Week 2/November 26-30, 2025
*Please note that this production is held in Alumnae’s Studio Theatre, which is not wheelchair accessible.*
"Hurricane Tales” by Chloë Whitehorn
Camila and Dani face the reality of their relationship in the midst of a hurricane.
CHLOE WHITEHORN/ PLAYWRIGHT
Chloë Whitehorn’s work often challenges societal preconceptions and examines the broken bits of ourselves we try to hide while injecting humour into difficult topics. Previous work developed at Alumnae Theatre: The Pigeon (Fireworks Festival 2018), Mourning After the Night Before (NIF 2018), Divine Wrecks (Fireworks Festival 2015), Dressing Amelia (Big Ideas 2014), and The Deepest Trench (NIF 2013). Chloë’s work has been performed across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Her most recent plays include Madness Lies, The Fall After Midsummer, and Blood River. For more information, visit her website (www.chloewhitehorn.com) or follow her Instagram @chloewhitehorn.
ALYSSA FEATHERSTONE/ DIRECTOR
Alyssa Featherstone (she/they) is a young director, writer, and Virgo, trying their best to build community through theatre. With accessibility at the core of their work, Alyssa aims to create art that can be enjoyed by even the most unlikely theatre goers. After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre and Drama Studies from the University of Toronto and her Advanced Diploma in Acting from Sheridan College, Alyssa went on to direct Hair Care (2022) and Lucian Plato and the Secrets of the Pussy (2025). Alyssa continues to expand their artistic voice by devising with large casts and working in film, centring community in both creative process and product. In their spare time, Alyssa is a voice actor, production assistant, writer, and birdwatcher.
JAINEE FERNANDEZ/DANI
Jainee Fernandez is an actor and professional mover. She is a recent graduate of Toronto Film School’s diploma program for stage, film, and television. Jainee has acted in notable theatre festivals including the National Theatre School DRAMAFEST, where she starred as Antler in a rendition of Stef Smith’s Remote and the Paprika Festival’s Creators Unit program. Her upcoming performances include her debut role as Puppeteer in Red Sky’s 2026 production of She Holds Up the Stars. Jainee is incredibly grateful for this performance and is excited for you to see what the amazing team of Hurricane Tales has to offer!
DANIELLA DELA PENA/CAMILA
Daniella Dela Peña is an actor, singer, multifaceted teacher, and full-time dreamer. Whether she is on camera or stage or behind the scenes, DDP strives to inspire children and FIlipinx-Canadians to discover their artistic potential. She’s known for her work on Ezra (OUTtv), SurrealEstate (Syfy), Christmas CEO (Hallmark), and many more. Daniella is also the proud executive producer of the seven- time-nominated short film Ate at the 2025 Siné 48-Hour Film Challenge. She would like to thank the dream team of Hurricane Tales and Alumnae Theatre for this amazing opportunity!
REY DUFF/STAGE MANAGER
Rey Duff is new to the Toronto arts scene and thrilled for their first show in the city to be Hurricane Tales. They’ve previously stage-managed productions of 1984 and Murder on the Orient Express with Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company. When not up in the booth, Rey is a master’s student at UofT’s iSchool. Rey is so grateful to Alyssa, Daniella, and Jainee for all their work on this show.
“Lullabies & Nursery Rhymes” by R. J. Downes
Donna is having a party to celebrate her newborn son. Ryan is a soldier at war. Duncan is celebrating his eleventh birthday by meeting his birth mother for the first time. Their lives intersect in a place where reality, memory, and death meet. Life is but a dream.
R. J. DOWNES/ PLAYWRIGHT
R.J. Downes is a playwright, director, and stage manager whose plays have appeared in Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston, Stratford, and Sault Ste. Marie. His most recent produced works are Two Actresses by Bottle Tree Productions in Kingston in February 2023, Last Dance of The Dark Cloaked Avenger by Sault Theatre Workshop in May 2023, and Je Suis Fini, part of the New Ideas Festival in Toronto in March 2024.
SARINI KUMARASINGHE/ DIRECTOR
Sarini Kumarasinghe is a director and playwright born in Sri Lanka and based in Toronto. She completed her BFA in Screenwriting at York University, where she explored her passion for character-driven storytelling. Sarini recently directed Days Since Bo’s Been Gone as part of Alumnae Theatre’s 2025 FireWorks Festival, had excerpts of her plays Dementia Americana and Pillowtalk produced, and staged a full production of her gothic horror play The Bluffs as part of the 2024 Toronto Fringe Festival. She’s excited to be back at Alumnae as part of the New Ideas Festival.
DREA BURCK/MOTHER
Drea Burck trained at National Voice Intensive, New School of Drama, and Equity Showcase Theatre. She’s drawn to drama centring strong female characters and complex relationships, highlighting social issues. Favourite roles include Audrey Ashley in Shadows in the Nooks: Spirited Women in Theatre (world premiere, Alumnae Theatre), Bernice in The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Village Playhouse), Paulina in The Winter’s Tale (Dandelion Theatre), Ruthie in The Unmanageable Sisters (Canadian premiere, Toronto Irish Players), and Toinette in The Imaginary Invalid (Whitby Courthouse Theatre). She runs Black Cat Boogie rock’n’roll dance studio. Drea loves bright colours, twirly skirts, cats, and marzipan.
JOANNE SZILAGYI/DONNA
Joanne Szilagyi is thrilled to make her stage debut at Alumnae Theatre. She has starred in an independent feature and appeared in an award-winning short film that screened at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Joanne trained on scholarship at HB Studio in New York, LB Acting Studio, and The Second City. She also holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Oxford University and has received literary grants from the Toronto Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.
KHADIJA RAZA/GRANDMOTHER
Khadija Raza is a Toronto-based actor and product of Cawthra Park’s Regional Arts Program. Recent credits: Theatre Ya Knowww’s The Three Sisters (Olga) and TACTICS Theatre’s The Coven (Mama/Dahlia). She is grateful to be making her Toronto stage debut in L&NR alongside a dedicated cast and crew. Raza is not on social media, which has been good for her.
MARISA ROGGEVEEN/WOMAN
Select theatre credits: Taming of the Shrew, Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Shakespeare Company, Bard in the Yard), Trapped! The Musical (Heritage Park Players), Taylor’s Version (Untold Physical Theatre), A Dinosaur Tale (Annerin Productions), antigone lives*, Metamorphoses, Closer to the Heart, Splendour, Macbeth (U of Calgary, SCPA). Select film/TV credits: SHELF LIFE (Godspeed Studios), RUDY’S RENT-A-GHOST, BREATHE, SIREN (SAIT). Marisa is a graduate of the School of Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Calgary and is a two-time recipient of the Noel Coward Memorial Award for excellence in acting (2017 and 2018). Find Marisa @marisaroggeveen or www.marisar.ca
RAJ BETEILLE/RYAN + MAN
Raj Beteille is an actor and writer residing in Toronto. While he has featured in popular Netflix India shows like Sacred Games and Dark Waters, he aspires to build his body of work in Canada too. He’s currently writing his own musical, ‘BOaRDERS’, as he simultaneously devotes time to his Conservatory program at The Second City, juggling various film and theatre endeavours as well.
RIVER ELI SCHIRMER-COLVIN/DUNCAN
River (He/Him) is a dual citizen actor of both Canada and the USA. He has a singing, dancing, and acting background and enjoys incorporating these talents anytime he can. River has received his training in acting at Toronto Film School. He is excited to make his stage debut at Alumnae Theatre. You can follow him on Instagram @RiverEliSC
TAYO SHONUBI/SISTER
Tayo holds a BFA in Musical Theater from AMDA in Los Angeles. Some of her favourite credits include Eliza in My Fair Lady, Michelle in Dreamgirls, and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. She is also a photographer, director, and writer for film and TV, and all three of her short films have screened at international film festivals. Tayo also often works off stage: she was a stage manager and assistant director back home at The Kampala International Theatre Festival, as well as a lighting technician for shows in London and New York. She is thrilled to be returning to the stage in Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes for her Toronto theatre debut!
PRISCILA GONZALEZ/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR + STAGE MANAGER
Priscila Gonzalez (she/her) is a queer Colombian-Canadian theatre artist based in Toronto. She recently graduated from York University with a BFA, specializing in Performance Creation. Priscila loves working both backstage and onstage as long as she is a part of telling amazing stories. She is an experienced actor, director, stage manager, and sound designer. In her personal work, she strives to create multilingual pieces that explore what it means to be a first-generation immigrant.
MALCOLM GREEN/COMPOSER
Malcolm Green is a Toronto-based actor and musician. His other compositional work includes scores for Alumnae Theatre’s Days Since Bo’s Been Gone and the short films ‘Til Death Do Us Part, Out of the Equation, and Where is Home? As an actor, he has appeared in The Bluffs as part of the 2024 Toronto Fringe Festival and In This Economy!? – an adaptation of The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht, for which he adapted several songs from the original production. His on-camera work includes roles in the short and feature films I Loved A Girl And No One Died, Process Evaluation, UnMatched, and Autumn Hill, as well as the TV shows The Food That Built America and The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd.
JULIAN MURPHY/FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER
“Cosmo Girls” by Lawrie Carruthers
When fear is unavoidable, two best friends do what they’ve always done – talk about everything else. In the waiting room, their laughter and loyalty prove stronger than the silence of uncertainty.
LAWRIE CARRUTHERS/ PLAYWRIGHT
Lawrie Carruthers is a Toronto-based actor making her playwrighting debut at the 2025 New Ideas Festival. After years performing on stage—including recent roles with Village Players and the Alumnae Theatre—she’s stepping behind the scenes to tell her own stories. Cosmo Girls is her first produced play, and she’s thrilled (and slightly terrified) to share it with an audience.
SANDRA CARDINAL/ DIRECTOR
Sandra is an actor, playwright, director, dramaturg, singer, and producer. She is excited to still be contributing to the Toronto theatre and film scene after retiring from a long career in education. She has worked with Paradigm Studios, Union Films, Pulse Theatre, Alumnae Theatre, Festival Players of Prince Edward County, East End Players, City Choir, and Fringe Toronto. She loves to cook and entertain, travel with her husband Bob, and take long walks with her mini goldendoodle, Lucy.
STACEY BERNSTEIN/RACHEL
Stacey Bernstein is delighted to play Rachel in Cosmo Girls. Audiences may have seen her in Crossroad Springs or Christmas in the Spotlight. A longtime writer and producer, Stacey returned to her performing roots after a lucky Fringe lottery win launched her first (and only) solo show—reigniting her love of performing. For the love of story, she’s always ready for the next creative adventure.
*The participation of Stacey Bernstein is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
LAWRIE CARRUTHERS/JILL
Lawrie Carruthers is a Toronto-based actor making her playwrighting debut at the 2025 New Ideas Festival. After years performing on stage—including recent roles with Village Players and the Alumnae Theatre—she’s stepping behind the scenes to tell her own stories. Cosmo Girls is her first produced play, and she’s thrilled (and slightly terrified) to share it with an audience.
SAVANNAH TYLKA/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR + STAGE MANAGER
Savannah Tylka is overjoyed to be working as the assistant director and stage manager of Cosmo Girls. Savannah is fresh off her last show, which she co-wrote, directed, and puppeteered for the NTS drama festival. Savannah is so excited to work with such a wonderful cast and crew.
*Special thanks to Rachael Ancheril for photography and Diana Aziz for hair and makeup consultation.
“Father Comes Home ” by Nina Kaye
A vaudevillian family is reunited when the husband and father comes home from a tour. Though it is a bit hard for him to reintegrate into the family, they soon welcome him back, and all ends well!
NINA KAYE/ PLAYWRIGHT
Multi-award-winning Nina Kaye (she/her) was named one of Toronto’s “best emergent playwrights” by Mooney on Theatre. She is the Artistic Director of Unspoken Theatre and holds an MA in Drama from University of Toronto. Her works have played in Toronto, New York, Seattle, Missouri, California, and Washington. She was in writers’ groups with Play Me CBC Podcast and Vault Creation Lab/Coal Mine Theatre. Selected recent: Victorian Closet Drama at Alumnae Theatre; Victor & Priscilla Go To The Circus at Theatre Gargantua; Up Against A Locker at Talking Horse Productions, and #1 Clown Comedy with Victor & Priscilla at Toronto Fringe.
DECLAN MEAGHER/DIRECTOR
Declan Meagher (he/him) is thrilled to make his Alumnae Theatre debut directing Father Comes Home. Past directing credits include Godspell, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and [title of show]. He also served as Shipwide Show Director for Disney Cruise Line (Disney Wish, Disney Treasure) and Show Writer for Sesame Workshop (Sesame Place Philadelphia), helping to create and support immersive events, interactive dining experiences, and character programs. His original works include The Bar at the Edge of [Blank]!, a choose-your-own-adventure musical comedy. Declan thanks his family and friends for their encouragement—especially his best friend and wife, Sara.
GORDON CHAN/REGINALD
Gordon returns to Alumnae Theatre after previously performing in The Great Kelleys, Boom Baby, and Xtro and Julie. Select credits include Le Médecin malgré lui (La Troupe des Anciens), A Knight to Remember (Eltham Little Theatre – VDL award nomination), Binequality (1812 Board Shorts), Chekhov? You’re Joking! (ARK Theatre), California Suite (Kentwood Players), DIA: Diagnosis To Dialogue (UC Berkeley TPS), and The Miser and Push (both Gnu Ground Players). Gordon also co-founded Fly By Night Theatre Company, where he directed 7 Stories, Autobahn, and Boy Meets Girl. He was a member of Tarragon Theatre’s Spring Training Program and mentored by Diego Matamoros at Soulpepper Theatre’s Mentorship Program.
NICKI SIMMS/SUE
Nicki is thrilled to be part of the New Ideas Festival after a long hiatus from the stage! Acting credits from many moons ago include Abigail Williams in The Crucible and an ensemble cast role in two seasons of The Bob Revue, Canada’s longest running collegiate sketch comedy revue. A recent stint in My Pop Choir reignited her interest in performing, and she is very grateful to be returning to the stage with the talented cast and creative team of Father Comes Home. A geographer by training, Nicki works in the climate space and volunteers with several animal rescue groups.
UNA ROULSTON/POLLY
Una Roulston is a bilingual performer and musician enrolled in Sheridan’s Musical Theatre Performance degree program. Select theatre credits include Ella in Monsters & Milfoil (Theatre on the Ridge), Miss Honey in Matilda (Grand Theatre’s HSP), Catherine in Pippin (OKTC), Fate in Hadestown (Beal MT), and Connie in the world premiere of All Growed Up (British Youth Music Theatre). Recent screen/voiceover credits are Cheque, Please (dir. Brent Davis), Writ Or (Ceres Productions), 4.7% (dir. Pilani Howie-Rodrigues), Lake’niha’ (Ujarak Media), Freebird (Wrapped Productions), and Behind the Door (dir. Una Roulston, winner of CIFF’s Emerging Talent Award). Instagram: @roulston_u
KIERAN RAMOS/OLLIE
Kieran (any pronouns) is excited to be a part of Father Comes Home as the eccentric older brother, Ollie. Kieran has previously worked on productions within the University of Toronto, such as Lemons and Ginger with the UofT Scarborough Drama Society and Murder On The Orient Express with the Trinity College Drama Society, recently dedicating time to honing their craft in community theatre with the Scarborough Players’ Pygmalion and the Scarborough Theatre Guild’s The Full Monty. Delving into the world of vaudeville, Kieran is grateful for the opportunity to sing, dance, and make some noise alongside such a wonderful cast and crew. Special thanks to my fellow cast and family members and to Declan, Emma, and Nina for taking a chance on this rambunctious fellow. Kieran would like to dedicate this performance to their lovely partner, Bailey, and their family of cats.
EMMA KIMMETT/STAGE MANAGER
Emma is excited to join the New Ideas Festival as a first-time stage manager for the Alumnae Theatre. As a lifetime lover and audience member of the performing arts, with a brief high school theatre career, she is making her enthusiastic return to the behind-the-stage after taking time to focus on her education and career. Emma is currently an intern architect for a Toronto firm specializing in healthcare.
*Special Thanks to Sara Meagher for providing tap choreography.
