Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Classes have just begun for the 2016/2017 season of the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre under the guidance of newly appointed Conservatory Director Stephen Ouimette.
The participants are among the brightest actors emerging in Canada today. Four participants return for their second year in the program: Rodrigo Beilfuss, Ijeoma Emesowum, Monice Peter and Emilio Vieira. Festival newcomers Farhang Ghajar, Zara Jestadt, Nicholas Nahwegahbow and Tim Ziegler, along with current company member Thomas Mitchell Barnet and Chicago Fellow Zlatomir Moldovanski, join the program for their first year. Classes are now underway with the actors embarking on six months of intensive training.
For the first year of his three-year term, Mr. Ouimette will share responsibilities with Martha Henry, whose tenure as Conservatory Director comes to a close after 10 years.
“Training under the leadership of both Stephen and Martha, two of Canada’s most accomplished actors and directors, is an opportunity of a lifetime for any young actor,” says Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino. “I’m thrilled to welcome this gifted group of artists to the Festival and am greatly looking forward to working together in our upcoming season.”
Participants will receive classes and coaching from some of the country’s finest instructors:
Frank Bach
Franklin Brasz
Dennis Cahill
Peggy Coffey
Brad Cook
Paul deJong
Jane Gooderham
Adrienne Gould
Katie Grube
Kate Hennig
Lori Holmes
Thomas Morgan Jones
David Latham
Cathy MacKinnon
Kelly McEvenue
Seana McKenna
Rebecca Northan
JoJo Rideout
John Stead
Jennie Such
Terry Tweed
Ian Watson
The Festival’s Birmingham Conservatory, founded in 1998, trains the most promising young actors in the skills needed to perform the classics, and offers them an unparalleled opportunity to study with the finest coaches in the world inside the Festival’s classical repertory company. All participants are paid for the duration of the training program and offered roles in the subsequent Festival season. To fill the coveted Conservatory spots, the Festival receives more than 1,000 applications and auditions hundreds of young performers across the country.
The Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre at the Stratford Festival is made possible by the support of the Birmingham family, the Stratford Festival Endowment Foundation and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Participants’ Biographies
Thomas Mitchell Barnet
Stratford: Kingfisher, Ensemble in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Sam in Shakespeare in Love. Elsewhere: Lelio in The Liar, Nihad in Scorched, Leontes in The Winter’s Tale (National Theatre School); Royce in True Love Lies (Citadel Theatre); writer and star of one-man show The Colour of Life. Film/TV: Principal in It’s Not You… (short film by Don McKellar); guest star on Saving Hope (CTV). Awards: Freestanding Room Award at the Montreal Fringe for The Colour of Life; nominated for a Sterling Award for True Love Lies.
Rodrigo Beilfuss
Stratford: Young Siward in Macbeth, Frank Lubey in All My Sons and Fellow Countryman in The Aeneid. Elsewhere: Recent credits: Hamlet (Bravura Theatre), Sea Wall (Theatre by the River), The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare in the Ruins). Additional Shakespeare credits: King Lear (University of Winnipeg), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (TBTR), The Winter’s Tale (Tom-Tom), The Merchant of Venice (SIR), Richard III, Measure for Measure (LAMDA). Credits as a director include the Canadian premières of Lungs, Bull, Generous and Cock (TBTR) and Private Lives (assistant director – Royal MTC). Training: The University of Winnipeg, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. Online: rodrigobeilfuss.com; @RBeilfuss. Et cetera: Originally from Brazil, Rod moved to Winnipeg at age 18, where he discovered that Shakespeare made him feel tremendously giddy. He eventually moved to England in order to pursue classical training and now it feels good to call Stratford home!
Ijeoma Emesowum
Stratford: Gentlewoman in Macbeth, Phebe in As You Like It, Third Doctor, La Troupe de Molière in The Hypochondriac, Maria in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Jackie Coryton in Hay Fever, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, Alice Through the Looking-Glass, Antony and Cleopatra. Elsewhere: Five seasons with the Shaw Festival including Major Barbara, Serious Money, Ragtime, The Admirable Crichton, The Women, The Devil’s Disciple, Born Yesterday; Binti’s Journey (Theatre Direct); The Aftermath (Nightwood Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in High Park, Canadian Stage). Film/TV: Antony and Cleopatra, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew (Stratford Festival HD). Training: Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre; BFA, University of Windsor. Online: Twitter: @UsoIje. Et cetera: “Love and thanks to my family and Jake.”
Farhang Ghajar
Theatre: Iago in Othello (McMaster Thespian Company); Hamlet in Hamlet’s Dorm (McMaster University); Jesus in The Last Judgement (University of Toronto). Film/TV: Man Seeking Woman (FXX); Dark Matter (Syfy); lead in Capture Kill Release, lead in Something to Hide, principal in Uncle Brian (independent feature films). Training: Strasberg Method Intensive (Tony Greco, NYC), Scene Study (Angela Besharah and Jimi Shlag, TO), Scene Study (Caymichael Patten, NYC), Actors Exchange (David Matheson, TO). Online: Instagram: @far_hang. Et cetera: “Love and gratitude to you. That’s right. You, reading this right now.”
Zara Jestadt
Theatre: Mrs. Erlynne in Lady Windermere’s Fan, Mayor in The Enchanted and Zinka in The Suicide (George Brown Theatre School); Mary in Lazarus and His Beloved (Broken Hill Theatre). Film/TV: Maggie in The Days of Destitute (Imaginarium Studio Inc.). Training: Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre, George Brown Theatre School, McGill University, Etobicoke School of the Arts. Awards: Dean’s Award, Timsel Challenge Award (George Brown Theatre School). Et cetera: Thank you to mom, dad, family and friends for your constant support and inspiration. It means the world.
Zlatomir Moldovanski
Theatre: The Driver in Hellcab (Profiles Theatre); Leonardo/Groom understudy in Blood Wedding (Lookingglass Theatre); Carroll in The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild, Alcippe in The Liar (Creede Repertory Theatre); Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Evan in The Aliens, Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night, Trip understudy in Other Desert Cities (Asolo Repertory Theatre); Horst in Bent (New Stage Collective); Thurio in Two Gentlemen of Verona (The Drilling Company). Film/TV: Nestor in Madam Secretary (CBS). Training: Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre; MFA, FSU/Asolo Conservatory; BFA, College-Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati. Awards: “Best of Sarasota 2013” by Sarasota Magazine for The Aliens. Online: graytalentgroup.com/talent/zlatomir-moldovanski. Et cetera: Zlatomir dedicates this season to the memories of Liliya Penkova, Bill Yandow and Vladimir Nikolov.
Nicholas Nahwegahbow
Theatre: The Doctor in Vacuum, Laertes and Player Queen in Hamlet, Queen Elizabeth in Orlando, Dave in Total Liquidation (National Theatre School); Camp Follower in King Lear (National Arts Centre). Film/TV: Principal character in Canada: The Story of Us. Training: National Theatre School of Canada; BA in Theatre Studies, Guelph University.
Monice Peter
Stratford: Naiad, Ensemble in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Creusa in The Aeneid. Elsewhere: Step-Daughter in Six Characters in Search of an Author, Lord Stanley and Richard III in King Richard III (Birmingham Conservatory); L in A Beautiful View (Sage Theatre); The Dandelion Project (Verb Theatre); Josephine in Ruined (Ellipsis Tree Collective); Susan in Race (Ground Zero/Hit and Myth Productions). Film/TV: Trish on Supernatural; recurring roles on Proof, Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce and The Returned. Radio: Co-host of CJSW’s Breaking Techniques. Training: Mount Royal University, Stella Adler Chekov Intensive, Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. Awards: Betty Mitchell Award; Calgary Critics’ Award nominations for A Beautiful View, The Dandelion Project and Race. Online: monicepeter.com. Et cetera: “Family and friends, you mean the world to me; thank you!”
Emilio Vieira
Stratford: Donalbain in Macbeth and Justin in Bunny. Elsewhere: Father in Six Characters in Search of an Author, Hastings/King Richard III in Richard III (Birmingham Conservatory); Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (Guild Festival Theatre); Charles/Amiens in As You Like It, Lucius Andronicus in Titus Andronicus (Canadian Stage); Talbot in Henry VI, Part 1, Scullery in Road, Cassius in Julius Caesar (York University). Film/TV: Santiago in The Soliloquies of Santiago (webseries). Radio/Recordings: Dan in Priceless. Training: Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre; BFA Specialized Honours in Acting, York University; Intermediate Actor-Combatant, Rapier Wit. Et cetera: Emilio thanks his mentors and all teachers who foster a love of storytelling in their students and dedicates this season to the two most influential teachers in his life: Ma and Pop.
Tim Ziegler
Theatre: Gentleman Caller in The Glass Menagerie, Romeo and Juliet (RMTC); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, You Can’t Take It With You, Sunshine Boys (Soulpepper); Gimme That Prime Time Religion, The Winslows of Derryvore, The Cavan Blazers (4th Line Theatre); Harvey, John Bull’s Other Island, Riders to the Sea (Shaw Festival); Do You Take This Man (Globus Theatre); Hogtown (The Hogtown Collective). Film/TV: Mayday (National Geographic/Discovery), Reign (CBS), Nikita (CW), Flashpoint (CTV), Combat Hospital (ABC/Shaw). Online: timothyziegler.com; @TheTimZiegler.
2016-09-14
Stratford: Festival welcomes 2016/17 Birmingham Conservatory participants