Young Acting & Musical Companies

Alex is elated to be returning for the Young Acting Company’s 2021/22 season. He plans on continuing into his second year of majoring in Drama at the University of Alberta while partaking in singing lessons. Alex’s most recent performances include Rochdale by David Yee (Citadel Young Co.) and Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey (St. Francis Xavier). He can not wait to grow with many like-minded and talented artists

Carys Jones is estatic to be apart of Citadel’s Youn g Acting Company. She is a recent graduate of Victoria School Of The Arts. During her time there she was lucky enough to participate in classes such as acting, dance, and theatre performance. Carys participated in many different theatre and dance productions. Such as Peter And The Starcatcher, Leaps And Bounds, and A Midsummer Nights Dream. She also participated in Victoria School’s one-act play festival, where she directed Paul’s Ghost and acted in Samuel Beckett’s Play. Carys is currently taking a gap year.

Victoria, who goes by Tori, is currently in 12th grade at Memorial Composite High School in Stony Plain. She has incredible passion for fine arts. Her favourite credits include Spamalot (Not Dead Fred) and Wake-Up Call (Rochelle). She also participates in theatre arts through Improv, being the captain of the Memorial Improv team which competes in the Northern Alberta Improv League. Tori also expresses her art through music, being a Royal Conservatory certified pianist, and through visual art (her favourite mediums being gouache and pencil crayon). She is thrilled to be apart of the Citadel community to help further her passion and career in theatre. You can find her @Torikwite on Instagram.

Abby is very excited to be a part of the Young Acting Company 2021/2022. Abby grew up in Kamloops, B.C. where her passion for acting began. She was a student of Western Canada Theatre’s Stage One Theatre School for many years and performed in multiple productions, most notably I Hate Shakespeare (Lady Macbeth) and Seussical Jr. (Horton the Elephant). In 2019, she performed in a one woman show The Shape of a Girl (Braidie) by Joan MacLeod, produced by Western Canada Theatre. Next year, she plans to start her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Alberta. Abby looks forward to joining fellow thespians to experience the rich theatre culture that Edmonton is known for.

Mara is enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Drama at the University of Alberta. Previously, she graduated from St. Joseph Catholic High School in Grande Prairie, where she was heavily involved in her school’s Drama program. She also acted at her local theatre, Grande Prairie Live Theatre. Her credits include The Taming of the Shrew (Bianca), Much Ado About Nothing (Ursula), High School Musical (Ms. Darbus), and Overtones (Maggie), which she also directed. Mara is excited to be surrounded by and learn from fellow artists, to improve her skills, and to have fun while doing it.

Stefan is a 4th year student at The Concordia University of Edmonton planning to graduate with a Marketing and Drama emphasis. He has written and acted in multiple sketches and scenes in junior high which also happens to be where he found his passion for acting. This is the first step he is taking towards a professional career in acting and is ecstatic to be working with talented professionals and artists for this year’s Young Acting Company.

Rhys is an actor with a long history at Foote Theatre School. He learned the foundations for acting and improvisation at Foote Theatre School and has been sharpening his skills among other places such as Victoria School of the Arts where he is in his 12th year. He had been in many Foote Theatre School productions and school plays. This summer he also acted in the Take 5 Theatre Festival, a festival completely run by students. He is now looking forward to learning as much as he can in the Young Company.

Jack Valentine is a first year Drama student at The University of Alberta. He has spent the last 3 years as a dedicated member of W.P. Wagner High’s theatre program. During his time at Wagner Jack performed in plays such as D.W. Gregory’s Radium Girls, Jack Heifner’s Boys’ Play, and recently directed a production of Sam Steiner’s Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons. He is also an experienced improviser, and was part of the team representing Wagner at the 2020 Canadian Improv Games. Jack has grown so much from his experience with theatre in high school and he’s very excited to continue that journey here at the Citadel.

Bethany first found a love for acting in her high school drama classes. She assisted in creating, directing, and starring in a play called Dreams Of Home (NextFest) which taught audiences about the residential school system. She then went on to background acting in films such as “#ROXY” and finally starring in short films around the Edmonton area.

Camryn is thrilled to be a part of this year’s Young Musical Company! They graduated from Beaumont Composite Highschool in 2020. There, they participated in numerous productions including Bring It On: The Musical; Girls Like That; and Mamma Mia!. Camryn is very passionate about classical singing and loves to perform. They have missed theatre throughout the pandemic and they are so excited to bring art into a post-quarantine world. They cannot wait to work and train with such an amazing team!

Mana Middleton is a 16 year-old musical theatre actress who currently attends Victoria School of the Arts. She has received her training through junior and senior high school classes and programs at the Foote Theatre School as well as through One Song Glory with The Musical Theatre Stage Company. She has also done Ukrainian dance for 11 years with Shumka and ESUD and has been awarded the Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble Becky Kassian Memorial Scholarship. Mana currently teaches Performing Arts classes with Northlands 4-H Club.

Jamie is currently in her grade 11 year at Ross Sheppard High School, where she is heavily involved in the Performing Arts program. Her goal is to pursue a professional career in Musical Theatre, and she feels beyond lucky to be a part of such a prestigious program! From a young age, she fell in love with being onstage and all aspects of performing. Jamie is looking forward to growing as a performer alongside such a talented group of people!

Fira Street is a grade 12 student at W.P. Wagner High School, she has been participating in youth theatre since grade 9 and is looking forward to learning more about theatre with the Citadel’s Young Acting Company. She has participated in various shows with Visionary Centre for the Performing Arts (Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, Footloose) as well as acted in her school’s Ghost Town One-Act Festival (Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons). She cannot wait for the many exciting experiences this program has to offer.

Megan Strong is absolutely ecstatic to be joining the Citadel’s Young Musical Company this year! She recently graduated from Victoria School of the Arts, having had many opportunities to work in many wonderful productions and classes, some being Mary Poppins (Mrs Corry), In The Heights (Ensemble), No Day But today: A Musical Theatre Revue (Eponine/Ensemble), as well as Advanced Acting, Concert Choir, and Directing, acting in the one-act play festival, as well as directing Spitting Daisies by Keri Kochanski. Through the years she’s had the privilege of working in the Edmonton arts community, some projects including Once Upon a Frost (Ensamble) at Festival Place, Cradle to Stage (Alexandria Rose) at the Walterdale Theatre, and performing in the Kiwanis Music Festival. Megan is currently taking a year off to work before going back to school to continue her studies in the performing arts.

Julie Sucie is honoured to be a part of the Young Companies program again. In 2019, she performed as Underling in The Drowsy Chaperone with the Young Musical Company. Past credits include ABBEDAM’s Welcome to Thebes (Talthybia), Scona Theatre Co.’s Footloose (Vi), Bring It On (Ensemble), and 13 the Musical (Kendra). She has also performed with the Cappies Chorus and the Citadel’s acting and musical theatre intensives. Currently, Julie is in her fourth year of her BEd at the UofA, studying to become a drama teacher

Emma Yee is a Grade 12 student and actor/singer/dancer hailing from Treaty 6 Territory. She is a proud Asian woman who believes strong communities are both inclusive and diverse, and she is honoured to be a part of the Citadel Young Companies. Emma participates in Concert Choir, Jazz Choir, and theatre productions at her high school, and has a love for dance (ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop). In her free time, Emma enjoys reading books written by authors of diverse backgrounds and is always willing to give a book recommendation.

Deviani Andrea is mestiza of Mexican-Lebanese heritage. First-generation immigrant sharing land and learning from Treaty 6 territory. She graduated from the University of Mexico with a bachelor’s in Literature and from the Ema Pulido’s Dance Studio. Since establishing in the parallel 50º, she has performed with Krista with Mile Zero Dance Company, Orchesis Dance Society, and Azimuth Theater. She is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, journal writer, and impetus biker.

Shannon has enjoyed working with the Young Companies and Adult Actors at the Citadel since 2009. She loves celebrating her inner child with like-minded artists. She has also taught at the University of Alberta, MacEwan, Lakeland College as well as her own studio; Edmonton Vocal Arts. She holds a Master’s in Theatre Voice Pedagogy, BFA in Acting and BMus. Other studies include Shenandoah Conservatory, Omega with Bobby McFerrin and Estill Voice. You can see her performing with All Points West.

Kimberley Denis is known for her energy and enthusiasm both on stage and off, and is sought after as a soloist, vocal coach, choral clinician, and adjudicator for voice and choir. Upon completion of both a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Music degree at Mount Allison University, she returned to Alberta to complete Masters degrees in both choral conducting and vocal performance. Vocal credits include starring in a year-long tour with Up With People, as well as productions of Jason Robert Brown’s song cycle Songs for a New World, as Cathy in The Last Five Years, and as Kate in Kiss Me, Kate! She is also a singer with Edmonton’s professional choir, Pro Coro Canada and has toured extensively as a singer with the world percussion duo, Jamani. In addition to her stage work, she has a flourishing voice studio at her own music school – the Purple Door Music Academy. She has conducted a wide variety of ensembles across the country and presently directs Shumayela (a choir for treble and changing voices for singers between the ages of 11 and 16) with the Kokopelli Choir Association and the Lynne Singers (a non-auditioned adult community ensemble). In addition to her work as a singer, teacher, conductor and adjudicator, she arranges pieces for choirs and is also the operations manager for the Alberta Band Association.

Ainsley Hillyard is an Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton)-based choreographer, performer and educator who works in contemporary dance and theatre. Her work is immersed in the curiosities and connections between these two forms. She has worked as a choreographer and performer for various theatre and dance companies in Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton) and received numerous Sterling nominations and awards for her performances and choreographies. One of her favorite ‘heart’ projects was creating Jezebel, at the Still Point, a performance starring her French bulldog, Jezebel, where they travel through space attempting to figure out time travel so that Jezebel never has to die. In her free time right she enjoys reading feminist sci fi and just completed building her first Kayak.

David Horak is a director, actor, and teacher who has worked throughout Canada and the United States for over 20 years and is Artistic Director of the award-winning Edmonton Actors Theatre and recently appointed Artistic Director of the Freewill Shakespeare Festival. He has won 4 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards for Direction and multiple nominations for Outstanding Theatre Productions. David has taught at MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts Program, The Citadel Foote Theatre School, The University of Alberta, Red Deer College and most recently at Concordia University of Edmonton. He holds BFA (Acting) and MFA (Directing) degrees from the University of Alberta and was a participant in the 2015-16 Citadel/ Banff Professional Theatre Program. www.davehorak.com

Binaifer is a Canadian musician, composer, performer, and music educator. She graduated from the University of Alberta Bachelor of Music program, majoring in piano performance. Over a career spanning 35 years, Binaifer has music directed, conducted, and been commissioned to write music for theatre, radio, and film. She is a nominee and recipient of several Sterling Awards. She has also worked extensively with younger folk as an educator, guest artist and music director in schools, and 25 years as an instructor at the Foote Theatre School. She is passionate about working with young people, nurturing and supporting a love of music and discovery of the voice. Binaifer is also passionate about collaborating and creating new works with other artists. Most recently, she composed music for Covid Collections, a film which appeared in the 2021 Skirts Afire Re-imagined Festival; and one which is particularly special to her.

Ian is an Edmonton based actor, director, independent producer, and instructor. He has directed The Other Side of the Pole for Prime Stock Theatre, The Tempest for the University of Alberta BFA Acting program, and Proud, The Fever, and his own play U: The Comedy of Global Warming for his independent company, theatre no. 6. He regularly teaches a Shakespeare acting course at the University of Alberta. Recent acting credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Freewill Players), The Blue Hour (SkirtsAfire), E Day (The Serial Collective), Slight of Mind (Theatre Yes), Exit the King (Studio Theatre), Pugwash (Ship’s Company), Stupid Fucking Bird (Edmonton Actors Theatre), The Fever (theatre no. 6) and Fatboy (Edmonton Actors Theatre).

Kim Mattice Wanat is a performer, teacher, director and author. She founded Opera NUOVA in 1998 and has acted as the Artistic and Managing Director since its inception. She has produced and directed several of Opera NUOVA’s productions and all of NUOVA’s school touring productions, most notably, a Canada Council commissioned opera written by NUOVA alumnus Isaiah Bell entitled The Lives of Lesser Things; and Dean Burry’s The Brothers Grimm and Joy Kogawa’s Naomi’s Road. She is presently an instructor at the University of Alberta in the drama department and regularly works as a clinician and adjudicator for voice and choral teachers throughout Canada. In 2006, she wrote and published a vocal pedagogy book entitled, Unleashing the Expressive Resonant Voice! She was honored to recently Assistant direct The Garneau Block at the Citadel and looks forward to directing Cosi Fan Tutte for Edmonton Opera.

Larissa Poho is an award-winning multidisciplinary performer, production designer, and visual artist currently residing in amiskwaciwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton. Having attended both the University of Alberta for Theatre Design (Production), and MacEwan University for Theatre Arts (Performance), she has accumulated a unique set of skills both onstage and off. She has collaborated on productions across Canada, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Poland and Ukraine, as an actor, vocalist, musician, playwright, lighting designer and dancer. Locally she has worked with companies such as The Citadel Theatre, Theatre Network, The Mayfield, L’UniTheatre, Pyretic Productions, Shumka, Viter Ukrainian Dancers and Folk Choir, Thou Art Here, Catch the Keys, Wildside Productions and Alberta Musical Theatre Company, and is a proud member of Canadian Actors Equity (CAEA). Under the guise of Mavka Theatre, her adhoc arts collective, she creates work that merges contemporary aesthetic with folkloric inspiration.

Larissa has been teaching dance for over a decade, in a variety of styles. She is passionate about arts education, creative collaboration, functional mobility and performer longevity, and the importance of mental health and positive self-image in the arts/entertainment industry.

www.larissapoho.com

Andrew (he/him) is a director, theatre maker, and teacher born and raised in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton). He has been a faculty member with the Citadel’s Foote Theatre School & Young Companies since 2011 and has taught at theatres, universities, and communities across Canada. He has an MFA in Directing & Creation from York University, a BA in Drama from the University of Alberta, and is a graduate from the Banff /Citadel Professional Theatre Program. He is a founding artistic director of Thou Art Here Theatre, an independent Edmonton theatre company and has performed improv across North America including being an ensemble member with Hitchhikers Improv and Rapid Fire Theatre. Previously he was a co-founder and festival director of Common Ground Arts Society’s Found Festival and the Sandbox Series Coordinator & Theatre School Director at Globe Theatre in Regina. Learn more about him and his upcoming projects at andrewritchie.net

Kate Ryan is honored to be working as a teaching artist, performer, and theatre maker here in amiskwacîwâskahikan. Her performing credits include Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol (13 years), True Love Lies and Measure for Measure (Citadel Theatre); The Light in the Piazza (Theatre Calgary), 9 to 5, Oklahoma!, and The Sound of Music (Mayfield Theatre) and most recently Fun Home (Plain Jane Theatre).
Kate is also an instructor at MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program and directed Into the Woods, The Drowsy Chaperone, Nice Work if You Can Get It and Sondheim on Sondheim.
Directing credits include Working!, A New Brain, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman and Bells Are Ringing (Plain Jane Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar, Canada 151, Forever Plaid, All Shook Up, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Mayfield Theatre); Assassins, The Drowsy Chaperone (Citadel Theatre’s Young Company). She has also staged for The Edmonton Opera and The Edmonton Sterling Awards.
Kate values family, community, nature and nothing brings her more joy than watching young artists find their voice and passion in the arts.
Oh, she also loves walking her dog, Charlie.