New Position at York University, The 39 Steps, completing my MBA

It has been a very busy summer! I’ve been enjoying the final few months of my MBA-SEE work term before I graduate this fall. I’ve been fortunate to do some really interesting non-theatre work on the redesign of a scholarship program serving low-income youth in St. John’s. I also managed to escape to Prince Edward County for a little bit to work with County Stage and play three roles in the spy-clown-comedy The 39 Steps, directed by the amazing Monica Dottor. It was a lot of fun to play with a team of tremendous creators and performers.

The four members of the cast of the 39 Steps pull faces.

Photos by Sarah Kirby, featuring C. C. Lancaster, B. McGibbon, H. Belay and C. Stevens.

I’m also preparing to step into a new role: this fall I will begin a three-year commitment as an assistant professor in York University’s School of Art, Music, Theatre and Design. I’ll be teaching acting and creation and working with a team of incredible fellow educators. This is a big change for me, which comes with a decent amount of trepidation but also so much excitement!

Stillwater School for Mosquitos

Last year my friends Qasim, Jennifer, Peter, Hailey and I wrote and recorded a 6-part musical podcast for children, based on the book The Mosquito Brothers by Griffin Ondaatje. We were grateful to have the support of Bad Hats Theatre to pull the whole thing together. It’s a lot of fun, with some real bops. Check it out here!

2022 updates: audio, theatre, tv, awards, and...school?!

2022 started off with the premier of Ins Choi’s Casting, a hilarious and biting audioplay about casting for TV, commissioned and produced by Factory Theatre and directed by myself, featuring Laura Condlln, Shawn Ahmed and Janet Porter with sound design by Mikael Bensimon.

I then jumped into rehearsal at York University, where I directed the tremendous performers of the fourth year BFA Acting students in a production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Everybody .

A ensemble of performers on a dimly lit stage, in front of a set piece that resembles a rocky wall. The performers are clustered and appear to be writhing or dancing. Some are dressed as skeletons.

The cast of Everybody

As soon as Everybody opened, I was overjoyed to finally finish working on Chloé Hung’s Three Women of Swatow at Tarragon Theatre. Thrice delayed by the pandemic, it was a pleasure to reconnect with performers Carolyn Fe, Diana Luong and Chantria Tram, and work with stage manager extraordinaire Daniel Oulton. And a thrill to finally see and hear the work of designers Jareth Li, Deanna Choi, and Shannon Lea Doyle. Our run was incredibly well received and the show was extended for additional performances both live and streaming online.

Chantria Tram, Carolyn Fe and Diana Luong in Everybody. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

Three Women of Swatow has since garnered four Dora Nominations including Outstanding New Play for Chloé, Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role for Carolyn, Outstanding Costume Design for Shannon, and Outstanding Direction for myself!

A sparkling graphic that reads "The 2022 Dora Awards" with the image of an impressionistic metal trophy

In the spring of this year Love et Lajoie, a new series for Franco-Ontarian youth, hit the airwaves on TFO. I play a French-speaking anglophone inventor on the show - I’m constantly creating new artificial-intelligences and fumbling up my french grammar. You can see the whole season now.

A family photo of the characters from Love et Lajoie, dressed in bright colours and happily posing together.

This summer I took a little time off (excepting a brief trip to St. Catherines to teach with Suitcase-In-Point’s Electric Innovations program). I shot a few TV commercials, got to speak to some incoming Loran scholars, and otherwise took some time to prepare for the next adventure - a move to St. John’s Newfoundland, where I am currently a student in Memorial University’s MBA in Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. We’re two weeks into the program now and I am loving it. The coursework is tough but we’re also doing a lot of experiential learning and connecting with organizations that are changing the world for the better. My classmates are excellent and come from all sorts of professional backgrounds. I’m not quite sure where this path is leading, but I’m game for the adventure.

A photo of a large sign on a lawn, in front of some buildings and trees. The sign reads Memorial University Newfoundland and Labrador's University Proud Home of the Seahawks

On a field trip to Petty Harbour to visit the social enterprise Fishing for Success

TV, Theatre, Teaching...

Quick updates!

In the spring of 2021 I finished my contract as Assistant AD at Tarragon Theatre (a wonderful learning opportunity of me, despite strange pandemic circumstances), and returned to freelance life.

Summer 2021 found me shooting some TV, notably a series with ATO Media called Love et Lajoie, airing this winter on TFO. I also shot a few other projects, a favorite being a wonderful weird project with the NAC Orchestra and composer Nicole Lizée, Episode three of the UnDisrupted series now airing on CBC Gem.

Now as we approach the fall, I’m overjoyed to be back in the rehearsal hall as a co-director/dramaturg on The Home Project, a devised piece starring Cheyenne Scott, Akosua Amo-Adem and Qasim Khan, co-produced by The Howland Company and Native Earth, presented by Soulpepper. The whole run is nearly sold out!

C. Scott in The Home Project, Set and Lights by J. Li, co-drected with P. Santalucia and K. Barker, Photo by Dahlia Katz

Soon I’ll be started courses at Sheridan College, where I’m returning for my third semester as an instructor, and also joining Ryerson as an instructor for the first time.

On the horizon: upcoming student productions at Sheridan and York University, as well as a number of as yet unannounced development workshops. Pandemic permitting, fingers crossed.

Stay safe out there!





Shhh....

In Ottawa for a few days, filming a secret project at the National Arts Centre. Stay tuned…

The end of a long day amongst the NAC hexagons…

The end of a long day amongst the NAC hexagons…

Directing Three Women of Swatow

Three Women of Swatow by Chloé Hung would have been my directorial debut at Tarragon Theatre, opening in March of 2020. I was fortunate to be working with a wonderful team - actors Carolyn Fe, Chantria Tram and Diana Luong, assistant director Karthy Chin, and designers Jareth Li (Set/Lights), Deanna Choi (Sound/Composition) and Shannon Lea Doyle (Costumes).

We made it all the way to tech dress, before getting cancelled due to Covid 19. So close!

The playwright, assistant director and acting company of Three Women of Swatow

The playwright, assistant director and acting company of Three Women of Swatow

Acting at The Shaw Festival

It was an honour to be part of the Shaw Festival’s 2019 Season. I had the pleasure of performing in Man and Superman, directed by Kimberley Rampersad, and Cyrano de Bergerac (in which I faced the legendary Tom Rooney in a sword fight!) directed by Chris Abraham.

Back Stage at the Shaw, Violet in Man and Superman. Costume design by Cami Koo

Back Stage at the Shaw, Violet in Man and Superman. Costume design by Cami Koo

Backstage in Cyrano de Bergerac, Valvert. Costume design by Julie Fox

Backstage in Cyrano de Bergerac, Valvert. Costume design by Julie Fox

Directing The Wolves

The Wolves - Photo by Dahlia Katz Starring: Rachel Cairns, Aisha Evelyna, Ruth Goodwin, Annelise Hawrylak, Ula Jurecka, Brittany Kay, Heath V. Salazar, Hallie Seline, Amaka Umeh and Robyn Stevan Set & Lighting Design by Jareth Li (Assistant: Scarlett Larry) Sound Design & Composition by Deanna H. Choi (Assistant: Cosette Pin) Costume Design & Movement Coaching by Sarah Doucet Stage Management by Sam Hale Assistant Stage Management by Hannah MacMillan Assistant Direction by Rebecca Gibian

Last week we closed The Wolves, a co-production between The Howland Company and Crows Theatre. This was by far the largest direction project I have ever taken on, and ranks up there as one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life, thanks to the amazing cast and creative team. Here is a round of of links on the piece (compiled by the amazing Hallie Seline):

PROMO:

THE WOLVES Trailer

Production Photos

REVIEWS:

3.5/4 Stars - The Globe and Mail The Wolves is worth cheering on, and loudly. The impressive teamwork does indeed make the dream work.

3.5/4 Stars - Toronto Star The Wolves is a gloriously frank and intense depiction of extraordinary young women.

NNNN - NOW Magazine The Wolves is so riveting it will make you howl.

Mooney On Theatre “Go see The Wolves. Please. It’s moving and howlingly funny and as full of life as the most suspenseful soccer game… This production, by The Howland Company and Crow’s Theatre, brims with vitality, humour, and heart; it’s one of the best shows I’ve seen in some time.”

My Entertainment World “Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves is one of the finest pieces of theatre I’ve had the pleasure to see. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Howland Company’s production has everything. It’s fresh, witty, heartwarming, moving and tragic. Rarely could I recommend a play so wholeheartedly.”

4/5 Stars – My Gay Toronto “Riveting, fresh and surprising and exhilarating. A lot of that has to do with the ensemble, all of whom are individually powerful but also so tightly interlocked that teamwork is not just a metaphor but a virtuoso demonstration.” – Drew Rowsome

Broadway World Toronto “Sarah DeLappe’s first foray into playwriting is a complete knockout, and is brilliantly directed by Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster and produced by The Howland Company and Crow’s Theatre.”

The Slotkin Letter “The Wolves is a terrific play given a wonderful, compelling production… Beautiful.” - Lynn Slotkin

PREVIEWS AND REFLECTIONS:

The Toronto Star - Post-Show Reflection & Interview – The Wolves, Dry Land and School Girls provide a new platform for teenage girls’ stories” by Carly Maga “I told them that this is your opportunity to retrain your ears to hear voices that we are all collectively, myself included, trained to miss,” Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Director.

Dispositio Blog, by Holger Syme “Necessary Wolves” “I got to watch a group of actors – all either female or non-binary – be extraordinarily present physically, irreducibly present, in the moment, as bodies: bodies that spoke and bodies that moved, with total commitment to specific situations”

CBC Radio’s Here and Now Interview – Heath V. Salazar & Hallie Seline

CBC Sports – Post-Show “Women in Sports” Panel Reflection by Signa Butler - “For women in sports, you need to see yourself to believe in yourself… The Wolves show how vital sport can be for the empowerment of young women.” – Signa Butler, CBC Sports & Olympic Broadcaster

She Does The City Interview & Review “THE WOLVES IS AN INTELLIGENT AND FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THE LIFE OF TEENAGE GIRLS” – SHE DOES THE CITY “We get Mean Girls and things like Clueless, but we rarely get to see a band of young warrior women going through a trial together and coming out the other side.”

In the Greenroom Interview with Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster “What inspires me are brave change-makers and storytellers. And people who listen”

Sesaya Interview with Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster “This show demands so much of its performers – they have to be physically fit, good at soccer, and so agile with their bodies and minds as they race through a script that moves at a very fast pace. It has been a tremendous challenge for all of us,” Courtney explains. “They have met it and exceeded it. I dare anyone to come to the show and not fall in love with each and every one of them.”