Cast, Creative, & Orchestra

Cast

AW_96Arthur Wright*
Arthur is a Toronto based singer and actor. Some recent theatre credits include: Mary Poppins (Drayton Entertainment), Annie (Drayton), Puss in Boots: The Panto (Stirling Festival Theatre), and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Silvermist). Fringe Festival shows include: Misprint, and Love is a Poverty you can Sell (Soup Can Theatre). He has also appeared in numerous commercials and an episode of Curious and Unusual Deaths (Discovery Channel). When not acting he can usually be found selling people trees.
 
101bChristian Jeffries
Christian Jeffries, born in Niagara Falls, studied music and drama throughout school graduating with honors from the Humber College Music Performance Program. Theatre credits include Anne Of Green Gables, Grease, Evita, Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians and he originated roles in the Toronto Fringe Festival productions of Deadly Dinners, It’s Just A Phase, Love Is A Poverty You Can Sell, Cellar Hotel and Princess Of Porn. Film and television credits include System Crash, Queer As Folk, The Lofters, So Gay TV, Outtv’s Pride 2011 Hostess and the HBO film A Soldier’s Girl. Christian also continues to write and record his original material and produce his one man cabaret shows for the Royal Ontario Museum and The Flying Beaver Pubaret.
 
CoryStrongHeadshot bCory Strong
Cory graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Music Theatre Performance from St. Lawrence College. He has played the roles of Gaston in Beauty & The Beast, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Munkustrap in CATS, Cliff Bradshaw in Cabaret and Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Other credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Hart House Theatre) and the Canadian premiere of Bare: A Rock Opera (WatersEdge Productions). This summer Cory will be working as part of the artistic team for a ‘Best of Broadway’ cabaret show in Lindsay, Ontario.
 

Dayna_20ChernoffDayna Chernoff
This will be Dayna’s 5th foray into Toronto Fringe Festival territory, having both performed in and directed shows dating back to 2007.  Dayna is elated to be a part of the current iteration of Love Is A Poverty You Can Sell after having performed in the 2010 TFF version, as well as the abridged 2012 Next Stage Festival show.
 
hayley3Hayley Preziosi
Hayley is a singer/songwriter/actress from Whitby Ontario. After winning first place in Durham Region’s “Dreams To Reality” vocal competition in 2004, Hayley completed a Vocal Music Degree at the University of Western Ontario and has been living in Toronto ever since. Currently Hayley works as the vocal teacher for the Oakville School of Music & Performing arts, and also as the Office Manager for the Ontario Philharmonic. Past credits include “Penny Pingleton” – Hairspray (City Youth Players, 2010), “Silly Girl” and “Mrs. Potts Understudy” in Beauty and the Beast (Cadenza Productions, 2009) and a role in the original Love is a Poverty You Can Sell (Soup Can Theatre, 2009, 2010 & 2012).  Hayley is currently working on developing herself as a singer/songwriter.
 
jenniferwallshsJeni Walls
Jennifer Walls is a Toronto based singer/actor/impersonator/host and producer and a graduate of Sheridan College’s Music Theatre Performance program.  Most recently she reprised her role as Goldilocks in the original Canadian musical Fairy Tale Ending (Best of Fringe 2010, Next Stage Festival 2011) at the Stratford Spring Works Festival.  She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Liza Minnelli in her self-produced one woman show Liza Live! at this year’s Next Stage Festival. Last year Jennifer was part of the team behind The Mission Business’ ZED.TO: ByoLogyc (2012 Fringe Tosho Innovation Award, Canadian Digi Award Best Cross Platform Fiction) She has also played leading roles in Toronto productions of RENT, Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz and the Canadian premieres of Reefer Madness and High Fidelity as well as the Dora Nominated original musical Off-Broadway, On Stage with Angelwalk Theatre, with whom she is on the Artist Advisory Board.  Jennifer is also the host and producer of SINGular Sensation, A Music Theatre Open Mic every Monday night at Statler’s. Over the past 5 years Jennifer has toured across North America as Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga. (who she also portrayed in John Grayson’s documentary Jericho). Up next Jennifer will be joining Angelwalk Theatre once again, to co-produce “Liza and Barbara, Together At Last” with Gabi Epstein.
 
MD048Michael-David Blostein
Michael-David is a Toronto based actor and vocalist, returning to Soup Can for a third go. Recent credits include I Am Very Far (Pressgang Theatre); Cabaret (Hart House Theatre); A Conversation (Pressgang Theatre); Marat/Sade (Soupcan Theatre); La Ronde (Red Light District) The Threepenny Opera (UC Follies).
 
Natalie Kulesza (2 of 4)Natalie Kulesza
Born and raised in Toronto, Natalie is a multi-disciplined creator with a focus on acting. Over the years she has also expanded herself as a writer, director and producer. Natalie has numerous stage and film credits, including The World’s Most Fabulous Object (TIFF 2009), the Toronto premiere of The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (which she also directed), “Lindsay” in Neil LaBute’s Some Girl(s) and “Lucy the Devil” in the hit web series The Gate. Natalie wrote and produced her 1st short film Lost Cause in 2011.
 
580591_435539289850576_347150333_nNatasha Negovanlis
Natasha is an emerging actress, best known for being a classically trained soprano with a dark sense of humour. After studying voice at McGill University, while performing comedy at the Montréal Improv theatre, she returned to her native Toronto to make her professional debut in Angelwalk Theatre’s, Dora-Nominated, revue Off Broadway, On Stage. She was also in the 2011 Fringe Festival and the 2012 Next Stage Festival as the opera singer in Uncalled For’s award-winning comedy Hypnogogic Logic, and her most recent on-stage roles include the princess in Risa Theatrical Production’s pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, and several performances as “Natalie Nightwood” – the resident sassy songstress for Vamps Like Us Burlesque. Natasha is also transitioning into the world of film and television and has appeared on-screen in a number of pilots, music videos, and commercials. www.natashanegovanlis.com 
 
Ryan AnningRyan Anning
Ryan – sometimes called “Mad King Ryan” – was born in Nymphenburg Palace, on the 25th of August, 1845, and ruled as King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death.  Besides wearing elf ears and faux fur in a recent Much Music Christmas promo, his most recent theatrics include 21 Days (Patron’s Pick, T.O. Fringe 2012), Love is a Poverty You Can Sell (Best of T.O. Fringe 2010), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), No Exit (Soup Can Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Fly By Night Theatre) and the construction of Schloβ Neuschwanstein (castle).
 
Scott Dermody (photo courtesy of Scarlet O'Neill)Scott Dermody
Born in Markham, Ontario, Scott is now a Toronto-based theatre artist. He is a founding member and the Artistic Producer of Soup Can Theatre.  He is also the Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, for which he runs the hipTIX and citySPECIAL programs. Scott’s career in theatre thus far encompasses on and off stage roles. He has been a Producer for most Soup Can Theatre shows, as well as having a crack at Directing (for Soup Can Theatre and VDAY Toronto) and Production Managing (Soup Can Theatre and Single Thread Theatre). As an actor, Scott has played in classics, avant-garde multidisciplinary work, clown turns, children’s theatre, murder mysteries and a few short films. He has taught introductory theatre courses in GTA-area schools, and ran a theatre camp in Vaughan for two years.  Scott holds a BA in theatre from Queen’s University.
 
CF001971webuseSeth Drabinsky
Seth Drabinsky is an actor, singer and a founding member of Breathe.Feel.Love Theatre Company. Seth is best known for his critically acclaimed performance as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Breathe.Feel.Love), most recently seen at the Drake Underground. His other Toronto theatre credits include And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens (Afterglow theatre), Loving The Stranger (Ecce Homo/Next Stage Festival ’12), Woody Allan’s play Death (art & lies productions), and Pretty Little Instincts (SNAFU Dance/SummerWorks’11). Other theatre credits out West include Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie (TUTS); Henry Spofford in Lorelie and Ozzie in Irene (Applause!); Guys and Dolls (Gateway); and Puck in A Midsummer Nights Dream (The Banff Centre).

 
*Arthur Wright appears courtesy of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association

 

Creative

Sarah looking all 20s 2 - for webSarah Thorpe – Director/Choreographer
Sarah holds a BA with honours in Theatre from York University, and received York’s Mira Friedlander Award for her achievements in theatre writing, criticism, world and Canadian theatre studies. Performance credits include The Loyalists, Much Ado About Nothing (Single Thread Theatre), You Should Have Stayed Home (Praxis Theatre/Summerworks), The Threepenny Opera (UC Follies), the Canadian premiere of BARE (WatersEdge Productions), The Nightwood (Luminato), and the world premiere of Thomson Highway’s Pimooteewin/The Journey (Soundstreams). She recently gave a talk at the Power Plant Gallery on Soup Can Theatre’s production of Marat/Sade and Althea Thauberger’s film installation/documentary Marat/Sade Bohnice. Sarah is the Artistic Director of Soup Can Theatre and has directed No Exit, Marat/Sade (Nominee – Best Direction of a Musical, 2011 Broadway World Toronto Awards), Love is a Poverty You Can Sell (2012 Next Stage Festival, 2010 Toronto Fringe & Best of Fringe), and co-produced Antigone (2012 Toronto Fringe). More info: www.sarahthorpe.net.
 
Pratik GandhiPratik Gandhi – Music Director
Pratik, an alumnus of Markham District H.S. and the University of Western Ontario, maintains a very busy schedule conducting, playing drums and percussion, and composing and arranging. In his young career he has conducted orchestras, wind bands, chamber works, musicals, operas, and choirs. He is currently the director of the UTSC Alumni & Community Band, a conductor of the Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, and assistant conductor of Symphony on the Bay. Pratik’s music director credits with Soup Can Theatre include Love is a Poverty You Can Sell, Marat/Sade, and A Hand of Bridge (which he also directed). www.pratikgandhi.ca
 
Justin Haigh (photo courtesy of Who Do You Love Photography)Justin Haigh – Emcee Segment Writer / Co-Director
Justin is a writer, theatre aficionado, and arts journalist – having been the primary Toronto contributor for Plank Magazine, and currently the editor and primary contributor of performing arts website/podcast ArtsVox.ca. Justin is proud to be one of the founding members of Soup Can Theatre; his credits include Soup Can Theatre’s previous four productions, Love is a Poverty You Can Sell (Writer/Emcee segment Co-Director/Co-Producer), Marat/Sade (Sound Designer/Set Co-Designer/Co-Producer), Antigone (Co-Producer), and A Hand of Bridge / No Exit (Co-Producer, No Exit Dramaturge, Sound Designer, Set Co-Designer). In addition to his creative sesponsibilities, Justin enjoys the challenges of handing Soup Can Theatre’s marketing, publicity, graphic design, web design, occasional copy editing, and other miscellaneous tasks.

 

SamSamantha Lewis – Stage Manager
Samantha is currently a student of the Arts, Culture and Media program at the University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus). Starting from secondary school in Simcoe County, she has consistently made herself involved in the local arts community. She is proudly now a passionate creative and technical contributor within the UTSC Drama Society, a not-for-profit student organization which mounts a number of shows directed, designed, managed and produced by students each year. Now in her third year of Theatre Studies, Samantha has coordinated, operated and stage managed a wide variety of professional, faculty and student stage productions. Some recent credits include exciting work stage managing such productions as Red One Theatre Collective’s The Bone House, UTSC’s faculty-developed production of a version of Euripides’ The Women of Troy, UTSC Drama Society’s One Act Showcase festival as well as working as an associate stage manager on UTSC’s faculty production of Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros.
 

Randy LeeRandy Lee – Lighting Designer: Randy Lee is a York University graduate, majoring in Theatre Production. Past credits include set designer and carpenter for Grease (Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts) and Marat/Sade (Soup Can Theatre), as well as lighting designer for Antigone and A Hand of Bridge / No Exit (Soup Can Theatre) and Matt and Ben (The Theatre Elusive). He has also been the set designer and carpenter on 7 Stories, The Long Weekend, Autobahn, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, The Selkie Wife, and Mr. Marmalade, all produced by Fly By Night Theatre, of which he is also a founding member. Randy is thrilled to be working with the always amazing Soup Can Theatre team again.
 
Leslie Thorpe-DermodyLeslie Thorpe-Dermody – Assistant Stage Manager: Stage credits include Mozart’s Requiem and Carmina Burana (Guelph Symphonic Choir), Cult Classics; The Nightmare Before Chrjstmas: In Concert; Bat Boy and The Outsiders (Markham Youth Theatre), three productions of The Vagina Monologues (VDAY Guelph), Everyman (Single Thread Theatre), and A Memory, a Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer (VDAY Toronto). Production credits include Manager of the Guelph Symphonic Choir, Fight Director for Cult Classics and Bat Boy (Markham Youth Theatre), Co-Director of The Vagina Monologues (VDAY Guelph), and Assistant Stage Manager for Soup Can’s Love is a Poverty You Can Sell (Fringe Festival and Best of Fringe 2010), Marat/Sade (2011), and Antigone (Fringe Festival 2012). As her day job and passion, Leslie teaches high school in York Region, doing her best to instill in her students a love of Shakespeare, an appreciation of history, and an understanding of the intricacies of working backstage (VERY proud of her running crews). Leslie is proud to be one of the founding members of Soup Can Theatre.

 

 

Bar Flies

DuncanDuncan Derry
Duncan Derry has appeared in No Exit, Dr. Faustus, 4.48 Psychosis, The Who’s Tommy, Leonce and Lena and King Lear, amongst others. His Scotch aunt once warned that his way of life would inevitably lead to him harassing bar patrons in an exaggerated German accent on a nightly basis. Thank you for helping to fulfill her prophecy!
 
Emilio Viera
Eric Miinch
 
Hilary's HeadshotHilary June Hart
Hilary is stoked to be a part of another Soup Can Theatre production. She was in the cast of Soup Can’s Marat/Sade in 2011.  Originally from Saskatchewan, Hilary moved to Toronto to attend Randolph Academy. Selected theatre credits include: Killing Game (Toronto Fringe 2010), Equus (HartHouse), Secret Societies (BackBurner). This fall, Hilary will be in the production of Far From the Tree with Glasswater Theatre Productions.
 

img_2348_edit copyNicole Byblow
Nicole Byblow is a graduate of the Berklee affiliate Selkirk College Contemporary Music and Technology program, in Nelson B.C. Career highlights for this singer, pianist, and actress include performing at the Juno Awards Industry Gala in front of Neil Young and Arcade Fire, and writing and recording with Juno award winner/CBC radio personality Buck 65/Rich Terfry. Nicole had been an active singer/songwriter in the Canadian independent music scene, and is now enjoying turning her focus back towards musical theatre and commercial singing. She is looking forward to more involvement in the Toronto theatre scene and is enjoying being a part of a Soup Can production for the first time.
 
Nikki Hogan
 

Polly Phokeev
Polly Phokeev is an actor, writer, clown, and co-producer of Peanut Butter People and Collective Curation. Training: UCDP at University of Toronto. RecenPP075-1tly: Much Ado About Nothing (Fly By Night), The Loyalists (Single Thread), and The Rules (UCDP; dir. Banuta Rubess). Also in Fringe: The Adventures of a Professional Corpse (Bent Spoon).

 

 

Orchestra

AdamHeadshot2Adam Scime
Adam Scime has been praised as “…a fantastic success…” (CBC) and “Astounding, the musical result was remarkable (icareifyoulisten.com). Awards received for his work include The Socan Young Composer’s Competition, The Karen Keiser Prizein Canadian Music, Esprit’s Young Composer Competition, and the Electro-Acoustic Composer’s Competition. Recent notable performances include New Music Concerts,The Esprit Orchestra, l’orchestre francophonie, The ContinuumEnsemble, a feature in the Emergents Series at the Music Gallery, the Hamilton Philharmonic New Music Festival, the UofT New Music Festival, and broadcasts on CBC Radio. Future projects include a new Opera for FAWN and the Thin Edge Collective, a new piece for NEM at Domaine Forget this August, and a new commission for the Array Ensemble for the 2013/14 season. Adam is currently studying as DMA student with Gary Kulesha at UofT.
 
Cory LatkovichCory Latkovich
Cory Latkovich is a cellist and composer. Cory graduated from York University with an Honors BFA in Music in 2011. Classically trained but not classically minded, Cory enjoys exploring the grey areas of music. His ensemble Clarinet Panic Deluxx bends easily between contemporary classical, free improv and punk rock music.
 
Emerald Sun
 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAKatherine Belyea
Katherine is delighted to re-join Soup Can Theatre, this time with the band, for her fourth Toronto Fringe. Check out her other Fringe gig, Charming Monsters! Non-Fringe credits include A Hand of Bridge/No Exit (Soup Can), Medieval and Renaissance plays (Poculi Ludique Societas), Into (Newface). Thanks, everyone!
 
Katie Arnup
 
kateKatie Saunoris
Katie is a Toronto-based theatre publicist who picks up the flute for special occasions. She played in Soup Can Theatre’s inaugural production of Love is a Poverty You Can Sell and is delighted to return for round two.
 
Kevin WongKevin Wong
Kevin Wong is a singer, songwriter, violinist, and barely competent keyboard player (the phrase “fists of ham” comes to mind). Until July 11, he worked a day job as a lawyer. He now will spend his days fearing poverty, rejection, ridicule, and vocal performance majors. He returns to Love is a Poverty You Can Sell 2 after nearly 4 years, having been in the orchestra for the original production of LiaPYCS at Bread & Circus in 2009. Upcoming: Kollaboration Toronto 2013, Busking @ Harbourfront Centre, writing a mini-musical to be workshopped in late 2013, generally begging for approval and money. Previously as performer: Flying Beaver Pubaret, Queerstock (Durham Pride), Halifax Pride, Canadian Music Week, Indie Week Canada. As artistic director/coordinator for TheatreWestern at University of Western Ontario: The Shape of Things, Sweeney Todd. Pop album “Songs for the Weekend” (2012) available on iTunes.
 
Marie-Eve headshot - CopyMarie-Eve Sarazin

Marie-Eve holds music degrees from the University of Ottawa and York University. She has been heard on CBC Radio Two as a founding member of the Ottawa-based Flute Rhapsody Quartet, and as part of various ensembles at the National Art Gallery, Massey Hall and the Ottawa International Jazz Festival. In 2004, she was one of 10 winners of the Thunder Bay Symphony’s National Emerging Composers’ Workshop. Marie-Eve has served as pit musician for various musicals, including Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, and Soup Can’s 2010 Best of Fringe installment of Love is a Poverty You Can Sell. More recently, Marie-Eve performed with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, Hart House Orchestra, the Heliconian Orchestra and the Scarborough Philharmonic. She continues to perform with her flute & guitar duo, Vivace.
 
11-01-25-7059_1000pMarla Kishimoto
Marla was in the 2010 Fringe version of LIAPYCS and is excited to be back for the sequel! She graduated with a B.Mus from UWO and quickly realized that being a musician was hard, so she got a non-music job and only performs in exciting things like LIAPYCS 2.
 
ruheeRuhee Dewji

Ruhee Dewji is a Toronto-based woodwind player who divides her time between sweaty rock shows and orchestras. She appeared in the 2010 Fringe, Best of Fringe, and NextStage versions of Love is a Poverty You Can Sell and is thrilled to be back for the sequel. When she’s not playing multiple instruments, Ruhee makes mobile apps and writes about sports.
 
Sam Dobbie
Suzan Kim