Kerri Salki Takes Home the Trophy!

What an amazing evening!

Our second annual So You Think You Can Act was a massive success! All of the celebrities blew the audience away and completed exceeded their expectations. In addition, Emcee Lee White provided the audience with hilarious commentary, as did our judges Mariam Bernstein, Ryan Miller and Robb Paterson. Other special thanks go out to our actors, who worked with their celebrity scene partners with lots of patience and encouragement!

For most of our celebrities, this was this first foray on stage, though they all took risks and really enjoyed themselves. Every celebrity participant displayed tremendous confidence in their new found acting abilities. However, the audience felt that one celebrity in particular displayed just enough brilliance to put them over the edge. Kerri Salki of 102.3 Clear FM was ultimately announced the winner and awarded the trophy! Kerri performed expertly with her scene partner as part of Daniel MacIvor’s classic piece Marion Bridge.

Every one of our celebrity participants was memorable in their own way! Our two finalists were world champion curler Jeff Stoughton and big band and jazz legend Ron Paley.

In addition to a stellar evening full of star-studded performances, the audience also partook in a raffle featuring amazing prizes and a wine and dessert post-show reception.

We want to thank all of our amazing raffle donors, volunteers, staff, playwrights who donated their work, actors and of course, the celebrities for making this evening just as memorable – if not more so – than last year’s inaugural event. We are also grateful to the audience who enjoyed the performances but also helped to make Sarasvàti Productions’ world premiere of Jail Baby a reality through their ticket and raffle purchase.

We are over the moon at how enthusiastic and excited our audience was last night! Now we need your input – who should be in the line-up for next year? What local celebrity would you most like to see try their hand at acting? We can’t wait to start working on another amazing event for 2014.

SYTYCA presents: Desiree Scott

With the even upon us it is time to give our final celebrity bio! Although the youngest of our celebrities, Desiree Scott is still a force to be wreckoned with! Having come home this summer an Olympic winner, we know that she is a fierce competitor and one that you certainly do not want to miss at So You Think You Can Act tomorrow!

Desiree Scott:

Desiree was just 8 years old when she started playing soccer for Maple Cougars, 15 when she made her debut in the Canadian youth program and 22 when she made her debut for Canada in 2010. She won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 CONCACAF championship, won a gold medal at the XVI Pan American Games Guadalajara 2011, won a silver medal at the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament in Vancouver, finished second at the 2012 Cyprus Women’s Cup and of course she won an Olympic bronze medal at the London 2012 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament. She is also currently acting as assistant coach for her old team, the Manitoba Bison.

Will Desiree finally take home the gold? You’ll be the judge of that since the audience votes the winner! Get your tickets to SYTYCA right now at www.sarasvati.ca! There will also be tickets available at the door for the 7pm performance tomorrow, February 20th at the Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Avenue). Tickets are $25 and include a great evening of entertainment and a wine reception. There is also a raffle with amazing prizes including tickets to RWB, PTE, WSO and Jets swag! (raffle license # MGCC 5542-RF)

SYTYCA 2013 – Scene Announcement!

An Elvis impersonator finding his long lost daughter, sibling rivalry, an absent father and a domineering mother; family conflict will be on display at the second annual So You Think You Can Act. With just over six weeks to go until our 2nd annual fundraising evening, we are pleased to announce the scenes to be featured with our stunning list of celebrities! For the uninitiated, So You Think You Can Act pairs local celebrities with theatre actors to perform short scenes, to be evaluated by a hilarious panel of judges! The winning pair will ultimately be decided by the audience – just like on the hit dancing competition show! This year’s theme is Family Ties and will feature some of the best and most prolific scenes in the Canadian canon.

• Winnipeg personality Jon Ljungberg will be donning some mutton chops as an Elvis Presley impersonator in Sharon Bajer’s Burnin’ Love.
• Olympic bronze medalist Desiree Scott will be playing out sibling rivalry in Norm Foster’s hilarious Maggie’s Getting Married. Foster is one of Canada’s most performed playwrights.
• CBC morning host Marcy Markusa will be tackling the dowdy daughter in Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County, which was a huge hit when it ran at RMTC Warehouse last season.
• For something a bit darker and edgier Jenna Khan of Breakfast Television fame will tackle George F. Walker’s Risk Everything.
• A scene from local playwright Rick Chafe’s hit play The Secret Mask will be performed by Ron Paley of Ron Paley’s Big Band. The play ran to raves at PTE last year and this season was picked up for productions in Ottawa and Vancouver.
• Another local playwright Brian Drader will have a scene from his piece The Norbals performed by World Champion curler Jeff Stoughton.
• Kerri Salki of Clear 102.3 will be performing a scene from Daniel MacIvor’s Marion Bridge, another Canadian favourite.

So You Think You Can Act: Family Ties takes place on February 20, 2013 at the Gas Station Arts Centre. Tickets are $25 and include a wine reception. Get them while they’re hot @ www.sarasvati.ca!

Sarasvàti Productions Challenges Local Celebrities!

We are so excited to be announcing the celebrity line-up for our 2^nd Annual So You Think You Can Act fundraising event, which is taking place on February 20, 2013! Last year the evening was a great success and we are confident that this year will be even bigger with more hilarity and hijinks!

For the uninitiated, So You Think You Can Act pairs local celebrities with local theatre actors to perform short scenes for a panel of judges, who will provide comical commentary on the performances. The event is done in the style of reality television competition shows, which means it is ultimately up to the audience to decide who their favorite pair will be! This year’s theme is Family Ties, definitely lots of potential conflict and humour in scenes about family relationships!

And now, onto the celebrities!

Hosted by Lee White (CRUMBS)

Judges:

– Mariam Bernstein (local actor and director)
– Ryan Miller (Hot Thespian Action)
– Robb Paterson (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Associate Director)

Celebrity participants:

–Jenna Khan (Breakfast Television)
– Jon Ljungberg (Comedian)
– Marcy Markusa (CBC Radio)
– Ron Paley (Ron Paley Big Band)
– Kerri Salki (102.3 Clear FM)
– Desiree Scott (Olympic bronze medalist)
– Jeff Stoughton (world champion curler)

 
Ron Paley, Jenna Kahn and Lee White

Tickets are only $25 (which includes a wine reception) and all proceeds go to Sarasvàti Productions and our world premiere of Jail Baby, taking place from May 16-26, 2013. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks to learn more about our celebrities, their acting partners and the scenes they will perform! After last year’s great success we are expecting a sell-out, so buy your tickets early!