Emerging Artist Program
For playwrights & directors
Studio 180 Theatre’s Emerging Artists Program provides three early-career playwrights or directors with the opportunity to advance their skills, gain exposure and accelerate their career trajectory by spending one year working with and being mentored by Studio 180 Theatre’s artistic team. This barrier-free initiative is designed to help artists bridge the gap from emerging to established by providing them with the experience and resources they need to succeed.
Thanks to the RBC Foundation, all three emerging artist positions are paid and feature both mentorship and public showcase opportunities.
Studio 180’s 2023/24 Emerging ARTISTS
Rebecca Auerbach
Emerging Playwright
Rebecca is an award-winning actor, singer/songwriter, and playwright. As an actor, she has worked extensively in theatre across the country including The Arts Club (Jessie Nomination), Theatre Calgary (Betty Award), Alberta Theatre Projects, The Vancouver Playhouse (Jessie Award), Caravan Farm, The Belfry, The Globe, The Citadel, Royal MTC, WJT, Factory Theatre, Nightwood, Studio 180, Musical Stage Company (Dora nominations) National Arts Centre, Summerworks, The Charlottetown Festival and many more. Highlights include 2 season’s with Bard on the Beach, and 9 season’s with Blyth Festival where most recently she co-created and co-composed The Pigeon King (Blyth/NAC). As a writer, in addition to her new solo piece Discount Dave & The Fix, she is currently developing The Wilder Sisters (working title), a play with music commissioned by the Blyth Festival about a country music duo inspired by the women of the CKNX Barndance era. Rebecca also works as a voice artist, narrating numerous audiobooks, voicing commercials and animation. She is a recipient of the Jessie Award for Most Promising Newcomer and a graduate of Studio 58. Recent Film/TV highlights: Sunset Superman (TUBI/Feature), Bike (BELL/Series), and Riley Rocket (Sphere Media/Oasis Animation). Rebecca also plays in the folk/roots/country band Regal Road, and she is most grateful to her soulful German Shepherd, Archer, for changing her life.
CAMILLE INTSON
Emerging Playwright
Camille Intson (she/her) is an award-winning Tkaronto-based writer, interdisciplinary theatre maker, and new media artist. Her work frequently explores the nature of queer femme identity and spirituality, emerging technology and intimacy, intergenerational power relations, and institutionalized whiteness, often pandering to new generation performers and audiences. Recent projects include JANE (Tarragon Theatre Greenhouse Festival/in development with Pantheon Projects; 2023 Equity Showcase Cayle Chernin Development Award Finalist), CLICK BUSH TRAIN BUG: A Fable for Twelve (Tarragon Theatre/TMU Creative School), WALSH: A New Musical (with Jake Schindler), troubadour (2023 Canadian Folk Music Award Nominee/2022 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award), We All Got Lost (2021 Playwrights’ Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award Winner; 2019 Hamilton Fringe Best in Fringe/Best in Venue/New Play Contest Winner), and Road (2017 NNPF National Playwriting Competition Winner). She can be found at camilleintson.com or @thecamiliad.
chantelle han
Emerging Director
Chantelle is an award-winning Filipina-Korean-Canadian director, actor, and producer. Last season, she was the assistant director for the Canadian premiere of Wedding Band at the Stratford Festival, as part of the Langham Director’s Workshop. She also directed the world premiere productions of Freaky Green Eyes (Emma Houghton in assoc. w/ Punctuate and Edmonton Fringe), Shark Bite (Lunchbox Theatre), and The Strid (Downstage Theatre). On stage, you may have seen her in Post-Democracy (Tarragon Theatre), Strangers on a Train (Vertigo Theatre), Slipper (ATP), Medea (Chromatic Theatre), and in the national tour of Kim’s Convenience (Soulpepper/MTC/Arts Club/Citadel). On screen, she won Best Lead Performance awards for her starring roles in the feature films, Peppergrass (also co-director) and Circle of Steel, and in recurring roles on series: Black Summer (Netflix), and Departure (Global).
Studio 180’s emerging artist alumni
郝邦宇 Steven Hao
2022/23 Emerging Director
“This program has not only helped develop my artistic voice, but strengthened my opinion in the type of work that we need to continually invest our time in. As a young-in-craft artist, this program helped me gain the necessary industry experience that I needed to further my practice and taught me invaluable lessons regarding how to run a rehearsal room, the tech process, the prep work as a director and many more teachings.”
MARCEL STEWART
2022/23 Emerging Playwright
“Being selected as one of the emerging artists has been a transformative experience, both personally and professionally. The program provided a safe and nurturing workshop environment that enabled me to address several of the more significant questions plaguing this artistic process. Not everything was answered, but clarity was certainly achieved and I know the direction we are going in. Being part of this program has been an absolute game-changer for me.”
TAYLOR TROWBRIDGE
2022/23 Emerging Playwright
“The RBC Emerging Artist Program at Studio 180 Theatre offers a truly transformative experience. Delivering dramaturgy, play workshops, an online public reading, and a chance to work with Studio 180’s amazing IN CLASS initiative, this program has provided vital growth opportunities and has been instrumental in my evolution as a playwright.”
Rebecca gibian
2021/22 Emerging Director
“I am thrilled and grateful to be able to return to [Indecent], return to my dusty research that’s been waiting for me since early 2020, and return to work with this team I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of fully meeting. The chance to learn and grow as an artist, particularly as a director, is a rare and precious gift that feels all the more valuable after a two and a half year pause.”
MARCEL STEWART
2021/22 Emerging Playwright
“I never felt pressured by Studio 180 to have something polished by the end of it, but was encouraged along the way to focus on drafting the story that I want to tell. That level of agency was foreign to me, but over the duration of the program it became apparent that this opportunity really was for me to develop an idea beyond just being an idea. I can now confidently say I have a completed first draft of a story that not only seems to resonate with audiences but is something that I am proud of.”
TAYLOR TROWBRIDGE
2021/22 Emerging Playwright
“The RBC Emerging Artist Program at Studio 180 Theatre offers a truly transformative experience. Delivering dramaturgy, play workshops, an online public reading, and a chance to work with Studio 180’s amazing IN CLASS initiative, this program has provided vital growth opportunities and has been instrumental in my evolution as a playwright.”
YOLANDA BONNELL
2020/21 Emerging Playwright
“I was so happy with how the students engaged with the work. It was really great getting to spend that time with them… I’m looking forward to engaging again! My favourite thing about leading IN CLASS workshops is watching the youth discover their own abilities in creation.”
RACHEL MUTOMBO
2020/21 Emerging Playwright
“One of my greatest joys as a writer is watching a piece develop and evolve every time I work on it. As an audience, typically we only get to see the finished, polished, “perfect” product. This partnership with Studio 180 Theatre was a gift to allow me to explore this play without the pressure of a finished product.”
ALI JOY RICHARDSON
2020/21 Emerging Playwright
“Thanks for everything Studio 180 has brought to my life this year. It’s been a true blessing. I couldn’t be happier about all that’s been accomplished through this RBC Emerging Playwright opportunity… I am so grateful for your support and championing this year. Thank you so much for believing in this play and allowing it to enter the world. You made it happen.”
Sabryn Rock
2019/20 Emerging Director
“As a result of this entire experience, I feel respected and confident that I can be taken seriously as a budding director…. They’ve made space for me to solidify my voice as a director and foster my talent.”
REBECCA GIBIAN
2019/20 Emerging Director
“This kind of opportunity, to choose a play, cast it, rehearse and direct it all within a short window of time, was an incredible concentrated lesson in leadership, process, and taught me so much about the kind of director I hope to be, and about what kind of work inspires me most.”
SAM KHALILIEH
2019/20 Emerging Playwright
“Studio 180’s faith in me, as an artist and as a human being, means it feels safe to share, not just my work, but also myself with them. I am an immigrant one step closer to producing a fantastic piece of theatre — a lifelong wish coming true… Writing my family’s journey has opened me up.”
YOLANDA BONNEL & NATASHA GREENBLATT
2018/19 Emerging Playwrights
“Having the support of Studio 180 and the RBC award was invaluable to the development of our show. Opportunities like these are vital to the development of new voices, nurturing the artistic leaders of the future. Thank you so much for believing that I am one of those voices.”
KERRY ANN DOHERTY
2018/19 Emerging Director
“The RBC Emerging Director position gave me the start I needed and the confidence to pursue the next step in my directing career. I have felt like a valued member of the team and have established myself as a professional in this field.”
CYNTHIA JIMENEZ-HICKS
2017/18 Emerging Playwright
“The incredible opportunity I had to develop Apple with Studio 180 gave me a new way to express my voice. Before this workshop with Studio 180 I hesitated to call myself a playwright; now I hold the title with confidence.”
SARAH ORENSTEIN
2017/18 Emerging Director
“Being linked and presented by Studio 180 as director to the theatre community has changed my profile. I’ve noticed the interest. And I feel that gives me the opening to approach other companies in that role as I look for the next step.”