Monica Emme

Props Designer

Monica Emme (she/her) is a props creator, set designer, fabricator, and puppet maker currently based in the Vancouver. Some favourite credits include: production design for “The Old Man and the Old Moon” (Arts Umbrella); Props for “In My Day” (Zee Zee Theatre), “Messiah” (Pacific Theatre), “Iron Peggy” (Boca del Lupo),“Stiles and Drewe’s The Three Little Pigs” (Carousel Theatre for Young People). Images and full credit list can be found at www.monicaemme.com

Jennica Grienke

Director

Jennica has been as an actor, producer, and director with TYA companies across the country and spent four years as an Artistic Associate at Persephone Theatre before taking over CTYP. She studied at both the University of Winnipeg, where she graduated with Honours in performance, and the Studio 58 Acting conservatory in Vancouver, where she currently teaches acting. Since her graduation in 2012, Jennica has toured extensively with Green Thumb Theatre, Quest Theatre (Calgary), and as a solo performer in her pieces This Time I Get What I Want and An Inheritance, which was published in 2013 and featured in the Sarasvati Transformative 2014 Winnipeg FemFest. A recent career highlight includes directing Jabber, For Arts Sake, and It’s A Wonderful LIfe: The Radio Play  for Persephone, and Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls for Carousel, for which she won the Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Direction. This season she will direct Oz, a co-production with Victoria’s Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People. Jennica is ecstatic to bring her passion for creating magical experiences for young people through the power of theatre to CTYP.

Taylor MacKinnon

Stage Manager

Taylor is ecstatic to be back with Carousel Theatre for their production of Oz. Taylor is a proud graduate of the Technical Theatre program at Capilano University. They have previously worked on Instantaneous Blue (Mitch and Murray) Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls (Carousel Theatre for Young People), Lights (Touchstone Theatre), We the Same (Ruby Slippers Theatre), Steel Magnolias (Boone Dog Productions), and The Twelve Dates of Christmas (The Arts Club).

Megan Zong

Dot

Megan Zong is a Chinese-Canadian actor originally from Treaty 6 Territory (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) but currently based on the unceded and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (Vancouver, British Columbia). She received her B.F.A in Acting from the University of Saskatchewan and has been working professionally in theatre for the past five years. She has performed in both indoor and outdoor stages across Saskatchewan in plays and musicals. Select acting credits include: Wahkohtowin, The Young Ones (Sum Theatre); Chicago, Mamma Mia, The Hobbit (Globe Theatre); Boeing Boeing, Pride and Prejudice (Persephone Theatre). Megan is also an emerging playwright and producer with her company Yin Yang Theatre. Her semi-autobiographical play Unmasked about her experience with psychosis premiered last year in Saskatoon. Through Persephone Theatre’s 2021-22 Playwrighting Unit, Megan developed a TYA show titled My Name Is… about celebrating one’s cultural identity amidst discrimination and repression faced by many BIPOC youth. Having never seen Asian representation in media or toys as a child, Megan hopes that her TYA play will give kids a sense of belonging.

Stephen Thakkar

L Frank Baum

Stephen is a multi-disciplinary actor and singer-songwriter thrilled to be making his Carousel Theatre Debut. He fell in love with theatre as a kid when his parents took him to see Wicked, and his love for performing has only grown over the years. Previous Credits: Christmas Carol & The 39 Steps (Chemainus Theatre), Smoky Mountain (Arts Club), Dreamcatchers & The Voices of Canada (Charlottetown Theatre Festival). Aside from acting, Stephen will be releasing his debut alternative music album “Growing Pains” later this year. When not performing, he loves to ski, play guitar, and hang out with his dog Phoenix. Upcoming, he will be putting on his Blue Suede Shoes and playing The King himself “Elvis Presley” in Million Dollar Quartet at The Arts Club. He is a Musical Theatre Graduate from Sheridan College.

Melanie Yeats

Bridgey

Melanie is a theatre maker living on the unceded stolen territories of the the xʷməθkwəy̓əm
(Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
She has worked for more than 25 years in performing arts and holds a BFA in Theatre
Performance from SFU.
As a Performer, Dramaturg, Director, Playwright, and Intimacy Director, Melanie has worked
with companies such as Tara Cheyenne Performance, re:Naissance Opera, Universal Limited,
Music On Main, Upintheair, Neworld, Joe Ink, Boca del Lupo, Pi Theatre, and more,
collaborating on many new works, including interdisciplinary projects with theatre, dance, and
music artists. Up next, she’ll be serving as Intimacy Director with Bard on the Beach for As You
Like It and Julius Caesar.
Melanie is proud to serve as Creative Managing Director at Playwrights Theatre Centre.

Ash Shotton

Technical Director

Ash Shotton (they/them) is a theatre tech turning technical director and production manager. They’ve been based in Vancouver since 2018, after they graduated from VIU in Nanaimo and then had a short stint in the Bermuda triangle. They are passionate about the arts, and working with projects by and about underrepresented demographics. Recent TD/PM work includes Men Express Their Feelings (Zee Zee Theatre), Marjorie Prime (Ensemble Theatre Company), Pass Over (Ensemble Theatre Company), and In My Day (Zee Zee Theatre).

Donnie Tejani

Costume Designer

Donnie Tejani is a Jessie Award winning costume designer as well as the sole proprietor of his costume shop and rental house “In The Wings Costume Co.” built alongside his mentor, Christina Sinosich. Having established his career in musical theatre, he found himself dressing on the wardrobe and wig teams on seven Stanley musicals with the Arts Club and has recently shifted his focus to costume design. Donnie is also a wig stylist working primarily in the drag scene under the title, “OMGwigs” where his work has been featured on the runway of Canada’s Drag Race and all over the world. Recent Credits: Rocky Horror (Studio 58), Like It Or Not (Green Thumb Theatre), Anne of Green Gables (Gateway Theatre), Call Me Mother S2 (OUTtv). Upcoming: For Now (Green Thumb Theatre), Division Infinity Saves the World! (Neworld Theatre), Crazy For You (RCMT) @donnietejani

Ryan Cormack

Set Designer

Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Film from Queen’s University and studied set and costume design at The National Theatre School of Canada. Design credits include: Yaga (Touchstone), A Shakesperience (Bard on The Beach), Mr. Burns (DSDM) If/Then, Bring it On! (QMT), Christina The Girl King (5th Co). As assistant: Done/Undone, Romeo & Juliet (Bard on The Beach ), Forgiveness, Kinky Boots (Arts Club), The Birds (Pacific Opera) The Jungle Book (Alberta Theatre Projects), Actually, The Great Divide (Harold Green/Obsidian).

Rebekah Jonhson

Lighting Designer

Rebekah is pleased to be designing for Carousel Theatre and this lovely production of OZ. Rebekah is the General Manager and resident designer for Blue Bridge Theatre in Victoria, where recent credits include ‘Around the World on 80 Days’, ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Ride The Cyclone’. Other recent credits include ‘Stones in His Pockets’ for Persephone Theatre, and ’90 Days’ for Western Gold. Rebekah is a sessional instructor at the University of Victoria, and also a graduate with a BFA (Theatre) and an MFA (Visual Art). She lives in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island – traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish people, and home to the Quw’utsun Tribe.

Mishelle Cuttler

Assistant Sound Designer

Sargil Tongol

Assistant Director

Sargil Tongol (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist from Surrey, B.C. He has recently graduated with BA Major in Theatre Studies and Minor in History from UBC, holds a Diploma from Douglas College in Theatre Performance and currently in the Bachelor of Education at UBC. Recent Directing Credits include: June Bug (Vancouver Fringe 2022), LifeCycle (IGNITE Youth Festival/UBC Players Club), Legoland (Vancouver Fringe 2019). It is Sargil’s hope as an educator, director and performer, to continue to express his knowledge and passion for theatre. He hopes to continue educating and inspiring others in finding their creativity and imagination through the arts. He would like to thank Carousel Theatre for Young People for this wonderful opportunity; as well as his family and partner, Ashley, for their continued support.