Cabaret of Monologues: 10 Young Women Rise Up!

Teen truckers, therapy sessions, beauty pageants, and literary obsessions! Find out what 10 young women have to say about the state of the world. Next week, we will be producing and taking to the community our Cabaret of Monologues event in celebration of International Women’s Week. The evening will offer a diverse line-up of monologues by Canadian playwrights and will be performed by a talented local cast. We are pleased to have these 10 young, up-and-coming women on board! Keep reading to find out more about our cast and about how you can catch these hilarious and inspiring performances.

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Cast:

Kaeleigh Ayre is thrilled to be working for Sarasvàti and to be bringing Kendra Jones’ words to life again, after being a part of FemFest in the fall. After taking a much needed break following Lion in the Streets at the Black Hole Theatre, Kaeleigh is looking forward to what 2014 will bring.

Shae Burstow is an aspiring actor and theatre student at the University of Winnipeg. This is her first appearance with Sarasvàti Productions and she is thrilled to be a part of this year’s cabaret of monologues. She is set to appear as Isabella and Win in the U of W’s upcoming production of Top Girls.

Victoria Hill is 23 years old, and is currently pursuing a double major in Theatre and Politics at the University of Winnipeg. Victoria has not only managed to put herself through school, while working, and doing theatre and film projects but she also enjoys volunteering in her community, and feels that love and compassion are so valuable in this life.

Andrea Houssin is very excited to be joining Sarasvàti Productions in celebrating International Women’s Week. Recently returned from Vancouver, Andrea made her hometown debut in Ginny Collins’ play Good Intentions at Winnipeg Jewish Theatre this season. Coming up: Waiting for the Parade at Western Canada Theatre.

Ashley Kowalchuk is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Theatre and Film programme. Her latest feminist theatre foray was during ChurchillFest in 2010 with an appearance in Skyline Theatre’s Owners.

Hailley Rhoda is a recent graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Theatre and Film Department. She has worked with Sarasvàti Productions several times in the past, and is happy to be back on such a fun project.

Shanley Spence is a 21 year old Cree and Ojibwa woman who was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba originally from Mathias Colomb Cree Nation on her mother’s side and Lake St. Martin First Nation on her father’s. She is a student at the University of Winnipeg, working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and International Development.

Ali Tataryn is an Actor, Performance Artist, and a Founder of Frame Arts Warehouse. Ali works as an actor for film and television and has been included in such projects as CBC’s Mr. Hockey and Less Than Kind. Ali graduated from Red River College Applied Counseling Skills Program with Honours in 2006 and the Academy of Acting in 2007.

Brittany Thiessen is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Acting Honours Program. She was last seen in The Samovar at this year’s Master Playwright Festival. Acquetoré: Swan Doll and Harold and Vivian Entertain Guests mark her most recent credits with Sarasvàti.

Samantha Walters is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Acting Honours program and of Canada’s National Voice Intensive. She was last seen playing the role of Irina in Three Sisters (Chekhovfest 2014). Samantha is currently working as the Associate Producer for Sarasvàti Productions.

Don’t miss these 10 women rock the stage on March 7th and 8th at 8:00pm at the Colin Jackson Studio Theatre (at Prarie Theatre Exchange, 3rd Floor Portage Place)! This popular event has sold out in the past so we highly recommend you purchase and/or reserve your tickets NOW to avoid disappointment. Tickets are just $10 and can be purchased online by clicking here. To make a reservation or to purchase tickets from our office, please give us a call at 204-586-2236! Our typical office hours are Monday to Friday from 9am-3pm.

How will you be celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD)? Share your celebrations with us on Facebook and Twitter!

SYTYCA: And The Winner Is…

There was lots of laughter, tons of talent and a bit of insanity! Our celebrities rocked the stage at our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event. It was a major success and we couldn’t have done it without the help of all of our fabulous supporters. We hope you enjoyed the laughs, the prizes, and of course the wine! And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Keep reading to find out who won So You Think You Can Act!

Drum roll please.

And the winner is….

Troy Westwood AND Big Daddy Tazz!

For the first time ever, two celebrities tied the vote and took home the trophy prize! We’re not sure how they will share the trophy but joint custody seems in order. Stay tuned for offical event photos next week! In the meantime, check out these exclusive behind the scene shots from the event.

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A special thanks goes out to the celebrities who impressed us all with their acting abilities on stage and who helped make the evening a memorable one! We would also like to thank our hilarious emcee, Ace Burpee, for keeping the night right on track; our judges Sharon Bajer, Ardith Boxall, and Kevin Klassen for their great input and positive feedback; Cairn Moore for directing the scenes and helping bring them to life; the playwrights for allowing us to use their work; and of course all of the amazing actors who helped guide our celebrities along the way! We would also like to thank all of the local businesses and organizations who donated raffle prizes, our dedicated volunteers, our staff, board and committee members, and of course YOU, the audience for continuing to support the transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions through your ticket and raffle sale purchases.

We received plenty of positive feedback after last night’s performance! But now, we need your input. Which Winnipeg celebrities do you think should be involved in next year’s So You Think You Can Act? Any local celebrities you would like to see try their hand at acting? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook and/or Twitter. We can’t wait to start planning next year’s event and hope you’ll be there for the 4th annual So You Think You Can Act!

SYTYCA: Less Then One Week Away!

After months of planning, preparing, and patiently waiting, our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act is finally here! On February 19th, less than a week away, seven local celebrities will rock the stage at the Gas Station Arts Centre but only one will take home the trophy prize. Have you got your tickets yet? Don’t worry, there’s still time! Keep reading for more details on the event, how to purchase tickets, and for details on our amazing raffle prizes!

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For those of you who are not familiar with the event, So You Think You Can Act will feature seven local celebrities, famous for things other than theatre, testing out their acting chops on stage in front of a panel of judges and an audience. Each celebrity will be paired with a local actor to perform a scene and gets one rehearsal with our amazing director Cairn Moore. The night of the event our panel of judges will provide hilarious commentary in the style of many reality-television competition shows. The best part of it all? YOU get to vote for the winner of the trophy prize (and bragging rights of course)!

SYTYCA 2012 Winner Ace Burpee with Scene Partner Jane Burpee

We are thrilled to have some of Winnipeg’s biggest names in this year’s event. Our celebrities include: Alison Gillmor (Winnipeg Free Press and CBC Radio), Jim Ingebrigtsen (radio/tv producer and host), Obby Khan (former Winnipeg Blue Bomber), Eva Kovacs (Global), Kris Laudien (CTV), Big Daddy Tazz (comedian), and Troy Westwood (former Winnipeg Blue Bomber). We are also extremely pleased to have Ace Burpee of Virgin Radio 103.1 as our emcee for the evening. Ace was the inaugural event winner in 2012 and is excited to be back on the stage!

Not only will the evening feature hilarious entertainment but a fantastic line-up of raffle prizes as well! Thanks to the generosity of so many local businesses and organizations, we have collected thousands of dollars in incredible raffle prizes which could be yours. Prizes have been donated by places such as Assiniboine Park Zoo, Aura Hair Salon, Celebrations Dinner Theatre, Children’s Museum, Fort Whyte Alive, FUDE, Goodlife Fitness for Women, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg Folk Festival and the Winnipeg Jets just to name a few (licence MGCC#5542).

The evening will conclude with a complimentary wine reception in the lobby following the winner announcement and raffle prize draw!

SYTYCA 2013 Winner Kerri Salki with Scene Partner Cheryl Gensiorek

So You Think You Can Act is truly a fun fundraising event! All money raised will go directly back to Sarasvàti Productions and support our transformative theatre work. Tickets are $25 dollars and can be purchased online by clicking here. You can also give us a call at (204) 586-2236 and make arrangements to come down to our office and pay with either cash or cheque. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door but we strongly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance in order to avoid disappointment! Box office open at 6:00pm and the show will begin promptly at 7:00pm.

We hope you’ll join us for a fantastic evening filled with plenty of laughter, great prizes, and free food and drink! See you on February 19th at So You Think You  Can Act!

                                                

SYTYCA Presents: The Actors!

Wondering who will help our celebrities shine on stage? Today, we are pleased to bring you our fabulous line-up of talented local actors for our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event! In less than two weeks, seven local celebrity participants will test out their acting chops on stage in front of a panel of judges. Once all celebrities have performed, YOU will vote for the winner of the trophy (and bragging rights of course)! Keep reading to find out more about our actors.

Grant Burr – Look familiar? You may have caught Grant playing the role of Ray in Flood Control by Marilyn Anne Campbell as part of FemFest 2013. Grant is sure to show Eva Kovacs the ropes in a scene from The Fighting Days by Wendy Lill.

Justin Otto – As a recent graduate of the University of Winnipeg Acting Honours program, Justin is the perfect candidate to play Jim Ingebrigtsen’s teaching assistant in a scene from The Essay by Hannah Moscovitch. Will this duo win over the audience’s vote?

Andrea Houssin – We are pleased to have Andrea play the role of Hannah in a scene from Good Intentions by Ginny Collins. You may have seen Andrea in this very role earlier this season at the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre. Will Andrea’s experience give Kris Laudien a step-up above the rest?

Lorraine James – Lorraine is no stranger to Sarasvàti Productions! Last year she played the role of Kirsty in All My Day Jobs by Kirsten Van Ritzen as part of our IWW Cabaret of Monologues. Lorraine is sure to make former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Obby Khan work for the prize in a scene from Riot by Andrew Moodie.

Cheryl Gensiorek – At last year’s So You Think You Can Act, Cheryl helped Kerri Salki of Clear FM shine on stage and take home the grand prize! Surely her expertise will give Alison Gillmor the upper hand. Catch these two in a scene from The Girl Who Loved Castro by Colleen Curran.

Elizabeth Whitbread – Elizabeth has appeared in a number of independent productions throughout the years. She is currently in the 4th year Acting Honours program at The University of Winnipeg. Elizabeth will be performing alongside Big Daddy Tazz in a hilarious scene from Kiss The Moon, Kiss The Sun by Norm Foster.

Danielle Savage – In a recent article, Troy Westwood stated that he is excited to be working with a pro like Danielle Savage in this year’s So You Think You Can Act. Having many years of experience on the stage, Danielle is sure to help Troy prove he can act in a side splitting scene from Why Torture is Wrong, and The People Who Love Them by Chirstopher Durang.

There will also be a special voice over appearance by local actor Kevin Anderson!

So You Think You Can Act will take place on February 19th, 2014 at 7:00pm at The Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Ave). This unique fundraising event is sure to have your laughing in your seats! Tickets are $25 dollars and include a fabulous wine reception after the show. All money raised will go towards supporting the transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions. There will also be thousands of dollars in raffle prizes donated by local businesses and a 50/50 draw (raffle licence #MGCC#5542). Help support local arts and get your tickets before it’s too late! Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling our office at (204) 586-2236. We’ll see you on February 19th!

 Which pair do you think will steal the spotlight? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook and/or on Twitter using the #SYTYCA!

SYTYCA Presents: Troy Westwood

Is there anything Troy Westwood can’t do?!? With experience in boxing, singing, song writing, radio, and even tap dancing, this former Winnipeg Blue Bomber is sure to impress the audience at this year’s So You Think You Can Act! We are pleased to feature Troy today as our final celebrity participant. Troy will take on the role of Leonard in a hilarious scene from Christopher Durang’s Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them. Our 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event is just two weeks away. Have your purchased your tickets yet?

Leonard is on a serious mission with his trusty side-kick Hildegarde. He only wishes her panties would stop falling down.

Troy Westwood – Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber

Troy Westwood was an 18 year member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He is a multi-award winning Singer/Songwriter, including 2 time Juno nominee. He has been involved with numerous charities and non-for-profit organizations in MB and across Canada and is an outspoken advocate on the issue of ending violence against women. He is a father to two beautiful boys: Takeo 9 and Trey 5. He currently co-hosts “The Big Show” on TSN1290 weekday mornings from 6-10am.

This incredible fundraising event has received rave audience reviews since its start in 2012! Although we are known for tackling important theatrical works, this evening is really just about the fun. We invite you to come and laugh with us, enter to win fabulous raffle prizes, and stay for a drink or two after the show. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here or you can give us a shout at (204) 586-2236! We hope to see you on February 19th, 2014 at the Gas Station Arts Centre. (Raffle prize #MGCC#5542)

Now that you’ve met all seven celebrity participants, who do you think will win So You Think You Can Act? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook and/or Twitter (#SYTYCA).

Can’t get enough of Troy? Be sure to check out this recent article titled “Troy Westwood Thinks He Can Act”!