Bluma Appel Theatre
St. Lawrence Centre for the
St. Lawrence Centre for the
Created with the support from the Canada Council for the Arts
The creation of this show was made possible thanks to the support of Place des Arts de Montreal and its Foundation
Developed with support from The National Art Centre’s National Creation Fund
We live and work on the traditional territory of Haudenosaunee-speaking nations, including the Huron-Wendat, Seneca, and Mohawk. Haudenosauneespeaking nations have been here since time immemorial, and were more recently joined by the Mississaugas of the Credit.
This place has many Indigenous ports, including where the Humber and Rouge rivers meet other waterways such as Lake Ontario. Ancient longhouses— typical Haudenosaunee housing structures—have been found along both these rivers and in the north of Toronto near modern-day York University. This territory is covered by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) Confederacy and the Anishnaabe (Ojibwe) and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the lands and the relationships around the Great Lakes.
What this means is that by living and working here, we all have a responsibility to the environment and to each other, to treat each other and the environment with peace and respect. This means we have responsibilities to honour, renew, and consistently uphold the values and relationships outlined in the ancient agreements.
Today, Toronto is home to Indigenous peoples and settlers from around the world. Let us all come together in an atmosphere of respect and peace to do good work together with good minds. Let’s start building stronger and healthier relationships with each other and the spaces we inhabit in Tkaronto, Ontari:io, Kanata.
Let’s hold our minds together in kindness.
Nia:wen. Thank you.
© Dawn MaracleTO Live would like to acknowledge Tkaronto, which is a Mohawk word meaning the place in the water where the trees are standing.
Well-known for creating wildly unusual worlds that fuel the imagination, Montreal-based Kid Koala has established himself internationally as a respected performer, film composer, theatre producer and visual artist.
Kid Koala’s signature style is on full display in The Storyville Mosquito, a captivating, funny and heart-warming story about chasing your dreams and finding your voice.
Like so many productions of the time, The Storyville Mosquito premiered in Montreal in 2019 and soon fell victim to the pandemic. TO Live remained committed to Kid Koala’s vision and is proud to present this wonderful story.
Celebrating the work of Canadian artists is core to TO Live’s strategy. We also believe it is more important than ever to enable artists the opportunity to showcase their work to wider audiences, contributing and uplifting the vibrancy of the amazing city we live in.
As we see in The Storyville Mosquito, music and the arts are about dreaming and building something special to share with the world. Whether we perform, applaud or volunteer, the arts breathe life into every community. At TO Live, we are proud of our ongoing support of artists and the contribution we’re making to building a better city through the arts. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Enjoy the show!
Clyde Wagner President and CEO TO Live @tolivetweetsJosephine Ridge Vice President of Programming TO Live
One of my fondest memories from childhood is watching Charlie Chaplin films with my parents and grandparents. It was one of a few moments I remember where all three generations of my family sat together, laughed, cried, and were moved by the same piece of art. Since then, it has always been a goal for me to try to create things that joyfully connect people.
It was also the first time I realized there was a “production” behind what I was seeing on the screen. A whole team of people such as set builders, lighting designers, cinematographers, and more all working together to make the magic on the screen.
I’m so thankful to be working with this incredible team of artists and performers to create this “live film” for audiences each night on stage. You will get to see the final film (on the screen) and the “making of” (on the stage) simultaneously. That’s twice the value for your hard-earned ticket-buying money!
At its heart, The Storyville Mosquito is a good oldfashioned love story about meeting new people, sharing your story, finding your voice, and searching for that something that connects us all.
This production is a place where my favourite things collide: cinema, live performance, soundtrack music, storytelling, comedy, drama, puppetry, and turntables!
director and composer, The Storyville Mosquito
Co-commissioned by Internationales Sommerfestival Kampnagel, Place des Arts and its Foundation, and NYU Abu Dhabi The Arts Center. Created with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec. Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.
The performances in Toronto are supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Creator, director, and composer: Kid Koala / Eric San
Producer: Ryhna Thompson
Tour and production manager: Brian Neuman
Art director: Corinne Merrell
Puppet designer: Patrick Martel
Director of photography: AJ Korkidakis
Musical director: Vid Cousins
String arrangements: Vid Cousins and Dave Campbell
Assistant set designer: Nancy Belzile
Lighting designer: Olivier Gaudet Savard
Technical directors: Brian Neuman / Guillaume Briand
Additional set builders: Nancy Belzile, Faustine Berthet, Joseph Gagne, Bruno Pierre Houle, Alizée Millot
Additional puppet builders: Isabelle Chretien, Sophie Dealauriers, Véronique Poirier, Marie-Pierre Simard, Sandra Turgeon, Colin St-Cyr Duhamel
Musicians: Eric San (Kid Koala), Valerie Li (violin), David Campbell (cello), Marcus Takizawa (viola)
Puppeteers: Patrick Martel, Anne Lalancette, Colin St-Cyr Duhamel, Sandra Turgeon Videographer: AJ Korkidakis Sound engineer: Rena Kozak Video editor: Phil Creamer Tour manager: Brian Neuman Stage manager 1: Alizée Millot Stage manager 2: Maggie Winston
The creation of this show was made possible thanks to the support of Place des Arts de Montreal and its Foundation
Developed with support from The National Art Centre’s National Creation Fund
Created with the support from the Canada Council for the Arts
Kid Koala is a Montreal-based scratch DJ, film composer, theatre producer, and visual artist. He has released five solo albums and contributed to several feature film soundtracks including The Great Gatsby, Looper, Baby Driver, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He has toured with the likes of Radiohead, Deltron 3030, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He has composed music for Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, and Adult Swim. He has created the musical score for the award-winning Nintendo Switch video game Floor Kids. He has written and illustrated the award-winning graphic novels Nufonia Must Fall and Space Cadet. He is known for his imaginative live productions such as Vinyl Vaudeville, Satellite Turntable Orchestra, and The Storyville Mosquito, each of which expresses his unique form of storytelling with music, animation, film, and interactive entertainment.
Ryhna Thompson Producer Ryhna Thompson has been a founder, president, producer, and artist manager in the cultural and creative industries for over two decades. Under the banner of her company Envision Management & Production, she has worked with dozens of internationally recognized, boundary breaking artists to develop, create, and share groundbreaking work. Ryhna has overseen the release of numerous records, books and interactive works. She has produced and managed tours on five continents with collaborators such as NYUAD (UAE), Kampnagel (Germany), and Adelaide Festival (Australia) amongst many others. Always keen to contribute to her communities, Ryhna has served on numerous boards such as the Music Managers Forum Canada, the Cultural Human Resources Council of Canada, the Society of Arts and Technology and co-designed and produced Pathwaves, a digital literacy incubator for musicians. She is an APAP Leadership Fellow.
Corinne Merrell creates work as an art director for film, stop-motion animation, and theatre. Her handcrafted sets create environments and spaces for storytelling. Credits include stop-motion art director on The Little Prince, directed by Mark Osborne. Ongoing works with Kid Koala, such as The Storyville Mosquito and Nufonia Must Fall, have incorporated set design and miniatures into a live theatrical cinema experience. Corinne studied architecture at McGill University and holds an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is a faculty member in the Department of Theatre at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.
Brian Neuman is an established tour and production manager based in Montreal, QC. He co-founded and ran the local promotion outfit Blue Skies Turn Black for over 10 years. Brian has booked and promoted hundreds of shows with artists such as Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Sufjan Stevens, Mastodon, Death Cab for Cutie, John Waters, and more. During his time at Blue Skies Turn Black, the company was voted “best local promoter” for eight consecutive years. He has since turned his expertise to production and tour logistics for artists such as Patrick Watson, Leif Vollebekk, Dweezil Zappa, Kid Koala, and many others.
Alizée has been working as a prop and set designer around Montreal for over five years after graduating with “the most distinguished student” award from Concordia University’s theatre design program. Prior to that she earned her bachelor’s degree in art history with distinction. Her specializations include building miniatures for stop-motion and puppet shows, sourcing vintage and rare items, and scenic painting. Alizée also works as an art director for short films and web series.
Maggie Winston is a puppeteer, clown, educator, and community-engaged artist. She is the artistic director of Lost & Found Puppet Co., producing original performances using puppetry in many styles, physical theatre, clown, storytelling, music, and other multidisciplinary art practices. L&FPCo explores themes such as family, cultural history, nature, spirituality, and human relationships to objects. There are stories about beaver dreams, wolves drinking tea, the poetry of a Yiddish Montreal writer, and memories of Grandma in her recycled quilt. Maggie is a recent graduate of the DESS en théâtre de marionnettes contemporain at UQÀM.
Patrick Martel is a puppeteer, director, and set and puppet designer. He has created many theatre productions and television series involving different styles of puppetry. He studied the art of Bunraku with Japanese masters. He teaches at UQAM, for the post-graduate diploma in contemporary puppet theatre. The Arlyn Award Society awarded him a commendation for his puppet design work on À nous deux! in 2004. For over 25 years, he has collaborated with many companies, including the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Cirque Éloize, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, and Cirque du Soleil. He is now on his third project with Kid Koala.
Sandra Turgeon is a multidisciplinary artist who studied visual arts in her city of birth, Rouyn-Noranda. Later, she moved to Montreal where she studied scenography and discovered the art of puppetry. Since then, she's been working for many different companies, such as MonLove, Montreal's Biodôme, The Masked Singer (Quebec) television show, and many others. She now performs as a puppeteer and works mainly in workshops where she creates and builds puppets. She now teaches puppet classes at the University of Quebec in Montreal. She also specializes in airbrush painting, which she teaches in workshops for the Association Québécoise des Marionnettistes.
Equipped with the mind of an inventor and a passion for storytelling, Colin St-Cyr Duhamel became a puppeteer at 16. Puppet maker, performer, and director, he adds yet another dimension to his art by studying mechanical design. He’s performed and built characters for all types of scenes and screens. Among his most recent collaborations, we find The Seven Fingers, The Masked Singer (Quebec), Cabaret Décadanse, and the latest Scooby-Doo! Live show. Colin is part of the Montrealbased street-performing duo Les Pas Sortables.
Anne Lalancette has been puppeteering for more than 15 years. We can see her work on stage (The Storyville Mosquito, The Season, Raven, The Star Keeper, The Path of Dreams, The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan, The Umbrella), on film (Chronicles of Riddick, Broken Face, From Naughty to Nice), and on television (Passe-Partout, Marc-En-Peluche, Les Hipaloulas). She is also creating and producing her own shows with her puppets and music collective La ruée vers l’or (Arctic Tall Tales, Dung on the Road ), for whom she is the co-founder and artistic director.
Since composing his first-string quartet at the age of fourteen, Vid has led a varied career as film composer, musician, record producer, and sound engineer. Cutting his teeth on the studio floors and venue stages of London, England, he eventually toured his way to Montréal where he has launched into live productions and recordings with numerous artists, including Squarepusher, Amon Tobin, Bell Orchestre, !!!, and of course long-time co-conspirator Kid Koala. You can find more of his compositional work on the Canadian Screen Award winning Caterpillarplasty and the Academy Award-shortlisted Requiem for Romance. He is a faculty member in the departments of both Music and Cinema at Concordia University in Montréal, Quebec.
AJ is a maniacally multi-tasking Montréal-based director, cinematographer, and digital media artist. A compulsive creator, his work blends video, animation, design, and photography into strange and beautiful creations. His work is inspired by big cities, good music, social justice, and dumb jokes. He will befriend your dog.
Violinist Valerie Li has performed internationally at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Wigmore Hall. Having earned degrees from the Peabody Institute, New England Conservatory, and the Juilliard School, Valerie has since carved out a diverse musical career that includes: international awards and touring as first violinist of the Afiara Quartet; collaboration with DJ Skratch Bastid on JUNO-nominated album Spin Cycle, featured in both Forbes’ and CBC Music’s top 10 classical recordings of the year; and musical theatre credits including Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, & Juliet, and Hamilton. Valerie has toured with Kid Koala since 2014 in Nufonia Must Fall and The Storyville Mosquito.
A professional cellist born in Toronto, David arrived in New York City by way of Austin, Texas. He has nearly 20 years of professional experience, travelling the globe to perform, teach, and record music—from New York to Tokyo, London to Shanghai, Sydney to Santiago. David honed his craft with master's and doctorate degrees in music, specializing in performance and pedagogy.
Marcus Takizawa is known for his versatility on viola and violin, as well as his skills as a composer and arranger. A native of Vancouver and a graduate of the Juilliard School, he was the assistant principal viola with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and a core member of the Turning Point Ensemble. Now living in Montreal, he graduated from l’UQÀM with a D.E.S.S en musique de film and for 2022/2023 he is the violist and violinist for Kid Koala’s The Storyville Mosquito.
Born in Manila and raised in Quebec, Phil Creamer is a musician and creative media producer based in Montreal. He is formerly a member of Folly & the Hunter and a session musician for Geoffroy. Creamer is a videographer and music video creator for Here On Out, a video editor for Kid Koala’s The Storyville Mosquito, as well as a music producer for his collaborative music project, Satellite. Creamer’s creativity has brought him all around the world in order to collaborate, practice his craft, and share his experience.
Rena has been a professional sound engineer for 20 years, with a wealth of experience ranging from studio recording, album mixing, venue sound-system design and installation, and touring live sound engineering. After spending 5 years travelling the world with a variety of different acts, Rena is happy to now be operating a recording studio in Montreal while still getting out on the road with The Storyville Mosquito.
TO Live acknowledges the generosity of our supporters through donations to TO Live and the TO Live Foundation.
1R32 Foundation
Rochelle Alexandroff
Shirley Arnold Arts Capital Elizabeth Attfield John & Claudine Bailey Barbara Basta Eva Bednar Sandra Bellisario Bruce Bennett Jason Benny Shira Bernholtz Eleanor Bothwell Marta Braun James Bredin Zora Breslin Stephanie Brown Louise Burley Jessica Capobianco David & Pauline Carpenter Doris Chan Giselle Chin Kelvin Chukwu Jamille Clarke-Darshanand Diana Cockburn Judith C. Cole Bob Collins Leona Cotoia Cheryl Cottle Jacqueline Cushnie Laura Daniel Lisa Davidson Tom Davis Patricia Deline Suzanne Denis Sarah Dionne Shannon Dowd Anne Dumais Penelope Evans Alicia Excell Shirley Farr Mary Ann Farrell Matt Farrell Alan Feller Norma Fisher-Stitt David Fiske Samantha Flint Nina Flowers Darrell Flynn Clarence Ford Robert & Julia Foster Linda Galen
Kevin Garland Derek Genova Christina Giannelia Charles Gibbs Jeanette Goldman Doroithy Gordon Deborah Gourgy Joe Goverde Peter Grav Wayne Hawes Gary Hawker Robert Herman Dr. Rob Horvath
IATSE Local 58 Charitable Fund Rob Italiano Lauren Jackson Susan Jamieson Christopher Jeanneret Janice Johnson Ron Jones Tasker Kelsey Christine Kelsey Andrew Kempa Duncan Kluwak Tammy Kong Megan Kotze & Michael Longfield Laura Lee Kozody Young Wook Kwon Peggy Lappalainen Jill Lavine Jessica Leader Alan Levine Svitlana Levit Stephanie Leyco Karen Liedeman Kathryn Liedeman Edith Lo Emilia Lomaga Kathleen Lumsden Jennifer MacLachlan Priya Malik Leslie Mandelbaum Gianna Manzerolle Imaginus Canada Laurie Markus Mina Mastromarco Steve McAdam Randy McCall David McCracken Cayla McCullough Linda McGuire Rebecca Merchant William Milne Leslie Milthorpe Susan Moellers Sandra Moretti Tyler Morse Fatima Mubeen Eric Nearing Peter Neuschild Greig Nishio Judith O'Callaghan Natalia Ogrodnik Sorina Oprea Helen Ostapuk Devin Packer
Jennifer Parkin Frances Patterson C. Pickett
Brenda Polzler Jacqueline Pratt Jill Purdy John Quirke Rehana Rahman Grant Ramsay Martha Randall Brandon Rattan Michael Rea Gillian Reain Kim Reid
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Vida Peene Fund
Taylor Vince Vital Link Ice Cream Clyde Wagner & Steven Tetz Steven Weil Lee Weissling Lisa Weitz Patricia Wheelan Lorna White Firth Whitwam Denise Wise
ted witzel, the red light district Anonymous (20)
The above donations were made as of October 4, 2022.
Every donation to the TO Live Foundation will support free programming, community classes, and free or discounted tickets that ensure inclusivity at all economic levels.
Lori DeGraw Chair
Councillor Gary Crawford Vice Chair
Councillor Robin Buxton Potts
Councillor John Filion
Paul Bernards
Myriam Gafarou
Kevin Garland Mustafa Humayun
Owais Lightwala
Gave Lindo
Dawn Maracle Kathleen Sharpe Gillian Smith
Clyde Wagner
President & CEO
Isabel Vicente Menanno
Director of the Office of the CEO & Board Relations
Leslie Lester
Vice President of STLC Redevelopment
Sandra Bellisario
Vice President of Philanthropy & Sponsorship
Megan Kotze
Director of Philanthropy & Sponsorship
Lawrence Tan Development Coordinator, Philanthropy & Sponsorship
William Milne
Vice President of Finance & Administration
Thomas Grady
Director of Finance Hayde Boccia
Director of Finance Michael Johnson Controller
Sabrina Li
Senior Financial Accountant John Kiggins
Client Settlement Services Manager
Dorian Barton
Client Settlement Services Assistant
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Accounting Assistant
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Accounting Assistant
Charles Mayne Office Clerk
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Director of Information Technology
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Chahat Khandhar
Systems Administrator
Michelle Carter
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Mohamed Othman
Director of Human Resources
Mini Chhabaria
Human Resources Generalist
Melissa Creighton
Human Resources Generalist
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 Content Marketing Manager
Emma Forhan
Digital Content Creator Shaun Lee Graphic Designer
Jaya Arora
Social Media & Web Content Coordinator
Lauren Finateri Marketing Manager Coop Jimena Perez Marketing Coordinator Joshua DeFreitas Marketing Coordinator
Tom Kerr
Director of Ticketing Services
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Sandie Chui
Thomas Quinlan
Holly Merkur-Dance Box Office Assistant Manager
Clayton Batson
Jennifer Norma Box Office Duty Manager
Matthew Farrell
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Luke Belfontaine
BahramAghakhan
Michael Gutowski
Project Manager
Sean Tasson
Director of Patron Services
Lynn Frenette Derek Genova
Patron Services Manager
Inoka Dias Natalie Ireland Events Manager
Lina Welch Kelsey McGuigan
Assistant Patron Services Manager
Peter Harabaras
Bruna Pisani
Patron Services Duty Manager Stephen Lee Executive Chef
Abiodun Ojekunle
Director of Facilities
Jarryd Fish Facilities Manager
Evan Ramdin
Chief Building Operator
Robert MacLean Building Operator Stephen Aitkens Electrical Operator
Ryan Nerona
Junior Building Operator
Omar Nurse
Stage Door Security Supervisor
Colin Dyble Henry Fernandes
Margreta Kristiansen Mohammed Shaikh
Tushar Somani
Scott Spence Mohuddin Memon
Sangay Lhamo
Stage Door Security
Mohamed Zuhair Maintenance Supervisor
Roger Alves
Robert Bischoff
Mizrah Mohemed Catherine Patrick Jose Rauda Rosalina Silva Rosa Victoria Christine Vivlan Maintenance
Vivian Hije Maintenance (housekeeping)
Roderick Padasdao
Building Operator
Marciano Ramos
Ehsan Rahman
Jr. Building Operator
John Vickery Housekeeping Supervisor
Ahmed Akinpelu
Rhowen Jane Bunda Michael Kim Elliott Lewis
Mabel Liwag Ian Romero
Adam Sikora Lauren Smith
Alicia Surujbally Housekeeping
Matthew Pannell
Eduardo Costales Handyperson
Josephine Ridge
Vice President of Programming Max Rubino
Director of Commercial Programming & Partnerships
Sascha Cole Producer
Ariana Shaw Producer Courtney Voyce Bookings Manager
Alyssa Hu Alex Whitehead Bookings Coordinator Scott North Director Corporate & Private Events Michaela Aguirre Social Media Specialist
Nathan Sartore Programming Coordinator Jasmine Vanstore Education & Engagement Programming Coordinator
Kristopher Dell
Director of Production Zoe Carpenter
Anthony (TJ) Shamata
Senior Production Managers
Bruce Bennett
Senior Manager, Theatre Systems and Special Projects
Chris Carlton Paul McKenna
Armand Baksh-Zarate
Susanne Lankin Production Manager
Julian Iacob 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
Yunier Alvarez Penate Head Technician, Jane Mallet Theatre
Jay Blencowe Head Carpenter, Bluma Appel Theatre
Benn Hough Head Electrician, Bluma Appel Theatre
Keijo Makela Head Sound Technician, Bluma Appel Theatre
IATSE Local 822
Susan Batchelor
Wardrobe Head, 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