The Nisei & The Narnauks
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FEBRUARY 5-22
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CAST and CREW
PAUL VAN DYCK - Playwright and Director
Paul is a Montreal based playwright, director, and actor. He recently directed Social Studies at Centaur Theatre, Paradise Lost at the Edinburgh Festival, and Still Stands the House as part of the Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival. Other favourite directing/playwriting credits include Oroonoko (MAI/Persephone Productions) Haunted (Hudson Village Theatre), Miss Sugarpuss Must Die! (Segal Centre), Blood Wild and The Harvester (Rabbit in a Hat Productions). Paul is presently the Artistic Director of Rabbit in a Productions and the Quebec National Forum Representative of the Playwrights Guild of Canada.
STEFANIE NAKAMURA - Kimiko
Stefanie Nakamura is a Dawson College Professional Theatre graduate (DOME 2010). Some of her credits include Sun on the TV show “Sex & Ethnicity”, Bravo’s “19-2”, & ”A Violent State”. Raised in the Laurentians she moved to Montreal in 2007 to attend theatre school. Her father was born in Tokyo and her mother in Montreal. This production is close to her heart as it addresses Japanese-Canadian Culture.
MICHAEL BRIGANTI - Raven, Father, and Chick 3
Born in Toronto but a true Montrealer, Michael Briganti is a recent honours graduate from the John Abbott professional theatre program and received the academic acting award. He is exited to be working with Persephone productions for a second time. Recent works include Spring Awakening: The Musical and The American Clock as well as other theatre favorites including the roles of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and Patrick Flanagan in Jitters. Michael has also performed in Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood in the Edinburgh fringe festival.
BREFNY CARIBOU - Mountie 2, Wakinyan, Chick 2, Mouse Woman, Wolf 2, and Goose Servant.
Brefny was born in Toronto, Ontario and grew up wishing that she could be the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. This translated to a life-long passion for performance that would lead her to Montreal, at the age of 18, where she began her studies. In 2014 she graduated from Concordia University with a specialization in Theatre Performance and is now excited to immerse herself in the Montreal theatre scene. Working in both theatre and film she is grateful for the opportunity to share and tell stories in the way she grew up dreaming of.
JIMMY BLAIS - Mountie 1, Chick 1, Wolf 1, N'ha-a-itk, and Ska-ana.
Jimmy is a Montreal actor who works in film, television and theatre. He studied in Theatre Performance at Concordia University. He has worked with theatre companies such as Tableau D'Hote, Metachroma and Geordie Productions. His most recent theatre credits include Urban Tales at the Centaur Theatre and L'Homme Invisible/ The Invisible Man at La Licorne. You can see Jimmy as the recurring character Watio in the television series Mohawk Girls on APTN. He also co-wrote and directed the 2014 ACTRA short film festival winner Cafe de Paris.
SARA RODRIGUEZ - Assistant Director
Sara Rodriguez is a Concordia University graduate whose career highlights include teaching at Segal Centre Academy Productions since 2012, The Seagull (Segal Centre), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Segal Centre / Copa de Oro), Blood Wild (Rabbit in a Hat Productions) Les Vikings Symphoniques (Buzz Cuivres/Buzz Brass- Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra and Quebec Symphony Orchestra), The Medea Effect (Talisman Theatre-Montreal), Cornered (Infinitheatre- Montreal), Milford Haven, a video installation (Concordia University-Montreal), The Harvester (Rabbit in a Hat Productions-Montreal), Paradise Lost (New York City, Halifax, Edinburgh-BTM Productions) Witchcraft (Concordia University), Down from Heaven (Imago Theatre-Montreal), and Quixote (Canis Tempus-Montreal). Sara also works as a model and makeup artist in and around Montreal.
PETER VATSIS - Set and Lighting Designer
The Nisei and the Narnauks is Peter’s fifth time designing with Persephone, previously working on Henry V (lighting), Oroonoko (set and lighting), Lost: A Memoir (lighting and sound), and last season’s Strawberries in January (lighting). He is a graduate of National Theatre School of Canada (Technical Production: Lighting Specialization, 2004) and has been teaching in the Professional Theatre program at John Abbott College since 2005.
MELANIE MICHAUD - Costume Designer
Melanie Michaud is a graduate of John Abbott's Professional Theatre Program. She is very thankful to be working with the Persephone team once again. Recent credits include Costume/Set Dressing for "All My Sons" (MTL Theatre Ensemble), Costume for "Oroonoko" (Persephone Productions/MAI), Costumes for "The Harvester" and "Blood Wild" presented at the MTL Fringe and Set/Costume for "Avenue Q" and "GODSPELL" for St.Georges High School.
ZACH FRASER - Puppet/Mask Designer
Zach is a Montreal-based puppeteer, director, actor, and teacher. Puppet designs include The Aeneid (Talisman), The Heretics of Bohemia (Scapegoat/Segal), & La Fourmilite (Échantillon 23). Directing credits include The Aeneid and Coma Unplugged (Talisman), & …and stockings for the ladies (Rustwerk/HGJT). Recent performances include The Game of Love & Chance (Canadian Stage/Centaur), Trench Patterns (Infinitheatre) & l’hommencolère (Le Bureau). In development: An adaption of José Saramago’s Blindness for John Abbott College, puppet design for MacBeth (Shakespeare in the Ruff, Toronto), and with his company The Rustwerk Refinery, Zach is working toward the 2016 premiere of Louis Riel: a comic-strip stage play based on Chester Brown’s acclaimed graphic novel.
ISABEL QUINTERO FAIA - Stage Manager
Based in Montreal, Isabel works as a stage manager, lighting designer & theatre technician. A graduate of the Professional Theatre Production Program at John Abbott College, she has worked with Black Theatre Workshop & urban ink Productions (Sal Capone: The Lamentable Tragedy of), Nu Spyce Productions (Single Black Female), Kaleidoscope Theatre Montreal (To Be: In Concert), La Tigressa Productions (Je Rêve En Autisme), The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts (Glengarry Glen Ross, Top Girls, The Graduate & Belles Soeurs: The Musical), the Montreal Fringe Festival and the Just for Laughs Festival. Past Persephone credits include Hamlet, Oroonoko & The Walnut Tree.
PAMELA PERROTTI - Production Manager
Pamela Perrotti is a montreal based actor who is production managing for the first time ever. Pamela actually got her very first acting role with Persephone Productions upon granduation from the John Abbott College Professional Theatre program and is glad that Persephone is giving her the opportunity to try her hand at something new once again.