The graduating class of 2023 in Acting, Production Design and Technical Arts, and Set and Costume Design breathes new life into Ovid’s classic tales of transformation in this production of Metamorphoses.

Written by Mary Zimmerman
Co-directed by Eda Holmes (Directing, 1996) and Rebecca Harper
Presented at the Ludger-Duvernay Theatre at Monument-National
In English

A word from the directors

Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Ovid’s classic poem Metamorphoses is a celebration of theatre’s capacity to transform the world with our collective human imagination. The myths she has chosen from the original all share the idea that bad things happen when you ignore the warning signs that are offered. Yet in every case where true love is present, tragedy is transformed into beauty. These transformations are magical and challenge our rational minds, but they also remind us that there is more to the natural world than science alone can explain. These are stories that have been shared over and over from long before 8 A.D. when Ovid wrote them down, because they celebrate all aspects of our humanity from frailty to transcendence.

This production would not have been possible without the extraordinary collective imagination, talent and generosity of the students of the National Theatre School of Canada, who are at the heart of every aspect of the production on stage. They are the future, and we wish them a great flight into the world.

Eda Holmes and Rebecca Harper

Photos

Team

CAST

Calla Adubofour-Poku^A3
(Salt Spring Island, BC)
(unceded traditional territory of the Saanich, Cowichan, Coast Salish and Chemainus First Nations)
Chorus, Silenius, Narrator 1, Mother, Fates, Nursemaid, Q, Narrator 5

Jasmine Case^A3(Markham, ON)
(Treaty 13 Territory, Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples)Chorus, 1st Laundress, Sailor Lucina, (Tree Spirit) Buyer, Eurydice, Narrator, Baucis

Emma Hennig^A3(St. Albert, AB)
(Treaty 6 Territory)Scientist, 2nd Laundress, Sailor, Fates, Chorus, Therapist, Offstage Voice, Narrator 4, Chorus

Jeremy Lewis^A3(Île-Perrot, QC)
(Tiohtià:ke [unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Huron/Wendat, Abenaki, and Anishinaabeg first nations])Chorus, Bacchus, Poseidon, Hermes, Vertumnus, Eros, Hermes

Evan Mercer^A3(Shearstown, NL)
(Ktaqmkuk [the unceded, traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Mi’kmaq])Chorus, Midas, Sailor, Narrator, Sisyphus, Phoebus, Apollo

Eric Miracle^A3
(Edmonton, AB)
(Treaty 6 Territory)
Servant, Ceyx, Morpheus, Orpheus, Chorus, A, Philemon

Megan Murphy^A3(Fredericton, NB)
(unceded, traditional territory of the Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq and Peskotomuhkati peoples)Chorus, Child of Midas, Hades, Narcissus, Phaeton

Alia Omar^A3(Etobicoke, ON)
(Treaty 13 Territory)Woman, Alcyone, Ceres, Persephone, Pomona, Narrator 2, Woman at the Door

Madeleine Scovil^A3
(Kingston, ON)
(Treaty 57 Territory)
Chorus, Sailor, Iris, Hunger, Fates, 1^st Person, Myrrha, Psyche, Narrator 3, Chorus

Leanna Williams^A3(Regina, SK)
(Treaty 4 Territory)
3rd Laundress, Sailor, Aphrodite, Oread, Pandora, Narrator 2, Aphrodite

Mackenzie Wojick^A3
(Winnipeg, MB)
(Treaty 1 Territory)
Zeus, Henchman, Sleep, Erysichthon, Narrator 1, 3rd Person, Cinyras, Chorus

Legend: ^A Acting, ³ Third-year students

CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM

GRADUATING STUDENTS

Costume Designer Fernando Maya Meneses^SCD3(Mexico City, Mexico)

Lighting Designer Jordana Natale^PT3(Orangeville, ON)
(Treaty 18 Territory)

Video Designer Charlotte Baker^PT3(Waterloo, ON)
(traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples)

Sound Designer Anthony Allan^PT3(Burlington, ON)
(Brant Tract Treaty Territory)

Assistant Set Designer Maude Janvier^SCD3(Richelieu, QC)
(Traditional unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka people)

Production Manager Isabella Robert^PT3(Kitimat, BC)
(traditional unceded territory of the Haisla people)

Technical Director Tom Giroux^{Ind. Res}(Calgary, AB)
(Treaty 7 territory)

Assistant Technical Director Zach Weibel^PT3(Renton, WA, USA)
(Treaty of Point Elliot, territories of the Duwamish, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, and Muckleshoot)

Stage Manager Caroline Nowacki^PT3(Montreal, QC)
(Tio’tia:ke, Unceded Kanien’kehá:ka Land)

Costume Assistant Siloé Melançon^CP3(Montreal, QC)
(Tio’tia:ke, Unceded Kanien’kehá:ka Land)

STUDENTS

Assistant Stage Managers Eiden French^PT1 and Alex Joyce^PT1

Head Carpenter / Stage Carpenter Bea Crowther^PT2

Head Electrician Lia Wright^PT2

Head of Video Andie McMillan^PT2

Head of Sound Alex Sinclair^PT2

Assistant Technical Director and Production Assistant Matthew Lawler^PT2

Crew Nezren Pittoors-McMahon^PT1, Alex Sykes^PT1, Beatrice Freedman^PT1

Flyperson Zoe Daca^PT1

Paint, Props and Costume Crew Clémence Archambault^SC1, Lola Cordreaux^SC1, Émile Dumoulin^SC1, Hailee Jake Friesen^SC1, Jess Jandera^SC1, Augusta Lutynski^SC1, Nikki Mabias^SC1, Clara Pinto^SC1, Jade Valois^SC1

PROFESSIONALS

Set Designer Adriana Bogaard (Set and Costume Design 2016)

Legend: ^PT Production Design & Technical Arts, ^SCD Set & Costume Design, ^CP Création et production
¹ First-year students, ² Second-year students, ³ Third-year students

COACHES

General Management Kathryn Westoll

Head of Costumes Michael Slack (Set and Costume Design 2001), Julia Metzger

Cutter Mélanie Richard

Stitchers Ysaline Lannes and Maïa Ménard Bélanger

Dye and Patina Mélanie Turcotte

Millinery Julie Caron

Hair Rejean Forget

Makeup Florence Cornet

Head of Scenic Paint Véronique Pagnoux

Head of Props Angela Rassenti (Set and Costume Design 2008)

Head of Movement Rebecca Harper

Head of Music Jonathan Patterson

Fight Director Anita Nitoly

Costume Design James Lavoie

Lighting Design Michelle Ramsay

Video Design Amelia Scott

Sound Design Rob Denton

Production Management Andrea Lundy and Rick Banville

Stage Management Melanie St. Jacques

Technical Direction Daniel Bennett

Master Carpenter Guillaume Simard (Création et production 2010)

Head Carpenter Christian Larochelle

Technical Supervision Marjorie Lefebvre

Stage Carpenter Jérémie Berubé

Head of Lighting Francis Hamel

Head of Sound Bianca Bernier

Voice Coaches Lauren Maykut and Jonathan Monro

Poster

Acknowledgements

The land on which we are gathered has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. It is part of the traditional unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka, whose rich cultural heritage continues to teach us that respect, dialogue and peace are pillars of democratic governance.

The public performances of the National Theatre School’s graduating class represent the culmination of years of training for many of Canada’s future playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and production personnel. Everything seen on stage and all that goes on behind the scenes is created by the students under the guidance of professional guest artists. The National Theatre School of Canada is a school for the arts. It is the premier professional theatre training institution in the country. The School offers incomparable training in all theatre arts.

Alisa Palmer, Executive Artistic Director of the English Section
Frédéric Dubois, Executive Artistic Director of the French section
Fanny Pagé, CEO

Thank you Matthew Lalonde (PDTA 2) for creating the Kabuki. Thank you also to The Michigan Harpist and Yann Tiersen.