Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish

David Rakoff

Author

For Studio 180: debut. David Rakoff is the author of four New York Times bestsellers: the essay collections Fraud, Don’t Get Too Comfortable and Half Empty, and the novel Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish. A two-time recipient of the Lambda Literary Award and a winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, he was a regular contributor to Public Radio International’s This American Life. His writing frequently appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Wired, Salon, GQ, Outside, Gourmet, Vogue and Slate, among other publications. An accomplished stage and screen actor, playwright and screenwriter, David adapted the screenplay for and starred in Joachim Back’s film The New Tenants, which won the 2010 Oscar for Best Short Film, Live Action. He died in August 2012 at the age of 47, shortly after finishing this book. David Rakoff was based in New York, and born in Montreal.

Mark McGrinder

Adapter/Director

For Studio 180: As Assistant/Associate Director – God of Carnage, Blackbird; As a performer – Clybourne Park, The Normal Heart, Our Class, Parade, Stuff Happens, Offensive Shadows, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, The Passion of the Chris, & The Laramie Project. Mark is the Artistic Director of Studio 180 Theatre. His Studio 180 performing credits include Oslo, The Nether, You Will Remember Me, Clybourne Park and Stuff Happens. He has been a director and/or dramaturg(e) for many of Studio 180’s IN DEVELOPMENT projects and, as the program’s coordinator, has worked to connect creators with the appropriate collaborators required to bring their visions to the stage. He adapted and directed Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish for PANAMANIA, directed Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays and worked as Associate Director for Blackbird, God of Carnage and Studio 180’s 10th Anniversary reading of The Laramie Project. Mark was a member of the acting ensemble at the Shaw Festival for five seasons and he performed in several reviews with The Second City’s National touring company. He has been head or co-writer on several collective creations (Single and Sexy, That Artz Show and The Berlin Show) and his play MacHamlet was presented as part of the Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival. As an artist educator he has worked with high school, college and university students in and beyond the GTA and is continually inspired by the passion and vision of the young artists he has had the good fortune to connect with.

Ashley Botting

Performer

For Studio 180: debut. Ashley is an alumna of Toronto’s Second City Mainstage, where she wrote and performed in four revues, including How to Kill a Comedian and Sixteen Scandals. Other theatre credits: The Second City Guide to the Symphony (Roy Thomson Hall), Impromptu Splendour: Improvised Sondheim (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre), Chicago Sketchfest. TV credits: Straight Talk (CTV News Channel), Odd Squad (TVO/PBS), Schitt’s Creek (CBC). Animation credits: The Ridonculous Race, Arthur, Beywheelz, Z-Squad. Writing credits: NOW Magazine,  Toronto Star, TheLoop.ca, shortlisted for the CBC Canada Writes: Bloodlines prize. Two-time Dora nominee, two-time Canadian Comedy Award winner. Twitter: @AshleyBotting; website: ashleybotting.com

Joel Greenberg

Performer

For Studio 180: As Director – NSFW, Cock, God of Carnage, Clybourne Park, The Normal Heart, Our Class, Parade, The Overwhelming, Stuff Happens, Blackbird, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, The Passion of the Chris & The Laramie Project. A co-founder of Studio 180, Joel is a Chalmers and Dora award–winning playwright and director who has directed productions across Canada. Elsewhere: Ain’t Misbevain‘, What the Butler Saw, Taking Sides, Vanities, Bells Are Ringing, Second City (Toronto and Chicago), Dames at Sea (too many times), Tonight at 8:00…8:30 in Newfoundland (all three editions), The Foreigner, Alice, Drink the Mercury and The Nuclear Power Play. Joel taught at Humber College Theatre School from 1984 to 1989 and the Drama Department at the University of Waterloo from 1991 to 2014, also serving as the Chair of each department.

Sterling Jarvis

Performer

For Studio 180: Clybourne Park & The Overwhelming. Selected credits include The Lion King, We Will Rock You, Ruined (2011 Dora Award Nomination), Caroline, or Change (2012 Dora Award for Best Actor in a Principle Role) and The Whipping Man (2013 Dora Award Nomination). Some of his television and film appearances include The West Wing, Felicity, The Sentinel, Life With Boys, Lost Girls, Nikita, Rookie Blue, Suits and most recently Aaliyah: Princess of R&B. Sterling is a two-time Juno Award nominee and has sung anthems for the Blue Jays, the Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He can also be heard singing the themes for the popular kid’s shows Zaboomafoo, Donkey Kong Country and Wild Kratts. Sterling appeared on stage most recently in Driving Miss Daisy, The Wild Party and Helen Lawrence, which will be touring again to Europe and New York this fall.

Daniel Krolik

Performer

For Studio 180: debut. Past credits include Chasing Margaret Flatwood (Theatre Awakening); Dib and Dob and the Journey Home (Roseneath Theatre/NAC); Release the Stars: The Ballad of Randy and Evi Quaid (Toronto Fringe/Next Stage, also co-wrote); The Snow Queen (Sudbury Theatre Centre); The Enchanted Crackhouse, [sic], In Trousers, The Book of Liz (Toronto Fringe – NOW Magazine Artist to Watch); Twelfth Night (Direct Flight/Gromkat); Ten Green Bottles (Te-Amim, also co-adapted); Much Ado About Nothing (Dream North – Yukon Tour); Hello Again (Tarragon Extra Space/Equity co-op); and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Perimeter Institute). Daniel is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Sheridan College.

Kimwun Perehinec

Performer

For Studio 180: Clybourne Park, Our Class, Offensive Shadows, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, The Passion of the Chris & The Laramie Project. Kimwun is a co-founder, artist educator and member of the Core Artistic Team for Studio 180. Other selected credits include Frankenstein’s Boy, Madhouse Variations, Sideshow of the Damned (Eldritch Theatre); Chasing Margaret Flatwood (Theatre Awakening); Like Wolves (GCTC); Wrecked (Roseneath Theatre); This Is About the Push (Seventh Stage); Mourning Dove (Ark Collective); Vanities (Theatre in Port); Spain (Absit Omen); Phae (Collective Architecture); High-Gravel-Blind, Shadows, Walk Right Up (Stratford Festival). Film and TV credits include recurring roles on the TMN series The Line and the web series B.J. Fletcher: Private Eye; and Puppets Who Kill, Nikita and Thieves. Kimwun has been nominated for two Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Ensemble) and is a graduate of the actor training program at George Brown College.

Maria Vacratsis

Performer

For Studio 180: debut. Other Credits: Cake and Dirt, Slavs!, Counter Service (Tarragon Theatre); Her 2, The Happy Woman (Nightwood); Tainted (Aki Studio); Endgame, The Crucible, Home, You Can’t Take It With You, The Way of the World, A Flea In Her Ear, Twelfth Night, A Streetcar Named Desire (Soulpepper); Through the Leaves (Company Theatre); seasons at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals; three Dora nominations (two wins), three Gemini nominations and one National Radio Award; and numerous film and television appearances including My Big Fat Greek Wedding and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.

Jonathan Wilson

Performer

For Studio 180: The Normal Heart. Past theatre work includes the Canadian premiere of The Lion King (Dora Award – The Princess of Wales Theatre) and performances in his own play My Own Private Oshawa (Governor General’s Award nominee, Dora/Chalmers Nomination – Tarragon Theatre, New Yorker Theatre). Jonathan was also a writer and performer with The Second City for six shows (Dora Nomination). Other theatre credits include The Drowsy Chaperone, Moonlight and Magnolias (Sudbury Theatre Centre); The Clockmaker (Thousand Islands Playhouse); Possible Worlds, The Duchess (Theatre Passe Muraille); Not To Be Repeated, Medici Slot Machine (Tarragon Extra Space); Cinderella (The Elgin Theatre); This Could Be Love (The Poor Alex); and Annie Get Your Gun (Massey Hall). Jonathan was also writer in residence at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto where he wrote the play Kilt (Dora/New York Drama Desk nominations), which has had productions around the world. TV and film credits include Not To Be Repeated (CTV/The Comedy Network), My Own Private Oshawa (Gemini Nomination – CTV), Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (Pax Network/CTV), Murdoch Mysteries (CityTV), This Is Wonderland (CBC), Life With Derek (Family) and Monk (USA Network), as well as hundreds of voices for animated series including Skatoony, Iggy Arbuckle (Gemini Nomination), Pearlie and Little Bear.

Tom Bellman

Composer/Musician

For Studio 180: debut. Tom studied composition and arranging at Humber College. While living in Israel he co-founded Zaviot, contributing original compositions to the jazz quartet’s three albums. Tom wrote the song “Home at Last” for Judith Thompson’s production Body & Soul (Tarragon Theatre, 2009) and from 2007 to 2009 wrote over 30 songs for three school productions of Shakespeare plays that Ms. Thompson directed. Tom collaborates with author and lyricist Barbara Nichol, with whom he created The Sparrow Songs: A Country Song String, an original musical that debuted at SummerWorks in 2011. Their songs are occasionally performed by The Ivy Rose Orchestra, a 10-piece country music ensemble led by Tom. Currently, Tom is working on a new musical and writing songs for The Convict Lover, a new play by Judith Thompson that will debut at Theatre Kingston.

Verne Good

Sound Designer

For Studio 180: NSFW & The Normal Heart. Other theatre credits include: Cake and Dirt, Was Spring, Communion (Tarragon Theatre), sound design and original music for The Atomic Weight of Happiness (Stand Up Dance); The Red Queen Effect, Stockholm (Seventh Stage Theatre Productions). Sound design for The Mountaintop (The Grand Theatre); Pericles, Hirsch (Stratford Festival); Bingo! (Factory Theatre); Outside, In This World (Roseneath); Queer Bathroom Stories (Buddies in Bad Times); Free as Injuns (Native Earth Performing Arts). Verne is a personal trainer, a poet and a graduate of Bishop’s University, National Theatre School and Humber College.

Marcie Januska

Stage Manager

For Studio 180: Cock. Previous credits include Cake and Dirt (Tarragon Theatre); Who Killed Spalding Gray? (reWork Productions); Forgiveness (Modern Times Stage); Yukonstyle (Canadian Stage); Civility, This Is What Happens Next (Necessary Angel); Nohkom, Valley of Coal (Signal Theatre); Who Killed Snow White (Nightwood Theatre); Antigone: Dead People (Small Wooden Shoe); The Clockmaker, The Gift of the Coat, Communion, The Last Dog of War, Peter Pan, Ash Rizin’ (a hip-hop musical), Heartbreaker, Rabbit Hole, Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre (Alberta Theatre Projects); Blood Relations, Dial M For Murder, Wait Until Dark, Rope (Vertigo Theatre); Arigato, Tokyo (The Banff Centre); Vigil (Theatre Calgary); and over 20 shows at Lunchbox Theatre. Marcie is also an independent producer and administrator, and worked at The Banff Centre for seven seasons with the Opera as Theatre training program. She is a co-founder of reWork Productions.

Denyse Karn

Set, Costume & Projection Designer

For Studio 180: NSFW. Other theatre credits include: Othello, To Kill a Mockingbird (Stratford Festival); Intimate Apparel (The Belfry Theatre), Art, The Mountaintop (The Grand Theatre – London); Onegin (The Musical Stage Company); Das Ding (Theatre Smash/Canadian Stage); The Watershed (Crow’s Theatre/Porte Parole); Her2, The Carousel, The Penelopiad, Happy Woman, The List (Nightwood Theatre); Twisted, Stop Heart (Factory Theatre); The Winter’s Tale (Canadian Stage) and Top Girls (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre). Other: Denyse is a graduate of the TMU and NSCAD University. She has received many Dora Mavor Moore nominations and awards, a Chalmers Award and four Merritt Awards (Nova Scotia Theatre Award) for Outstanding Set, Projection and Costume designs. Denyse is a full member of ADC and IATSE Local ADC659. www.denysekarn.com

Kimberly Purtell

Lighting Designer

For Studio 180:  NSFW, Cock, God of Carnage, Clybourne Park, The Normal Heart, Our Class, Parade, The Overwhelming, Stuff Happens & Blackbird. Kimberly is a Toronto based lighting designer for theatre, opera and dance and is thrilled to be working with Studio 180 once again. Her designs have been critically acclaimed across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Prague, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Moscow and Mongolia. She has designed for the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage Company, Soulpepper Theatre, Mirvish Productions, National Arts Centre and the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera Philadelphia, Arena Stage in Washington DC, Tapestry Opera, Hamilton Opera, Edmonton Opera, Theatre Calgary, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Citadel Theatre, Place des Arts, among many others. She has also designed productions for the Pan Am Games and the Vancouver and Beijing Cultural Olympiads. Kimberly has received three Dora Mavor Moore Awards, the Pauline McGibbon Award, a Sterling Award, and a Montreal English Theatre Award. She is the Vice President of the Associated Designers of Canada and IATSE ADC659.

Seth

Illustrator

For Studio 180: debut. Seth is the cartoonist behind the long-running comic book series Palookaville. His books include Wimbledon Green, George Sprott and It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken. He is also a magazine illustrator, and book designer for The Complete Peanuts, The Portable Dorothy Parker and The Collected Doug Wright. His latest book is The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists, and the first of his four books with Lemony Snicket, Who Could That Be at This Hour?, was published in the fall of 2011. Among other highlights, Seth has provided album artwork for Aimee Mann, been serialized in the Funny Pages section of The New York Times Magazine, and had artwork featured on the cover of The New Yorker several times. Seth has won a number of industry awards throughout is career, and in 2011 was the first cartoonist to win the literary Harbourfront Festival Prize. He was born in Clinton, Ontario, attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, and currently lives in Guelph, Ontario.