Click names:
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ:
THE HEAD
TIM
RUPERT
HAMLET
RICHARD III
CLEOPATRA
SHAKESPEARE
BACK
PRODUCTION
WRITER/DIRECTOR
STAGE MANAGER
COMPOSERS
ILLUSTRATOR
PROPS
WARDROBE
CARPENTRY AND SET
Samantha Lawly
Erez Bowers
Anuka
Erez Bowers
*
Appearing courtesy of the Canadian Actors' Equity Association
KYLE MCDONALD - The Head, Writer/Director
Kyle McDonald is a Toronto based actor, writer, singer, director, and producer; he studied Theatre and Drama Studies at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College joint program, and has an HBA in Theatre and Drama and a minor in Classical History. Vocally, he trained with the late Donna Sherman, with Helga Tucker at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and with Operatic legend Maria Pellegrini.
Kyle just recently sang the roles of Timur in Turandot, Basilio in The Barber of Seville, Friar Lawrence and the Prince in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, Angelotti, in Tosca, James Bond in James Bond: A Convenient Lie, the Marquis of St. Evermonde in the world premiere of an opera based on A Tale of Two Cities with Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, and Sparafucile in Pellegrini Opera’s production of Rigoletto. Some of his other operatic roles include Colline in Puccini's La Boheme, and Plunkett in Flotow’s Martha.
In the Theatre, some of his favourite roles include The Head in Macbeth's Head, Hamlet in Hamlet Live, Clint in The Market, Cassio in Othello, and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.
In the world of film, Kyle has recently starred in his short film Street Smarts, the feature film The Market (which is currently being submitted to festivals), the short films Insight (developed and produced by the RTA School of Media) and Phoenix, and co-starred in the short films The Car, and Made in Paris, (both of which were selected for the short-corner at Cannes); on television, he’s appeared as Lord Dunbar on Reign, and as the Dog Mocker on a new musical series for the web called Haunted. He's also appeared as Nyuk Nyuk on the pilot for a three camera sit-com called Space Bacon, the super badie Azul in Connor Undercover 2 on Family Channel on demand, and Lieutenant Tannis on the award winning web series, Space Janitors, as well as Tom on the webseries Ryan Gosling Must Be Stopped.
As a producer Kyle has apprenticed under Canadian legend Dale Barnes, and has produced several stage productions – Macbeth’s Head (NNNN- Now Magazine), James Bond: A Convenient Lie, The Market (co-producer), and Hamlet Live (co-producer), which was live-streamed to Sick Kids’ hospitals across the country (a Canadian first) – several short films – How to Be More Inclusive, Revenge for the Duchess of Malfi (co-produced), Movies Matter, The Car (co-produced), and Street Smarts – two webseries – This is Bill, and Actorapists – and line produced on the feature film The Market. He was recently a finalist in the Innoversity Summit Pitch Competition for one of his digital series, Gamers Anonymous.
In the world of voice over, in addition to numerous commercial appearances, he has most recently played the Scotiabank popcorn astronaut in Cineplex Theatres, the villainous Cornacabra in Finish Line Games’ puzzle video game Maize, George Washington and Vice President on the Emmy Award winning animated series Peg + Cat, Yoshio on Beyblades, Taylean on Bakugan Brawlers IV, and Metazor on Skatoony, as well as Dyson on the Lost Girl motion comic (nominated for a Gemini), was the voice for the Evergreen charitable organization on the radio public service announcement called Trees, which won the Crystal award from the Radio Marketing Bureau for best PSA, and was also the voice for Condom T.O. which picked up a bronze award at the Epica award show in Amsterdam.
As a writer, he’s been produced as a playwright (Don Juan: An Episode), screenwriter (Revenge for the Duchess of Malfi, Movies Matter, Actorapists, The Car, This is Bill, Gamers Anonymous), and written librettos for two operas, The Lion Heart (currently being composed by Corey Arnold) and The Bat and the Bells (currently being composed), and created the book and score for two new operas in pasticcio, James Bond: A Convenient Lie, and his newest creation, Conan and the Stone of Kelior, which will be hitting the stage in 2021 in Toronto. He was awarded the Winning Writer’s War Poetry award for The Rose Of Ilium, a poem composed in heroic couplets that tells of the doomed love between Achilles and Penthesilea.
Also check out his new webseries, ACTORAPISTS, about a troupe of actors who run a psychodrama studio...badly!
Details at: www.mightierproductions.com
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ROBERTO ESTEVES - Tim
Selected Credits: Townsfolk in The Travelling Salesman & his Magical Suitcase of Desires (Best of Fringe'11), Frederick in The Rover, County Paris in The Capulets and the Montague's, and Hal Carter in Picnic (Theatre Erindale).
About: Born and raised in Toronto, Roberto has always been intrigued by the arts. He is passionate about Theatre, Film, and Voice acting, as well as the creation process of them. Recently he landed a principal role in the TV series See No Evil, he also makes a brief appearance in the upcoming feature film Valentina's Wedding. In his spare time he is rediscovering his love for drawing and is learning Portuguese and Spanish. Visit http://roberto-esteves.com/ for more info.
Training: Roberto is a graduate of the joint Theatre & Drama Studies program at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College,
Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma in Acting.
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JULIAN NICHOLSON - Rupert
Julian is beyond excited to be back at the Toronto Fringe in this incredible play.
Julian has just finished having his eyes gouged out as Gloucester in 9M Theatre’s production of King Lear. Other theater credits include directing the critically acclaimed BETTING ON THE RIVERMAN and A HOME FOR MARGARET, both by David Fraser, at the Hamilton Fringe Festival, appearing in THE FIVE LIVES OF COLBY CARTER by L.M. Magalas in last years Hamilton Fringe, debuting a one man show DRINKING, FIGHTING AND FISHING also by David Fraser, Luddy Beddoes in ELIZABETH REX by Timothy Findley at the Picton Summer Festival, Dr Bob in BILL W AND DR BOB for Renascent in Toronto, and Lear in KING LEAR at the Citadel Theatre in Hamilton.
When he’s not working Julian can be found hammering around race tracks at 80km/hour in a racing kart.
Julian thanks his beloved Tatiana for her unstinting love and support.
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GABRIEL DIFABIO - Hamlet
Gabe is a graduate from the University of Toronto/Sheridan College Theatre and Drama Studies Program and is delighted to be acting in this Erindale inspired original piece.
A Toronto native, Gabe has performed in King Lear (Edmund), Merchant of Venice (Antonio), Hamlet (Hamlet), Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing (Hamilton Urban Theatre); Mary Magdelene and The Old Wives’ Tale (Poculi Ludique Societas); Hay Fever and Laura (Bloor West Village Players).
Gabe can also be seen as one half of the Toronto Musical Sketch Duo Lyricas.
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ADRIENNE KRESS - Richard III
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Adrienne Kress is an actor and author residing in Toronto, Canada. She has an honours BA in theatre from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of LAMDA’s post-graduate classical acting programme in the UK.
Some of her recent roles include Olivia in Twelfth Night (Theatre Georgian Bay), Connie in Come Blow Your Horn (Classic Theatre Festival), First Lady in Un Ballo in Maschera (Canadian Opera Company), Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and Third Witch/Gentlewoman in Macbeth, both with the Tempest Theatre Group.
Choice roles while in the UK: Solveig in Peer Gynt (Dale Teater Kompani) and Chatillon in King John (The Space). Her television and film credits include the horror flicks The Devil’s Mile (Grover’s Mill) and Wolves (directed by David Hayter), and the television shows American Gods (Starz) and Lost Girl (SyFy).
She also wrote, produced and directed A Weekend in the Country for both the Summerworks Festival in Toronto, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. And is also the co-writer/director/producer of the webseries Ryan Gosling Must Be Stopped.
Adrienne Kress is also the author of the award winning and internationally published children’s novels Alex and the Ironic Gentleman and Timothy and the Dragon’s Gate (Scholastic). Published around the world, Alex won the Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award in the UK and was shortlisted for the Red Cedar. The sequel, Timothy, was shortlisted for the Audie, Red Cedar and Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards, and was optioned for film. She has also published two YA novels: Outcast (Diversion Books), her quirky paranormal romance, and the Steampunk adventure The Friday Society (Penguin), released to a starred review from Quill and Quire and shortlisted for The Quill Awards.
April 2016 saw the release of Hatter Madigan: Ghost in the H.A.T.B.O.X., an exciting collaboration with NY Times bestselling author Frank Beddor (set in the same world as his Looking Glass Wars YA books). And this year she releases the first book in her new Middle Grade series: The Explorers: The Door In The Alley (Delacorte, Random House). It was also recently optioned for film by Disney.
A triple threat, Sara is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory with a BFA in musical theatre.
A Canadian, born and raised, her career has taken her to New York (where she also worked for Stewart/Whitley Casting), California, and now Toronto. Her credits include: Sheila Franklin in Hair, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, and Stevie in The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, just to name a few.
SARA SHANAZARIAN - Cleopatra
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SCOTT McCULLOCH - William Shakespeare
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Scott is delighted to be back at the Fringe after a lengthy absence, the last show he worked on at the Fest being Piecing Together Pauline in 2012 (the same year he played Polonius to Kyle McDonald's Hamlet, in a production that was live streamed over the internet).
Scott's other Fringe credits are The Killing Game, LIVE! At the Apocalypse and Macbeth's Kitchen (a one hour version of the Scottish Play, the full length version of which he has done on two other occasions!).
He comes to this production fresh from Edward Albee's The Play About the Baby for Seven Siblings Theatre (with whom he also did Titus Andronicus last year), which itself followed hard on the heels of Three Sisters for Wolf Manor Theatre Collective (whose Artistic Director acted with Scott in Titus Andronicus!).
Scott's other recent stage appearances include Hogtown (the largest collective in Toronto theatre history) and The Trial of Judith K for Thought For Food , for which he received a Broadway World: Toronto nomination for best performance by a male in a featured role.
His most recent directing credit was the highly successful Den of Thieves for Triple Bypass Productions at Unit 102, while favourite experiences in front of the camera include the films "Blood Empires", "Phone Company Man", "The Lady of Names", and episodes of "My Babysitter’s a Vampire", "Mayday", "Aaron Stone", and "Relic Hunter."
Scott holds a BFA from the University of Windsor, an MFA from Northern Illinois University, and for the last eight years, has studied at Lonsdale Smith Studios.
SAMANTHA LEWIS - Lighting Designer, Stage Manager, Assistant Director
Samantha is thrilled to be a part of the Macbeth’s Head team as her fourth time participating in a production in the Toronto Fringe Festival.
She is a stage manager, multi-faceted arts worker and UTSC graduate of Theatre and Performing Arts.
Her most recent work includes dressing and stage hand for The Gut Girls at Alumnae Theatre, as well lighting and stage hand for Spoon vs. Hammer’s Behold, the Barfly!
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IAIN GARDNER - Composer
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Iain Gardner is an award-winning Canadian composer and musician with credits on numerous short films, web-series and advertisements. His musical career began at a very young age starting classical violin studies at the age of four. He has performed with numerous orchestras, musical theatre, ballet and opera ensembles, and also became very involved in the Celtic music scene, competing and performing across both Canada and the US.
He attended the University of Western Ontario's Don Wright Faculty of Music to continue his study of violin and to specialize in both traditional and electro-acoustic composition. After attaining a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree, he spent a year at Toronto's Harris Institute where he completed his Producing/Engineering Diploma with Honours.
Outside of his film work, Iain is also an in-house advertising composer with the team at Eggplant Music and Sound where his work has recently been featured in ads for brands such as Bell, Nissan, President’s Choice and TD Bank.
@IainGardner
MATT MELANSON - Illustrator
Matt Melanson is an illustrator and long time friend of Kyle McDonald whose humility has prompted him to keep aloof from this whole troublesome bio process, but, rest assured, he's a fellow of quality.
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