WITCHES IN THE WOODS – A THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCE PLAY BY AMY NEUFELD

MAY 14 2PM
SUDBURY THEATRE CENTRE, 170 Shaughnessy St, Greater Sudbury, ON P3E 3E7
TICKETS $15 At Door  |  Festival Pass (all events) $50

A delightful, heart-warming telling of the classic Grimms’ with contemporary resonances. Direct from the sold-out Premiere production, now cast with all Northern ON actors and creative crew. A First Look for PlaySmelter audiences before the Northern ON premiere in Timmins, August 2024. All ages.

Director: Jessie Bergeron
Dramaturg: Lisa O’Connell

Alessandro Costantini is the co-founder and Artistic Director of YES Theatre and the Sudbury Theatre Centre. His work has brought him to stages across North America, most recently in the National Tour of the Tony Award winning best musical, Dear Evan Hansen. He has been recognized for his work with a Dora nomination (Featured Performance in a Musical – Dear Evan Hansen/Mirvish Productions), a META nomination (Best Leading Performance – Prom Queen/Segal Centre), as well as nominations from the Ontario Arts Council for the John Hirsch Directors Award, the K.M Hunter Award, the Pauline McGibbon Award and the prestigious Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize. Alessandro is a graduate of the George Brown School and a recipient of the 2018 Mayor’s Arts Award.

Maxwel Cull (he/him) is an emerging actor and theatre artist from Sudbury, Ontario. He is a 2023 graduate of the BFA in Acting program at the University of Ottawa. His recent credits include multiple roles in Howard Barker’s The Possibilities, and Andy-Spandy/Narrator in the TYA adaptation of Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep. He is making his YES Theatre debut in their upcoming production of Romeo & Juilet this summer. Maxwel is thrilled to return to his hometown and continue his work with the Northern Ontario arts community!

Based in Northern Ontario, Joël Giroux is a graduate of the now-defunct French Theatre program at Laurentian University. He’s thankful to have trained there in theatre performance with Miriam Cusson and Alain Doom, as well as the craft of Clown with John Turner. Recent stage credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in Concert (STC, 2023) and Little Skidoo (CKLU Productions, 2022).

Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Colton Gobbo is now a Toronto-based actor, writer, director, and stunt performer/choreographer working in film, television, and theatre. His first production was at the age of 9, performing in YES Theatre’s HAIR. Colton is a recent graduate of the George Brown Theatre School, and can currently be seen at 8:30pm every Tuesday on CBC and CBC Gem as Mike Critch Jr. in Son of a Critch, as well as in the second season of Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia. @coltosaur on all social media.

Recent theatre credits include: Pedrolino (The Corsican Complaint, GBTS), Solyony (Three Sisters & Co., GBTS), John (A Brave New World [Workshop], Tarragon Theatre), Himself (Wonderfully Fantastic… [Wonderfully Fantastic and Compelling Stories Created, Directed, Performed, and Written (but not produced) by Three Gentlemen Who Live Together, Presented in a Well-Mannered Compilation / Bit Format, Including: The Ballad of the Three Salesmen, a Live Feline, and Other Miscellaneous Stories Based on Real Events, ON ICE], YES Theatre).

Recent film/T.V. credits include: Mike Critch Jr. (Son of a Critch), Jordan (Ginny & Georgia), Noah (The Desperate Hour), Rudy (MADD ‘The Wish), Kyle (Titans), Letterman (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark)

Photo Danielle Provencher

Actor, clown, director and community arts builder, France Huot is a bilingual artist and graduate of Laurentian University’s Arts d’expression program. As an actor, she has also worked closely with the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario on many productions such as Jack, written by Marie-Pierre Proulx, and Parmi les éclats written and directed by Miriam Cusson. In the fall of 2023, she participated in the production of Trois created by Mani Soleymanlou (Orange noyée, National Art Center). Written in collaboration with 40 francophone artists from across the country, the play toured in nine different cities in Canada.

France is also the co-founder of the collective Hoquet/Hiccup! with her artistic partner Jenny Hazelton which is dedicated to creating new theatrical works. Their kaleidoscopic approach to theatre-making draws upon many different forms such as clown, deadpan, shadow puppetry and physical theatre to develop new pieces. Their most recent creation, Barbe Bleue, was an installation shadow puppetry piece created during their artistic residency with the TNO. They are currently working on another piece titled Unravel.

France is also very active in the arts and culture sector in Sudbury and across the province. She hosts and organizes events, cultural mediation activities, workshops for schools and the community.

Kamilla Kowal is a Canadian actress, born in Sudbury. She’s best known for portraying the role of Bonnie McMurray in the Crave Hulu Original comedy series Letterkenny. In addition to films such as Carly Stone’s The New Romantic, her upcoming projects include Sofia Coppola’s film Priscilla. She is excited to extend her artistic pursuits with PlaySmelter!

April Perrin is an actor, choreographer and teacher based in Sudbury, Ontario. She began her professional training at St. Lawrence College in their musical theatre program and has recently earned her MA in Musical Theatre performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has been performing with STC & YES theatre for years with her most notable roles being “Tracy Turnbland” in Hairspray, “Rosie” in Mamma Mia & “Constance” in last year’s production of Ride The Cyclone. She’s an arts educator in Sudbury, working with students ranging from 8-18 in theatre training programs and she works as a choreographer and dance teacher at several studios in Sudbury. This is her 4th time working with the PlaySmelter festival and, as always, she can’t wait to see where this work will end up! Be sure to follow her on social media @aprilp777

Andrew Prescott would like to thank PlaySmelter for this wonderful opportunity! Andrew recently made his debut with YES/STC reading for Andrew Paulsen’s “You Paid For It; They’ll Pay For It”, and is grateful to be continuing this journey. He appeared in the Sudbury Performance Group’s production of RENT! and has also been featured in an international commercial for Indeed. When not performing, he can be found mixing concoctions behind bar. He would like to thank his beloved Sky Slywchuk and his family for their ongoing support, and extends additional thanks and love to Lisa from Pat The Dog.

WITCHES IN THE WOODS – A THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCE PLAY BY AMY NEUFELD

MAY 14 2PM
SUDBURY THEATRE CENTRE, 170 Shaughnessy St, Greater Sudbury, ON P3E 3E7
TICKETS $15 At Door  |  Festival Pass (all events) $50

A delightful, heart-warming telling of the classic Grimms’ with contemporary resonances. Direct from the sold-out Premiere production, now cast with all Northern ON actors and creative crew. A First Look for PlaySmelter audiences before the Northern ON premiere in Timmins, August 2024. All ages.

Director: Jessie Bergeron
Dramaturg: Lisa O’Connell

Alessandro Costantini is the co-founder and Artistic Director of YES Theatre and the Sudbury Theatre Centre. His work has brought him to stages across North America, most recently in the National Tour of the Tony Award winning best musical, Dear Evan Hansen. He has been recognized for his work with a Dora nomination (Featured Performance in a Musical – Dear Evan Hansen/Mirvish Productions), a META nomination (Best Leading Performance – Prom Queen/Segal Centre), as well as nominations from the Ontario Arts Council for the John Hirsch Directors Award, the K.M Hunter Award, the Pauline McGibbon Award and the prestigious Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize. Alessandro is a graduate of the George Brown School and a recipient of the 2018 Mayor’s Arts Award.

Maxwel Cull (he/him) is an emerging actor and theatre artist from Sudbury, Ontario. He is a 2023 graduate of the BFA in Acting program at the University of Ottawa. His recent credits include multiple roles in Howard Barker’s The Possibilities, and Andy-Spandy/Narrator in the TYA adaptation of Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep. He is making his YES Theatre debut in their upcoming production of Romeo & Juilet this summer. Maxwel is thrilled to return to his hometown and continue his work with the Northern Ontario arts community!

Based in Northern Ontario, Joël Giroux is a graduate of the now-defunct French Theatre program at Laurentian University. He’s thankful to have trained there in theatre performance with Miriam Cusson and Alain Doom, as well as the craft of Clown with John Turner. Recent stage credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in Concert (STC, 2023) and Little Skidoo (CKLU Productions, 2022).

Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Colton Gobbo is now a Toronto-based actor, writer, director, and stunt performer/choreographer working in film, television, and theatre. His first production was at the age of 9, performing in YES Theatre’s HAIR. Colton is a recent graduate of the George Brown Theatre School, and can currently be seen at 8:30pm every Tuesday on CBC and CBC Gem as Mike Critch Jr. in Son of a Critch, as well as in the second season of Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia. @coltosaur on all social media.

Recent theatre credits include: Pedrolino (The Corsican Complaint, GBTS), Solyony (Three Sisters & Co., GBTS), John (A Brave New World [Workshop], Tarragon Theatre), Himself (Wonderfully Fantastic… [Wonderfully Fantastic and Compelling Stories Created, Directed, Performed, and Written (but not produced) by Three Gentlemen Who Live Together, Presented in a Well-Mannered Compilation / Bit Format, Including: The Ballad of the Three Salesmen, a Live Feline, and Other Miscellaneous Stories Based on Real Events, ON ICE], YES Theatre).

Recent film/T.V. credits include: Mike Critch Jr. (Son of a Critch), Jordan (Ginny & Georgia), Noah (The Desperate Hour), Rudy (MADD ‘The Wish), Kyle (Titans), Letterman (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark)

Photo Danielle Provencher

Actor, clown, director and community arts builder, France Huot is a bilingual artist and graduate of Laurentian University’s Arts d’expression program. As an actor, she has also worked closely with the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario on many productions such as Jack, written by Marie-Pierre Proulx, and Parmi les éclats written and directed by Miriam Cusson. In the fall of 2023, she participated in the production of Trois created by Mani Soleymanlou (Orange noyée, National Art Center). Written in collaboration with 40 francophone artists from across the country, the play toured in nine different cities in Canada.

France is also the co-founder of the collective Hoquet/Hiccup! with her artistic partner Jenny Hazelton which is dedicated to creating new theatrical works. Their kaleidoscopic approach to theatre-making draws upon many different forms such as clown, deadpan, shadow puppetry and physical theatre to develop new pieces. Their most recent creation, Barbe Bleue, was an installation shadow puppetry piece created during their artistic residency with the TNO. They are currently working on another piece titled Unravel.

France is also very active in the arts and culture sector in Sudbury and across the province. She hosts and organizes events, cultural mediation activities, workshops for schools and the community.

Kamilla Kowal is a Canadian actress, born in Sudbury. She’s best known for portraying the role of Bonnie McMurray in the Crave Hulu Original comedy series Letterkenny. In addition to films such as Carly Stone’s The New Romantic, her upcoming projects include Sofia Coppola’s film Priscilla. She is excited to extend her artistic pursuits with PlaySmelter!

April Perrin is an actor, choreographer and teacher based in Sudbury, Ontario. She began her professional training at St. Lawrence College in their musical theatre program and has recently earned her MA in Musical Theatre performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has been performing with STC & YES theatre for years with her most notable roles being “Tracy Turnbland” in Hairspray, “Rosie” in Mamma Mia & “Constance” in last year’s production of Ride The Cyclone. She’s an arts educator in Sudbury, working with students ranging from 8-18 in theatre training programs and she works as a choreographer and dance teacher at several studios in Sudbury. This is her 4th time working with the PlaySmelter festival and, as always, she can’t wait to see where this work will end up! Be sure to follow her on social media @aprilp777

Andrew Prescott would like to thank PlaySmelter for this wonderful opportunity! Andrew recently made his debut with YES/STC reading for Andrew Paulsen’s “You Paid For It; They’ll Pay For It”, and is grateful to be continuing this journey. He appeared in the Sudbury Performance Group’s production of RENT! and has also been featured in an international commercial for Indeed. When not performing, he can be found mixing concoctions behind bar. He would like to thank his beloved Sky Slywchuk and his family for their ongoing support, and extends additional thanks and love to Lisa from Pat The Dog.

Admission $15. Children under 12 years FREE.

Festival Passes $50. Includes: Admission to all events + Festival Treat Bag + Discount for on-line purchases at Playwrights Canada Press.

Doors open 30 minutes before each event. Please note that some events have limited capacity.