The Heretics Of Bohemia

Joseph Shragge

Joseph Shragge is the co-artistic director of the Montreal-based independent theatre company Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre. Recent writing credits include: co-translator of Medea (Scapegoat Carnivale, Centaur Brave New Looks, 2010), Perv (Edgy Women Festival, Studio 303, 2011), Moshe Feldstein: Icon of Self-Realization (New York Fringe, 2011), and Vertip (Urban Tales, Centaur Theatre Company/Theatre Urbi & Orbi, 2011). His performance pieces  in collaboration with Leslie Baker have been performed in Montreal, San Francisco and Bulgaria and his short fiction, translations and adaptations have appeared in Matrix Magazine, Snap, Phantasmagoria and The Capilano Review. Upcoming projects include The Bacchae (co-translator with Andreas Apergis), and Bar Kapra the Squirrel Hunter.

www.moshefeldstein.com

www.scapegoatcarnivaletheatre.com

Cast & Production

CAST:

Andreas Apergis

During the last fifteen years, Andreas has been steadily working in film, television and theatre. Fluently trilingual (English, French and Greek), this native Montrealer has had the good fortune to act in both official languages. Working in Toronto and Montreal, he has had recurring roles in such televised series as: CTV’s The City, Fx the Series and CBC’s bilingual epic on motorcycle gangs in The last Chapter / Le Dernier Chapitre parts 1 and 2. In the French language, Andreas has held down key roles in several Quebec productions, most notably in TVA’s long running dramatic comedy Tribu.com, Radio Canada’s La Parts des Anges and Jean Claude Lord’s Lobby. On the silver screen, Andreas co-starred opposite Pascale Montpetit in L’Invention de L’amour and also worked with Gene Hackman in David Mamet’s crime caper Heist. Andreas frequently works in the theatre, having collaborated with many Montreal companies including Scapegoat Carnivale, Infinitheatre, Centaur Theatre, Projet Porte Parole and lending a hand in the development of new plays by participating in the activities of Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal. Plays that Andreas has performed in of late include Infinitheatre’s Barnacle Wood, Trevor Ferguson’s Long, Long, Short, Long, which received 2 Les Masques nominations, Goldoni’s La Veuve Rusee at the Rideau Vert, Jean Marc Dalpe’s Trick or Treat, and the central character of Angelo in Centaur’s production of Mambo Italiano, which went on to become the most successful stage play in the history of the Centaur Theatre. Andreas has performed Mambo Italiano to over 100 000 people including a 6 week engagement at Toronto’s famed Elgin Theatre. Andreas also co-directed and starred in Scapegoat Carnivale’s 2010 production Medea at the Centaur Theatre, which won a MECCA award for best production.

Allan Michael Brunet

Allan Michael Brunet is a theatre artist who has contributed to the creation of over a hundred productions. As well as being a versatile character actor, Allan Michael is also a respected lighting designer, puppeteer, translator and theatre director. After spending ten years performing and touring as a puppeteer with the prestigious Théâtre de la Dame de Coeur and Cirque du Soleil, Allan Michael settled in Toronto to explore acting in front of the camera. He has recently appeared in over a dozen short and feature length films, three television series, one of the most successful exhibits of Toronto's 2011 Nuit Blanche (Honey, I'm Home), and the plays Apricots (Quiptake/SummerWorks Festival), Trudeautopia (Banquo's Banquet/Toronto Fringe Festival) and Marat/Sade (Soup Can Theatre). Allan Michael continues to explore the art of telling stories in all forms; as well as performing as a puppeteer in Scapegoat Carnivale's The Heretics of Bohemia, his translation of Le Trunk Collectif’s Traffik Femme will be presented at the Segal Centre in March and he is writing a short film that is scheduled to shoot in the summer.

Dan Jeannotte

Dan Jeannotte is a Montreal-born improviser, actor and writer. He was most recently seen on the Segal Centre stage as Alan Strang in Domy Reiter-Soffer’s production of Equus. His other theatre credits include It’s Not You, It’s Me (An Improvised Tragedy), Dark Owl, Possible Worlds, Till We Meet Again, Dance Animal, Cherry Docs, The Real Inspector Hound, Dracula, Hedda Gabler and As You Like It. Dan is a founding member of acclaimed comedy troupe Uncalled For – creators of award-winning shows like Hypnogogic Logic and Today Is All Your Birthdays and inventors of the sketch comedy website WeAreUncalledFor.com.

Catherine Lemieux

Catherine is a graduate of the Dawson College Theatre program (1998). Fresh out of school, she toured (in Canada and the U.S.A.) with Repercussion Theatre in Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has performed in both the Montreal and the New York City Fringe festivals. In 1999, Cat was honored to be nominated for a MECCA award for Best Actress. Other theatre credits include: the unglued Sue in the Montréal Premiere production of Judith Thompson’s Lion in the Streets, the venerable Lillian in 7 Stories, the brash Helen in Problem Child, Amandine in the bilingual production of Dark Owl (all with Tableau D’Hôtes Theater). She also assistant directed the acclaimed production of A Line in the Sand at the Segal Center . With Sheep in Fog she played the unforgettable Lynette in Jesus Jello (Winner 2010 Mainline award) & more recently played Sue in The Birth of Weza or Go F@#k your Mother. In September 2011, Cat was proud to play the part of Ruthie, a mentally deficient federal prison inmate in Zeitgeist Theater Collective’s production of Unfit For Bears. Film credits include Régina in Jean Claude Lauzon’s masterful film Léolo (1992), and Plum Pudding in Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s Oscar et la Dame Rose (2009).

Morgan Nerenberg

As a young boy, Morgan developed a love of puppets and storytelling, but when he was told it was time for him to grow up, he put those loves aside. Since then he has decided that growing up is a pointless endeavour and has recaptured the loves of his youth. To help in those ends Morgan attended John Abbott College's professional theatre program and is currently studying at Concordia University in Theatre and Development. 

Leni Parker

This will be Leni’s second show with Scapegoat Carnivale and she’s very HAPPY to be part of this wonderful team!
Recent work: The Pit and the Pendulum for WildSide Fest.; Big Plans for In The Rough Prod.; Beethoven Lives Upstairs and A Christmas Carol for Geordie Productions; Champs de Mars, Down From Heaven, Isadora: Fabulist, The Baroness and the Pig (which won best English production at the 2008 MECCA’s & best English language production from the French Critics Association), all for Imago Theatre. For Centaur Theatre: True Nature, Age of Arousal, A Comedy of Errors (co-pro with The NAC), and Assorted Candies (for which she was awarded a Best Actress 2007 MECCA and nominated for a 2007 Masques Award). For The Segal Centre, she performed in Inherit The Wind in 2009. Under the direction of Alison Darcy, she played King Basilio in Life Is a Dream with Scapegoat Carnivale. Leni was part of the original French production Tout comme elle directed by Brigette Haenjens. In the autumn of 2009, Leni voiced the character of The Drinking Patroness for Nathalie Claude’s Le Salon Automate, which played at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. In film and television, she has appeared in features/TV movies; to name a few: The Words, Passport, Orphan, Mr. Nobody, Afterwards, Out of Control, and Earth: Final Conflict. Leni also does extensive voice work and sometimes teaches at Geordie Theatre School.

Michel Perron

Born in Richmond, Quebec, Michel trained at Dawson College in Montreal in the professional theatre program from 1980 to 1983. There he discovered his calling in life, and developed a serious passion for theatre. That passion has grown through the years and has come to include cabaret, musicals, film, television, radio and TV ads, dubbing, original voice animation, and the list goes on. He has been fortunate enough to have worked with many fine actors, directors and technicians and in the past 20 years has appeared in over 40 stage productions, 55 films, 10 television series, 20 TV ads, 30 radio spots, and given life to many cartoon characters. A versatile character actor, Michel is at ease with both dramatic and comic parts, striving to bring a colourful truth to each one of his roles. He has also come to be known for his sense of humour and his love of life.

Anana Rydvald

Born in Stockholm, Sweden and brought up in Denmark, she first came to Montreal to study at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens at the age of 12. Since then she trained as an actress and mask artist in both Europe and Canada and eventually became a teacher at John Abbott College in Mime and Improvisation. Before settling down in Montreal she worked as an actress for several years with the renowned Scandinavian Theatre group Cantabile 2 that creates site-specific performances around the world. She was the co-founder of Mask On! Productions, a company devoted to work on critical issues through the playfulness of masks. With her own company Level 4 Theatre she launched her solo performance Section O directed by Stacey Christodoulou which won her a MECCA revelation award. She has taught mask work and acting in and around Montreal, as well as at an orphanage in India and the School of Stage Arts in Denmark while working on film and television here and abroad. This summer she played the role of Lady Macbeth in Repercussion Theatre’s production of Macbeth that toured Montreal. Aside from raising her 3 yr. old twins some other favorite roles have been in The Other Theatre’s Galapagos at the Centaur, Insightout company’s Frida Khalo in Florida and The Off Ramp Ensemble’s Borealis at the Summerworks Festival in Toronto.

Felicia Shulman

Felicia is stoked to be working with all of these fine people, puppets and collaborating with Scapegoat Carnivale. Thanx to Alison and Joe for their creative love and persistence. Felicia was last seen as Mrs. Van Daan on the Segal stage in The Diary Of Anne Frank (M. Kash). Many moons ago she sang, danced and made merry in the musical Jeanne (R. Peace, V. de Tourdonnet) and portrayed the youngest of The Sisters Rosensweig (R. Peace). Recently, at the Centaur in True Nature (A. Kellock); Schwartz's: The Musical (R. Surette, Award: Best Ensemble, Cinéressources 2011); for Talisman, The Flood Thereafter (E. Tibaldo). Felicia does voiceovers, videogames, cartoons, film/TV but is most thrilled when returning to her true love, live theatre. Felicia dedicates her performance to Bohemian hearts everywhere!

Paul Van Dyck

Since graduating from Queen’s University, Paul has performed in dozens of film, television, and theatre productions. He recently performed in the world premiere of Ms. Right Now in Halifax, following a presentation of his award-winning adaptation of Paradise Lost in New York City. As Artistic Director of Rabbit in a Hat Productions, Paul has created many critically acclaimed plays including The Cyclops, Sahara Crossing, and Haunted (recently produced by Hudson Village Theatre), as well as directing several premieres, including Katharine Dempsey’s penumbra, and Jim Burke’s Cornered. The award-winning Miss Sugarpuss Must Die!, which Paul directed and co-wrote, was recently presented here at Segal Centre, while his newest play, The Harvester, will be premiering at the upcoming Montreal Fringe Festival.

PRODUCTION:
Todd Bricker (Stage Manager)

Todd is celebrating his 20th year stage managing theatre in Canada and abroad and is thrilled to be a part of such an exciting group of artists. His past credits include: The Play’s The Thing, La Sagouine, Blithe Spirit, Inherit The Wind, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, I, Claudia, Shakespeare For My Father, A Doll House, The Tempest, Man of La Mancha, A Night In November & Major Barbara for The Segal Theatre; The Dollar Woman for Theatre New Brunswick; Heroes, Blood Brothers and The Blonde, The Brunette & The Vengeful Redhead for The 1000 Islands Playhouse; The Fly Fisher’s Companion for Hudson Village Theatre; The Comedy of Errors and With Bated Breath for The Centaur Theatre. He also stage managed Gareth Armstrong’s Shylock off-Broadway in NYC as well as in Hong Kong & Shanghai, China.

Zach Fraser (Puppet Director/Puppet Creator)

Zach is an actor, director, puppeteer & teacher. A graduate of École Philippe Gaulier (London/Paris) & Dalhousie University (NS), he also recently completed a practical masters in puppetry at UQÀM. Recent performances include The Game of Love & Chance (Centaur/CanStage), The Hanging of Francoise Laurent (Stranger/Blyth), Andersen’s Inkwell (Geordie) and Life is a Dream (Scapegoat Carnivale/Centaur). Recent directing includes Coma Unplugged (Talisman), Gogol’s Le Révizor (UdeM), …and stockings for the ladies (GKW), and The Fourposter (Montgomery, PEI). Upcoming projects include a new puppet creation for the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival in Almonte, Ontario in August. As a movement & mask teacher, Zach is on faculty at John Abbott College.

David Oppenheim (Composer/Musical Director)

David Oppenheim is a member of Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre, and has been performing, composing and directing music for theatre since 2003. His past projects include The Scavenger's Daughter (Roy Street Collective) and The Works (Montreal Fringe Festival), Life Is a Dream (Centaur Theatre), and Medea (Centaur Theatre), which won a a MECCA award for Best Production. His musical inspiration comes from a wide variety of genres including jazz, experimental music, and folk music from around the world. He is also a member of the gypsy-punk band Roma Carnivale.

Laird MacDonald (Lighting Designer)

Laird is a Montreal-born Lighting and Set Designer, Technical Director and Production Manager with more than 14 years in the industry. He teaches Lighting Design at Humber College in Toronto. He has created and helped to realize a variety of productions, including opera, theatre, environmental productions, and black box shows. Laird is a Dora-nominated Lighting Designer and has been a designer as well as Technical Director on many Dora-nominated and winning productions, and continues to enjoy working on many different projects in live performance and fine arts.

Julie Bourbonnais (Set Designer)

Julie Bourbonnais has been working as a Freelance Artistic Director with diverse experience in Theater, Architecture, Fashion and Cinema. Having Graduated from The National Theater School, she has worked on many artistic projects nationally and internationally.The range of her experience is what makes her work unique. She brings authenticity to her projects and knows how to fascinate any audience.

Susana Vera (Costume Designer)

Susana has enjoyed working as costume designer and/or couturière for the last 12 years.  She received her BFA with honors in studio painting prior to studying at the renowned Dalhousie University Costume program.  Recent design credits: EQUUS and Inherit the Wind for the Segal Centre, Intimate Apparel and Death and the Maiden for the Centaur, The Brazilian and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde for Theatre Lac Brome and Swan Song of Maria for Black Theatre Workshop. Both EL12  for La Otra Orilla touring in Quebec and Haunted Hillbilly for Sidemart Theatrical Grocery, now playing at Centaur, have remounted this spring. Susana has received a MECCA for costume design of The Jungle Book for Geordie Productions. 

John Dodge (Musician)

John has been playing music professionally for 25 years. He has played Tuba, Guitar and/or Bass in many bands, taking him to clubs and festivals around Eastern Canada and the States. He has his music degree from Concordia University, where he studied jazz and classical bass with Eric Lagace. He also has his teaching degree from Mcgill, and has worked as a music teacher in high schools around Montreal for many years. Most often he can be found playing Sousaphone with Roma Carnivale or The Fat Tuesday Brass Band.

Alison Darcy (Director)

Alison is a  National Theatre School of Canada graduate and the co-founder and Co-Artistic Director of Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre. As well as directing, producing, dramaturging and teaching theatre, Alison has been acting professionally since she was 8 years old.  Some of her acting credits include roles in Age of Arousal (Centaur), A Doll House (Saidye), Bye Bye Baby (Imago/Centaur), Brahm and the Angel (Geordie), Speak Easy (Sabooge), Bash: Latterday plays (Muttertung), Small Returns (Infinitheatre/November) for which she won the 2002 MECCA Best Actress award, girls!girls!girls! (Theatro Commanici), Taking Sides (Centaur), and various film and television productions.
Some of her directorial works include Hyena Subpoena (Catkidd/scapegoat), the award-winning Medea (Centaur/Scapegoat), Life Is a Dream (Centaur/Scapegoat), The Works (Scapegoat) Things Are Bad – Ijumpile Lendaba (South Africa's Mopo Productions/Scapegoat), Last Call (Scapegoat/NCTF/Uno Festival), Real Estate (Centaur), Bash: Latterday plays (Muttertung) winner of two 2005 MECCA awards, The Scavenger's Daughter (Roy St. Collective), The Unknown Citizen (Project Porte Parole), Burning Cage (Woman Alone) winner of the Best Pick of the Victoria and Seattle Fringe, Devil Catching (FEAST! Co-op) and assistant directed Copenhagen (Centaur) for Maurice Podbrey.
Alison has been a company member, director and creator with various companies including Muttertung Theatre, November Company and Jedouin film productions. She has worked closely with Clyde Henry Productions, Ubisoft, Peter Hinton and Mopo Productions.

Tammy Keys (Assistant Stage Manager)

Tammy Keys graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Drama and Theatre Studies, where she wrote her award winning dissertation on “The Female Body in Performance Art.” Hailing from Britain and recently moved to Canada, she has worked on such shows as The Wild Party directed by Jonathon Patterson and 7 Stories directed by Gary Plaxton. Tammy’s passion for the theatre allows her to get involved in any way possible, from playwriting and acting to stage management. The Heretics of Bohemia is by far the most exciting and challenging production she has worked on to date and she has loved it every step of the way, witnessing the puppets and actors evolve and bring the comedy of the script to life.

About the Company:
Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre
Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre is an independent Montreal-based theatre company, founded in 2006. The company’s past productions include Last Call (Monument National; MECCA winner for Best Actress – Holly O’Brien), The Works (Montreal Fringe Festival), Life Is a Dream (Centaur Theatre; nominated for three MECCA awards), Medea (Centaur Theatre; winner of two MECCA awards for Best Actress – France Rolland, and Best Production), and Catherine Kidd’s Hyena Subpoena (Les Ateliers Jean Brillant). Upcoming productions include a new translation of The Bacchae (Centaur Theatre) in Fall 2012, and Joseph Shragge’s Bar Kapra the Squirrel Hunter (Segal Centre) in Spring 2013.