SYTYCA Presents: Big Daddy Tazz

Big Daddy Tazz is shaping up to be a fierce competitor! Having performed in front of thousands of live audiences throughout his career, there is no doubt Tazz is used to being in the spotlight. But will he get the audience’s vote? Join us at our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event on February 19th, 2014 and see for yourself! Tazz was the inaugural SYTYCA host back in 2012 and has been a fan of the event ever since. Get your tickets and catch this comedian take on the role of Simon in Kiss The Moon, Kiss The Sun by popular Canadian playwright, Norm Foster. This entertaining scene is sure to have you laughing in your seat!

You’re what??!! Simon swears this must mean only one thing. He does in fact have lasersperm.

Big Daddy Tazz – Comedian

Often described as “one of the most talented comics in the business,” Tazz has been delighting crowds at fundraisers, corporate events, festivals and on television for more than a twenty years. Known as the “Bi-Polar Buddha”, Tazz is equal parts comedian, and motivational speaker who likes to enlighten, educate and inspire. As a result, his one-man shows have drawn rave reviews and standing ovations from coast-to-coast. On April 1st 2008 Tazz set a record for the longest uninterrupted stand-up comedy show at 8 1/2 hrs. Of course none of this means anything unless he is funny at So You Think You Can Act!

This one-of-a-kind fundraising event is just under 3 weeks away! Tickets are $25 dollars and include a wine reception after the show. All money raised will support the ongoing transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions. Still not convinced? On top of the hilarious commentary by our panel of judges, fabulous local celebrity talent, and of course wine, there will also be thousands of dollars in raffle prizes donated by local businesses. It doesn’t get any better than this! Visit our website to purchase your tickets online or call (204) 586-2236 to get your tickets today!

Raffle Licence #MGCC#5542

SYTYCA Presents: Kris Laudien

Broadcasting live is certainly different then performing in front of an audience on stage. But will being the co-host of a live morning show give Kris Laudien an advantage? Find out at our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act on February 19th at the Gas Station Arts Centre. Keep reading to find out more about Kris, one of our seven local celebrity participants. Kris will take on the role of Peter in an excerpt from Good Intentions written by local playwright Ginny Collins! Ginny is a member of Winnipeg’s Group of 7 female playwrights. Sound familiar? Good Intentions premiered at the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre back in the fall. You won’t want to miss Kris Laudien in this hilarious scene!

Peter just isn’t good at asking a beautiful women out on a date. Will he get the girl?

Kris Laudien – CTV Morning Live Anchor

Kris Laudien joined CTV Winnipeg in the summer of 2011 as the station’s co-host of CTV Morning Live. He was born in Europe, but grew up in Vancouver, B.C. During his senior year, Kris was voted most likely to host a talk show by his high school peers. After spending a year at University, he followed that advice by jumping to the Broadcast Program at BCIT in Vancouver. Before joining CTV, Kris was a sports anchor in Edmonton and spent many years in radio including a memorable 4-year stint as the morning show co-host & producer of Mojo Radio in Vancouver. Kris says interviewing Prime Minister Paul Martin, covering the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs and 2010 Winter Olympics are the highlights of his career so far. Outside of work, Kris enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle when the weather permits. He also loves movies and travelling, especially in Central and South America.

Will the trophy go to the football player, comedien, journalist, or live news anchor? YOU get to decide only at So You Think You Can Act! Tickets to this entertaining evening are $25 and include a wine reception after the show. All funds raised will go towards supporting the transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions, including our spring production and Winnipeg premiere of Fefu and Her Friends by Maria Irene Fornes in May 2014. Help support local arts and purchase your tickets today.

SYTYCA Presents: Eva Kovacs

As a news anchor, Eva has no problem speaking in front of a camera. But what will happen on stage in front of a real live audience? Will she rise to the challenge when put outside her comfort zone? See for yourself on February 19th, 2014 at our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event! Eva will take on the role of Francis in a scene from Wendy Lill’s The Fighting Days. Keep reading to find out more about Eva, her last time on stage, and her father’s excellent advice!

Francis is loud, Francis is proud, and Francis will NOT make a spectacle of herself at the suffrage parade! She believes change is coming, great change, but we must keep fighting!

Eva Kovacs – Global Morning News

Eva Kovacs reflects on a childhood memory reciting Hungarian poetry at cultural events, her father coaching her to ‘project to the back of the room’. “On the Morning News,” Eva smiles “I only have to project to the microphone clipped to my blouse. Acting and large audiences still freak me out.” She sees her role as news anchor at Global Winnipeg as providing a grounding presence to the spontaneous fun that often erupts during the 3 hour morning cast: keeping it all under control. “I’m curious to see how I perform when I’m totally outside my comfort zone at So You Think You Can Act, and I hope I remember my father’s advice.”

So You Think You Can Act promises to be an entertaining evening filled with plenty of laughs! The event will also feature fantastic raffle prizes donated by local businesses such as the Winnipeg Folk Festival, FortWhyte Alive, Goodlife Fitness for Women, and  the Winnipeg Jets just to name a few (raffle licence # MGCC#5542). Don’t miss out! Help support the transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions and get your tickets today.

SYTYCA Presents: Obby Khan

As a former centre for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, there is no doubt Obby Khan has a competitive spirit! But will his athletic abilities translate on stage? Find out on February 19th at our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event! Obby will play the role of Wendle in Riot by Canadian playwright Andrew Moodie.

If you ask Wendle, the first thing he’ll say is “*$@# Quebec”! After all, English is the international language of business. Who needs French?

Obby Khan – Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber and Owner of Shawarma Khan

Obby Khan was centre for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2006-2011. Prior to that he won the J.P. Metras Trophy as the top lineman in Canadian university football in 2003 and played for the Ottawa Renegades in 2004/2005. He is now owner of Shawarma Khan and a concession stand at the Investors Group Field in Winnipeg under the name Shawarma Khan In A Snap.

So You Think You Can Act is a fantastic one-of-a-kind event happening right here in Winnipeg! All money raised will help support the transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions, including the Winnipeg premiere of Fefu and Her Friends by Maria Irene Fornes in May 2014. For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here or give us a shout at (204) 586-2236!

SYTYCA Presents: Jim Ingebrigtsen

Last year, radio host Kerri Salki of 102.3 Clear FM dominated the stage and took home the trophy prize! Will Jim Ingebrigtsen prove radio hosts have what it takes? Join us on February 19th, 2014 and see for yourself. Jim is a former radio and television producer/host and will try his hand at acting at the 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act. Catch him as Galbraith in a staged reading from The Essay by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch.

What is history? It’s up for debate as Galbraith and Jeffery, his teaching assistant, argue the merits of a female student’s paper.

Jim Ingebrigtsen – Radio and Television Producer/Host

Jim has written, produced and hosted radio and television programming for more than three decades. His career also includes writing, producing and/or voicing over 3000 commercials. Jim sits on many boards and committees including Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Special Olympics, Winnipeg Harvest and the Wells Foundation. He is a former president of the Advertising Association of Winnipeg. Jim is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for contribution to community and country.

Celebrities, raffle prizes, free wine and more! Don’t miss your chance to see some of Winnipeg’s top names get up and act out hilarious scenes on stage. Tickets to So You Think You Can Act are $25 and include a fabulous wine reception after the show! To purchase tickets, click here or call us at (204) 586-2236.

SYTYCA Presents: Alison Gillmor

Drum roll please! Today, we are pleased to present in full detail the first of our seven celebrity participants in our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event. This year’s theme is The Revolution Starts Now and will feature entertaining scenes by local, national, and international playwrights. Alison Gillmor of the Winnipeg Free Press and CBC Radio will star as Deb in The Girl Who Loved Castro by Montreal playwright, Colleen Curran. Sound familair? The Girl Who Loved Castro was featured as one of our shorts in FemFest 2013!

Deb is sipping a Mojito in a small cantina in Havana, Cuba boasting about her admiration for Fidel Castro. What will Maria, the fed-up cantina keeper, do when she’s finally had enough?

Alison Gillmor – Winnipeg Free Press and CBC Radio:

Winnipeg journalist Alison Gillmor writes on pop culture for the Winnipeg Free Press and covers the local art and film scene for CBC radio. A born-and-bred Winnipegger, Alison likes the theatre but hasn’t acted since Grade 11.

What will happen when Alison steps onto the stage for the first time since high school? Will she rise to the challenge and take home the grand prize? Join us on Feburary 19th, 2014 to find out! Tickets to So You Think You Can Act can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling our office at (204) 586-2236. Help support the transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions and get your tickets today!

SYTYCA: Meet the Judges and Emcee!

Who will be this year’s Simon Cowell? Will the emcee be able to keep the judges from taking over the show? Find out at our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event on February 19th, 2014! For those who are not familiar with the event, local non-actor celebrities are paired up with actors to perform scenes, our judges comment in a hilarious manner and then YOU get to vote for a winner! Last year Kerri Salki of 102.3 Clear FM took home the trophy prize and the audience was entertained by the carefully chosen scenes and from our celebrities,  the judges and host. Today we are pleased to feature this year’s judges and well known Winnipegger as our emcee! Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for our celebrity bios and to hear more about which scenes they’ll be working on!

ACE BURPEE – Emcee

We are pleased to welcome Ace back. He won the inaugural So You Think You Can Act trophy in 2012. Ace Burpee is from Cooks Creek, Manitoba. He currently works as the host of the Ace Burpee Show with Chrissy Troy on 103.1 Virgin Radio. Prior to that, he played in the NHL. This is not true. At all. Prior acting experience includes being on float with Beethoven the dog in Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure. Ace was cut from the scene prior to release.

SHARON BAJER – Judge

Sharon is an actress, playwright and director and currently the Directing Artist-in –Residence at Rainbow Stage. Recent credits include acting in The Seagull and A Christmas Story at RMTC, directing Portage and Munsch (PTE), Run for Your Wife (Festival Antigonish), Bloodless (White Rabbit Productions), Riddle Me Home (Tapestry New Opera), The Ends of the Earth (PTE@PTE) and Cry After Midnight and Eden for Sarasvati. Sharon was a participant in Stratford’s Michael Langham Workshop in Classical Direction for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Sharon is a member of the Playwrite’s Unit at PTE. She has written several plays including Hersteria, Burnin’ Love and Molly’s Veil. Sharon is a graduate of Studio 58.

ARDITH BOXALL – Judge

A graduate of the University of Winnipeg, Ardith has performed with many professional theatre companies and recently directed Our Country’s Good for the U of W Theatre Department. Selected acting credits include, Three Sisters (zone41/TPM), Shakespeare’s Dog at the Manitoba Theatre Centre/National Arts Centre, Zaidie’s Shoes and The Norbals at Prairie Theatre Exchange, Crave with English Suitcase and The Darling Family by Linda Griffiths. In 2005, Ardith took the reins as Artistic Director of Theatre Projects Manitoba where her directing credits include John and Beatrice, North Main Gothic, Age of Arousal, The Daffodil Man, God’s Country: Tales of Doom from the North End, The Monster Trilogy, Chekhov and Me, Area 51, Hi Diddle Dee Dee, Seeing Red, and Floodgates.

KEVIN KLASSEN – Judge

Kevin has been performing, producing, writing, and directing professional theatre in Winnipeg for 18 years now. He is currently working on “The Cherry Orchard” for Theatre By The River/Echo Theatre. He has been a member of Shakespeare in the Ruins for the past 10 years, and currently serves as Artistic Co-Chair. He thinks all competitive artistic events are terrible except this one.

So You Think You Can Act is just over one month away! Tickets are $25 dollars and include a wine reception. There will also be thousands of dollars in raffle prizes and a 50/50 draw! There is no better way to spend your evening on Feburary 19th. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here or from our office by calling (204) 586-2236!

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014!

Where did the time go?! It’s hard to believe 2013 has finally come to an end. One of the greatest parts about a New Year is the opportunity to reflect upon all that you accomplished in the last 365 days. What was your greatest artistic achievement in 2013? Share it with us on Facebook or Twitter. We would love to hear from you!

Our achievements include:

– The 2nd annual (and wildly entertaining) So You Think You Can Act fundraiser

– The successful sold out IWW Cabaret of Monologues: Wild Women performance

-The world premiere of the much awaited Jail Baby

–FemFest 2013: Revelation and Revolution which featured the world premiere of Harold and Vivian by Jessy Ardern who is one of Winnipeg’s Group of 7 Female Playwrights

-The creation and workshop presentation of Giving Voice, our latest youth based play created in partnership with VOICES: Manitoba Youth in Care Network. In November, Giving Voice did a test run in three Winnipeg High Schools for our upcoming fall tour and received an incredible amount of positive feedback and rave reviews!

It was truly a fantastic year but we are just as excited (if not more) for 2014! Be sure to check out our website for a list of upcoming events. First up is our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraiser which we promise will be just as fun, fabulous, and gut-wrenching as last year! With that, let’s take a look at our resolutions for 2014.

Andrea Geary (President, Board of Directors): The Board’s focus for 2014 is to keep growing our audience base, in other words – get more bums in the seats – and to keep our board structure strong. I resolve to keep spreading the word on behalf of Sarasvàti Productions in hopes of increasing our audience numbers and our committee and board membership. I suggest that all readers resolve to come out to see one of our performances this year, and also support us by attending our upcoming annual So You Think You Can Act fundraiser at the Gas Station Theatre on Feb. 19.

Hope McIntyre (Artistic Director): As I research the amazing Maria Irene Fornes in preparation for our May production of Fefu and Her Friends, I am resolving to turn off the producer brain when I enter the rehearsal room and find that deep place Fornes talks about in the gut that tells us what needs to be on stage.

Samantha Walters (Associate Producer): Coming on board with Sarasvàti Productions in September has been an incredible opportunity for me. It has given me so much insight into how much hardwork, time, and dedication it takes to do what we do! My resolution for 2014 is to help Sarasvàti grow by educating others on what we do and the importance of our work, particularly those who are not involved in the arts. I also hope to provide more opportunities for emerging artists to develop their skills and career. First up is our workshop with Stratford actor Bethany Jillard on How to Get from Here to There on January 31st, 2014!

On behalf of our team at Sarasvàti Productions, we wish you all the best in 2014! Also, thank you for continuing to support our blog! Take a look at our wonderful 2013 report below.

Report Excerpt – “A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,400 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.”Click here to see the complete report.