Scenofest Talks & Book Launches

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Jonathan Christenson

Artistic Director, Catalyst Theatre

Jonathan is a director, writer and composer who has spearheaded the creation of 22 original Canadian productions that have been presented abroad by prominent theatres and international festivals. He has directed at more than 85 theatres across Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and the United States, including in London’s West End and New York’s Broadway district. Select works include The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Vigilante, Nevermore – The Imaginary Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, Fortune Falls, The Soul Collector, Hunchback, Frankenstein, The Blue Orphan and The House of Pootsie Plunket. His work has been recognized with nearly 60 British, Canadian and American awards and nominations including two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards, a Herald Angel Award, being shortlisted for the Siminovitch Prize in Directing, and a Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Musical of New York’s Off-Broadway season. He has been published in the United States by Playscripts, and in Canada by Playwrights Canada Press, Newest Press and Bayeaux Arts. Recordings of his music can be found on iTunes and at Broadway Records, and his productions have been featured in American Theatre, Maclean’s, Canadian Theatre Review, and PRISM International. Jonathan has led seminars at Columbia University, the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity, Dramaworks, MacEwan University and the University of Alberta, where he has been the Mary Mooney Distinguished Visiting Artist and has taught in the graduate directing and undergraduate acting programs. In his role as artistic director of Catalyst Theatre, he was instrumental in the creation of a 150-seat black box theatre in Edmonton which was the company’s home for several years before providing a homebase for Theatre Network and Workshop West Theatre, he co-created and co-curated an international presenting series which hosted the work of artists from across Canada, Russia, Germany, South Africa, Scotland, Ireland and England, and he created three multi-disciplinary performance events that brought together more than fifty Edmonton-based artists from theatre, music, visual art, dance, and the media arts. He played a central role in Catalyst Theatre’s $1.5 million renovation of the Maclab Theatre and lobby in the Citadel Theatre complex and in the completion of an adjacent suite of new offices that Catalyst now calls its home. He also co-created the Confluence Fellowship, Catalyst’s annual $20,000 artistic residency for creation-based BIPOC artists. Jonathan was named one of “Alberta’s Fifty Most Influential People” by Venture Magazine and Alberta Playwrights Network chose him as one of Alberta’s one hundred most significant theatre artists of the past one hundred years.

Bretta Gerecke

Bretta is a Lighting, Set, Costume and Projection designer for Theatre, Circus, Opera, Film and Installation Art. She is the resident designer at Catalyst Theatre where she co-creates and tours new work across North America the UK and Australia. Bretta also designs for Cirque du Soleil, The National Theatre, The RSC, The National Arts Centre, The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Birmingham REP, Edmonton Opera, Calgary Opera, The Citadel Theatre and The Grand Theatre. She is the recipient of over 25 awards in addition to Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 under 40, Global Television’s Woman of Vision, IPL Best Emerging Artist, and nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award (Best Costume Design, Off Broadway). She has represented Canada in Prague at the Scenography Quadrennial and her costume designs were exhibited in Moscow, Beijing, and Taipei. Bretta lives in London (UK) she is a marathon runner and an Archaeological Illustrator.

Matthew Skopyk

Recent Design/Composition/Production: THE INVISIBLE – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Vigilante, Fortune Falls, Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, The Soul Collector (Catalyst Theatre); Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, Romeo & Juliet, Titus Andronicus, As You Like It, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, Twelfth Night, Othello (Freewill Shakespeare Festival); Once, (Citadel Theatre); The Garneau Block (Citadel Theatre), The Humans (Citadel Theatre/ Canadian Stages); Shakespeare in Love (Citadel Theatre/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Romeo & Juliet (Kill Your Television); Playing With Fire: The Theo Fleury Story (Citadel Theatre/ Persephone Theatre/ Alberta Theatre Projects/ Neptune Theatre/ Centaur Theatre); ENRON (National Arts Centre); Whisper (Studio Theatre/Catalyst Theatre).

As a Faculty member in the University of Alberta’s Department of Drama, Matthew instructs and supervises all Sound Design classes and practicums.

John Raymond

John is a Full Professor in the University of Alberta’s Drama Department where he leads Canada’s only specialized BFA in stage management. He has worked as a professional stage manager for 35 years and has worked for the Citadel Theatre, Mayfield Dinner Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Theatre Calgary, Canadian Stage, Centaur Theatre, The Banff Centre for the Arts and Edmonton Opera.  Since 2007 he has stage managed Catalyst Theatre’s following productions: The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Vigilante, Nevermore, Hunchback, The Soul Collector, Frankenstein, Blue Orphan, Elephant Wake, Sticky Shoes and Songs for Sinners & Saints, and has toured Catalyst Theatre (Edmonton) shows to Toronto, London, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Fort McMurray, New York City and London, England. From 1998 to 2004 John was the Director of Production at the Citadel Theatre (Edmonton). 

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Chris Dennis

Production Director Christopher Dennis oversees the technical aspects of all SF Ballet productions. He joined the staff in 2010 as technical director and was appointed production director in 2013. He served as the resident lighting designer and lighting coordinator at The National Ballet of Canada for 14 seasons. Chris’ lighting designs are in the repertoires of ballet companies across the globe, including American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and West Australia Ballet. His work for SF Ballet includes Yuri Possokhov’s Rite of Spring, Francesca da Rimini, and RAkU and Helgi Tomasson’s Caprice and Trio. In addition to his work in dance, Chris has designed lighting for the Shaw and Stratford Festivals as well as other regional opera, theatre, and film productions throughout Canada. Chris served as lighting director for Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project and was assistant resident lighting designer for the Metropolitan Opera. He holds a B.F.A. from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada.

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Paul Atkin

Paul Atkin is a founder, an entrepreneur, and a musicologist with over 35 years’ experience in business and a doctorate in music: ‘Opera Production in Late Seventeenth-Century Modena’. In 2014, he sold his business interests to enable him to dedicate himself to rebuilding the Teatro San Cassiano (an idea he had nurtured since 1999). His knowledge of both business and music makes him exceptionally suited to understanding the differing and sometimes conflicting demands of this project.

In 2018, Paul realised a 22-year project to restage L’ingresso alla gioventù di Claudio Nerone (Modena, 1692) and to return its composer, Antonio Gianettini, to the modern-day repertoire. The rediscovery and restoration of lost operas and composers such as this will be a central aspiration of the rebuilt Teatro San Cassiano.

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Jeff Churchill

Jeff Churchill of Jitterbug Boy Original Footwear has brought Canada to the forefront of international Costume Designers’ thoughts when it comes to footing their characters on stage and screen.

Artists like Jeff are the glue that holds the costume community together, and his excellence in shoemaking has helped put Toronto, and Canada, on the map globally not just as a place to film, but also as a place where true costume artistry is practiced. Jeff has worked with Costume Designers and their teams from all over the world and built footwear for the top actors of our time right here in Canada. He has continually experimented and innovated to create footwear designs from ancient Pompeii, to Victorian England, to WWII Germany, to 50’s New York, to modern day superheroes, to the future in space helping costume designers achieve their vision with aesthetics and comfort.

Jitterbug Boy Original Footwear have appeared in Nightmare Alley, Rocketman, The Shape of Water, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Star Trek: Discovery, Harder They Fall, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, among hundreds of other credits.

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Jillian Keiley

Jillian Keiley is currently concluding her term as Artistic Director for English Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre. She is an award-winning director from St. John’s, Newfoundland and founder of Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland. Jillian has directed and taught across Canada and internationally. She received her BFA in Theatre from York University and was awarded Honorary Doctorates of Letters from both Memorial University and York University. She was the winner of the Siminovitch Prize for Directing in 2004 and the Canada Council’s John Hirsch Prize in 1997. Jillian assumed her role as NAC English Theatre Artistic Director in August 2012, and her productions at the NAC have included The Neverending Story, and Alice Through the Looking Glass (both in Association with the Stratford Festival), Between Breaths, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, A Christmas Carol, Twelfth Night, Metamorphoses: Based on the Myths of Ovid, Tartuffe, Oil and Water and Copenhagen. She directed Bakkhai, The Diary of Anne Frank and As You Like It for the Stratford Festival. Currently her production of Tell Tale Harbour is on the Main Stage at the Charlottetown Festival, and she is in rehearsals for Scott Jones and Robert Chafe’s game changing “I Forgive You.” Tempting Providence, her collaboration with Robert Chafe for Theatre Newfoundland Labrador, toured internationally for 12 years.

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Meegwun Fairbrother

Meegwun Fairbrother is of Ojibway and Scottish origin, from Treaty 3 territory. He is a graduate of York University’s Acting Conservatory. In addition to being an award-winning actor, Meegwun is also a talented Northern traditional dancer and singer.

Meegwun has appeared in the role of Owen Beckbie on BURDEN OF TRUTH for four seasons. He has enjoyed performing in five seasons of the television series, Mohawk Girls for APTN. Additional television work to his credit includes two leading roles (twins) in Syfy series Helix; a recurring lead on Netflix’s Hemlock Grove and guest appearances on The Beaverton, Murdoch Mysteries and Haven. His feature film credits include roles in Beeba Boys for Deepa Mehta and Breakout for Damien Lee.

An award-winning stage actor and playwright, Meegwun Fairbrother continues to perform in theatres across the country. In 2019, he mounted a hugely successful one-man show Isitwendam (An Understanding) at Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto, about whether healing has an expiry date; it was produced by Bound to Create Theatre and earned 4 Dora Award nominations.

He enjoys teaching art-based workshops, as well as Okichitaw Martial Arts to indigenous youth throughout North America.

Jack Grinhaus

Jack Grinhaus is an award winning and nominated theatre artist that has worked in various streams of theatre as Artistic Director, director, producer, designer, playwright, and actor with numerous theatre, TV, and film credits.
As an artistic leader he has held numerous positions nationally. He is the current Artistic Director at Vertigo Theatre in Calgary, was Artistic Director for the Canadian regional theatre Theatre NorthWest (2014-2019) in BC, was the Associate Artistic Director for The Grand Theatre, and is Co-Artistic Director of the Indie hit company B2C Theatre (www.boundtocreate.com).
Jack’s writing includes Rougher Trade, The Complex: A Toronto Tale, Toronto Without Words I, the original adaptation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, Hedda Noir, which won him Artist of the Year 2018 from the PG Citizen, and is co-creator of the multi Dora nominated national tour of Isitwendam (An Understanding). He has also translated Yael Ronen’s Nutcase as part of Pleiades Theatre’s Translators Unit and created the concept for the B2C film, Elle’s Valley.
Recent Directing Credits Include: Isitwendam (Native Earth Performing Arts/B2C/Talking Stick/RMTC/Four Dora Mavor Moore Nominations), ART (Persephone Theatre/Nomination Outstanding Direction/SAT Awards), Hedda Noir , Million Dollar Quartet, It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play, Alice in Wonderland, Half Life, The Secret Mask (Theatre NorthWest), Last Christmas (Lunchbox/Workshop Series), dirty butterfly (B2C/Obsidian Theatre), Phaedra’s Lust (Tapestry New Opera/B2C), Taming of the Shrew (Grand Theatre HSP), Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project), Saved (Toronto Fringe Festival/Patron’s Pick/Best of Venue), Ghosts (AD/Morris Panych/Soulpepper), Playing Cards Part 1: Spades (Observer/AD/Robert Lepage/Ex-Machina). He also recently directed the B2C Film Elle’s Valley. Upcoming: Gaslight (Vertigo Theatre).
Jack was part of the 2010 Canadian Stage BASH Directors Residency as well as the inaugural Director’s Lab North at Tarragon Theatre, was a contributor to the World Theatre Encyclopedia and holds an MFA and BA Honours in Theatre from York University’s Theatre program, an Associate Degree in Acting from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and has studied intensely with internationally renowned artists Uta Hagen, Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, and Graham McLaren.

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Ronnie Burkett

Ronnie Burkett has been captivated by puppetry since the age of seven and began touring his shows around Alberta at the age of fourteen. Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes was formed in 1986, continuously playing on Canada’s major stages, and as a guest company on numerous tours abroad.

Ronnie received the 2009 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, The Herbert Whittaker Drama Bench Award for Outstanding Contribution to Canadian Theatre, a Village Voice OBIE Award, and four Citations of Excellence from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette. In 2019, Ronnie Burkett was appointed as an Officer of The Order of Canada.

Peter McKinnon

Peter McKinnon has had a long life in the theatre that has included many roles. He was a lighting designer and technical director for dance and opera for a decade, that included more touring than he cares to remember. He founded two theatre companies as general manager, and later became a producer in Edinburgh and New York both off- and on-Broadway. He taught theatre production at Toronto’s York University for 36 years, and was on the Executive Committee of OISTAT for 16 of those years. He was in charge of “local arrangements” for the first World Stage Design in Toronto in 2005, and survived. He was one of the editors for new Theatre Words, and co-edited the two volume World Scenography with Eric Fielding. He is launching what he hopes will be his last book, Sailors and Stagehands, at WSD in Calgary.

Stacy Dimitropoulos

Stacy Dimitropoulos joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2015 first as Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor then was promoted to Wardrobe Supervisor. Stacy has worked in theatre production and the art world for over 25 years in many positions including Wardrobe Coordinator, Wardrobe Buyer and Design Assistant for companies such as The Shaw Festival and Livent. Stacy is a graduate of York University’s Theatre production program, graduating with an Honours MFA in theatre design and production.

Sofia Pantouvaki

Sofia Pantouvaki is a scenographer, researcher, and Professor of Costume Design at Aalto University, Finland. She is an awarded practising designer for theatre, opera and dance productions in European venues and curator of many international projects. She is Chair of Critical Costume, Vice-Head for Research OISTAT Costume Sub-commission, an editor of the journal Studies in Costume and Performance, and lead editor of the book ‘Performance Costume: New Perspectives and Methods’ (2021).

Dr Tanja Beer

Dr Tanja Beer is a Senior Lecturer in Design at Griffith University, Australia. Her extensive career as an ecological designer, community artist and researcher builds on more than 20 years of theatre practice. Tanja’s pioneering concept of Ecoscenography has been featured in numerous programs, exhibitions, articles and platforms around the world.