Samantha Machado and Arne MacPherson chat writing, directing, and what they love about theatre.

About the Artists:

Samantha Machado is an emerging writer and theatre creator. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she is a graduate of the University of King’s College. Since 2022, she has been a member of the PTE/MAP playwriting unit. Her writing has been published or is forthcoming in SNAPline, As Alive Journal, and Awfully Hilarious: Period Pieces and her short plays have been performed at the National New Market Ten Minute Play Festival.

Arne MacPherson is a Winnipeg-based theatre maker, theatre educator, on-camera performer, and film-maker. Some of the theatre productions Arne has directed are: How It Ends (Sick + Twisted), The Threepenny Opera (Sick + Twisted/AA Battery), Hamlet (The Bunchback’d Toads), Deserter (Moving Target), Sargent and Victor and Me, Stretching Hide (Theatre Projects Manitoba), Head, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest (Shakespeare In the Ruins), Harvest, Magical Mystery Munsch (Prairie Theatre Exchange), The Walworth Farce, Such Creatures (Incompletely Strangled). He directed five disability cabarets for Sick+Twisted.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Thomas Sill Foundation in making this podcast possible.

All the world’s a stage, and Tracey and Jen are amazing players.

About the Artists

Jen Gieg is a South African-Canadian actor from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Currently studying in the Honours Acting program at the University of Winnipeg, prior to they acted in many shows with the Black Hole Theatre Company at the University of Manitoba. Credits include Unity 1918, Arcadia, Scorched (BHTC); and A Work In Progress (Crosswalk Productions). Other than theatrical work, she has also had some small roles in films, and sings with the Winnipeg chamber choir Nuovoce. She is incredibly excited and deeply honoured to be mentored by one of her personal acting inspirations, Tracey Nepinak, as a part of It Takes Two at ViC. Her next upcoming production is The Drowning Girls at the University of Winnipeg from February 13-17, 2024, where she will be playing Bessie.

Tracey is a member of Peguis First Nation (Treaty One Territory) living in Winnipeg. She graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a B.A. Honours Theatre, and has worked professionally since 1993. Recent theatre and film credits include: Yaga (Belfry Theatre); The Secret to Good Tea (RMTC); Honour Beat, (world premiere, Theatre Calgary); A Short History of Crazy Bone (world premiere, TPM); The War Being Waged, (PTE); Acting Good (Kistigan Productions/Buffalo Gals.); Burden of Truth (Eagle Vision).

Life is a cabaret, old chums: come to Joyce and Rochelle’s cabaret!

About the Artists:

Joyce Jugo (she/her) is a theatre artist and emerging creative, based in Treaty 1 Territory. A proud Canadian-Filipina growing up on power ballads and belted musical theatre hits, Joyce lit her passion for performing in voice lessons at age 6. She later received additional training through the University of Winnipeg Theatre - Acting Stream and with Rise Musical Theatre Company. Currently, Joyce seeks to explore entrepreneurship, on-stage artistry and performance storytelling in the medium of cabaret. Joyce’s recent credits include: Fame (WST) and Rent (Rainbow Stage).

Rochelle Kives is a graduate of the Sheridan Musical Theatre Performance program. She has trained in many different vocal styles including classical, Broadway, and pop vocals since the age of 10 and was the vocal teacher at School of Rock Winnipeg. Select theatre credits include: Rent, Ma-Buhay (Workshop Presentation), The Hockey Sweater, Little Shop of Horrors, Miss Saigon, South Pacific (Rainbow Stage); Into the Woods, Calpurnia (NAC/RMTC); 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (WJT); where.are.you.from (RMTC); A Year with Frog and Toad (MTYP); South Pacific (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Regina Symphony Orchestra); Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Prom (Dry Cold Productions.) She is co-founder and producer of the world vocal group Unique3, who travel as featured guest artists on various cruise lines around the world.

Join Kyle Mroz and Katie German to talk about why “the kids are all right.”

About the Artists:

Kyle Mroz (he/him) is a Winnipeg-based emerging Director and Educator. He is currently in his final year of studies with the University of Winnipeg's Theatre program. Kyle has been involved in musical theatre since he was 8 years old and has found a passion for teaching more recently. He has taught at Camp Rainbow at Rainbow Stage and is currently an instructor with Meraki Theatre. He is also an Assistant Director at Springfield Theatre Company and enjoys sharing his love for theatre with the next generation of artists.

Katie German is a Métis director, performer, educator and mother. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Katie is currently the owner and director of Junior Musical Theatre Company (JMTC), the Assistant Program Director of Pimootayowin Creators Circle with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, and is a mother to a creative seven-year-old and a joy-filled two-year-old.

You can view Kyle and Katie’s guide to directing here.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Thomas Sill Foundation in making this podcast possible.

Julia Kroft and Sharon Bajer join us to talk about the nuts and bolts of creating a musical: starting with a “fish stew”!

About the Artists:

Julia Kroft is a proud Winnipegger and multidisciplinary artist. On the stage, you may have seen her in the Canadian National Premiere of The Prom (Dry Cold Productions), Inhibition Exhibition (The Village Conservatory), and Tarbut: A Festival of Jewish Culture. Off the stage, Julia made her directorial debut as Assistant Director on A Pickle (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre). With an academic background in Marketing, you can also find Julia working with brands from all industries in the creative strategy world. She’s so thankful to her friends and family for being her biggest cheerleaders, always!

Sharon Bajer is a multi-faceted theatre artist who has been a mentor to many amazing young artists over the years. Her past involvement with the ViC includes performing in Pippin and 12th Night: A Musical and teaching workshops in Intimacy for the Stage and Acting. As a performer she was last seen as Mrs. Peacock in Clue at RMTC and Wanda in Afterlight at Walk&Talk/Keep theatre. Sharon is an actor, director, playwright and Intimacy Director and Coordinator. She works in theatre, film and television and is the founder of The Keep Theatre located in the Crescent Arts Centre. www.sharonbajer.com

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Thomas Sill Foundation in making this podcast possible.

Welcome to It Takes Two! On this podcast, we pair five emerging artists with five professional mentors to work together on an informal mentorship process. Over four weeks, pairs will develop and create a performance piece as well as record an interview together to talk about their process.

In this episode, Noah Boonov and Ari Weinberg discuss the intersection of queer and Jewish identity in their artistic practice.

Noah Boonov (she/they) is a Winnipeg-born-Ottawa-raised, Queer, and Jewish multidisciplinary artist. Noah has completed theatre training at Canterbury High School’s Drama Program (2016), The Village Conservatory for Music Theatre (2021), and UWinnipeg’s Honours Devised Theatre (2022). Noah continues to examine her identities as a Feminist, Queer, Jewish and neuro-divergent person, as well as their passions for make-up, singing, and internet culture through devised creation, writing, and performance. 

Ari is currently the Associate Casting Director at the Stratford Festival. He served seven seasons as Artistic and Managing Director of Winnipeg Jewish Theatre. His directing credits include Narrow Bridge, After Jerusalem, Tribes, The Whipping Man, Another Way Home, Shiksa, Stars of David (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre); Frankenstein (University of Winnipeg); Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Knavish Hedgehogs at Winnipeg Fringe), and Godspell (Theatre Sheridan).

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Arts Council, as well as our producing partner the Crescent Arts Centre, in making this podcast possible.

Welcome to It Takes Two! On this podcast, we pair five emerging artists with five professional mentors to work together on an informal mentorship process. Over four weeks, pairs will develop and create a performance piece as well as record an interview together to talk about their process.

In this episode, Mady Richard and Yvette Nolan discuss the intersection of Indigenous identity with playwriting and theatre.

Richard (she/her) is a queer Indigenous performer and creator. She is currently training at the University of Manitoba and has trained with the Village Conservatory for Music Theatre and with Ken Peter’s Dance Express. Mady’s most recent projects include Grumplestock’s (Rose Coloured Apocalypse and Eleventh Hour Productions) and Antigone Now (University of Manitoba). She spent the summer with One Trunk Theatre as part of their Resident Artist program and is looking forward to continuing her artistic journey!

Yvette Nolan (Algonquin) is a playwright, director and dramaturg. Her works include the play The Unplugging, the dance-opera Bearing, the libretto Shawnadithit. She co-created, with Joel Bernbaum and Lancelot Knight, the verbatim play Reasonable Doubt, about relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan. From 2003-2011, she served as Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts. Born in Prince Albert, raised in Winnipeg, she currently lives in Saskatoon, where she is pursuing her Masters in Public Policy at Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Arts Council, as well as our producing partner the Crescent Arts Centre, in making this podcast possible.

Welcome to It Takes Two! On this podcast, we pair five emerging artists with five professional mentors to work together on an informal mentorship process. Over four weeks, pairs will develop and create a performance piece as well as record an interview together to talk about their process.

In this episode, Parker Koepnick and Chun Shing Au (Roland) & Carmen Lee of Theatre du Poulet talk all things puppetry!

Parker Koepnick (he/they/ils) is a movement based actor, playwright, and poet residing in win-nipi/ Winnipeg Treaty 1 Territory. Parker has his certificate in Theatre Foundations, and enjoys the continuous learning theatre brings. They are excited to be back in the wonderful wonderland of win-nipi/Winnipeg. Past projects include A Sliver of a Moment (One Trunk Theatre Artist Residency Program), Catching Foxes (RSA, dancer). Film credits include Cotard’s Delusion (Sound mixer/boom operator), and Dichrome (production assistant). Parker likes working on everything at once, and when they aren’t creating something theatre related, you can find them experimenting with photography, music, or exploring nature.

Before Theatre du Poulet was born in 2016, Roland and Carmen first met in The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts where Roland majored in Acting and Carmen majored in Stage, Events, and Arts Management. With a combined experience of nearly two decades, the couple has travelled and performed in Ireland, Hong Kong and Canada. The duo’s passion for theatre is led by fusing political, environmental, and social issues with art: it is their belief that using puppetry and physical theatre is a powerful and language-free tool that reaches the widest of crowds.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Arts Council, as well as our producing partner the Crescent Arts Centre, in making this podcast possible.

Welcome to It Takes Two! On this podcast, we pair five emerging artists with five professional mentors to work together on an informal mentorship process. Over four weeks, pairs will develop and create a performance piece as well as record an interview together to talk about their process.

In this episode, Sam Hutchings and Jillian Willems have teamed up to explore dance, choreography, and movement in performance.

Sam is a Winnipeg-based emerging choreographer and performer. She is a proud alumna of the ViC and a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Theatre program. A dancer since she could walk, Sam has always been drawn to physical storytelling, and her artistic interest also includes stunts and intimacy direction. Sam is driven to help her fellow artists tell stories safely and prioritize their mental and physical well-being while working in theatre and film.

Jillian Willems is a Winnipeg-based director, choreographer, and performer. Select performance credits include: South Pacific (Winnipeg Symphony); A Charlie Brown Double Bill (MTYP); South Pacific (Regina Symphony); Heathers (WST); Follies (Dry Cold); Annie (Rainbow Stage); . Select creative credits include: Guys & Dolls (Director, WSO/Rainbow); Pippin (Choreographer, WST/ViC); Chicago (Director/Choreographer, Pizza Party); Breaking Up is Hard to Do (Choreographer, Rainbow Stage); American Idiot (Choreographer, WST).

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Arts Council, as well as our producing partner the Crescent Arts Centre, in making this podcast possible.

Welcome to It Takes Two! On this podcast, we pair five emerging artists with five professional mentors to work together on an informal mentorship process. Over four weeks, pairs will develop and create a performance piece as well as record an interview together to talk about their process.

In this, our first ever episode, Jade Janzen and Kevin Jesuino have teamed up to explore queer identity, movement, and devised theatre.

Jade (@the_tallncurly) is a queer multidisciplinary devised theatre artist with roots in movement, dance, and playwriting. Currently Jade is exploring the intersection of visual art and performance. Her work primarily focuses on the stories from within our bodies, exploring everything people wish they could really say, and the joys of simply being alive.

Kevin (@kevinjesuino) is a Portuguese-Canadian queer multi-disciplinary performer, facilitator, activist, somatic practioner, movement arts coach and arts educator. His work is oftentimes collaborative, site-specific, participatory, and process-oriented. His practice explores relationality, the stories within our bodies and the magical-realism that manifests itself in LGBTQ+ communities and the natural world.