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January 20 - February 4, 2023​

Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike

BY CHRISTOPHER DURANG

Director: Carmen Osahor
Producers: Kim Croscup and Lynn Oldershaw 

*Mainstage Theatre
​
 
Adult siblings Vanya and Sonia reside in their old family home, mourning their lost dreams and missed opportunities. When their often-wrong, fortune-telling maid warns of impending dangers, and their movie star sister, Masha, arrives unexpectedly with young, sexy, boy toy, Spike, the family is launched into a rollicking weekend of one-upmanship, exposed nerves, and a lot of broken mugs.

BUY TICKETS

2022-23  Alumnae Season

Mainstage:
- The Female of the Species
- Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike
- String of Pearls

FireWorks 2022
​
New Ideas 2023

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

The Director and Producers

CARMEN OSAHAR/
​DIRECTOR

Carmen Osahor (she/her) is a director, creator, actor, and co-founder of The Fox Den Collective (TFDC). Previous directing: The Wolves (All the Hats), Bird Signs (NextFest), red wood (New Works Festival), S.I.S.T.E.R., Off'd on Whyte (TFDC), and WHATWAZZAT!? (Found Festival). Previous acting: Collective Rage (Downtown Theatre Projects), The Big Sad, Queen Lear is Dead (TFDC), The Lobbyists (Azimuth Theatre), and Prophecy (Impossible Mongoose; Sterling Award Winner). She has a BFA in Acting from the University of Alberta. This is her Alumnae debut, and she is grateful for her VSMS team and loving partner Emmanuel.

MATTHEW MURRELL/
​ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Matthew ‘Kupa’ Murrell is an award-winning Bajan Theatre actor, playwright, and director. He is a graduate of the Errol Barrow Centre of Creative Imagination, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Kupa has done several theatre productions and managed two theatre groups (Yardie Boy Theatre and Black Ogun) that have travelled through the Caribbean. He also founded and managed Mobba-Ton Theatre Festival. He has now set his sights on work in Canada, making his start with Alumnae Theatre as an Assistant Director in Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. 
​

​KIM CROSCUP/
​PRODUCER

Kim is an actor who writes, directs, and produces! She is a graduate of both the 3 Year Conservatory Program at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Neighborhood Playhouse Summer Conservatory in New York City. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is Kim’s sixth Mainstage show with the Alumnae Theatre and her second as a producer. On stage she’s played Tess in The Female of the Species, Mrs. Daldry in In The Next Room, and Jessie Mae in The Trip to Bountiful. To see what mischief she is cooking up next, follow Kim on The Internets @kimcroscup.

LYNN OLDERSHAW/
PRODUCER

This is Lynn’s first stab at producing, and she is grateful to everyone who helped bring this fun show to life.  Lynn is an actor last seen on Alumnae’s stage in Nested.  Lynn recently returned to acting after taking a prolonged “intermission” where she played a real-life psychologist, television executive, and mother of four.  Lynn has trained and performed in Toronto and NYC, working in theatre, film, and television.  In addition to her theatre work with Alumnae, Lynn has acted in numerous plays with such groups as The Curtain Club, East Side Players, Theatre Aurora, and Village Players.  

The Actors

PAUL COTTON/
​VANYA

Paul is very happy to be in his fourth production at the wonderful Alumnae Theatre. Past productions in the space include August Osage County, The Lady Is Not For Burning, and A Measure of the World.  Paul would like to thank the wonderful director, cast, and crew for their dedication and humour and for making this a truly amazing experience. 

SANDI GLOBERMAN/
SONIA

Sandi’s love of acting for theatre and film is lifelong.  She studied Theatre Arts at Sir George Williams University, and later at George Brown College.  After a successful career as an educator, Sandi returned to her passion for acting by enrolling in courses at TMU’s ACT II Studio. There she participated in many plays, both on and off stage, followed by appearances in film, commercials, and two wonderful plays for Alumnae Theatre, playing the Lead in Y and Clara in the production of Thirteen Hands. She is delighted to be back at Alumnae as Sonia in Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike.

ELIZABETH FRIESEN/
MASHA

Elizabeth is a Toronto-based actor, vocalist, playwright, and director, who’s been onstage for as long as she could walk, talk, sing, and dance. Years of classes, in everything from ballet to flamenco, and classical vocal training at the Royal Conservatory of Music, led to numerous lead roles in a wide assortment of musical theatre productions, as well as more traditional theatrical endeavours. Performances in Oliver!, The Drowsy Chaperone, Gypsy, Steel Magnolias, Macbeth, Les Misérables, The Crucible, King Lear, Noises Off, Love Letters, Summer of Saints, Grace & Glory, The Female of the Species, and Kiss Me, Kate stand out in a long list of credits. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Elizabeth is currently affiliated with ACT II STUDIO at TMU, the Village Playhouse, and the Alumnae Theatre. Elizabeth is the proud mother of two magnificent young people and eight cuddly cats. She is incredibly thankful for the ongoing love and support of her friends and family. 

LUCAS BLAKELY/
SPIKE

Lucas is very excited to be making his Alumnae Theatre debut in Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. Lucas is a graduate of the Theatre & Drama Studies Program at the University of Toronto, joint with Sheridan College. On stage he’s played Charles in Blithe Spirit, Ferapont in Three Sisters, and Sebastian in Twelfth Night (Theatre Erindale), among others.  “Putting somebody else's pants on and pretending to be somebody else is occasionally, as you grow older, horrifying.” - James Gandolfini
Follow Lucas on instagram for more! @lucasblakely

ELIF COSKUN/
NINA

Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Elif (she/her) is a multilingual actor who is trained in dancing, singing, and piano. She is a graduate of the Theatre and Drama Studies program (Sheridan College/University of Toronto Mississauga). Her selected theatre credits include Philomela in If We Were Birds (Theatre Erindale/Anita La Selva); Christina/Music Captain in Fefu and Her Friends (Theatre Erindale/Brian Postalian); Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre Erindale/Keira Loughran), and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (RC Theatre Company/Jake Becker). In addition to her degree in acting, she also holds a Minor in Psychology from University of Toronto. Her hobbies include working out, café-hopping, and dismantling the patriarchy. She is always down for some pleasant conversation, so feel free to DM her on Instagram @elifxcos.

CORA KENNEDY/
CASSANDRA

Cora has been very fortunate the past couple of years as we’ve been coming out of the pandemic. She has had tremendous fun working for Live History in their live and virtual productions and collaborating on many projects with The Boy’s Club. She also had the great opportunity to work on the new short film Stained. This fall, however, has been especially busy for Cora. Just as she was finishing her debut performance with the Toronto Irish Players in The Hen Night Epiphany, she was thrilled to accept the great role of Cassandra in Alumnae’s production of Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. Cora would like to thank Carmen for offering her this role and putting her faith in her ability to tackle this challenging part. Cora has had a wonderful time working with everyone on this production!

The Production Team

LESLIE ANN WALCOTT/
​STAGE MANAGEMENT MENTOR

Leslie Ann “L.A.” Walcott has stage-managed various plays since 2018 with the Alumnae Theatre Company. Her involvement includes Fireworks Festival and New Ideas Festival, and she took on responsibilities as Stage Manager Mentor on Nested during the 2021/2022 Mainstage season.  L.A. picked up acting opportunities for a few Cyber Read performances and, just recently, made her debut as Assistant Director on Female of the Species, which opened the 2022/2023 season.

DANIELA OLMOS/
​STAGE MANAGER

​Daniela Olmos is an English Literature major from Concordia University who has dedicated many years to theatre and the dramatic arts, both as an actress and behind the scenes. She graduated in 2020 with an emphasis in drama and script writing. She currently works as a writer and research assistant for the Bogota Fashion Film Festival (Bogfff), as well as a writer for a Toronto- based e-commerce company. As a first-time stage manager, Olmos has expressed how blessed she feels to have worked with this incredibly talented cast and production team, and how much she has learned from everybody.

BRENDA TOTMAN/
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

​Brenda is happy to be involved in her second Alumnae production as ASM for Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. She has been a member for several years and hopes to be more active with the company. She has also done several roles for Stage Centre Productions and has been active in 23 Fringe festivals, as well as the Cabbagetown Festival. 

​WANDA TAYLOR/
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER +
PROPS MASTER

Wanda Taylor is a writer, filmmaker, and college educator. She is the author of six books, with the seventh and eighth set for release with HarperCollins in 2023 and 2024. Before relocating to Ontario, Wanda held various stage crew positions on the east coast. She also wrote and directed the stage play The Reversal of Peter Dawson in 2018. It was produced by Ships Company Theatre, and Wanda later adapted it into a full-length novel. She recently finished writing her latest play about a love never meant to be. Find Wanda on Twitter @wandawriting or on IG @watay2019.

​​JOEY LEE/
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Joey is a Master's-educated registered nurse whose interest in theatre started when she worked on another production's health and safety team. Although new to theatre, she has been able to transfer some of her healthcare project management skills to assisting with the stage management of Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. In her free time, Joey has been exploring and embracing other creative endeavors, such as pottery and website design.

ANA SASIC/
COSTUME DESIGNER

Ana is a writer, photographer, and urban professional based in Toronto. Recent projects include writing and design for This Coast Was New at the Hamilton Fringe Festival 2022, stage management and costume design for the Alumnae Theatre production of Nested, and presenting "Morning will change everything" at the Contact Photography Festival at Artscape Shaw Street with Gallery 44.

JD JOUTE/
​COSTUME DESIGNER

​JD Joute is a jack of all trades. She is an independent filmmaker, creator, and entrepreneur. She is self-driven, creative with an eye for details, ambitious, and knowledgeable about all stages of the filmmaking and theatrical (production) process. She volunteered with Village Playhouse for close to seven years, where she brought her experiences and helped with many of their productions. She’s currently a member of the Alumnae Theatre where she is getting involved in some amazing projects. She also has a few personal projects coming up from stage productions to short films and web projects … Stay tuned for her next big splash.

JULIAN MULOCK/
SET DESIGNER

Julian Mulock has worked in many aspects of theatre on both sides of the footlights.  His sets have been seen at the Curtain Club, Bloor West Village Players, and the late lamented East Side Players. He last worked with the Alumnae Theatre as Bertram in the historic 1989 production of Vaclav Havel's Largo Desolato. Nothing gives him more joy than to be with theatre people in whatever capacity he finds himself.  He is in constant awe of the people who make live theatre and of the magic that they weave. 

ELY DE SANDOLI/
​SET DRESSER

Ely is a longtime lover of the arts and is debuting her transition from audience member to production with Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. She is a graduate of Stratford’s Off the Wall 2022 interior design workshop. She brings an eye for design to the set dressing of this production. When not scrounging through prop closets, she is cooking and baking at home or watching plays with her partner.

PAUL COTTON/
CARPENTER

Paul is very happy to be in his fourth production at the wonderful Alumnae Theatre. Past productions in the space include August Osage County, The Lady Is Not For Burning, and A Measure of the World.  Paul would like to thank the wonderful director, cast, and crew for their dedication and humour and for making this a truly amazing experience. ​

EMILY POPLE/
LIGHTING DESIGNER

Emily Pople is an all-around theatre tech with a passion for lighting design. They are overjoyed to be working with Alumnae Theatre for the first time on Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike and are grateful to be back in person after working in online theatre. They have recently graduated from UTSC and are excited to focus on their theatre work. They have previously worked in a variety of roles on shows including The Wolves, X and Da Spirit, YES, VENUS, I AM, and We Are Proud to Present …

ANTHONY CACI/
​SOUND DESIGNER

​Anthony Caci is a musician, sound designer, and engineer from Montreal, QC. He is an Electroacoustic Studies graduate of the University of Concordia. Currently, he is a co-creator and co-host for the podcast Sound Space, as well as a broadcast engineer for Rogers Communications. Although his main focus is music production and recording, having worked in recording studios in Montreal and Toronto, he is passionate about foley arts and scoring. He has explored sound effects for animation and video shorts, but he has Alumnae Theatre to thank for his first experience as a sound designer for theatre.

LESLIE MCBAY/
INTIMACY DIRECTOR

Leslie McBay (she/her) is a performer, producer, and intimacy director based in Tkaronto (Toronto). As a certified intimacy director with IDC, Leslie works for theatre companies across southern Ontario, as well as for student productions at the University of Toronto. She has also adapted her intimacy practice to work in virtual rehearsal rooms. 
   Leslie is invested in creating a culture of consent in our rehearsal spaces by teaching workshops, advocating for actors, and building empowering choreography. She wants every actor to know how to communicate and receive boundaries and to have a nuanced understanding of consent, so they can dive fully into the daring work of storytelling. “No, but” is the new “Yes, and” — pass it on! For more, visit lesliemcbay.ca. 

​Accessibility
Alumnae Theatre’s Berkeley Street entrance and the Mainstage Theatre are wheelchair accessible.
​There is a wheelchair accessible restroom on the ground floor.

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