Spotlight on Alumni: Kelly Anderson

Kelly Anderson (BA Hons Theatre Studies) graduated from York in 2015 with a specialization in Set and Costume Design, Devised Theatre, and Playwriting. Since then she has worked on twenty productions as a set, costume, lighting, and/or sound designer, and playwright. Highlights include costume design for Theatre By The Bay (Faust); a mixture of set, costume and lighting design for Theatre By Committee (Lion in the Streets, The Winter Play Project, Faith); sound design for theatre company Pearle Harbour Presents (Rebel Without A Cause, Canadian Content-ed, Pearle Harbour’s Sunday School); costume design for webseries pilot Jib & Jab (Kurt Ogilvie); and sound design and composition for Little Black Afro (Carbon: A Workshop Performance). Kelly’s debut play Family Debts was produced as part of Theatre By Committee’s inaugural Winter Play Project.

What attracted you to York in the first place?

The variety of programs and specializations within theatre! A lot of early schooling instills the idea that students have to pick one job. Now graduated, I am thankful that I am not tied down to one discipline. In theatre design—and especially if you’re involved in the production end of seeing those designs to completion—you never know what you’re going to do (tinsmithing, sure! Leatherworking, painting, drafting, of course! Glue-gunning hundreds of tiny foam scales on a makeshift breastplate… maybe!)

I enjoy now that I can flip flop between different design specializations, as well as creating my own work through writing. Devised Theatre also opened up my ideas about movement in theatre and how to tell stories in untraditional, nonlinear ways.

What was the most valuable thing you learned while studying in Theatre at York?

The structure of the design process. I am thankful to my design courses under Shawn Kerwin and Phillip Silver for giving me a strong base for approaching design. Starting a new project can be daunting, but if I follow the pattern of scene breakdowns, research, through to prelims and finals the shows get done in a way that is organized and effective.

You never know what the processes of the people around you will be, but if you have a clear idea of your general process and the information you need then you can finish large projects. I’ve been fortunate enough to work on several large costume design projects since graduation, and when you have 30+ costumes to design, and sometimes build, knowing the stepping stones of your design process is key.

If you had the chance to go back and visit your younger self as you were beginning at York, what advice would you give yourself?

Get better at making phone calls. To be fair, I still can’t make a call without pacing figure eights into my carpet, but such a large part of our industry is communication. A single show means so many emails, definitely a few phone calls when the email chains get too long and twisted, and sometimes even newer forms of communications (Skype, or the superior Google Hangout). Probably the most useful program I’ve found is Google Drive for transferring large sound files.

Ultimately, if you can meet in person, do this. But there will still always be emails, always be phone calls. And imparting succinct information over any form of communication is a necessary skill.

Do you have any advice or tips for York students just about to graduate? about to join the job market?

It’s exciting to get job offers, but only accept as much that allows you to deliver your best. So much of getting future offers are through recommendations.

There will probably be a time where you reach the limit of what you can handle, be it a combination of theatre work, part-time work to make extra money, and “adulting.” That usually means it’s already too late–you’re no longer functioning at your best, and something will suffer (theatre work, work work, food, etc.)

The amount of gigs you pick up is not as important as the quality of work you deliver.

What did you learn in any of your Theatre courses that you’ve used in a non-theatre situation?

I currently work part time at Black Creek Pioneer Village, and my stay at York definitely gave me the confidence that I could pick up new information and skills quickly and effectively.

At Black Creek I work in about ten different historical buildings, learning really awesome skills such as baking in a traditional bake oven, tinsmithing, quilting, and making really big fires. The fires being the most important, of course. I also have to know the 1800s intimately and be able to communicate the social history.

My time in Devised Theatre—making a new theatre piece every few weeks—definitely gave me the experience and confidence to learn quickly.

Spotlight on Alumni: Rachel Kennedy

Rachel Kennedy  graduated from York University (BA Hons Devised theatre) in 2014. During her time at York, she also took 2-year courses in    both Directing and Playwriting. In the summer after graduation, Rachel began volunteering for Playwrights Guild of Canada, where she has since been hired as their permanent Outreach & Development Coordinator and is working to help create new opportunities for playwrights across the country. She also recently accepted the position of Professional Theatre & Education Manager at Theatre Ontario, where she oversees their Summer Intensive, Next Generation Showcase, Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) and Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP).

Outside of the office, Rachel has had the pleasure of working with many great local theatre companies including House of Rebels Theatre (producer/co-founder), Deadman’s Tale Productions (director), Little Black Afro (actor), Breakin’ Ground Productions (stage manager) and Theatre Direct (venue supervisor).

What attracted you to York in the first place ?

I was so jazzed when I first heard about York’s Devised theatre program, because of the wide range of skills that it offers training in. A degree that allows you to create, direct and perform new shows on a regular (sometimes weekly!) basis? It was a dream come true. An added bonus was the year of general studies that all students take in first year. I was very excited to try my hand at the production end of theatre, from stage carpentry and scenic painting to  wardrobe and costume creation. My high school drama teacher had mentioned the York Theatre Program to me and it immediately became my first choice of schools. Although I did quickly  realize how challenging collective creation/devised techniques can be, I can’t imagine a better fit for my skills and personality. Winters College and the York Theatre community became my home away from home, and I couldn’t have made a better decision.

What was the most valuable thing you learned while studying in Theatre at York?

I learned that every great show starts with 100 bad ideas. Sometimes 1000. But the more you create new theatre, the quicker you get at picking out the ideas that “work”. I think that the other most important skill that I picked up was how to make something out of nothing. In the Devised program we learned how to take an empty studio and fill it with our own design, text, movement and images to create unique, new performances and styles. We always started with 100 ideas and no budget, and slowly through the rehearsal process we would find ways to create our work and transform the studio into a gallery space, an ocean, a forest, a backstage dressing room—whatever we needed it to be! Lofty budgets are hard to come by in early-career theatre making, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to approach “Theatre of the Thrifty” in such a safe, supportive environment.

What is your fondest memory of studying Theatre at York?

The 3290 and 4290 Playwriting and New Dramaturgy classes with Judith Rudakoff were a real game-changer for me. Judith keeps the accepted number of students for these courses low, so that she can give full, hands-on instruction to each of her students and it was so incredible to watch that effort pay off. Over the 2 years of development we saw each playwright and dramaturg find their unique voice, style, and creative obsessions. One of my favourite events each year was a project where Judith had each of us pick a theatre professional who inspired us, interview them, and create a monologue inspired by their “essence”. We developed the works created each week in class and then held a public reading called “Telling Tales out of School” in the Joseph G. Green Studio Theatre. I don’t come from a family of arts workers, but my mum and sister always jumped at the opportunity to come and see this event, which they affectionately nicknamed “storytime”. It was always an afternoon of fantastic storytelling, imagination, and exciting new characters. I am so thankful to have been a part of it.

Do you have any advice or tips for York students just about to graduate? about to join the job market?

Take chances, but don’t forget to take care of yourself. I bartended throughout University and for a year afterward to make enough money to support myself while I did shows and volunteered with Playwrights Guild. After that time I decided to try to spend the next year working only in the arts… and it was really tough. I spent a few weeks living off of rice and canned soup, but having the time away from serving meant that I could do gig work with some great companies and stage manage a fabulous Next Stages Theatre Festival Show (Urban Myth, Breakin’ Ground Productions). I knew where my limit was but I also wanted to push myself to see what I could get done if I focused on theatre work.

There are so many people in the community that are willing to help you, it just takes a bit of reaching out. Start by getting a rough idea of not only what you want to do, but what you like to do and who you’d like to work with. Then go out and start contacting people! If you are pleasant and show passion for your work, chances are that your employers will either try to keep you around or refer you to other companies. I run an initiative called the Professional Theatre Training Program at Theatre Ontario which pays you to be mentored by an artist/professional of your choosing, but I had no idea about opportunities like this when I graduated. Look into grant programs offered by the OAC, Canada Council for the Arts, and other funding bodies. If you get the funding, that’s great! If you don’t, at least you have started honing one of the most valued skills out there for Canadian artists… grant writing!

Did connections, friendships, relationships you made at York help you afterward?

It is really incredible how often you run into fellow Yorkies in the Toronto arts community. I have had many times when I have gone out to a show expecting to see it alone, and wound up sitting with a group of York graduates. They are everywhere, and if you can’t find them in the audience it is likely because they (or their work) are on stage. The friends and relationships that I made at school have helped make the Toronto arts community feel like home for me. Whether it’s showing up at TIFF and seeing Shauna and Julia, catching Rochelle and Alyssa all over Makelab’s social media, hearing about Raeburn’s youth theatre work at the Harbourfront Centre, getting a tour of YPT’s wardrobe shop by Chloe, or watching Julia rock the burlesque scene, there is no shortage of York representation in this city. Every time that I go on social media I am bombarded by all the fantastic projects currently being put on by my peers. It is a great reminder that the theatre scene is a community, not a competition. I love it.

Spotlight on Alumni: Tamara Bernier Evans

Tamara Bernier Evans (BFA 1991) began her acting career at the Stratford Festival of Canada working in the young company before going on to perform lead roles in the main company. Since then, she has performed at Tarragon Theatre (Mimi), Necessary Angel (Seven Lears and It’s All True), Nightwood Theatre (Anything That Moves), Theatre Aquarius (The House of Blue Leaves and M. Butterfly), Canadian Stage (Proof and Outrageous), The National Arts Centre in Ottawa (The Wrong Son), and Theatre Calgary (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), as well as played a lead role in the hit musical Mamma Mia! in Toronto, Las Vegas and on Broadway.

After spending some time in Los Angeles, she returned to Toronto and became the Artistic Producer and a Founding Artist of Theatre 20, a position she held until July 2011 when she won a lead role in the Toronto production of War Horse. Her television acting credits include a recurring role on Murdoch Mysteries (Aunt Azalea), and roles on Flashpoint, Republic of Doyle and The Border.

As a voice artist, Tamara has recorded over 30 commercials and played recurring roles on the animated series Braceface (Mom), Ace Lightning (Lady Illusion), Timothy Goes to School (Mom), Maggie and the Ferocious Beast (Mavis the singing cow), Wolverine and the X-Men (Mystique) as well as roles on Cyberchase (Mermaid) and The Berenstain Bears (Coach). While in LA, she worked on the films The Breakup, Catch and Release, and The Invasion, among others.

In 2014/15, she served as a member of the Dora Mavor Moore Awards jury for the Touring, Musical Theatre and Opera division.

She has directed workshops at the Stratford Festival of Canada, for Theatre 20, and at George Brown College, among others. She will be directing a Mainspace production of Midsummer: A Play with Songs at Tarragon Theatre in April 2017 with Richard Rose. Tamara has written a musical play entitled Beholden which was workshopped for the FUSE new play series at Theatre Calgary. She also released a CD of original music entitled Brand New Remedy.

In 2015/16, Tamara was the Assistant Artistic Director at Tarragon Theatre before becoming Artistic Director at The Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts.

What attracted you to York in the first place?

I grew up in North Bay, Ontario and it was pretty important to me that I find post-secondary education that was close to the professional theatre scene in Toronto. I’d also heard from a colleague, who’d been accepted into the program, that the acting teachers were very good.

What was the most challenging aspect or experience of training/studying at York?

I remember doing Japanese theatre training with an amazing guest teacher—Tadashi Suzuki—who came over from Japan. Theatre students from all disciplines would gather and traipse in huge long lines across the studio floors for hours at a time to train in the art of Suzuki Theatre. The work was very physically demanding—as was the required focus. I’ll never forget it—nor will my knees!

What is your fondest memory of studying Theatre at York?

One of my favourite memories is doing a choreographed stage fight with my fellow acting student, Simon Fon, in the main mall at the time Central Square, in a little sunken corner area that has cushioned benches around it. Simon and I fought with rapiers and our Stage Combat teacher, Robert Seale, would evaluate the fights while huge crowds of students gathered around us at lunch time. It was both hilarious and exhilarating.

If you had the chance to go back and visit your younger self as you were beginning at York, what advice would you give yourself?

Trust that you’ve been accepted into this program because you have something to offer. Trust your professors because they have a vat of experience and will give you the skills you need to succeed. But also know that you must pick and choose the advice that works best for you and your personality. Not all classes will fit you perfectly. Incorporate the training that will serve you best when you get out into the real word and land that first job – which you will.

Did connections, friendships, relationships you made at York help you afterward?

Many of the students that were in my acting class remained friends for years after graduation. I just had two of them over for dinner last week! We have also been able to work together as professional colleagues. Shawn Doyle and I produced a play by Sam Shepard called Fool For Love right after we graduated with fellow Directing student Alex Ganatakos (who is now a TV Executive story editor). Shawn and I re-connected in Los Angeles—where his acting career blossomed—and we helped each other prepare for auditions. Just recently, I brought Simon Fon on board at Tarragon Theatre to do the fight choreography for a play I’ll be directing there in the spring with Richard Rose (also a York grad) called Midsummer: A play with songs. And Jennifer Lyon—who starred in Tommy here in Toronto and who continues to work in theatre in Winnipeg—and I shared a dressing room at The Stratford Festival in a production of Camelot.

What did you learn at York that has been of greatest value?

York always believed in the discipline of theatre. “Show up on time. Respect your colleagues and your advisors. Do the work that you’ve been trained to do and you will continue to get the work. Don’t be arrogant on your first job or you’ll never get another one!!!”

Spotlight on Alumni: Wesley McKenzie

Wesley McKenzie graduated from York University in 2014 with a BFA in Theatre Production. Since graduation, he has been designing light, sound and video for theatre and opera in Toronto.

Wesley works often with theatre companies such as the red light district (Lulu V2, the marquise of O—, Lulu V4) and Lester Trips (The Misunderstanding, Intangible Trappings). Wesley has also started working in Opera, having worked with the University of Toronto’s Opera Department (The Fatal Gaze) and Metro Youth Opera (The Rape of Lucretia). Wesley made his debut at Factory Theatre in March on their production of A Line in the Sand.

During the summer, Wesley works as the production manager and lighting designer in residence at the Classic Theatre Festival in Perth, Ontario.

Wesley’s work often explores the possibilities of technologies in theatrical situations. For Little Black Afro’s production of I was once on Fire, Wesley has made custom lighting fixtures. Wesley’s work has explored advanced video mapping, as in the red light district’s the marquise of O—, and multiple live video feeds, as in the Howland Company’s take rimbaud.

What was your favourite place at York, and why?

My favourite place at York was the Light Lab. At York, there is a room specifically for students to experiment with lighting equipment and ideas. As a lighting designer, I don’t often get the opportunity to play with lights, as there is often little time to get the lights ready in a theatre venue. This means I need to know exactly how the show will be lit before I can even turn any of the lights on. With the Light Lab, I was able to explore what the lights could do for me as a designer before I went out with them on stage.

I have many fond memories of projects with classmates, from 1st year stagecraft all the way to the 4th year lighting design class. We spent hours trying to perfect a six minute long sunset, or making a dagger appear out of thin air from the famous Macbeth scene, or simply turning a styrofoam ball from the moon, to a basketball, to a meatball, to the Death Star and back to a styrofoam ball. Playing with light like this taught me my craft more than any textbook could have.

Did connections, friendships, relationships you made at York help you afterwards?

Having moved to Toronto from a rural area near Ottawa, I came to York with no friends of my own. That quickly changed during my first week of classes. The York Theatre program feels more like a community than simply a group of students. Because theatre is a collaborative art, you quickly learn who you can trust on a project and what other people have as skill sets. Without a strong bond between us, theatre is impossible to collaborate on.

I sometimes get work by applying to design jobs through classified advertisements. However, it is mostly through my contacts from York that I get work.

My first big show coming out of York was Shakespeare in High Park in 2013. I was apart of a program that allowed York students to work along side Canadian Stage at the park. I was an assistant sound designer helping Lyon Smith build the sound content for the park’s first season in rep, with Macbeth and Taming of the Shrew. From the contacts that I made on these shows, I have worked on about 15 other productions.

If it hadn’t have been for the connections I made at York, I would have never found my way into the theatre industry in Toronto.

Do you have any advice or tips for York students just entering the department?

Four years is a huge commitment to education. But it also provides you with an opportunity to work over a long period of time. If I could give a student entering York any advice, it would be to make a push to improve your skill set.

Before I started at York, I was terrible at drawing. Since my path lead me towards the production side of theatre, I had to do a lot of drawing, both technical and artistic. As a result, I ended up taking classes in the Visual Art department, along side the Theatre courses that I needed to draw in. My drawing skills still have a quite a way to go, but they have significantly improved since I started University.

If you had a chance to go back and visit your younger self as you were beginning at York, what advice would you give yourself?

Do your own projects.

As a designer, I am often working on other people’s productions. I love the collaborative spirit that is involved in this industry, but I don’t often get the opportunity to be the leader on a show.

When I was in my last year at York, I worked with three other students to build what we called the Toy Box. Although it wasn’t quite a work of theatre, it was art installation that allowed us to use our skills as lighting, sound and video designers. As people entered the exhibit, they were given the choice of seven different experiences. Based on what they chose, the different design elements would change the environment around them. This was the first design project I had ever spearheaded.

If I could go back and visit my younger self at York, I would tell him to do more projects like this. York supplied me with all of the knowledge to be able to do these things, I just needed a little confidence in myself to start the process.

What was the most valuable thing that you learned while studying at YorkU?

The most valuable thing that I learned while I was at York was to trust in my skill set and knowledge. I have found myself in a number of situations where I knew exactly what to do, but didn’t think I did. Besides giving me a large production skill set, York has taught me that I can throw myself into projects and rise to whatever challenge the project provides.

Last summer, when I worked at the  Classic Theatre Festival in Perth, Ontario for the first time, I was asked to fill in for the Production Manager. I consider myself to have a designer’s skill set, but I stepped into the management role without worrying too much about the tasks ahead of me.