Category Archives: Spotlight on Alumni

Actor Jeff Giles (BFA Acting 2006) talks about his experience as a performer in musical theatre—having starred in 7 productions of Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story all over Canada—and shares some intimate details about his struggles during his time at York.

Natasha Ladouceur (BFA 2008 Acting) hasn’t been acting since she graduated—she works as a Criminal Court Registrar at the Superior Court of Justice in downtown Toronto. But she says that her acting training gave her confidence and an ability to self-evaluate that has taken her far since her days in the studios of the Centre for Film and Theatre.

Shaina Silver-Baird (BFA Acting 2011) has been busy in the past two years since graduating, performing in Festivals, for Shakespeare in Action, and in three bands, too! She shares with us her experiences so far, and what she most appreciates about the time she spent training at York.

A group of York Theatre alumni and students are taking KATA, the show they originally created for their third-year devised theatre class, to Wales for the World Stage Design Festival 2013. Elyssia Sasaki answers our questions about how they’re making this happen.

Playwrights from the 2011-2012 THEA 4290 Playwriting and Developmental Dramaturgy class have been having ongoing meetings to read their developing playwriting work. They continue to meet under the name “5290” on a regular basis.

Kristen Hager (BFA 2005), has been acting in Canada and the US for the past eight years working with such A listers as Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy in Wanted, or playing a werewolf on Being Human on SPACE. We catch up with her and get some advice for students about to graduate…

Stephanie Jung (BFA 2007) talks about her experience as an actor since graduating from the York program, with highlights such as Chi Chi the Panda in Teletoon’s Life’s a Zoo, to Necessary Angel/Luminato’s Tout Comme Elle.

Rong Fu (BFA 2012) has only been out in the “biz” for a year, but it’s been a busy year for her, with work at Soulpepper, in TV, and as a playwright-in-residence. Rong shares what she’s learned since graduating, and what she’s come to appreciate about the training she received at York.

Beryl Bain (BFA 2005) has worked in film and theatre as an actor, including 3 seasons at the Shaw Festival, prominent roles in the Canadian premiere of Mamet’s Race and in last year’s Awake. Beryl shares her take on life beyond York, including some fantastic advice for students just hitting the job market.

Designer Joanna Yu (BFA Design 2007) writes to share what she’s up these days, and to reminisce about her days at York.