Cast and Crew

CAST

ryanRyan Abedi (Cuigy/Ensemble)
Ryan was born and raised in Toronto. He trained at Humber in the Theatre Performance program, where he also trained for his basic certification in Stage Combat with the help and guidance of Steve Wilsher. After spending a long time travelling across Europe to experience new life in a craft entirely dedicated to human endeavours and experience, he is excited to make his first debut outside of school in our production of Cyrano and looks forward to many more works in the wonderful theatre scene of Toronto.

jacksonJackson Abrams (Friar/Ensemble)

 

 

 

 

 

paisleyPaisley Aquarius (Girl)
Paisley’s is very excited to be in her first show with Amicus. Paisley loves music and is involved with choir, ukulele and orff ensemble. She is also a school ambassador and has just finished a season of slow pitch at school.

 

 

chrisChris Coculuzzi (Cyrano)
Chris has been performing, directing, writing, and producing for independent, community, professional and educational theatre for over twenty years. This is Chris’s fourth season with Amicus. He first performed as Chris Keller in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons (2011), then as Hyde 3 in Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde (2012) and director of Jeff Daniels’ Apartment 3A (2013), and finally as Rakitin in our spring production of Turgenev’s A Month in the Country (2014). In addition to his many theatrical contributions, Chris works as a high school teacher for the Toronto District School Board.

paulPaul Cotton (Christian)
Paul is delighted to be working with Amicus productions for the first time. Recent roles include Humphry in The Lady’s Not for Burning with Alumnae Theatre and Felix Unger in The Odd Couple with the Scarborough Players. Paul would like to thank Chris Coculuzzi for his continued camaraderie and Mary Dwyer for her vision.

 

stephenStephen Flett (Ragueneau)
Steve is an award-winning actor who has appeared in far too many plays spanning far too many years. Previously with Amicus: Dafydd in Chorus of Disapproval, Victor/Poche in Flea In Her Ear, Selznick in Moonlight and Magnolias, Affections of May, Is He Dead?, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Elsewhere: Byrne in Big Maggie, McKeever in Moonshine, Someone to Watch Over Me, Shining City (Toronto Irish); Parade, Cladwell in Urinetown, Narrator in Into the Woods (StageWorks); Timothy in There Goes the Bride (Scarborough Guild) and Hines in Pajama Game (Onstage). Upcoming: The Incredible Murder of Cardinal Tosca (Scarborough Players, January 9-24)

mikeMichael Hiller (Bellerose/Montfleury/Carbon)
This is Michael’s first appearance with Amicus since playing King Henry II in their production of The Lion in Winter. He is normally on the other side of the footlights, having directed such recent productions as Is He Dead? for Amicus, The Odd Couple for Scarborough Players, and Beyond Therapy and Nuts for the Bloor West Village Players. He apologizes in advance for his French.

jessicaJessica McQueen (Duenna/Sister Claire)
Since 2011 Jessica has helped Amicus as an ASM for All My Sons, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, and Apartment 3A. Jessica has worked as an actor, ASM, stage manger and co-producer with Mississauga Players, Stage Center Productions, Theatre Etobicoke, Village Playhouse, Scarborough Players and the Toronto Fringe. Thank you to Chris and Roxanne for putting pen to paper to adapt this wonderful tale of Cyrano. Thanks to Mary, our director for casting me, and thanks to my parents for all their support. And thanks to you, our audience, for coming out to support local theatre in your community.

kellenKellen McRae (Ligniere/Ensemble)
Kellen was born and raised in Saskatoon. He has been in competitive dance and acting since he was five. He moved to Toronto two and a half years ago to attend Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. He played as Jesus and Judas in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and performed in The Killing Game, which were both directed by Rosanna Saracino and performed at the Annex Theatre. Other credits include Kyle the UPS man in Legally Blonde, The Musical (Randolph Theatre) and Cinderella’s father in Into the Woods. Kellen would like to thank the cast and crew of Cyrano for giving him this fun opportunity, and for letting him fight with a sword!

rileyRiley Anne Nelson (Sister Martha/Ensemble)
Riley Anne Nelson is an East Coaster from Moncton. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Memorial University where some of her favourite roles included Maud in Cloud 9, Prisoner in Far Away, Jenny/Saleh/Lydia/Colonel Lyautey in New Anatomies, and Tabu in Hotel Paradiso. Since moving to the big city, she has had the opportunity to portray one of her favourite Shakespearean women: Emilia in Othello (Bard in the Park). Riley is thrilled to be a part of our first production of the season.

derekDerek Perks (De Guiche)
Derek Perks has been acting for over 25 years and the last seven have been on various Toronto stages. This is Derek’s fifth return to the Amicus stage. Some of Derek’s credits include: Private Lives, The Real Inspector Hound, A Flea In Her Ear, Lost in Yonkers, A Chorus Of Disapproval, My Darling Judith, Beyond Therapy, Doubt, A Parable, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Derek was last seen in drag in the Amicus production of Is He Dead? and can next be seen in the upcoming Three Queens Episode 6 of the television series Reign.

janiceJanice Peters (Lise/Mother Marguerite)
Originally from P.E.I., Janice holds a B.A. in Theatre Studies from Acadia University and has performed throughout Toronto and the Maritimes. You may have seen her as Diana in our production of Anne or as Annie in All My Sons. She has also stage-managed for us in The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife and Apartment 3A—for which she won a Thea Award for Best Stage Management. Other selected theatre credits include: Dying City, Guys & Dolls, Ruthless The Musical, Sit On It, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, The Vic, The Heidi Chronicles, and seven tours with Kid-Safe Productions. For A & Miss C.

kathyKathy Plamondon (Pickpocket/Ensemble)
Kathy is back on the stage after a very long break to raise three amazing kids. This is her first time performing with Amicus Productions. She used to play with the Alexander Singers where she was once a little maid in The Mikado. She also played with Upstart Crow Theatre Group where she was once the evil Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities. Kathy always remained active behind the scenes helping mostly with Fringe Festival productions for Upstart Crow, Red Letter Theatre, and Fire and Air Productions. In addition to theatre, Kathy enjoys photography and singing (mostly in the shower).

scottScott Simpson (Valvert/Ensemble)
Scott’s first experience on the stage was with Scarborough Music Theatre in Tommy and since then has performed in Of Mice and Men, The Rainmaker, and several other community theatre productions. After performing in Apartment 3A, Scott is happy to be working with Amicus once again in this funny adaption of Cyrano. He studied at George Brown College with actor/director Alan Lea and follows the philosophy that “the best actors play themselves”. Scott would like to thank the cast and crew of Cyrano and is thrilled to be playing Valvert and performing his first sword duel with Cyrano mano e mano! Special shout out to Jamie on this one—sleep well, brother.

henrikHenrik Thessen (Le Bret)
Henrik was born and bred in Copenhagen, Denmark and is a qualified journeyman carpenter. He moved to London in 1993 and studied acting at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. He auditioned for the feature film Speed Two and the TV series Highlander. He managed to land a walk-on part in the British film comedy Still Crazy. Henrik has acted with several fringe theatre groups. In 2005 he played Hans Christian Andersen in a production of the same name in home town. When he came to Canada he first moved to Vancouver and has now lived in Toronto since 2010.

kurtKurt Thomsen (The Bore/Ensemble)
This is Kurt’s fourth role in an Amicus production. Most recent credits include Rugby in A Flea in Her Ear. He is also a writer and a director who has had a play produced for the London Fringe in 2006. Kurt is presently adapting the recently unearthed Gospel of Judas.

 

 

celesteCeleste Van Vroenhoven (Roxane)
Celeste is delighted to be a part of Cyrano. Classically trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Celeste has played roles from Shakespeare to Shepard. Favourite roles include Jan in I’ll be Back Before Midnight (NAGS Theatre Company), Helena in A Midsummer Nights Dream (Spur of the Moment Shakespeare), and the title role in Chicken Little (Solar Stage). When not playing a 16th century precieuse, she can be found hamming it up with Dufflebag Theatre, canoeing, and petting puppies across Toronto and the GTA. She’d like to thank the cast, crew, and her family and friends for their unrelenting support of her tireless shenanigans.

Sandra Yeomans (Orange Girl/Ensemble)

CREW

alexAlex Karolyi (Producer)
Alex is the founding Artistic Producer of Shadowpath. She has written and produced Zigga (2003) and Broken Record (2006), for the Toronto Fringe Festival. Alex received municipal, provincial, and federal grants that allowed her to produce full-scale Canadian/Ontario premiere productions such as: Look Back In Anger (2005), The Good German (2009), Paradise By The River (2008/2010), and The White Rose (2013). She has also specialized in turning everyday places into creative spaces, such as Plays In Cafés, Readings In Wineries, Hotel Solstice, and Cuisine Scenes. Alex has had her award winning plays produced in Toronto, the GTA, and Vancouver.

maryMary Dwyer (Director)
After a long hiatus, Mary is thrilled to be back directing, especially this production of Cyrano. Mary directed her first play, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, while a student at the University of Toronto Drama Centre. After an apprenticeship in Germany, she founded Gabriel’s Theatre Company and produced and directed its debut production The Marriage, as well as productions at SummerWorks of The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs and Greenland. Mary has directed several Fringe shows, including Lear’s Daughters and an abridged, outdoor version of Cyrano. She has also directed for the Alumnae Theatre and the Irish Players.

roxanneRoxanne Deans (Adaptor)
Roxanne spent 15 years treading the boards as an actor and theatre producer before switching gears to hide amongst the stacks of her bookshop Roxanne Reads New and Used Books. After closing her shop in 2010, she began focusing on her literacy advocacy, re-launching Roxanne Reads as a unique and interactive online community of readers and booklovers, as well as co-creating the literary phenomenon StoryMobs. In addition to her collaboration on this adaptation of Cyrano, Roxanne is the playwright of four other plays: Wally, White Sheets, Miller’s Court and Piecing Together Pauline, which she also co-wrote with Chris Coculuzzi.


davidlDavid Liotta (Stage Manager)
David is a freelance stage manager and technician, and has been working in the independent theatre scene for a number of years. He has previously worked with Alex and Chris in Shadowpath Productions of Paradise By The River and The Good German. Recent stage management credits include Tarrare: A Story of Hunger (Suspicious Moustache), The Killing Game (Art & Lies Productions), The Mousetrap (Lower Ossington Theatre), and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Randolph Academy). David would like to thank the cast and crew of Cyrano for a fantastic time, as well as his friends, family, and other employers for their continued support.

murphyMurphy Diggon (Assistant Stage Manager)
Murphy Diggon is thrilled to work with this amazing team of artists. She is currently studying theatre production and specializes in stage-managing and lighting tech. Murphy is the Stage Manager of The Silent Protagonist in Toronto and a Technical Director at The Box Toronto: Studio & Theatre. She would like to thank everyone who has supported this production!

arashArash Eshghpour (Set Designer)
Arash is happy to work again with Amicus on Cyrano. Arash was also the set designer for our productions of Fallen Angels, Having Hope at Home, The Voysey Inheritance, and A Month in the Country. Arash is an architect and he completed his degree at the USTI, School of Architecture in Tehran, Iran in 1996.

 

davidbDavid Buffham (Lighting Designer)
David has been involved with theatre lighting since elementary school and worked on many theatre productions in the United Kingdom over a 25 year period. After moving to Canada three years ago, David has become increasingly involved with lighting design for community theatre shows in the GTA. Cyrano is David’s second production for Amicus, having previously designed lighting for Apartment 3A. He also regularly designs lighting for the Scarborough Players. He would like to thank Chris for the opportunity to work on this production, and Ralph for his excellent technical assistance.

davidfDavid A. Fitzpatrick (Sound Designer)
David has worked in community theatre for the past five years. His principal roles in the theatre are Sound Design and Photography.  David’s photography started at the age of 12 when he was introduced to darkroom techniques. David’s passion for photography and theatre have allowed the two to merge, providing memories and keepsakes of the contributions everyone works so hard at. David’s understanding of computers has also allowed the creativity of melding sounds into performances to enhance the play’s experience for all to enjoy.

naomiNaomi Priddle Hunter (Fight Director)
Naomi has staged duels, brawls, murder and mayhem in over 50 productions, including last season’s Dangerous Liaisons (Village Playhouse) and Big Maggie (Toronto Irish Players). Previously for Amicus she provided fights for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Lion in Winter. Other fight credits include: Man of La Mancha (Dreamtheatre), Leading Ladies (Staff Arts Productions), and Hedda Gabler, Criminal Hearts, Orpheus Descending and The Illusion (Alumnae Theatre). Naomi has taken Master classes and Stage Combat workshops from Todd Campbell and Daniel Levinson of Rapier Wit Studios (Fight Directors Canada); R.H. Thomson (physical comedy), Braun McAsh (rapier & dagger), B.H. Barry (unarmed).

krisKris Young (Fight Assistant)
Kris has enjoyed various production roles in the past. Highlights include: a fervent history with Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, and Stage Managing the New Ideas Festival at Alumnae Theatre. This is the first time Kris is assisting with armed combat and is very excited to be a part of this project and grateful to work with such a fabulous cast & crew!

 

farnooshFarnoosh Talebpour (Costume Designer)
Farnoosh studied at York University and in that time was involved with Vanier College Productions and worked on the production aspect of theatre mainly as a costume manager but dabbled in a little bit of everything. Out in the real world she has found herself Stage Managing and Designing. This is her first year working with Amicus Productions and would like to thank the company for the opportunity and also the Costume Crew and Assistants for all of their hard work!

meredithMeredith Hubbard (Costume Team)
Meredith grew up near Stratford, Ontario where she developed her love of theatre. She was a part of Playmakers! Theatre School for 8 years as an actor and behind the scenes. She graduated from George Brown College for Fashion Techniques and Design in 2010 and from Humber College for Theatre Production in 2013. Meredith has been working for various theatre companies such as Drayton Entertainment and Kadozuke Kollektif as a stitcher and dresser. Meredith is thrilled to be working with Amicus for the first time this season and getting the opportunity to try her hand at design.

marieMarie Laforest (Costume Team)
A graduate of Ryerson University’s Fashion Design program, Marie has always had a passion for the theatre. Marie joined Amicus Production’s Costume Team to experience working with behind-the-scene theatre professionals and help bring performances to life in community theatre.