March 12–23, 2025 (*Studio Theatre)
Age of Arousal by Linda Griffiths
*Wildly inspired by The Odd Women by George Gissing*
Director: Victoria Shepherd
Dive into Age of Arousal, a powerful ensemble piece by acclaimed playwright Linda Griffiths. Set in an era of tumultuous change, this play explores the forbidden and gloriously liberated self, where characters grapple with explosive and contradictory desires. Griffiths, a winner of five Dora Mavor Moore Awards and a Gemini Award, crafts a provocative and compelling narrative that you won’t want to miss.
To read a review of Age of Arousal by Istvan Dugalin
To hear a Radio Canada interview with producer Valérie Carrier
To hear a Stageleft interview with producer Kimberley Ann Croscup
This production is generously supported by
*Age of Arousal is held in Alumnae Theatre’s third-floor walk-up studio, which is not currently wheelchair accessible.
The Director and The Producer
VICTORIA SHEPHERD/DIRECTOR
Victoria Shepherd enters her fourth decade of directing as a proud member of the ATC since 2004. Victoria has directed several productions for the company’s Mainstage (Summer and Smoke; August: Osage County; andIn The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)), as well as the New Ideas Festival, Big Ideas, Next Stage and its Cyber Reads Series. Outside the ATC, Victoria has helmed productions at the Village Players, Amicus Productions, and the Toronto Fringe Festival as well as the premiere productions of Chloe Whitehorn’s The Pigeon and Waltzing With Puppets and Andrew Batten’s The Sad Blisters. Victoria is eternally grateful to her master carpenter husband, Brent, who completes all of her worlds, her triple-threat daughter Viv, who lends her glorious voice to her soundtracks, and this courageous company, which has brought this challenging production to life
VALERIE CARRIER/PRODUCER
Valérie’s involvement in theatre started in Montreal. Then expatriated in London (UK), she got involved with the French theatre community and played in Ring (Camille), Under Milk Wood, Les Belles-soeurs (Germaine Lauzon) and produced and played Isabelle in The Orphan Muses. Back in Toronto, she performed in short movies, commercial spots, TV shows, and web series. Valérie’s prior involvement with Alumnae includes performing in Albertine in Five Times, Boom Baby (2022 FireWorks Festival), String of Pearls, and If We Were Birds. Valérie is also a board member of the Théâtre français de Toronto. She got a taste of producing with Alumnae as an associate producer of The Children and is brave enough to do it again, as a producer, with Age of Arousal.
KIMBERLEY ANN CROSCUP/PRODUCER
Kimberley Ann is an actor who writes, directs, and produces! She is a graduate of both the Three-Year Conservatory Program at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Neighborhood Playhouse Summer Conservatory in New York City. Age of Arousal is Kimberley Ann’s eleventh production with the Alumnae Theatre and her fifth as a producer. Producing highlights include Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike and The Heidi Chronicles. On Alumnae’s stage, she’s played Tess in The Female of the Species, Mrs. Daldry in In The Next Room, and Jessie Mae in The Trip to Bountiful. To see what mischief she is cooking up next, follow Kimberley Ann on The Internets @kimcroscup.
The Actors
ANDREA LYONS/ALICE
Andrea is currently playing Jane Mallett in Shadows in the Nooks here at Alumnae. Other cool shows include Christmas at the Roadside Diner (Women at Play(s) Festival), Late Company (Village Players, ACT-CO award for Best Production: Drama), The Caligula Exiles, String of Pearls, August: Osage County (Alumnae), Much Ado About Nothing, and All’s Well That Ends Well (Dauntless City Theatre). She was the voice of Trixie Dixon, Girl Detective, for eleven seasons in the old-time radio show Black Jack Justice (Decoder Ring Theatre). Andrea is Cohost/Coproducer of SNAK The Show, a four-minute talk show that celebrates Canadian talent. Check it out at snaktheshow.com.
CATE McKIM/MARY BARFOOT
Cate’s acting credits include Time Limits Dropped on Easter Sunday (Wonder Jones Productions, Digital Toronto Fringe), The Sad Blisters (Glass Hammer Productions), Wit and Lady Windermere’s Fan (Alumnae Theatre), and her solo show, Being Cecil Graham (New Ideas Festival and Slaw Festival). She also appears in the award-winning film adaptation of Catherine Hernandez’s acclaimed novel Scarborough. A George Brown Theatre School grad based in Toronto, she works as a content writer for Young W, freelance copy editor, and non-union voice-over talent; she’s also the blogger behind life with more cowbell. Huge thanks to Victoria and the entire AoA team for this visceral, sexy, and fun journey! IG: @lifewithmorecowbell
NATALIE PEPE-FRANCIS/MONICA
Natalie is a Toronto-based actor, singer, and performer with a background in musical theatre and vocal training under Rick Kish. She has appeared in productions with The Stratford Festival (The Sound of Music and John Gabriel Borkman) and The Grand Theatre (Titanic), as well as in commercials and films. A recent graduate of York University’s Acting Conservatory, she would like to thank her teachers and peers for their endless support, as well as her agency, AMP Talent. Natalie is thrilled to portray Monica in Age of Arousal and be a part of this fantastic cast! This is Natalie’s debut at Alumnae Theatre, and she is beyond honoured to work on this Linda Griffiths masterpiece with such a wonderful cast and crew!
MASON SHEAVES/EVERARD
Mason Sheaves is a professional pretender, part-time wandering poet, and lover of thrifted book scents. Mason’s passion for theatre earned him a Broadway World Toronto nomination. Stemming from his performance as Voltaire in Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight. A performance bolstered by his years of training at the UWindsor BFA acting program. Which elevated him to other credits such as Richard III, Young Werther in On The Edge and Over, Professor Charlie Sharpe in Sweet Science of Bruising, and The Captain in Case Study: IREC-A59 by Nightlight Productions. This is Mason’s first show with Alumnae, and he’d like to thank the company, his friends, and family for tolerating his absurdity.
DANIELLE COX/VIRGINIA MADDEN
Danielle is an actor and director who has returned to the stage after focusing her energies on her visual art, teaching drama to youth, and the toughest job of all, being a stay-at-home mum. Danielle studied Drama and Theatre at Winchester University, UK, and is a member of Alumnae Theatre. Age of Arousal will be her third production with the theatre. She has most recently appeared in A Little Bite of Paradise as part of Alumnae’s New Ideas Festival and Shadows in the Nooks as actor and director. She is very excited to be a part of the Age of Arousal ensemble! You can follow Danielle on @danielleandreacoxart.
NATALIE STEPHENSON/RHODA
A QUT (Theatre Studies) graduate, Natalie Stephenson has made Toronto her home since January 2022. Recent credits include Terror by Gaslight (Bloor Village 2024), Recipe for a Riot Grrrl (NIF 2023), and String of Pearls (Alumnae 2023).
The Production Team
ALEXIS CHUBB/SET DESIGNER
Alexis is pleased to be working with Alumnae Theatre again. Alexis has previously worked with Victoria on several productions including, most recently, The Unmanageable Sisters with the Toronto Irish Players. At Alumnae Theatre she has designed the set for Female of the Species, In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play), The Pigeon (at Alumnae’s Fireworks Festival), and August: Osage County. She has also designed for Glass Menagerie, Tainted Justice, Queen Milli of Galt, and Real Estate at the Village Playhouse and Sabrina Fair, Scotland Road, Moonlight and Magnolias, and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife with Amicus Productions. Enjoy the show.
HEATHER AITKEN/STAGE MANAGER
Heather worked on her first Alumnae Theatre production back in 1978, when she ran sound (on a reel-to-reel!) for a Studio production that featured Diane Polley. This was followed by a number of years of stage managing at the Alumnae, the University of Toronto Drama Centre, and Ariel Theatre and over twenty years stage-managing, producing, and sitting on the Board of Directors at the Village Playhouse. After a too-long hiatus from theatre when life got in the way, as it sometimes does, Heather is very glad to be wearing her Stage Manager hat once again and back at the Alum. The technology may be newer, but the rest feels like home.
LIVIA PRAVATO/COSTUME DESIGNER
Livia has been around the block a few times designing costumes for various theatre productions since 1996 and has been a proud member of Victoria’s “Dream Team” ever since Livia designed costumes for Real Estate (Village Players, 2011). Since then, she has worked on many shows with Victoria and was nominated for a THEA /ACT-CO Award for Best Costume Design for Tainted Justice (Village Players) in 2018. Livia is currently creating a resumé of her costume design endeavours.
VICTORIA STARK/ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER + LIGHTING OPERATOR
Victoria is a multidisciplinary artist in theatre, her work ranging from acting to stage management, and she has been working in Toronto since September, 2017. Stage management credits include Pave Paradise (St. James Park), The Book of Will and Mending Fences (Village Playhouse), If We Were Birds, The Female of the Species, In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play, and The Trip to Bountiful (Alumnae Theatre), The Jungle Book (Youth Theatre Canada), and NeverWonder (Toronto Fringe, 2022). Her recent acting credits include Robin Hood & the Babes in the Wood (NAGs Players), Great Felt Greatness (Toronto Fringe, 2024), The Unmanageable Sisters (Toronto Irish Players), and The Fighting Days (Village Playhouse). Victoria thanks her team and loved ones for their undying love and support.
ROBYN SHEPHERD/SOUND OPERATOR
Robyn Shepherd is happy to join the crew to operate sound on Age of Arousal – an exciting story of women’s sexual awakening. Robyn is devoted to bringing stage productions to life as a stage manager. Each production brings her along the journey of honing this craft. Her work includes Other Desert Cities, Shadows in the Nooks/Spirited Women in Theatre, Low Pay? Don’t Pay!, and Just For Tonight.
NATALIYA KOZYRINA/SOUND OPERATOR
Nataliya Kozyrina is a passionate multi-media artist! A dancer, filmmaker, musician, installation artist, projection mapping artist, and a theatre enthusiast, Nataliya has done multiple shows with Alumnae Theatre as a sound board operator and in multiple other roles. Despite her crazy range of interests and talents, she is super focused, dedicated, and hardworking. If you get a chance to meet her in the hallway, say hi!
LEAH HOWARD/COSTUMES ASSISTANT
Leah (she/her) is a born Torontonian and a newcomer to the world of theatre! She has been working with the charity Studio Lab Theatre Foundation to support its fundraising efforts this past year and recently had her first foray into corporate production as a decor assistant for the Utility Contractors Association Convention. She is currently working with Roseneath Theatre as a production assistant for its spring tour of shows.
JOHN STUART CAMPBELL/SOUND DESIGNER + COMPOSER
John has been scoring and sound designing for theatre since 1991. In 2018, he was given the Thea award for Sound Design in Tainted Justice (by Don Nigro, directed by Victoria Shepherd) for Village Players. Last year, he worked with Victoria Shepherd on The Unmanageable Sisters (Alumnae Theatre). When he isn’t composing or trying to create the world with soundscapes, he can be found playing guitar in Raquel’s Riot. He is also currently producing the local heavy metal act Vudicide.
REBECCA LASHMAR/INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Rebecca Lashmar is an intimacy professional passionate about storytelling and human-centred artistic practices. She graduated from the University of Windsor’s BFA program, and she holds a graduate diploma in Arts Administration and Leadership from Queen’s University, as well as a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies. Her research interests include how intimacy, violence, and mental health are written, approached, and performed for both stage and screen. Rebecca proudly works throughout all of southwest Ontario with some of her previous intimacy credits including This Feels Like The End (Theatre Aurinko, Next Stage), When You Close Your Eyes (Makeshift Theatre), and Rocky Horror Picture Show (Kordazone Theatre).
EMMA GRAY/SCENIC PAINTER
Emma Gray is a passionate special effects artist and production technician dedicated to bringing imaginative visions to life. She has a deep-rooted interest in practical effects in film and a love for theatre. She specializes in prop making and scenic art. However, her skill set also includes experience in carpentry, metalworking, and prosthetics. She is an alumna of Sheridan College’s Technical Production for Performing Arts program, in addition to their Special Effects program. Throughout her years of experience, she has collaborated with 4th Line Theatre on their 2022-2024 productions, and she recently taught an Introduction to Scenic Paint class at Sheridan College. She currently works in the Greater Toronto Area and is a proud member of Alderville First Nation.
MATT HALL/SCENIC PAINTER
Since graduating from the Theatre Arts Technical Production program at Humber College, Matt has started working in professional theatre, where he enjoys collaborating on exciting live theatre experiences. Recent projects include head of props for People, Places and Things (Coal Mine Theatre), set design for The Noose (Next Stage Theatre Festival/Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), and set and props design for A Christmas Carol (Smile Theatre). Matt also volunteers with the Curtain Club in Richmond Hill, where he has designed several sets and has been part of the construction, scenic painting, and lighting crews for many more.
TAMSINE ALI/PROPS MASTER
This is Tamsine’s fourth show with the Alumnae as a props master, and she’s still loving it. While sourcing period props can be a challenging task, she thrives on the hunt, delighting in the creative problem-solving required to bring authenticity to the stage. She is proud to contribute to yet another Alumnae Theatre show, and she looks forward to continuing her journey with this talented community. And finding her niche in Victorian-era objects!
BRENT SHEPHERD/SET BUILDER
Brent Shepherd has been involved with creating the set for over thirty plays. His favourite pieces were a split-level house and a New York City skyline. He is a musician and has worked as a general contractor for over seventeen years. He is excited to be a part of Age of Arousal.
CONNOR PRICE-KELLEHER/LIGHTING TECHNICIAN
Connor is a technical director, live-stream consultant, and clown who has just returned to Tkaronto from Ktaqmkuk, where he was head of sound for Theatre Newfoundland Labrador. As a professional, he gets way too excited about breakfast for dinner and studied at the University of Ottawa before working for companies such as Horror Show Productions, Young People’s Theatre, Toronto Dance Company, Well Seasoned Productions, The Alumnae Theatre, Act 2 Studios, Driftwood Theatre Group, Aplombusrhombus, The Isabel Bader Centre, The National Arts Centre, The Nogojiwanong Fringe Festival, and the Fresh Meat Festival.
Accessibility
Alumnae Theatre’s Berkeley Street entrance and the Mainstage Theatre are wheelchair accessible. There is a wheelchair accessible restroom on the ground floor.
