Announcing the 2018 Creative Team!

By: Alan Long and Kristi Friday
Category: In the News

Announcing Our Cast & Creative Team for the 2018 Season

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan presented by Nutrien is pleased to announce the cast and creative team for the three productions in our 2018 festival season.  We will once again have a feature comedy and tragedy on the main stage, and a third production that will be located on a special secret 2^nd stage on the festival site.  All three shows have the underlying theme of Revenge – so it promises to be a season full of Payback in a variety of ways!

Artistic Producer Will Brooks will not direct on the main stage next season, but will focus his talents on our exciting third offering Titus A… puppet revenge, an exciting collaboration between SOTS and Kristi Friday and Crispi Lord of Stumped Productions.  The tragedy of Hamlet will be directed by Kelli Fox, a well respected Canadian director and actor with a long impressive resume.  Our comedy in 2018, the lavish and witty The Merry Wives of Windsor, will be directed by Greg Ochitwa, a long time actor in our company who also has an exciting directing resume.

We are excited to announce a cast of 15 performers for 2018, up from our usual 12.  Thanks to our audience, donors, staff and volunteers for making this possible.  14 of these actors will be in The Merry Wives of Windsor, 9 in Hamlet, and a cast of 6 will perform Titus A. puppet revenge.  The cast for 2018 in alphabetical order is:

Joshua Beaudry – Falstaff in Merry Wives / Rosencrantz in Hamlet

Jenna Berenbaum – Mrs. Quickly in Merry Wives / Puppeteer in Titus

Sarah Bergbusch – William, Simple, Servant in Merry Wives / Puppeteer in Titus

Jacqueline Block – Anne, Rugby, Servant in Merry Wives / Ophelia in Hamlet

Skye Brandon – Shallow in Merry Wives / Hamlet in Hamlet

Deborah Buck – Sir Hugh Evans in Merry Wives / Polonius in Hamlet

Heather Cant – Mrs. Page in Merry Wives / Gertrude in Hamlet

Mackenzie Dawson – Slender in Merry Wives / Puppeteer in Titus

Kristi Friday – Puppeteer in Titus

Kate Herriot – Mrs. Ford in Merry Wives / Horatio in Hamlet

Kenn McLeod – Dr. Caius in Merry Wives / Puppeteer in Titus

Elizabeth Nepjuk – Fenton & Nim in Merry Wives / Laertes in Hamlet

Curtis Peeteetuce – Host & Pistol in Merry Wives / Puppeteer in Titus

Robbie Towns – Ford in Merry Wives / Guildenstern in Hamlet

Kevin Williamson – Page in Merry Wives / Claudius & Ghost in Hamlet

We have been extremely privileged to work with Heather Ryan and David Dubé (Heather and David Foundation) in a partnership with the University of Saskatchewan Drama Department to hire at least four emerging artists for apprentice positions in 2016, 2017 and again in 2018.  In 2018 our Heather and David Foundation Emerging Artists are:

Mackenzie Dawson – Actor

Morgan Murphy – Apprentice Stage Manager

Rory Jewiss – Assistant Head of Wardrobe

S. E. Grummett – Assistant Director of Titus

Finally, we are also pleased to announce our core team of creators, designers and crew members.  They are the foundation from which the productions are built and the mentors for our emerging artists:

Daniel Ford Beavis – Resident Fight Director

David Granger – Set and Lighting Design for Merry Wives and Hamlet

Beverley Kobelsky – Costume Design for Hamlet

Crispi Lord – Puppet Design and Choreography for Titus

Carla Orosz – Costume Design for Merry Wives

Melanie Rogowski – Production Stage Manager

Aaron Shingoose – Stage Manager

Gilles Zolty – Composition & Sound Design for Merry Wives and Hamlet

We are beyond excited to have such a diverse and skilled team of creators and collaborators in place for our 34^th season of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan presented by Nutrien.  The festival runs from July 4^th to August 19^th at our beautiful location along the South Saskatchewan River in downtown Saskatoon.  Join our mailing list at www.shakespearesask.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date as we build towards another fantastic summer!

Alan and Kristi