musical Reimagining

Neema Bickersteth

Andrea Baker Kristin Renee Young SATE Cedric Berry

Ashley FaatoaliaNicholas DavisMarvin Lowe Charlotte SiegelIneza Mugisha

Queen Hezumuryango

Tafari Anthony Robert Ball Jim Williams Khay

Pulga Muchochoma

Jaz ‘Fairy J’ Simone Karen Wiegold

Andrea Baker - Monisha Hailed as a “stupendous and heartrending” talent (Bild Zeitung), Scottish- American mezzo soprano Andrea Baker is internationally renowned for her “enchantingly powerful” performances (Das Orchester). An operatic trailblazer, she was the first African American to take the role of Carmen in Australia, at Sydney Opera House, and the first to perform the roles of Fricka, Erda, and Waltraute in Wagner’s Ring in China. In addition to her celebrated work on the opera stage, Ms Baker has taken on an extraordinary breadth of voices across various media. Her award-winning one-woman series Sing Sistah Sing! is a joyous, soulful celebration of the voice of the African diaspora. Ms Baker can also be heard across the BBC as a presenter and documentary creator. www.singsistahsing.com

Ashley Faatoalia - Remus Ashley Faatoalia is a versatile and accomplished tenor from Los Angeles, California. Opera News calls his singing “hauntingly beautiful”, crediting him with “a voice of winning purity and variety of expression”. Recent engagements include: Amadou in the Pulitzer-Prize-winning Omar with Los Angeles Opera, Korey Wise in the Pulitzer-Prize-winning The Central Park Five with Long Beach Opera, Simón in The Three Women of Jerusalem with Los Angeles Opera, and his debut as Marco Polo in the Emmy-Award-winning Invisible Cities with The Industry. Visit www.ashleyfaatoalia.com

Cedric Berry - Zodzerick Roles include the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust, Lepporello in Don Giovanni, Collatinus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and Shaunard in Puccini’s La bohème. Companies include Los Angeles Opera, The Industry Opera, Long Beach Opera, Savonlinna Opera Festival of Finland, Banlieurs Bleues Festival of France, and the Ravinia Music Festival. He has appeared with Pacific Symphony, Arizona Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Pasadena Pops Orchestra, California Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Telemann Chamber Orchestra of Japan. He also won first place in the Metropolitan Opera Western Region Competition.

Charlotte Siegel - Treemonisha Standby Charlotte Siegel is a soprano, singer-songwriter, and co-managing director of the Toronto based non-profit the Marigold Music Program. She is currently a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio and made her debut as Second Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Upcoming roles include Tosca cover (Tosca) and Musetta (La bohème) for the COC and Dido (Dido Reimagined) with Early Music Vancouver.

Ineza Mugisha – Ensemble Soprano & Priscilla Ineza Mugisha is a multi-genre musician and actor from Toronto, Ontario. She is a 2022 graduate from the University of Toronto Voice Performance Program. She was the recipient of the University of Toronto Kingorn and Arnold Walter Memorial Award. Since graduating, she has debuted at Roy Thompson Hall as a soprano soloist at the 2022 Future Stops Festival as well as being the Soprano Soloist in Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s 2022 production of Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses. Recently, she sang the role of Rachel with NDC in the opera Harriet: When I Crossed that Line Into Freedom. She is excited for her upcoming projects this year and looking forward to this exciting production!

Jaz ‘Fairy J’ Simone - Singer/Dancer Jaz ‘Fairy J’ Simone (formerly known as Jasmyn Fyffe) has been a performing artist and choreographer for 12 years. In 2018, she co-wrote

music for a wine commercial ad (Bodacious 2018). Since 2016 she has been a member of the band “Wannabe” (The Spice Girl’s Tribute Band) where she plays “Mel B.”; and she was featured on CBC’s “HERstory in Black”, honouring 150 Black Canadian women making a significant contribution to Canada” (2017). Thrilled and honoured to be in the cast of Treemonisha bringing ancestor Scott Joplin’s vision to life!

Jim Williams - Low Baritone Described as “one of the finest emerging artists in the [USA] country”, Jim Williams, is a passionate, classically trained vocalist known for his ability to approach diverse musical genres on stage, and for his collegial spirit while in production rehearsals. In addition to working as a soloist, he’s also been sought out as a music educator, professional chorus singer, background vocalist in studio recordings, and a private vocal coach. He’s excited and honored to be involved in this new musical journey.

Karen ‘KHAY’ Andrew - Singer/Dancer Formally trained as a dancer, singer, and actress, some of KHAY’s most memorable professional credits include, Ragtime (Broadway Original Cast), Fosse, West Side Story (“Anita” Stratford Festival), Hairspray (Charlottetown Festival), feature film “Chicago”, & TV series Copper & Degrassi. She has headlined her original music across Canada and offers intimate live music through her iamKHAY Live music trio. iamkhay.com

Karen Weigold - Swing Karen Wiegold is an established and versatile singer from the Greater Toronto Area. After studying at Cambrian College in Sudbury, with a major in Vocal Performance and a minor in Piano Studies, Karen moved back to the GTA to begin her music career. With a background in dramatic arts and dance, Karen has had many opportunities to perform with ensembles and organizations throughout the city, including Soundstreams, Elmer Iseler Singers, Univox Choir of Toronto, and Countermeasure. Karen has shared the stage with artists like Jackie Richardson, Jully Black, Joe Sealy, Molly Johnson, Nikki Yanovsky, and opera star Kathleen Battle; she is a founding member of the a cappella group Catch-Phrase Quartet, and has lent her voice to many EP and LP recordings and live performances for local Toronto artists such as Jeremy Dutcher, Julian Taylor, and Secret Broadcast. Karen is a section lead and a featured soloist at Church of the Redeemer Anglican Church in Toronto, and has been a featured soloist at Grace Church-on-the-Hill. In addition to her busy performance schedule, Karen gives private vocal lessons and is working on various composition and arranging projects.

Kristine Renee Young - Lucy Kristin Renee Young, soprano, is a versatile vocal artist in the worlds of opera, classical crossover, musical theater, and voiceover work. She has performed with American Lyric Theater, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Beth Morrison Project, Center for Contemporary Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Encompass New Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, Harlem Opera Theater, INSeries Opera, Juventas New Music Ensemble, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and SongFest. She is the Programming Director at New Camerata Opera and resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Marvin Lowe - Pastor Alltalk A bass-baritone and Philadelphia native, Marvin Lowe has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. He has sung with New York City Opera, Washington Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Ebony, Virginia Opera, and Trilogy Opera Company.

His operatic credits include; La Fanciulla del West, Of Mice and Men, and Dead Man Walking. He has sung in Opera Ebony’s productions of Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet, the Woman Called Moses, and the New Federal Theater’s production of Opera of Marie Laveaux. Television and film credits include; Emmy nominated Great Performances: “Live From Lincoln Center: New York City Opera’s production of “Porgy and Bess, Channel Thirteen’s “Great Performances of Aida’s Brothers and Sisters: Black Voices in Opera”, and the film Boomerang.

Neema Bickersteth - Treemonisha Neema Bickersteth specializes in contemporary projects in music, opera, and theatre internationally. Recent highlights include touring the USA and Europe with renowned Spanish conductor Jordi Savall; and co-creation and performance for Century Song for Volcano and Moveable Beast. Century Song has had multiple tours in Canada, Europe, and East Africa to critical acclaim. Neema recently premiered The Ritual of Breath is the Rite to Resist, which is described as an offering, an opera in seven movements, and a call for justice. In addition, Neema has been honoured to perform for the XIVth Dalai Lama, Shirin Ebadi, and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Nicholas Davis - Ned In the 2022-2023 season, Nicholas Davis sang Marcello in La bohème and Leader in Lost in the Stars with Annapolis Opera. His opera credits include; Minnesota Opera for Edward Tulane, Eugene Opera as Marcello in La bohème, Houston Grand Opera in the premiere of Jeremy Beck’s Another City, and Le nozze di Figaro with Knoxville Opera. Recent seasons have seen Mr. Davis at the Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Michigan Opera Theater, Glimmerglass Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Opera Ithaca.

Pulga Muchochoma - Singer/Dancer Pulga Muchochoma was born in Mozambique. His dance career and training began in Quelimane with Montes Namuli Dance Company. Pulga studied at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and in 2009 he joinned the company Toronto Dance Theatre under Artistic Director Christopher House. Muchochoma participated in the 2015 Opening ceremony of the Toronto Pan Am Games with Cirque du Soleiland NBS and is the creator and founder of African Dance and Fitness with Pulga.

Queen Hezumuryango - Mezzo Originally from Burundi, Queen Hezumuryango holds both her master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Montreal, where she earned prizes such as the Ferguson Scholarship, the Gadbois Bursary, and the support of the Jeunesses Musicales Canada foundation. Recent credits include Mercédès in Carmen (COC), Larina in Eugene Onegin (Highlands Opera Studio), Zita in Gianni Schicchi (Canadian Vocal Arts Institute) and Carmen in La tragédie de Carmen (Atelier d’opéra à l’Université de Montréal). She was a semifinalist in the OSM Competition in 2021 and is currently a Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio member.

Robert Ball - High Baritone Stage/Theatre: ChicagoStratford Festival; The Soul of Motown – Stage West; A Little Black Lie – Tarragon Theatre; Songs for a New World – Chestnut Street Playhouse; various review shows – Royal Caribbean Productions; Voodoo – Harlem Opera Theatre; Funkentine Rapture (vocal director) – CUNY College; Dream Girls – Brooklyn Parks Department. Film/TV: Principal, Christmas On 5th Ave; lead, Cuckoo (short); lead, A Little White Lie (short); principal, Fatal Attraction (TVOne).

Concerts: Freedom cabaret, Up Close and Musical –Stratford Festival; Blockorama – Toronto Pride; Friday Night Live – ROM; Soul in the City – Casa Loma; Beaches Jazz Festival; Capital Pride; Brooklyn Pride; Jamaica Pride; 12.12.12 and Reflections (cabarets) – Triad Theatre, NYC.

Recordings: Clark Sisters – Lifetime movie; “Running Back to You” and “Encore” – Gfuzion; Need – (Solo EP); “Mon Amour” and “Love’s All” – Terry Jahz Lewis.

SATE - Nana Buluku SATE is an artist whose music and presence embody power, energy, and Divine womanhood. As the daughter of Canadian blues/jazz singer & theatre pioneer Salome Bey, SATE’s unique sound evolves from the culmination of a lifetime spent fully immersed in music. She has built an impressive reputation worldwide with her “tornado of a stage presence” and signature dirty, soulful, riff-laden rock and roll sound. Now a certified 2022 Juno Award nominee and Polaris Prize longlisted artist for her sophomore album, The Fool, SATE is continually embarking on the journey of sharing her dynamic powerhouse sound with the world.

Tafari Anthony - Tenor Tafari Anthony (pronounced: tah-far-eye) is a JUNO nominated pop singer-songwriter and producer. He has written and produced for many artists including Tanika Charles, Drag Race winner Priyanka, and Nuela Charles. Tafari has self-released three EPs including The Way You See Me (2020), which was nominated for Adult Contemporary Album of The Year at the 2022 JUNO Awards. A constant in Tafari’s releases is his powerfully expansive range, dynamic vocal texture, and commitment to putting queer relationships at the forefront of his songs. Tafari’s debut full-length album is due out this fall via 604 Records.

Brandyn Lewis - Bass Montreal native, Brandyn Lewis has become a sought-after double bassist, and has worked with various chamber ensembles and orchestras including regular appearances with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, the Quebec Symphony, and Filmharmonique. Since 2021, Brandyn became co-founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Obiora, Canada’s premiere ensemble that promotes cultural diversity in classical music. Brandyn holds a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University, and was nominated for the prestigious Golden Violin Award in 2015.

Imani Duhe - Trumpet Imani has been performing regularly with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and in small solo settings as a trumpeter for over 12 years. Through her love for the trumpet and music she also discovered a talent for composing her own songs, which she performs with her personal ensembles. Imani has performed on podcasts, in multiple large music venues including the Hollywood Bowl, has had the opportunity to play for live televised events, popular music festivals, and continues to make her name known as a sought after musician. Imani has worked with artists such as Ms. Lauryn Hill, Ani Difranco, The Yellowjackets, P. Diddy and more. Imani also teaches for the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles as a trumpet instructor and brass specialist. Duhe received her Bachelors from Manhattan School of Music and is completing her masters at the University of Southern California. Imani is a current Shires Rising Artist

Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison - Percussion, Bala, and Djembe Kobèna is an accomplished Ghanaian-Bermudian performer, producer, composer and storyteller. His prolific artistry has garnered several Dora, Juno, Chalmers Foundation and other awards for his work in music, media, film, television, dance and theatre. Clients include FIFA, CBC, Nissan, Soulpepper, Shaw, Stratford Festival, Montana Steele, arts councils and many institutions. Kobè performs interntionally for presidents to pre-schoolers, on electric and acoustic instruments designed and built by himself. The eclectic rhythms of his trademark, “afrosonic jollof” is, “The sound when jazz, rock, reggae, hip hop come face to face with their ancestors.” Kobè leads the all-star, Djungle Bouti Orchestra, with members hailing from Trinidad to Tanzania, Algeria to S. Africa. Their “Djazz 2.1.4” album was acclaimed “an audio decoding of African DNA” and nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award. The former AfroFest President/ Artistic Director, Michèzo! festival founder and #1 prime-time radio host, is Cultural Development Director at Abandze Embassy in Toronto’s W. Queen W, arts & entertainment triangle.

Lena Fankhauser - Viola Lena Fankhauser is a violist of Trinidadian-Swiss heritage born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She received both her Bachelor and Master’s degree from the Julliard School of Music in New York City on a full scholarship and completed postgraduate studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and subsequently played with the Camerata Salzburg. She was also a soloist with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra for Danny Elfman’s “Wolfman Suite“at Hollywood in Vienna. Lena Fankhauser founded a Chamber Music Festival in Bad Ischl and (CH)AMBER, an association for new chamber music. She has played at the Proms, the Salzburg Festival and in the orchestras of the Vienna State Opera, Vienna Volksoper, Klangforum Vienna and the Munich Philharmonic, the Chineke! Orchestra. Lena is a member of the Koehne Quartet, and a regular presence on the stage of the Burgtheater, most recently in “Die Bakchen”. She is a founding member, contractor and manager of the film orchestra, Big Island Orchestra Vienna. She resides in Vienna, Austria.

Peter Perez Rojas - Clarinet A native from Ottawa, Ontario, he started his musical life in 2008 through “OrKidstra”, a not-for-profit ‘El Sistema’ inspired music program in Ottawa. His credits include; Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, featured soloist with the NAC orchestra. He has worked with many acclaimed artists including Gustavo Dudamel and Alexander Shelley as well as participating in masterclasses by Yehuda Gilad, Stephen Williamson, Boris Allakhverdyan. Peter holds a Bachelor in Music Performance at Memorial University of Newfoundland under Dr. Christine Carter and is currently completing a Master’s in Music Performance at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University under Alain Desgagné.

Tanya Charles Iveniuk - Violin A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with roots in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, violinist, Tanya Charles Iveniuk, has performed across North and South America, and the Caribbean. Recipient of the Women’s Art Associate of Canada – Luella McCleary Award, the Gabriella Dory Prize in Music, and the Hamilton Black History Council’s John C Holland Award, Tanya received a Bachelor of Music (Violin Performance) from the University of Toronto, and an Artist Diploma (Orchestral Performance) from the Glenn Gould School.

Currently, she is the concertmaster of the Obiora Ensemble, and violinist with Ensemble du Monde (Guadeloupe), Toronto Mozart Players, and the Odin Quartet. Her former posts include concertmaster and soloist with the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra (COMF) and the COMF Virtuosi (SC, USA), Associate Concertmaster of the Gateways Festival Orchestra (2015) and a violinist for 10 years with Sinfonia Toronto. Tanya is on faculty at the University of Toronto, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and the Community Music Schools of Toronto - Regent Park School of Music.

Tunde Jegede - Kora Tunde Jegede is a composer and musician who has been steeped in the traditions of European and African Classical music for the last 30 years. His music has been performed all over the world with international orchestras and artists including; National Orchestra of Belgium, Orchestre National de France, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, Brodsky Quartet, the Silk Road Project. He is also a pioneer of African Classical Music and the founder of the African Classical Music Ensemble. Tunde has performed and recorded with, Toumani Diabaté, Oumou Sangaré, Seun Kuti, Bodé Lawal, Juldeh Camara and the Pan African Orchestra. He attended the Purcell School of Music and studied the music of the Kora (African Harp-Lute) under Master of the Kora, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh. Tunde also founded the Art Ensemble of Lagos and NOK Orchestra. Tunde has recorded four solo albums including his seminal debut album, ‘Lamentation’, ‘Still Moment’, ‘Heritage’ and ‘Testimony’.

Valérie Despax - Cello Valérie Despax (cello) is a member of the Quatuor Despax. Her chamber music career has led her to play in several festivals and concert series in Canada, Europe and South America. From 2011 to 2013, the Quatuor Despax was the quartet in residence at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Montreal. Since September 2013, the quartet has maintained their residence at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Guadeloupe Church in Gatineau with their own concert series. She is also member of the Sabayon Quartet and the Ensemble Obiora.She works in Outaouais’s artistic scene through several styles and formations, such as orchestral (Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau), pop, and others. Valérie Despax is the co-founder with her sister Cendrine Despax of the festival “L’Art de la Musique | The Art of Music” which takes place in Gatineau during the summer in July.

Yohali Montero - Violin Dominican violinist Yohali Montero is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree at The Glenn Gould School, under the tutelage of Paul Kantor and Min-Jeong Koh. 1st prize winner of the YMoCA in 2020, Montero has enjoyed numerous opportunities to perform as a soloist with several major orchestras in her home country, including the Dominican Symphony Orchestra, Juan Pablo Duarte Symphony Orchestra, and the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of the D.R. She has been concertmaster of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, Juan Pablo Duarte Symphony Orchestra of the National Conservatory of Music, Hispaniola Philharmonic, and the UASD Chamber Orchestra. Recognized as a Young Leader Representative of the Dominican Republic by the Fine Arts Foundation for Human Development, Montero is founder of Interludios de Esperanza, an outreach program aimed at educating and promoting classical music in all provinces of the Dominican Republic.

Zuri Wells - Percussion, Marimba, and Drumkit Born in Chicago, Illinois, Zuri Wells is a recent graduate of The Glenn Gould School in Toronto, Ontario and received her bachelors and masters in percussion performance at Michigan State University. Wells has had the pleasure of performing as an extra/substitute with Lansing Symphony, Midland Symphony, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has also been the recipient of several awards, winning the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition and the Glenn Gould School’s concerto competition. She has performed at PASIC twice with the Michigan State Percussion. Zuri currently teaches percussion and performs with various ensembles and orchestras throughout the Midwest.

Camellia Koo - Set Designer Camellia Koo is a Toronto-based set and costume designer and has designed for operas with Against the Grain, Boston Lyric Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Edmonton Opera, Helikon Opera (Moscow), Minnesota Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Santa Fe Opera, and Tapestry New Opera. Her theatre collaborations include; The National Arts Centre, The Shaw Festival, Soulpepper Theatre Company, and Why Not Theatre. She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, and Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design (U.K.). Camellia has received six Dora Mavor Moor Awards, a 2006 Siminovitch Protégé Prize, the 2016 Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award for costume design, and was most recently named as a 2018 Siminovitch Prize finalist.

Cheryl L. Davis - Co-Librettist Cheryl received the Kleban Award for her musical Barnstormer, written with award-winning composer Douglas J. Cohen. Her play Maid’s Door, produced at the Billie Holiday Theater, received seven Audelco Awards and was a finalist for the Francesca Primus Prize. Her musical Bridges was commissioned and produced by the Berkeley Playhouse and was a finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award. Don’t Stay Safe, the short film musical based on Bridges, was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and screened and won awards in several film festivals. She has won two WGA Awards for her TV writing (for As the World Turns and Days of Our Lives) Writing credits also include; Law & Order: SVU. She is a practicing attorney in Manhattan and is the General Counsel for the Authors Guild.

Deanna Downes - Co-Dramaturge Deanna Downes, Ph.D, is the visionary creatrix of Green Apu Productions @ Central Mesa, an artist and healing retreat space in the green mountains of Vermont. Her current and future work focuses on reimagining and radicalizing process, production, and performance arts for, by, with and in community

Des’ree Gray - Assistant Costume Designer Des’ree Gray is a Toronto based Costume Designer. She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Production Design Program. Credits include: Costume Designer for The Flight (Factory Theatre); Assistant Costume Designer for Yerma (Coal Mine Theatre); Assistant Costume Designer for Da Kink in My Hair (Canadian Stage); Costume Designer for The First Stone (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre); Assistant Costume Designer for Little Women (Stratford Festival); Assistant Costume Designer for 1851: Spirit & Voice (SoulPepper Theatre); Designer for Designing The Revolution (Theatre Passe Muraille).

Esie Mensah - Choreographer Esie Mensah is an award-winning choreographer, director, dancer, movement director, educator, and TEDx speaker. A member of the Canadian Guild of Stage Directors and Choreographers as well as a two-time Dora nominated artist who has worked with megastars like Rihanna, Drake, Janelle Monae, Nelly Furtado, and Arcade Fire to historic brands like Holt Renfrew, Coca-Cola, TIFF, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto Raptors, and more. In theatre, Mensah has worked on The Russian Play, Victory, Farmers’ Revolt (Shaw Festival), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Soulpepper), Dixon Road (Musical Stage/Obsidian), New Monuments (Canadian Stage), and Serving Elizabeth (Theatre Aquarius). Original creations include ZAYO, Dora-nominated Shades, and films A Revolution of Love, and TESSEL. Recently commissioned by Canada’s National Ballet School for Assemblée International, Robert Binet (Ballet) and Mensah (Afrofusion) co-choreographed the world premiere of “The Call” on a cast of local and international students.

Halle Turner - Costume Assistant Halle Turner (she/her) is a costume designer based in Toronto, ON. Born in Montreal, QC and raised in Brampton, ON, Halle brings her unique experiences together through her work. Initially working in Film & TV, she has diversified her portfolio by costume designing in the commercial space, styling for artist appearances and now assisting with theatre performances. She is focused on textile design, fashion styling and costume design. Credits include: Big Brother Canada, Dymon Storage, Good Witch, Wall of Chefs/Wall of Bakers, I Live Here - CBC GEM. For more of her work, please visit: https://linktr.ee/halleturner, Instagram: @halleturner, Direct Website: www.halleturner.format.com

Jannina Norpoth - Co-Arranger/Ochestrator Twice GRAMMY® - nominated violinist Jannina Norpoth made her debut as a soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at age 14. Her ensemble PUBLIQuartet received the 2019 Visionary Artist Award from Chamber Music America, and the 2015 CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Norpoth credits includes, appearances on Lincoln Center’s “Great Performers” Series, Kennedy Center “Arts Across America”, Mostly Mozart Festival, Composers Now, Women of the World Festival at The Apollo Theater, The Ecstatic Music Festival, VH1’s Save the Music, SNL, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Quad City Symphony, and has been featured alongside acclaimed musicians James Carter, Hiromi, Regina Carter, Marcus Belgrave, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Pharrell, Stevie Wonder, and Anita Baker. She is the Artistic Director for Fortissma at The Colburn School and a sought-after music creator. Notable projects include an adaptation of Mo Willems book “Because” with composer Jessie Montgomery and collaboration with soprano Julia Bullock and LAPhil featuring new arrangements of works by Margaret Bonds and Florence Price. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband, bassist John-Paul Norpoth and puggle Vegas.

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar - Choreography Consultant

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar is from Kansas City, Missouri. After earning her B.A. in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, she received her M.F.A. in dance from Florida State University. In 1984, Jawole founded Urban Bush Women. In addition to 34 works for UBW, she has created works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco, University of Maryland, Virginia Commonwealth University, Compagnie Jant-Bi from Senegal and Nora Chipaumire. In 2006 Jawole received a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) for her work as choreographer/creator of Walking With Pearl…Southern Diaries. Jawole was designated a master of choreography by the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center in 2005.

Jessie Montgomery - Co-Arranger/Orchestator Jessie Montgomery is an acclaimed composer, violinist, and educator. She is the recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation, the Sphinx Medal of Excellence. Some recent highlights include; Shift, Change, Turn (2019), Coincident Dances (2018), Caught by the Wind (2016) and the American Music Festival, and Banner (2014). She was a two-time laureate of the annual Sphinx Competition and awarded the Sphinx Medal of Excellence. Jesse was featured composer for The New York Philharmonic Project 19. Other works include; a nonet inspired by the Great Migration, a cello concerto for Thomas Mesa, a new orchestral work for the National Symphony Orchestra; a viola concerto, L.E.S Characters, for Masumi per Rostad, a new arrangement of a song cycle, Five Freedom Songs, written for Soprano Julia Bullock, a site-specific collaboration with Bard SummerScape Festival and Pam Tanowitz Dance, and I was waiting for the echo of a better day, with Choreography by Pam Tanowitz. She holds degrees from the Juilliard School and New York University and is a Graduate Fellow in Music Composition at Princeton University. Jesse is a professor of violin and composition at The New School and in May 2021, will begin her appointment as the Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Kalena Bovell - Conductor With her distinctive voice as maestra, speaker, and poet, critics praise PanamanianAmerican conductor Kalena Bovell as “one of the brightest stars in classical music.” (Channel 3 News, Connecticut). Her twin tenets of musical excellence and community access have left an imprint on orchestras across North America, including recognition as a 2022-2024 Awardee of the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. Bovell’s 2023-2024 season sees her traverse Canada, the U.S. and Switzerland where she will make debut performances with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony and the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera. Bovell has also blazed a formidable trail in just the past few years. She shined as a featured conductor on the Chineke! Orchestra’s 2022 album—Coleridge-Taylor, a celebration of the eponymous African-British composer. Among the critical praise for the album released on Chineke! Records, The Financial Times penned that Bovell’s musical interpretation “overflows with descriptive imagination.” Apart from the album, memorable career moments include leading the Chineke! Orchestra at the BBC Proms and conducting Kevin Thomas’s Firebird with the Collage Dance Collective as a part of the Kennedy Center’s “Reframing the Narrative.

Kimberly Purtell - Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell is a critically acclaimed Toronto-based lighting designer for

theatre, opera, and dance. She has designed for the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage Company, Soulpepper Theatre, Mirvish Productions, National Arts Centre, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera Philadelphia, Arena Stage in Washington D.C., Tapestry Opera, Hamilton Opera, Edmonton Opera, Theatre Calgary, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Citadel Theatre, and Place des Arts, among She has also designed productions for the Pan Am Games and the Vancouver and Beijing Cultural Olympiads. Kimberly has received three Dora Mavor Moore Awards, the Pauline McGibbon Award, a Sterling Award, and a Montreal English Theatre Award.

Leah-Simone Bowen - Story and Libretto Leah-Simone Bowen is an award-winning playwright, director, performer, educator and the former Artistic Producer of Obsidian Theatre, Canada’s leading culturally specific theatre company dedicated to the Black voice. As a writer, Leah’s work has been produced and published across Canada and the United States. In addition to her work in Theatre, she is a podcast and audio producer and the creator and co-host of the hit irreverent history series The Secret Life of Canada, which was the first independently created show to be picked up by the CBC. In 2021, CBC Radio One announced her as the new permanent host of Podcast Playlist, a weekly show that also airs across the US on PRX. Leah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Film Studies from the University of Alberta and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Theatre and Performance studies from York University. She would like to thank the Stratford Festival for its support in the development of this adaptation as well as her family, friends and artistic colleagues for their steadfastness throughout the creation of this piece. Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha is dedicated to the memory of Priscilla Ann Walkes.

Marci Rodgers - Preliminary Costume Research & Development Her designs can be seen in several films and television series including Spike Lee’s Academy Awardwinning and highly acclaimed period film, BLACKKKLANSMAN, in which Rodgers received a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination for the film’s rich palette and ‘70s wardrobe, as well as Seasons 1 and 2 of Lee’s modern reboot of SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT. Rodgers’ most recent film credits include Chinonye Chukwu’s drama, TILL. From her educational roots at Howard University where she received a B.B.A. in Marketing, Rodgers went on to receive a Corporate M.B.A. from Florida International University. Furthering her studies, Rodgers received a Certificate in Fashion Design and Marketing from Central Saint Martins - University of the Arts London, and at last graduated from The University of Maryland with an M.F.A. in Costume Design.

Michael Mohammed - Assistant Stage Director Michael Mohammed is a music theatre artist and scholar whose practice lies at the intersection of expression and identity. He has co-created projects for Amplified Opera, a Toronto-based company that places equity-seeking artists at the center of public discourse. He is the Director of the Musical Theatre Ensemble at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He also teaches at San José State University and American Conservatory Theater. As the Community Engagement Ambassador for Opera Parallèle, he develops resources for sustainable social change through opera. He is on the working teams of the Black Opera Research Network and the Research Riff.

Nadine Grant - Costume Designer Nadine has costumed shows on both sides of the border and partnered with some wonderful artists along the way. She was the proud recipient of USITT Costume Design Award in 2009, and The Stratford Festival’s Guthrie Award in 2022. Nadine received her MFA in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

Rachel Forbes - Additional Set Design Rachel is an award-winning Set and Costume designer creating for theatre, dance, opera and film. Her designs have been seen on stages, sites and screens across Canada. Rachel is particularly interested in the development of new works, interdisciplinary explorations, experimental creation methods and designer-led theatre projects. Selected Credits: Of the Sea (Tapestry Opera/ Obsidian Theatre); Da Kink in My Hair, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Brothers Size (Soulpepper Theatre); Fairview, Choir Boy, New Monuments (Canadian Stage); Death and the King’s Horseman (Stratford Festival); Harlem Duet (Bard on the Beach); The Doctor’s Dilemma, Trouble in Mind, Victory, 1837: The Farmers’ Revolt (Shaw Festival); 21 Black Futures (Obsidian Theatre, CBC); Calpurnia, The Mountaintop (Manitoba Theatre Centre)

Rich Coburn - Associate Conductor Rich has worked as a music director, pianist, organist, vocal coach, choral director, composer, digital creator, sound designer, and arranger. Coburn has performed across Canada, the United States, and China and is the creator and director of BIPOC Voices. BIPOC Voices helps opera companies and orchestras do the anti-racist work of diversifying their programs. Rich also teaches entrepreneurship for musicians at McGill University.

Rose-Mary “Rosie” Harbans - Choreography Rehearsal Director Rose-Mary “Rosie” Harbans (she/her) is a multifaceted performer, choreographer, and dance educator from Toronto, Ontario who earned her BFA at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she currently teaches Jazz.

Rosie is a Dora Award nominated choreographer for her work on the award-winning musical Dixon Road (Musical Stage Co./Ray Hogg). Choreographic credits include A Seat At The Table and Red, Hot & Cool. Her performance credits include; the Tony Award Winning Musical, After Midnight, New Monuments, A Revolution of Love, Kira, The Path| La Voie and Lickety Split.

Weyni Mengesha - Stage Director Weyni Mengesha is the Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company and an award-winning director. Weyni has directed touring productions across Canada that have been developed into television shows playing on CBC, Global, and Netflix. She has also directed in London, New York, Los Angeles, garnering a NAACP nomination for Best Direction as well as Dora, Drama league, and Drama Critics Circle award nominations and awards for Outstanding Direction. She has been an instructor at the Soulpepper Academy, the National Theatre School of Canada and the Canadian Film Centre. She was recently named one of the 50 most influential people in Toronto by Toronto Life Magazine.

Principal Cast

Treemonisha - Neema Bickersteth

Monisha - Andrea Baker

Lucy - Kristin Renee YoungMo

Nana Buluku - SATE

Zodzerick - Cedric Berry

Remus - Ashley Faatoalia

Ned - Nicholas Davis

Pastor Alltalk - Marvin Lowe

Treemonisha Standby - Charlotte Siegel

Ensemble Cast

Soprano (& Priscilla) - Ineza Mugisha

Mezzo - Queen Hezumuryango

Tenor - Tafari Anthony

High Baritone - Robert Ball

Low Baritone - Jim Williams

Singer/dancer - Khay

Singer/dancer - Pulga Muchochoma

Singer/dancer - Jaz Fairy J Spencer

Swing - Karen Weigold

Additional Gospel Chorus

Michelle Adams

Grace Gayle

Martin Gomes

Reverne Hazelwood

Kathleen Simpson

Orchestra

Violin 1 - Tanya Charles Iveniuk

Violin 2 - Yohali Montero

Viola - Lena Fankhauser

Cello - Valérie Despax

Bass - Brandyn Lewis

Trumpet - Imani Duhe

Clarinet - Peter Perez Rojas

Percussion, Marimba, Drumkit - Zuri Wells

Percussion, Bala, Djembe - Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison

Kora - Tunde Jegede

Creative Team

Composer - Scott Joplin

Story and Libretto - Leah-Simone Bowen

Co-Librettist - Cheryl L Davis

Co-Arranger/Orchestrator - Jessie Montgomery

Co-Arranger/Orchestrator - Jannina Norpoth

Stage Director - Weyni Mengesha

Choreographer - Esie Mensah

Conductor - Kalena Bovell

Associate Conductor - Rich Coburn

Assistant Stage Director - Michael Mohammed

Choreographic Consultant - Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

Choreography Rehearsal Director - Rose-Mary Harbans

Set Designer - Camellia Koo

Additional Set Design - Rachel Forbes

Costume Designer - Nadine Grant

Assistant Costume Designer - Des’ree Gray

Assistant Costume Designer - Halle Turner

Lighting Designer - Kimberly Purtell

Wig Designer - Alicia Faith Burton

Co-Dramaturge - Deanna Downes

Co-Dramaturge - Ross Manson

Preliminary Costume Research & Development - Marci Rogers

Copyist (Piano Vocal) - David Atkinson

Copyist (Orchestral Parts) - Martin Loomer

Fight Director - Casey Hudecki

Rehearsal Accompanist - Christina Faye

Rehearsal Accompanist - Timothy Cheung

Stage Management

Stage Manager - Robert Harding

Company Manager – Michelle Galuszka

Assistant Stage Manager - Laura Baxter

Assistant Stage Manager - Tamara Vukovic

Apprentice Stage Manager - Keleshaye Christmas-Simpson

Technical Production Production Manager - Shawn Henry

Associate Production Manager - Carlos Vareleserra

Assistant Production Manager - Aden Altemirano

Tour Production Manager - Crystal Lee

Sound Consultant - Michael Laird

Sound Design - John Gzowski

Head of Props – Chynah Philadelphia

Head of Wardrobe - Angela Peres

Surtitles - Michael Filler

Proud supporter of the arts.

At BMO, we take pride in our local communities, and the artists that contribute to the cultural diversity and creative richness of our cities.

We’re proud to be the Lead Supporter of Treemonisha for Luminato 2023.

Photo of Neema Bickersteth as Treemonisha by Dahlia Katz. Artwork by Lost in the Island.

Founding Government Partner

Photo by Cassandra Popescu

Thank you

To the many artists and arts workers who have helped develop Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha over the past eight years:

SINGERS (TORONTO DEVELOPMENT)

Andrew Adridge

Jahlen Barnes

Mikaela Bennett

Jewelle Blackman

Andrew Broderick

Jeremy Carver James

Alvin Crawford

Arlene Duncan

Alexis Gordon

Gillian Grant

Alana Hibbert

Justin Hopkins

Marie Jose Lord

Michael-Lamont Lytle

Cecile Muhire

Marcus Nance

Justine Owen

Sabryn Rock

Vanessa Sears

Christina Smith

Justin Welsh

Jorell Williams

INSTRUMENTALISTS (TORONTO DEVELOPMENT)

Yamoussa Bangoura

Nicole Bellamy

Samuel Bisson

Kate Carver

Mark Duggan

Daniel Lalonde

Kane Mathis

Andrea Tyniec

Rory McLeod

Kaye Royer

Michael Shand

Suresh Singaratnam

Aysel Taghi-Zada

NYC SHOWCASE

Justin Austin

Julia Biber

Neema Bickersteth

Aaron Casey

Karla Donehew

Mark Dover

Leslie Dunner

Patrice Eaton

Brendon Elliot

Rebecca Hargrove

Anthony Hervey

Bernard Holocomb

Paul Laraia

Kane Mathis

Sakura Myers

John-Paul Norpoth

Marsha Thompson

Chrystal Williams

Jorell Williams

PAST HELPERS OF ALL KINDS!

Rick Banville

Charlotte Dean

Justin Ellington

Reza Jacobs

Jordan Guetter

Carolyn Hollway

AJ Laflamme

Jeremy Mimnah

Erika Morey

Meredith Potter

Neha Ross

Julian Sleath

Steven Smits

IMPACT TEAM PAST AND PRESENT

Bunmi Adeoye

Rudayna Bahubeshi

Pauline Christian

Sharon Cumberbatch

Charmain Emerson

Kamala Jean Gopie

Denise M. Hall

Eddie Kawooya

Leah Teklamariam

Wendy Vincent

Cathy Winter

INSTITUTIONS & FUNDERS

A Special thanks to the arts councils, our cocommissioning and producing partners, and our many funders (foundations, corporations and individuals) without whose investment and faith this production would be impossible (see funders section). Additionally, we would like to thank:

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale – for bringing our attention to this wonderful music

York University Department of Drama – for their invaluable help as a development venue partner

Tapestry Opera

Why Not Theatre

COMPANY MANAGEMENT

Michelle Galuszka

ICE Condos

Rosemont Residences

Yonge Suites

GOSPEL ROBES

Karen Burke

Kesha Wint

DECOR

E=mc2

About the Lead Producer:

Volcano is a Canadian live-performance creation company based in Toronto. Volcano’s mission is to nurture the emergence of ideas and art-making through collaboration across intersectional identities, varied artistic practices, and borders of all kinds, in service of a future built on justice and well-being.

In practice, we collaborate with artists to make art that transcends conventional limits, boundaries, and orthodoxies. We make shows. We tell meaningful stories. We offer training, mentorships, and various supports to our fellow arts-workers. We have been recognized around the world for our work with over 70 nominations and/or awards at the local, national and international level.

For more information, or to donate to the touring future of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, please visit www.volcano.ca

Thank you Festival Partners

Thank you Festival Donors

Gifts of $100,000+

Anonymous

Ian and Kiki Delaney, C.M.

Donald K. Johnson OC LLD

Justice Fund

The Slaight Family Foundation

Gifts of $50,000+

Mohammad and Najla Al Zaibak

Joan and Jerry Lozinski

Sandra and Jim Pitblado, C.M.

The Azrieli Foundation

Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation

The Rossy Foundation

Gifts of $20,000+

Eva Czigler and Peter Herrndorf, C.C. O.Ont

Lucille and Urban Joseph, O.C.

Cheryl and Robert McEwen, C.M.

Gretchen and Donald Ross, O.C.

Nancy Pencer

Tim and Frances Price

Hal Jackman Foundation

Kingfisher Foundation

Gifts of $10,000+

John and Leanna Bayliss

David Binet

Paul Boniferro

Susanne Boyce and Brendan Mullen

Linda Chu and John Donald

D.H. Gales Family Foundation

The George Cedric Metcalf Foundation

J.P. Bickell Foundation

Anthony and Helen Graham

Tony and Lina Gagliano

Kevin and Roger Garland, C.M.

Tiana Koffler Boyman and Marc Boyman

Don Schmitt and Cheryl Atkinson

The Bennett Family Foundation

The McLean Foundation

Immersive Circle

Anonymous

Sara Angel

maxine bailey

The Late Walter M. and Lisa Balfour Bowen

Ronald Barry

S.M. Blair Family Foundation

Helen Burstyn, C.M. and family

Cecily and Robert Bradshaw

Denton Creighton and Kristine Vikmanis

Holly Coll-Black and Rupert Duchesne, C.M.

Richard and Donna Ivey

Shelley Ambrose and Douglas Knight, C.M.

The Lindy Green Family Charitable Foundation

Jim Leech and Deb Barrett

Peter Mansbridge

Helen and Donald McGillivray

Laurence and Judy Siegel

David Simmonds

Celia Smith

Nalini Stewart

Phil and Eli Taylor

Carol Wilding

Luminato Board

Board of Directors

Chair

Douglas Knight, C.M.

Vice-Chair

maxine bailey

Anthony Graham

Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA

David Simmonds

Helen Burstyn, C.M

John Bayliss

Jonathon Redbird

Judy Matthews

Ken Tanenbaum

Krystal Abotossaway

Laurissa Canavan

Lucille Joseph

Melissa Martin

Michaëlle Jean

Paul Boniferro

Rupert Duchesne, C.M

Tony Gagliano

Tiana Koffler Boyman

Luminaries

Laureates

Mohammad Al Zaibak

Salah Bachir

Charles Baillie

Julia Deans

Cam di Prata

James Fleck, C.C.

Robert Foster

Michael Foulkes

Peter Herrndorf, O.Ont., C.M. †

Peter Mansbridge

Roberto Martella

Chetan Mathur

Susan McArthur

Robert McEwen C.M.

Mark Mulroney

Jonas Prince

Gretchen Ross

Javier San Juan

Gary Slaight

William Thorsell

Luminaries

Mohammad and Najla Al Zaibak*

Kate Alexander Daniels and David Daniels*

Tony and Anne Arrell, C.M.

Salah Bachir, C.M.

Charles Baillie, O.C. and Marilyn Baillie, C.M.*

Avie Bennett, C.C., O.Ont.* †

Helen Burstyn, C.M. and David Pecaut, C.M.* †

The David and Stacey Cynamon Family Foundation

Joan T. Dea and Lionel F. Conacher*

Ian and Kiki Delaney, C.M.

Cam and Alexandra di Prata

John Donald and Linda Chu*

Gail Drummond and Bob Dorrance

The Duboc Family Foundation*

Lonti Ebers and Bruce Flatt

Margaret Fleck and Jim Fleck, C.C.*

Kevin and Roger Garland, C.M.*

Founding Corporate Luminaries

BMO Financial Group

Dancap Productions Inc.

Falls Management Company

Ivey Foundation

MacLaren McCann

Manulife Financial

RBC

St. Joseph Communications

TELUS

Tourism Toronto

† Deceased

* These visionary donors supported Luminato before its inaugural season

The Ira Gluskin and Maxine Granovsky Gluskin Charitable Foundation

Anthony and Helen Graham*

Jay and Barbara Hennick and Family

Ian Ihnatowycz and Marta Witer

Lucille and Urban Joseph, O.C.*

Patrick and Barbara Keenan, C.M.

Michael and Sonja Koerner, C.M.*

Tiana Koffler Boyman and Marc Boyman

Joan and Jerry Lozinski

Chetan and Clara Mathur*

Judy and Wil Matthews*

Sloan Mauran and Adrian Tauro

Rob and Cheryl McEwen, C.M.*

Joseph Mimran and Kimberley Newport-Mimran

David and Audrey Mirvish, C.M., O.Ont.

Pierre L. Morrissette*

Gordon and Janet Nixon, C.M., O.Ont.

Nancy Pencer

Sandra and Jim Pitblado, C.M.*

Jonas and Lynda Prince*

Richard Rooney and Laura Dinner*

Gary and Donna Slaight*

Geoff and Megan Smith

Howard Sokolowski, O.Ont. and Senator Linda Frum*

Marisa and Edward Sorbara*

Larry and Judy Tanenbaum, O.C.*

Eli and Philip Taylor

The Roy Thomson Family

Taylor Thomson

John and Elizabeth Tory Q.C.

The Hon. Hilary M. Weston, C.M., C.V.O, O.Ont and W. Galen Weston, O.C., C.V.O, O.Ont

Robin and David Young*

Luminato Staff

Executive & Administration

Celia Smith

CEO

Marcia McNabb

VP Finance & Admin

Dylan Schoenmakers

Grant Writer & Government Relations Consultant

Sarah Yellin Project Manager, Executive Office

Thomas Millband Finance Manager

Yoshita Yadav Finance Assistant

Loredana LaCaprara Production Accountant

Marketing & Communications

Christine Harris Senior Director, Marketing & Communications

Bradley Langham Audience Experience & Ticketing Manager

Cassandra Popescu Digital Content Manager

Harsh Panchal Senior Data Analyst

Kelly Estomo Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Noor Gatih

Social Media Coordinator

Paulina Luciani Digital Content Coordinator

Priyanka Ganguli

Marketing and Communications Manager

Development

Jessica Litwin Chief Development Officer

Anne Rawn (maternity leave) Associate Director, Philanthropy

Cara Humeniuk Corporate Development Officer

Jackie Nguyen Membership Manager

Jane Hopgood Senior Director, Major Gifts

Natasha Udovic Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships

Ruby Sohi Events Specialist

Sarah Barrable-Tishauer Partnerships and Events Manager

Sophie Brzozowski Development Assistant

Emily Weaver Development Intern

Programming & Production

Naomi Campbell Artistic Director

Sonia Sakamoto-Jog Festival Producer

Lani Milstein

Senior Producer

Cathy Gordon Festival and Community Engagement Manager

Adam Barrett

Producer/Programmer

Ally Lu Production Coordinator

Producers

Caren Campbell

Caroline Hollway

Dev Ramsawakh

Pete Lawlor

Associate Producers

Alicia Doane

Asha Deboran-Hotrum

Julián Carvajal

Kafi Pierre

Rogue Benjamin

Production Managers

Duncan Macmillan

Pip Bradford

Alex Bordokas Music Curator

Clayton Lee Curatorial Associate

Ali Hand Accessibility & Programs Associate

Natasha “Courage” Bacchus ASL Programs Associate

Emily Maxwell Accessibility & Programs Coordinator

Amanda Low Volunteer Manager

Elizabeth Zeppa Volunteer Coordinator

Mallary Davenport Company Manager

Nithin Subramanian Logistics Coordinator

TO Live Board and Staff

BOARD

Board of directors

Lori DeGraw

Chair

Councillor Gary Crawford

Vice Chair

Councillor Lily Cheng

Councillor Chris Moise

Paul Bernards

Myriam Gafarou

Kevin Garland

Mustafa Humayun

Owais Lightwala

Gave Lindo

Dawn Maracle

Kathleen Sharpe

Gillian Smith

STAFF

Executive management

Clyde Wagner

President & CEO

Isabel Vicente Menanno

Director of the Office of the CEO & Board Relations

Special projects

Leslie Lester

Vice President of STLC Redevelopment

Development

Sandra Bellisario

Vice President of Philanthropy & Sponsorship

Madeleine Skoggard

Director of Philanthropy & Sponsorship

Ashley D’Andrea

Senior Manager, Leadership Giving

Nikita Patel

Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorships

Lawrence Tan

Assistant Manager of Partnerships & Events

Finance and administration

William Milne

Vice President of Finance & Administration

Thomas Grady

Director of Finance

Hayde Boccia

Director of Finance

Michael Johnson Controller

Sabrina Li

Senior Financial Manager

Paul Gagnon

Client Settlement Services Manager

Dorian Barton

Client Settlement Services Assistant

Gladys Torres

Payroll Specialist

Nooshin Ashraf-Zadeh

Accounting Assistant

Nelum Dissanayake

Accounting Assistant

Fiona Liu

Accounting Assistant

Fiona Wan

Accounting Assistant

Charles Mayne

Office Clerk

Information technology

David McCracken

Director of Information Technology

Michael Cadiz

IT Support Technician

Chahat Khandhar

Systems Administrator

Scott Spence

IT Coordinator

Human resources

Michelle Carter

Vice President of Human Resources & Organizational Culture

Mohamed Othman

Director of Human Resources

Mini Chhabaria

Human Resources Generalist

Melissa Creighton

Human Resources Generalist

Marketing and communications

Jeff Rohrer

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Stephanie Canarte

Director of Marketing

Grant Ramsay

Media Relations Officer

Stephen Crooks

Senior Digital Marketing Manager

Vanessa Grant

Senior Content Marketing Manager

Lauren Finateri

Marketing Manager, Promotions & Partnerships

Emma Forhan

Digital Content Creator

Shaun Lee

Graphic Designer

Jaya Arora

Social Media & Web Content Coordinator

Joshua DeFreitas

Marketing Specialist

Jimena Perez

Marketing Coordinator

Box office

Tom Kerr

Director of Ticketing Services

Sandie Chui

Manager of Ticket Services

Fran Holywell

Box Office Manager

Liz Bragg

Box Office Manager

Thomas Quinlan

Box Office Assistant Manager

Holly Merkur-Dance

Box Office Assistant Manager

Alexander Jackson

Box Office Assistant Manager

Clayton Batson

Box Office Duty Manager

Jennifer Norman

Box Office Duty Manager

Brittney Channer

Box Office Duty Manager

Michelle Cruz

Box Office Duty Manager

Operations

Matthew Farrell

Vice President of Operations

Edward Delavari

Director of Capital Projects

Luke Belfontaine

Senior Project Manager

BahramAghakhan

Project Manager

Michael Gutowski

Project Manager

Zane Elliott

Project Manager

Patron and event services

Sean Tasson

Director of Patron and Event Services

Lynn Frenette

Patron Services Manager

Tara Hitchman

Patron Services Manager

Natalie Ireland

Events Manager

Lina Welch

Patron Services Manager

Kelsey McGuigan

Assistant Patron Services Manager

Robin Gaunt

Assistant Patron Services Manager

Peter Harabaras

Patron Services Duty Manager

Andrew Muirhead

Patron Services Duty Manager

Bruna Pisani

Patron Services Duty Manager

Kizzie St Clair

Patron Services Duty Manager

Maria Waslenko

Patron Services Duty Manager

Andrew Fong

Executive Chef

Juliana Fay

Catering Manager

Facilities

Abiodun Ojekunle

Director of Facilities

Jarryd Fish

Facilities Manager

Evan Ramdin

Chief Building Operator

Robert MacLean

Building Operator

Ryan Nerona

Junior Building Operator

Omar Nurse

Stage Door Security Supervisor

Colin Dyble

Stage Door Security

Henry Fernandes

Stage Door Security

Margreta Kristiansen

Stage Door Security

Mohammed Shaikh

Stage Door Security

Tushar Somani

Stage Door Security

Mohuddin Memon

Stage Door Security

Reza Moradi

Stage Door Security

Sangay Lhamo

Stage Door Security

Mohamed Zuhair

Maintenance Supervisor

Roger Alves

Maintenance

Robert Bischoff

Maintenance

Mizrah Mohemed

Maintenance

Pema Lakshey

Maintenance

Catherine Patrick

Maintenance

Rosalina Silva

Maintenance

Rosa Victoria

Maintenance

Christine Vivlan

Maintenance

Vivian Hije

Maintenance (housekeeping)

Roderick Padasdao

Building Operator

Marciano Ramos

Jr. Building Operator

Ehsan Rahman

Jr. Building Operator

John Vickery

Housekeeping Supervisor

Ahmed Akinpelu

Housekeeping

Rhowen Jane Bunda

Housekeeping

Michael Kim

Housekeeping

Elliott Lewis

Housekeeping

Mabel Liwag

Housekeeping

Ian Romero

Housekeeping

Adam Sikora

Housekeeping

Lauren Smith

Housekeeping

Ailton Simao

Housekeeping

Karrie Smith

Housekeeping

Alicia Surujbally

Housekeeping

Matthew Pannell

Handyperson

Eduardo Costales

Handyperson

Programming

Josephine Ridge

Vice President of Programming

Max Rubino

Director of Programming

Ariana Shaw

Senior Producer

Sascha Cole

Senior Producer

Zac Mansfield

Producer

Shannon Murtagh

Producer

John Kiggins

Programming Manager

Nathan Sartore

Programming & Accessibility Coordinator

Courtney Voyce

Bookings Manager

Alex Whitehead

Bookings Coordinator

Scott North

Director Corporate & Private Events

Michaela Aguirre

Social Media Specialist

Communities and outreach

Tasneem Vahanvaty

Director of Communities and Outreach

Dani De Angelis

Communities and Outreach Coordinator

Production

Kristopher Dell

Director of Production

Zoe Carpenter

Senior Production Manager

Anthony (TJ) Shamata

Senior Production Manager

Bruce Bennett

Senior Manager, Theatre Systems and Special Projects

Chris Carlton

Production Manager

Paul McKenna

Production Manager

Armand Baksh-Zarate

Production Manager

Susanne Lankin

Production Manager

Kristopher Weber

Production Manager

Emma Pressello

Production Coordinator

JB Beaulieu

Production Coordinator

Meridian Hall stage crew

IATSE Local 58

Richard Karwat

Head Electrician

Steve McLean

Head Carpenter

Marcus Sirman

Head of Properties

Ross Tuskey

Head Sound Operator

David Baer

Assistant Carpenter

Zsolt Kota

Assistant Sound Operator

Michael Farkas

Assistant Electrician – AV

Jason Urbanowicz

Assistant Electrician

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts stage crew

IATSE Local 58

Wes Allen

Head of Properties, Bluma Appel Theatre

Jay Blencowe

Head Carpenter, Bluma Appel Theatre

Keijo Makela

Head Sound Technician, Bluma Appel Theatre

Giulia D’Amanzo

Head Electrician, Bluma Appel Theatre

Benn Hough

Head Technician, Jane Mallett Theatre

IATSE Local 822

Susan Batchelor

Wardrobe Head, Bluma Appel Theatre

Meridian Arts Centre stage crew

IATSE Local 58

Aaron Dell

Head Technician, Lyric Theatre

Russell Hawley

Head Technician, George Weston Recital Hall

Patrick Hales

Assistant Head Technician, George Weston Recital Hall

Grant Primeau

Head Technician, Greenwin Theatre

Duncan Morgan

Head Technician, Studio Theatre

TO Live Donors

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of our Friends of TO Live Community through donations to TO Live and the TO Live Foundation.

1R32 Foundation

2608701 Ontario Inc.

Jocelyne Achat & Kenneth Maclean

Patricia Alps

Shirley Arnold

Arts Capital

John & Claudine Bailey

Bashirat Balogun

Barbara Basta

Eva Bednar

Sandra Bellisario

Bruce Bennett

Shira Bernholtz

Eleanor Bothwell

Elspeth Bowler

Stephanie Canarte

Doris Chan

Dr. Donette Chin-Loy Chang

Wendy Chong

Lesley Clark

Diana Cockburn

Judith C. Cole

Bob Collins

Leona Cotoia

Cheryl Cottle

Jacqueline Cushnie

Ashley D’Andrea

Lori DeGraw

Suzanne Denis

Anne Dumais

Maame Adjoa Duncan

Karen Ebanks

Penelope Evans

Alicia Excell

Leah Faieta

Shirley Farr

Mary Ann Farrell

Matt Farrell

Shiming Fei

Alan Feller

David Fiske

Nina Flowers

Darrell Flynn

Clarence Ford

Robert & Julia Foster

Linda Galen

Janet Gates

Volcano Board and Staff

BOARD

Connie Wansbrough, Chair

STAFF

Artistic Director - Ross Manson

Derek Genova

Charles Gibbs

Deborah Gourgy

Peter Grav

Wayne Hawes

Elaine Iannuzziello

IATSE Local 58 Charitable Fund

Lev Ioussoufovitch

Rob Italiano

Janice Johnson

Sherry Kaufman

Christine Kelsey

Andrew Kempa

Megan Kotze & Michael Longfield

Laura Lee Kozody

Young Wook Kwon

Maggie Lam

Alan Levine

Kathryn Liedeman

Karen Liedeman

Jodi Lindsay

Edith Lo

Jennifer MacLachlan

Hailee Mah

Ruth & Harold Margles

Imaginus Canada Mark

Laurie Markus

Giacomina Mastromarco

Steve McAdam

Randy McCall

David McCracken

Cayla McCullough

Linda McGuire

William Milne

Leslie Milthorpe

Susan Moellers

Peter Neuschild

Sorina Oprea

Jennifer Parkin

Frances Patterson

Brenda Polzler

John Quirke

Grant Ramsay

Brandon Rattan

Josephine Ridge

Christian Roderos

Phillip Roh

Jeffrey Rohrer

Carol Rowntree

Carole Sisto

Stephanie Slobodnik

David Smith

Debbie Smith

Natalia Sorokov

Karyn in Toronto

Richard Spooner

St. Lawrence Market BIA

Evelyn Steinberg

Katie Sultan

Josie Tait

Erinn Todd

Peter Tsatsanis

Alicja Turner

Asha Varadharajan

Isabel Vicente Menanno

Vida Peene Fund

Taylor Vince

Peeranut Visetsuth

Vital Link Ice Cream

Clyde Wagner & Steven Tetz

Patricia Wheelan

Denise Wise

Edwin Zukowski

Anonymous (5)

Andrew Adridge

Sidhartha Goyal

Matthew Lella

Isabelle Ly

Yanna McIntosh

Melissa Williams

General Manager - Ray Bramble

Associate General Manager - Kelly Read Producer - Sheree Spencer

Assistant Producer - Marissa Trott

Volcano Co-commissioning Partners

Volcano wishes to acknowledge and thank our co-commissioning partners:

Volcano wishes to acknowledge and thank our funders and foundation supporters:

Butterfield Family FoundationConnie Wansbrough

Rogan Foundation

Scott Griffin Foundation

Volcano’s New Work Development Partner is:

Volcano’s Emerging Black Artist Initiative

Volcano’s Orchestra Partner for Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha

Volcano Donors

Patrik Spånning Westerlund

Paul Wells

Pia Kleber Pierre Simpson Priya Sanghvi Rachel Ransom Wilson Ray Forrester RBC Foundation Rebecca Schechter

Rhet Topham Richard Greenblatt

Richard Sacks

Rick Banville Rick Miller Riley Johnson Rimah Jabr Rita Robert Evans

Robert Guenther

Robert MacAulay

Robin Mednick

Rogan Foundation

Ron Hay

Ronald Lea

Rosalind Cavaghan

Rosemary Dunsmore

Ross Manson

Rudayna Bahubeshi

Ryan West

Sallie Lyons

Sally Brodsky

Sally Han

Sandy/Alysara Mayers-Green

Sarah Andree John

Sarah Garton Stanley

sblh

Scott Griffin Foundation

SDSkobel

Sharon Matthias

Shawn Aebi

Shawn Doyle

Sheryl Kennedy

Sidney Sproule

Snezana Pesic

Sonja Richardson

Sparkle O’b

Stephanie Belding

Stephanie Spong

Stephen Haynes

Steve Cumyn

Steven Bush

Steven Smits

Stewart Arnott

Sue Edworthy

Sunny Drake

Susan L Humphreys

Susan Macpherson

Susan R Grossman

Susan Worthington

Susannah Wilson

Tanisha Taitt

Tanith Korravai

Tanja Jacobs

TD Bank

Tenny Nigoghossian

Teresa Przybylski

Theresa Smith

Tina Fance

Tom Barnett

Toronto Arts Council

Tracy Michailidis

Valentina Karacic

Vanessa Sears

Veronica Tennant, C.C.

Victoria Lee

Wayne Owen

Wendy Kennan

William Holt

Yanna McIntosh

National Creation Fund,

The National Creation Fund is fuelled by funds raised from generous donors to the National Arts Centre Foundation’s Creation Campaign, who believe in investing in Canadian creators.

June 7 - 18

Words, Music and Black Experience

Moderated by Donna Bailey Nurse

June 15, 5:00-6:00pm

Harbourfront Centre Theatre

Join Donna Bailey Nurse in conversation with leaders in the realm of music, theatre and history, as she explores words, music and the power of Black experience in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha and Loss. Donna will be joined on stage by D. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Founder, Artistic Director and conductor of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale; and ahdri zhina mandiela, Founder and past Artistic Director of b current Performing Arts.

Photo by Elana Emer