Twelfth Night - Cast & Crew
Shawn Ahmed - DUKE ORSINO
Shawn Ahmed is an award-winning actor and writer based out of Toronto. Theatre credits include: And Slowly Beauty… (Tarragon Theatre); Romeo and (Her) Juliet (Dauntless Theatre/Headstrong Collective); Macbeth (Driftwood Theatre); A Really Bad Play (Funny Face Productions); as well as Comedy of Errors, Revolutionary Moments, and More Words! More Play! with the historic Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts. Notable Film and TV credits include: Slasher (Chiller TV); Saw VI (Lionsgate); Ms Labelled (Slice TV); Max and Shred (Nickelodeon); Flight 93 (A&E); Rogue (Direct TV); Odd Squad (Sinking Ship); Fairyland (Epitome Pictures); as well as recent appearances on Orphan Black (BBC America) and Designated Survivor (ABC). Recently, Shawn co-wrote and co-starred in the mini-series Open Heart Burglary, created by Crazy Shirt Productions (a company he co-founded in 2012), and distributed by Bell Fibe TV1. Last Year, he co-created and starred in the award-winning mini-series Touring T.O., also with Bell. Currently, he is in development for his third show with the network, Fare Trade, which will premiere in the Spring of 2017. Sometimes I get drunk and write on Twitter @actinghockey.
Franziska Beeler - CURIO / MUSICIAN
Franziska is a Swiss-born, Toronto-based composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist. A jazz singer by training, Franziska performs live under her stage name Chère Françoise, singing in English, French and German. She has recorded her own music, some of which you can find on her website: www.cherefrancoise.com.
She is thrilled to be part of Twelfth Night, for which she is arranging the music and performing the songs on stage together with the cast.
She is thrilled to be part of Twelfth Night, for which she is arranging the music and performing the songs on stage together with the cast.
Augusto Bitter - SEA CAPTAIN / PASTOR FABIAN
Augusto Bitter is a bilingual actor, mover, singer, and writer born and raised in Venezuela. He is currently completing his Drama Specialist degree at the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto. He has also trained with YPT's "Antigone Project" and Canada's National Voice Intensive, and is a part of Aluna Theatre's Interpretation Lab. Select recent theatre credits include: Tideline (Hart House/Canadian Rep Theatre); Dreams / TOUGH! (Canadian Rep Theatre); #7Love (Froth Productions, SummerWorks 2016); Persephone (Pencil Kit Productions, Toronto Fringe 2016); Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Drama Centre); Taken by Night (Dreamwalker Dance Company). See him next in Our Town with Theatre Rusticle at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (March 26-April 2, 2017). He is ecstatic to be working with BASH'd for the first time and super thankful to James and Julia for including him in one of Shakespeare's most brilliant plays (a favourite ever since She's the Man) - he hopes to make Amanda Bynes proud. More at www.augustobitter.com.
Nate Bitton - ANTONIO / VALENTINE
A graduate of the UTM/Sheridan, Theatre and Drama Studies program, Nate is a busy member of the Toronto theatre scene. Nate is an actor, certified fight director, and stage combat instructor. Last year Nate was awarded the 2014 My Entertainment World – “Honorary Award” for his fight direction. Nate has had the pleasure of working as an actor and fight/movement director in numerous productions around Toronto and is currently the resident fight director at Hart House Theatre. Some favourite performance credits include: Laertes in Hamlet, Romeo/Iago/Ghost in Goodnight Desdemona…, Jamie in Bone Cage (Hart House Theatre), Lennox in Macbeth (Shakespeare BASH’d), Oliver in As You Like it (Rarely Pure Theatre) As Fight Director: Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, The Changeling, Edward II (Shakespeare Bash’d) The Philanderess (Truth ‘n’ Lies) Much Ado About Nothing, Tideline, Hamlet, Jesus Christ Superstar, Twelfth Night, Goodnight Desdemona… (Hart House Theatre) As You Like It (Theatre by the Bay) Half a League, Valkyrie, As You Like It (Rarely Pure Theatre), Mercury Fur (Seven Siblings) Nature of the Beast (safeword) Out With Dad – an award winning webseries (J. Leaver Presentations)
Currently Nate is also fight director for Carrie: The Musical at Hart House Theatre!
Twitter and Instagram: @frostbitton Website: www.natebitton.com
Currently Nate is also fight director for Carrie: The Musical at Hart House Theatre!
Twitter and Instagram: @frostbitton Website: www.natebitton.com
Daniel Briere - SIR TOBY BELCH
Daniel is tickled pink to be back with the gang at Shakespeare BASH'd!
You may have seen him straining to express the brevity of wit as Polonius in Hamlet last year. Some of his other theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet, King John, Antony and Cleopatra (Stratford Festival), Gone With the Wind (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), Les Laisons Dangereuses, and Shrew! (Storefront Theatre).
A graduate of the National Theatre School, Daniel also builds puppets, tells corny jokes, and his hat collection so far has hats from over four countries!
You may have seen him straining to express the brevity of wit as Polonius in Hamlet last year. Some of his other theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet, King John, Antony and Cleopatra (Stratford Festival), Gone With the Wind (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), Les Laisons Dangereuses, and Shrew! (Storefront Theatre).
A graduate of the National Theatre School, Daniel also builds puppets, tells corny jokes, and his hat collection so far has hats from over four countries!
Katherine Dermott - STAGE MANAGER
Recent Credits Include: The Audience (Royal MTC); Macbeth, The Hypochondriac, Festival Theatre Production Assistant. (Stratford Festival of Canada); Anne & Gilbert: The Musical, Alice Through the Looking-Glass, The Sound of Music (National Arts Centre); Tosca, Madama Butterfly (Opera Lyra Ottawa); This is War (Great Canadian Theatre Company); As You Like It, Hal & Falstaff, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry V (A Company of Fools); Pacino One Night Only (NAC Presentation).
Jade Douris - VIOLA
Jade Douris is an actor, producer, and choreographer who lives in Toronto.
For Shakespeare BASH’d: Hamlet, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Love’s Labour’s Lost. Other recent theatre: Pinocchio, As You Like It and King Lear (Shakespeare by the Sea – Halifax, NS), A Different Kind of Job (Theatre Aquarius), The Comedy of Errors (Dauntless City Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet (Shakespeare at Play), Juliet in Drunk Romeo and Juliet (exactly what is sounds like, for Dauntless City Theatre). Twitter and Instagram: @jadedouris Website: www.jadedouris.com.
Thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks to James and Julia for taking a chance and including a pushy audition crasher in your family, and to Drew for the love, support, encouragement, hugs, patience, kindness, sanity, and lattes. I’ll always have your backs; thank you for having mine.
For Shakespeare BASH’d: Hamlet, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Love’s Labour’s Lost. Other recent theatre: Pinocchio, As You Like It and King Lear (Shakespeare by the Sea – Halifax, NS), A Different Kind of Job (Theatre Aquarius), The Comedy of Errors (Dauntless City Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet (Shakespeare at Play), Juliet in Drunk Romeo and Juliet (exactly what is sounds like, for Dauntless City Theatre). Twitter and Instagram: @jadedouris Website: www.jadedouris.com.
Thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks to James and Julia for taking a chance and including a pushy audition crasher in your family, and to Drew for the love, support, encouragement, hugs, patience, kindness, sanity, and lattes. I’ll always have your backs; thank you for having mine.
Jesse Griffiths - MALVOLIO
Jesse is thrilled to be working again with the incredible team at Shakespeare BASH’d.
Theatre: Miracle on 34th Street, Stag and Doe, Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life (Theatre Orangeville), The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival), Two Gentlemen of Verona, Richard III, Cymbeline (Shakespeare in the Ruff), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Citadel Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare BASH’d), Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet (Resurgence Theatre Company), Rabbit Hole (Gladstone Theatre), As You Like it, Two Gentlemen of Verona (Brampton Theatre Festival), Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project), Escape from Grace (Toronto Fringe Festival) and The Unseen Hand (Paved Productions). Film and Television: Designated Survivor,Taken, Workin’ Moms, Dark Matter, The Expanse, Between, The Headhunter’s Calling, Satisfaction, Murdoch Mysteries, Reign. Good Intentions and Urban Legends. Other: Jesse is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School and a past participant of the Banff/Citadel Professional Theatre Program. Thanks to his family, friends and the Talent House team for their continued support. @thejessegriff
Theatre: Miracle on 34th Street, Stag and Doe, Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life (Theatre Orangeville), The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival), Two Gentlemen of Verona, Richard III, Cymbeline (Shakespeare in the Ruff), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Citadel Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare BASH’d), Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet (Resurgence Theatre Company), Rabbit Hole (Gladstone Theatre), As You Like it, Two Gentlemen of Verona (Brampton Theatre Festival), Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project), Escape from Grace (Toronto Fringe Festival) and The Unseen Hand (Paved Productions). Film and Television: Designated Survivor,Taken, Workin’ Moms, Dark Matter, The Expanse, Between, The Headhunter’s Calling, Satisfaction, Murdoch Mysteries, Reign. Good Intentions and Urban Legends. Other: Jesse is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School and a past participant of the Banff/Citadel Professional Theatre Program. Thanks to his family, friends and the Talent House team for their continued support. @thejessegriff
Jesse Nerenberg - SIR ANDREW AGUECHEEK
For Shakespeare BASH’d: Hamlet, Macbeth, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Much Ado About Nothing.
Selected Theatre: Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); Twelfth Night (Repercussion Theatre/Shakespeare in the Park Montreal); Romeo & Juliet (Citadel Theatre); Casimir & Caroline (Howland Company); Birth (Pandemic Theatre); Journey's End (Empty Room); one-man show The SantaLand Diaries (Frosty Co-op); Alan Strang in Equus (Hart House); Mary's Wedding (Brantbury Fair); Reefer Madness (LOT); Thumb (Prague Fringe); Bent (Theatre Engine); Serious Money (RTS/Nightwood).
Film, TV and Voice-Over: Slasher Digital (Shaftesbury Films), Private Eyes (Global TV), Touring T.O. (Bell Media), Warehouse 13 (SyFy), The Transporter(HBO Canada), Canadian Made and Storming Juno (History Television), Trust, INC. (CBC Radio).
Upcoming: Manitoba Premiere of The Whipping Man for Winnipeg Jewish Theatre.
Selected Theatre: Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); Twelfth Night (Repercussion Theatre/Shakespeare in the Park Montreal); Romeo & Juliet (Citadel Theatre); Casimir & Caroline (Howland Company); Birth (Pandemic Theatre); Journey's End (Empty Room); one-man show The SantaLand Diaries (Frosty Co-op); Alan Strang in Equus (Hart House); Mary's Wedding (Brantbury Fair); Reefer Madness (LOT); Thumb (Prague Fringe); Bent (Theatre Engine); Serious Money (RTS/Nightwood).
Film, TV and Voice-Over: Slasher Digital (Shaftesbury Films), Private Eyes (Global TV), Touring T.O. (Bell Media), Warehouse 13 (SyFy), The Transporter(HBO Canada), Canadian Made and Storming Juno (History Television), Trust, INC. (CBC Radio).
Upcoming: Manitoba Premiere of The Whipping Man for Winnipeg Jewish Theatre.
Julia Nish-Lapidus - MARIA
Julia is an actor, director, and producer, as well as a Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Shakespeare BASH'd, where she has produced all of the company's sold-out productions. She has worked as the Managing Director of Theatre Columbus and is now part of the team at The Theatre Centre.
For Shakespeare BASH'd, Julia has performed in The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Love's Labour's Lost, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Edward II (staged reading), Hamlet, and The Comedy of Errors (which she also directed).
Additional Selected Acting Credits: OVER, See Bob Run (Theatre Caravel), reasons to the pretty (The Labute Cycle), The Forest (Red One Theatre Collective).
Julia is a member of the Advisory Board for the Canadian Stage GYM program and a graduate of the joint acting program at UofT and Sheridan College.
For Shakespeare BASH'd, Julia has performed in The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Love's Labour's Lost, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Edward II (staged reading), Hamlet, and The Comedy of Errors (which she also directed).
Additional Selected Acting Credits: OVER, See Bob Run (Theatre Caravel), reasons to the pretty (The Labute Cycle), The Forest (Red One Theatre Collective).
Julia is a member of the Advisory Board for the Canadian Stage GYM program and a graduate of the joint acting program at UofT and Sheridan College.
Drew O'Hara - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
A proud maritimer, Drew is often an actor, sometimes a director and never a complainer. This is Drew’s third time out with Shakespeare BASH’d, but his first time with a fancy behind-the-scenes title! Previous onstage credits with BASH’d include Hamlet and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Some of Drew’s other acting credits include: The Taming of the Shew (Driftwood Theatre Group) A Different Kind of Job (Theatre Aquarius) Rabbit Hole (Neptune Theatre) Romeo and Juliet (Humber River Shakespeare) and many seasons with Halifax’s Shakespeare by the Sea. Drew trained at Ryerson Theatre School, and co-created the musical And Now, the End, which premiered at Toronto’s SummerWorks festival (2014).
Drew loves dogs, beer, rainy days, the fall, and his lady-friend Jade.
Drew loves dogs, beer, rainy days, the fall, and his lady-friend Jade.
Catherine Rainville - DESIGNER
Catherine is so happy to behind the scenes again with Shakespeare BASH’d.
She has spent the last few years wearing many different creative hats. Most recently she was acting with her family at Shakespeare by the Sea in Halifax as Rosalind in As You Like It, Cordelia in King Lear, and Jenny in the company written musical production of Pinocchio. BASH’d credits include: Director for Hamlet, Cardinal Pandaulph and Design for King John, Co Director for The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Widow in The Taming of the Shrew, and Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost. Other design credits: reasons to be pretty with Theatre Caravel and assisting on The Public Servant with Common Boots Theatre at the undercurrents festival at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
Love to Pat.
She has spent the last few years wearing many different creative hats. Most recently she was acting with her family at Shakespeare by the Sea in Halifax as Rosalind in As You Like It, Cordelia in King Lear, and Jenny in the company written musical production of Pinocchio. BASH’d credits include: Director for Hamlet, Cardinal Pandaulph and Design for King John, Co Director for The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Widow in The Taming of the Shrew, and Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost. Other design credits: reasons to be pretty with Theatre Caravel and assisting on The Public Servant with Common Boots Theatre at the undercurrents festival at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
Love to Pat.
Lesley Robertson - FESTE
Lesley is pumped to play her third (in a row) male Shakespearean role after playing Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing at Hart House in November and King John for Shakespeare BASH’d the previous November; she hopes to build a reputation as “that woman who keeps playing bad-ass male roles”. Originally from Waterloo, Lesley studied English literature at Queen’s and U of T (M.A.) before she dove into acting full-time at George Brown Theatre School. Lesley also expresses her creativity through the theatre collective Theatre Inamorata and her comedy band with Matt Shaw, The Diddlin’Bibbles. She has particular interests in comedy, classical theatre, and beer. Selected Credits: The Forest (Red One/Storefront), Nine Mile Portage (TBTB), Constance in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (Hart House), and Julia in Two Gents (SITR).
Hallie Seline - OLIVIA
Hallie Seline is a Montreal/Toronto-based actor, with her home base in Toronto. She is one of the founding members of The Howland Company and among the many other hats she likes to wear, from marketing, publicity, producing and sound design, she is also the Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of inthegreenroom.ca, a theatre/arts website.
For Shakespeare BASH'd: Macbeth, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Romeo and Juliet
Other Theatre Credits Include: Jonas and Barry in the Home (Bluewater Summer Playhouse), take rimbaud, Casimir & Caroline, 52 PICK-UP (The Howland Company); Shannon 10:40 (timeshare); Elephants in the Room Ensemble (Theatre Passe Muraille); Oliver! (Port Hope Festival Theatre); Mr. Marmalade (Fly By Night Theatre)
Selected Media Credits Include: Dorothy’s Secret (Short Film, Cloudy Day Productions, Official Selection of the 2015 Toronto International Short Film Festival & 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival); Mayday (Season 13, Cinefix Prod. Inc); Under the Same Sun (Documentary Voice Over, Skin Deep)
Hallie is a graduate of the joint University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College professional acting program, and has a diploma in Cinema, Video & Communications from Dawson College. She couldn't be more excited to be re-joining the BASH'd family for the fourth time with Twelfth Night!
w: hallieseline.com t: @HallieSeline
For Shakespeare BASH'd: Macbeth, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Romeo and Juliet
Other Theatre Credits Include: Jonas and Barry in the Home (Bluewater Summer Playhouse), take rimbaud, Casimir & Caroline, 52 PICK-UP (The Howland Company); Shannon 10:40 (timeshare); Elephants in the Room Ensemble (Theatre Passe Muraille); Oliver! (Port Hope Festival Theatre); Mr. Marmalade (Fly By Night Theatre)
Selected Media Credits Include: Dorothy’s Secret (Short Film, Cloudy Day Productions, Official Selection of the 2015 Toronto International Short Film Festival & 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival); Mayday (Season 13, Cinefix Prod. Inc); Under the Same Sun (Documentary Voice Over, Skin Deep)
Hallie is a graduate of the joint University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College professional acting program, and has a diploma in Cinema, Video & Communications from Dawson College. She couldn't be more excited to be re-joining the BASH'd family for the fourth time with Twelfth Night!
w: hallieseline.com t: @HallieSeline
James Wallis - DIRECTOR
James is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Shakespeare BASH’d.
For Shakespeare BASH’d: (actor) Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew (2012, 2015), Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (2013), Hamlet in Hamlet (2016); (director) A Midsummer Night’s Dream - a staged reading (2011), Romeo and Juliet (2012), Love’s Labour’s Lost (2014), Macbeth (2014), The Merry Wives of Windsor (2015 Co-Director), Edward II - a staged reading (2015) King John (2015), The Changeling - a staged reading (2016)
James other credits as a director include: reasons to be pretty (The Labute Cycle), As You Like It (Theatre by the Bay), Shakespeare in Hospitals (Spur of the Moment)
James just finished his first season at the Stratford Festival in 2016 as part of Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction. He was the assistant director on Macbeth and the world premiere of Bunny. He is returning in 2017 for his second season as assistant director of Romeo and Juliet.
For Shakespeare BASH’d: (actor) Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew (2012, 2015), Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (2013), Hamlet in Hamlet (2016); (director) A Midsummer Night’s Dream - a staged reading (2011), Romeo and Juliet (2012), Love’s Labour’s Lost (2014), Macbeth (2014), The Merry Wives of Windsor (2015 Co-Director), Edward II - a staged reading (2015) King John (2015), The Changeling - a staged reading (2016)
James other credits as a director include: reasons to be pretty (The Labute Cycle), As You Like It (Theatre by the Bay), Shakespeare in Hospitals (Spur of the Moment)
James just finished his first season at the Stratford Festival in 2016 as part of Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction. He was the assistant director on Macbeth and the world premiere of Bunny. He is returning in 2017 for his second season as assistant director of Romeo and Juliet.
Jeff Yung - SEBATSIAN
Jeff Yung is a Dora Award Nominated actor and theatre divisor.
Works include: Comfort (Red Snow Collective),Trompe La Mort (Live Lobster Theatre), Hana Hashimoto Sixth Violin (Carousel Players), King John, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare BASH’d), Monday Nights (6th Man Collective/The Theatre Centre), And Now, The End (anteUP productions), The Story (Theatre Columbus), Radical (Gruff Pyg), Pu-Erh (k’NOW Theatre), Banana Boys (fu-Gen Theatre), and The Forbidden Phoenix (YPT, MTYP).
Jeff is also an avid baller, martial artist, and occasional spoken word poet/emcee.
Works include: Comfort (Red Snow Collective),Trompe La Mort (Live Lobster Theatre), Hana Hashimoto Sixth Violin (Carousel Players), King John, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare BASH’d), Monday Nights (6th Man Collective/The Theatre Centre), And Now, The End (anteUP productions), The Story (Theatre Columbus), Radical (Gruff Pyg), Pu-Erh (k’NOW Theatre), Banana Boys (fu-Gen Theatre), and The Forbidden Phoenix (YPT, MTYP).
Jeff is also an avid baller, martial artist, and occasional spoken word poet/emcee.