Why So You Think You Can Act?

We’re so excited, So You Think You Can Act All-Star Edition is only 6 days away, but why should you come? In this blog, we’ve got the answer, or rather the answers, for those of you still on the fence!

 

1. It’s a fun fundraiser! What’s better than a fundraiser for a non-profit theatre company? A fun fundraiser! We are dedicated to creating transformative theatre, and our next production is a community-based project on mental health. After an interview for the project, one person battling mental illness said “thanks for letting us get our stories out.” Monies raised will support this important initiative! Plus you will have a fun time drinking wine, eating great food and watching your favourite local celebrities try their hand at acting.
2. 

   Big Daddy Tazz at his rehearsal with local actor Kevin Ramberran!

   Six All-Star Local Celebrities! To celebrate the fifth year of the fundraiser we’ve brought back past winners and favourite competitors to vie for the coveted trophy. We’ve got Big Daddy Tazz, Jenna Khan, Kerri Salki, Al Simmons, and Troy Westwood all coming back to reclaim their title, or redeem themselves by winning it this year. These celebrities are famous for things other than theatre, their only crack at acting was during their last SYTYCA competition, come see if they’ve been practicing!

3. Awesome Raffle Prizes! As is tradition we’ve collected a wide variety of amazing raffle prizes for you to try your luck with. We’ve got tickets to Rainbow Stage, Theatre Projects Manitoba, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Manitoba Opera, Winnipeg Folk Fest, and more. We’ve got gift certificates for acting classes, shopping, car washes, and more. We’ve got a signed Blue Bombers football, a framed, signed Winnipeg Jets photo, and we’ve got even more than that! Come see for yourself before the show and at intermission.
4. Critical Theatre Professional Judges! All three of our judges are theatre professionals who have vowed not to go easy on our celebrities. Ari Weinberg, Artistic Director of Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, and Andrea del Campo, improv and actor extraordinaire, have promised to be especially tough. Pablo Felices-Luna, Artistic Director of Manitoba Theatre for Young People, on the other hand is our wild card, will he turn out to be the nicest judge of the bunch or the harshest? Find out on February 17^th!
5. 

   Our emcee, Lara Rae!

   A Hilarious Emcee! Our emcee, aka our referee, will keep everything under control with her quick wit and comedy skills. Lara Rae is the Artistic Director of the Winnipeg Comedy Club after all, so she knows what she’s doing. She will be joined by six fellow local actors who will be acting with our celebrities, filling our stage with a lot of laughs and talent.

6. Great Wine Reception! After the winner has been crowned, it’s off to the lobby for great food and wine! Included with the ticket price is a glass of wine and food from Charisma of India, Jonnie’s Sticky Buns, and Grrrumpy’s Pizza & Café. Plus our celebrities will be out there too either celebrating their win or dealing with their loss – but with an evening this fun no one can really lose!

What better way is there to spend a night? Don’t miss out, and get your tickets now for So You Think You Can Act on Wednesday February 17^th at the Gas Station Theatre! Tickets for the fundraiser are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Phone 204-586-2236, or click here to get your tickets now!

 

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Raffle licence (#MGCC5542)

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: 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.