The Team

Ngabo Nabea*
Aaron
Though born in Toronto, Ngabo spent a lot of his childhood travelling and learning abroad, returning to Canada to finish his studies, graduating from the Ryerson University theatre program in 2016. He has since worked in various productions across Toronto and Canada abroad. When not acting, he spends most of his free time doodling and writing. You can find him performing this summer at the Stratford Festival in the African classic “Death and the King’s Horseman.” Fun fact: Joseph Jomo-Pierre was a co-writer for the first professional theatre production Ngabo took part in (Twisted at the Factory Theatre), thus he is excited to take part in this reading of Shakespeare’s Nigga.

 Giovanni Spina*
Othello
Giovanni gladly considers Shakespeare in the Ruff (SitR) a second theatrical home. He has performed in Portia’s Julius Ceasar (2018), A Winter’s Tale (2019), worked front of house for As We Live It (2020) and has had the honour of being a resident company member with SitR. Most recently Giovanni was in a production of Sin and Sorrow are Common to All (TIFT) and has also had the opportunity to dramaturge and assistant direct The Satyr Play (TIFT). Giovanni’s upcoming project is his largest to date, where he will be getting married to his amazing fiancée Hayley. Giovanni has graduated from Ryerson University’s Performance Acting Program, and University of Toronto Classical Voice Program (ArtDip). He has also attended the Banff/Citadel Professional Theatre Training Program (2018). Giovanni thanks his supportive family and his soon to be wife Hayley for all of the love.

Alexia Vassos
Judith
Alexia Vassos (she/her) is an actor, writer and voice over artist currently based in Toronto. An alumna from the Theatre and Drama Studies joint program between the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, she holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and an Advanced Diploma in Acting. Since graduating, she’s appeared both on stage and screen in a variety of theatre productions, commercial campaigns and TV/film ventures. In her recent endeavours, Alexia has been able to combine her love of the arts with her passion for disability advocacy, moderating events and facilitating workshops that feature disabled artists and focus on accessibility within the industry. Alexia is presently in the process of creating a solo show centred around growing up disabled in a family that overshares and a world that under-serves.

Mark Cassius*
Tyrus
Mark Cassius has been featured on Broadway, in the Original Cast of “Ragtime” and revivals of “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Shenandoah”. Critically acclaimed performances in Canada, have included, Drayton Entertainment’s “Damn Yankees”, “The Little Mermaid” and “Sweet Charity”. He was also featured in the World Premiere of “Souzatska”, the Toronto Premiere of the Off- Broadway Musical, “The Musical of Musicals, (the Musical)”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (with Donny Osmond), “Miss Saigon”, “Showboat”, “Cats” and seasons at both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals. For eight years, he toured internationally with the world-renowned Pop/A cappella group, “The Nylons”. He has been a Music Festival adjudicator for the Kiwanis Festival, up to Provincial level in the Music Theatre category, and is a highly sought-after vocal performance coach. Since 2001, he has been a recurring performance instructor, at The Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto. He teaches Musical Theatre courses at both Sheridan College and Ryerson University and has been a vocal coach for theatres, music training programs, vocal studios and recording studios across Canada and the United States. Mark is a Music Theatre Performance graduate of Sheridan College and is completing a Masters in Music Composition at York University. The journey in pursuit of artistic excellence must be taken.

Rick Roberts*
Shakespeare
Roberts recently appeared in R+J at the Stratford Festival and Copenhagen at the NAC. He toured with Why Not Theatre’s production of Prince Hamlet. Other recent favourites include Animal Farm, Waiting for Godot, The Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Soulpepper), Within the Glass, Enemy of the People, (Tarragon), Proud (Belfry), Julius Caesar (Citadel Theatre) and the title role of Zastrozzi (Stratford Festival). He’s written several plays including Orestes which premiered digitally at the Tarragon Theatre in 2021. Roberts recently starred in the CBC series Fortunate Son for which he was nominated for an ACTRA  Award. He starred in the series This Life for the CBC. Recent features include North of Albany (Slykid and Skykid), All My Puny Sorrows (Mulmur Feed Co.).  He appears in the video game Far Cry 6. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.

Tara Mohan
Stage Manager
Tara is a professional Stage Manager who enjoys working on theatre, dance, musicals, and everything in between. She has had the pleasure of working with such companies as Why Not Theatre, Luminato, Hart House Theatre, Expect Theatre, and Toronto Dance Theatre.  Favourite credits include: inTO focus (dance: made in canada/fait au canada), Heirloom (Fall For Dance North), Beats + Intentions (Expect Theatre), Brain Storm (Lucid Ludic Productions), Here Are The Fragments (On ECT Collective/The Theatre Centre), WinterSong (Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre), Motherhood: The Musical (The LOT), Moving Parts (Fujiwara Dance Inventions), No Woman’s Land (Jaberi Dance Theatre), Older & Reckless (Moonhorse Dance Theatre), Million Dollar Quartet (The LOT), Now You See Her (Quote Unquote Collective), UNBXBL II (Gadfly Dance), Le Grand Continental (Luminato), Cabaret (The LOT), 16 Shades of Red (inDANCE), Moving Parts (Fujiwara Dance Inventions), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Hart House Theatre), The Seat Next To The King (Minmar Gaslight), Rebel Yell (Dance Matters), Diversion & Fearful Symmetries (ProArteDanza), NOISY (Toronto Dance Theatre).

Kwaku Okyere
Director
Kwaku Okyere (he/him) is a queer Ghanaian-Canadian multidisciplinary theatre artist. Most recently, Kwaku played Oberon in the Dora-nominated ensemble of Theatre Rusticle’s acclaimed swan song production of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, which recently presented Kwaku with the 2020 Queer Emerging Artist Award. Kwaku is also an emerging director, most recently having co-directed the 2nd Year Period Study Project at George Brown Theatre School with veteran director Jeannette Lambermont-Morey, and will return to GBTS this summer to co-direct the 1st Year Shakespeare Scene Study with the visionary Allyson McMackon.

Lisa Karen Cox*
Intimacy Director

A graduate of Concordia University’s Interdisciplinary Studies program, Lisa Karen Cox relishes work that combines music, movement and heightened language. Often playing men and other mythical creatures, credits include: Flo in Now You See Her (Quote/Unquote Collective/WhyNotTheatre/Nightwood); The Penelopiad (Royal Shakespeare Co/NAC); Brutus in Julius Caesar (Spur-of-the-Moment Shakespeare), and 2 seasons at the Stratford Festival of Canada. Lisa was also the Assistant Director for We Are Proud to Present…(Theatre Centre), and Salt-Water Moon (Factory Theatre), and the Associate Director for Why Not Theatre’s Like Mother, Like Daughter. Most recently, as a director, Lisa worked Anna Karenina for UTM/Sheridan and Beyere in Obsidian Theatre’s 21 Black Futures. Lisa is also a Board member for Theatre Direct, a Steering Committee member for Balancing Act (a caregiving and performing initiative) and an Assistant Professor at Ryerson University.

*The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance Opera Theatre Policy (DOT).

Front of House: Eric Woolfe
Technician: Beatrice Freedman

Special Thank You:

Native Earth Performing Arts and Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre

FUNDING AND SUPPORT BY

The Kingfisher Foundation