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: 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 Scenes Announced!

Fighting for women’s rights, worst way to get a date, unplanned pregnancies, underpants, and more! We bet we’ve got your attention now. Today, we are pleased to announce the scenes we will be featuring in this year’s So You Think You Can Act fundraising event. Each celebritiy will be paired with an actor to perform one of these contemporary plays. This year’s theme is The Revolution Starts Now and has resulted in a collection of scenes with something for everyone! The scenes feature an array of works by Canadian playwrights including a scene from local playwright Ginny Collins piece Good Intentions which premiered at the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre this fall, and  a piece by Christopher Durang who is known for his outrageous and absurd comedy. Keep reading to find out which scene your favourite celebritity will be featured in!

SYTYCA 2014 Featuring:

Alison Gillmor as DEB in The Girl Who Loved Castro by Colleen Curran
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?

Jim Ingebrigtsen as GALBRAITH in The Essay by 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.

Obby Khan as WENDLE in Riot by 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?

Eva Kovacs as FRANCIS in The Fighting Days by Wendy Lill
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!

Kris Laudien as PETER in Good Intentions by Ginny Collins
Peter just isn’t good at asking a beautiful women out on a date. Will he get the girl?

Big Daddy Tazz as SIMON in Kiss The Moon, Kiss The Sun by Norm Foster
You’re what??!! Simon swears this must mean only one thing. He does in fact have lasersperm.

Troy Westwood as LEONARD in Why Torture Is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them by Christopher Durang
Leonard is on a serious mission with his trusty side-kick Hildegarde. He only wishes her panties would stop falling down.

So You Think You Can Act: The Revolution Starts Now will be held on Feburary 19th, 2014 at 7:00pm at the Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Ave.). There will be thousands of dollars worth of raffle prizes donated by local businesses plus a wine reception afterwards! Tickets are $25 dollars and can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling our office at (204) 586-2236. We hope you will join us for a fantastic evening in support of the transformative theatre work of Sarasvàti Productions!

Local Celebrities Ham it Up!

Former Bombers, morning show hosts, radio personalities, and a comedian!? We’ve got it all at this year’s 3rd annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event! Join us on Wednesday, February 19th, 2014 as local celebrities are paired up with theatre actors to test our their acting chops in front of a panel of judges – much like your favourite reality television competition shows! The judges will provide insightful feedback, positive reinforcement, and side-splitting commentary. Then, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better then this, we let the audience take matters into their own hands and let YOU choose the winner! Today, we are pleased to announce our celebrities and judges. We would also like to welcome back the hilarious Ace Burpee to the stage! Ace was the inaugural event winner back in 2012 and will be hosting this year’s event. For a list of complete bios, please click here.

INTRODUCING…

THE EMCEE: Ace Burpee – Host of the Ace Burpee Show with Chrissy Troy on 103.1 Virgin Radio

THE JUDGES: Sharon Bajer (Actress, Playwright, and Director), Ardith Boxall (Artistic Director of Theatre Projects Manitoba) and Kevin Klassen (Artistic Co-Chair of Shakespeare in the Ruins)

 

THE CELEBRITIES:

• Alison Gillmor – Winnipeg Free Press and CBC radio
  
• Jim Ingebrigtsen – TV Producer/Host
• Obby Khan – Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber
• Eva Kovacs – Global Morning News
• Kris Laudien – CTV Morning Live anchor
• Big Daddy Tazz – Comedian
• Troy Westwood – Former Winnipeg Blue Bomber
  

Get your tickets now before it’s too late! Just $25 gets you into the show as well as the after-show wine reception. All proceeds go to Sarasvàti Productions. Tickets can be purchased online from our website or from our office by calling (204) 586-2236. Don’t forget, tickets to So You Think You Can Act make a fabulous holiday gift for that hard to buy for person on your list!

We hope you’ll help support Sarasvàti Productions and join us for a fun filled evening on Feburary 19th at the Gas Station Arts Centre. Who do you hope will take home the grand prize?