Production Bios & Headshots

Jordan Hrynkiw

KIMBERLY-KAY

Jordan Hrynkiw is making her second appearance with Merlyn Productions, having also appeared as the Second Elf in “The World of The Brothers Grimm” at the 2012 Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Currently, Jordan is in her second year of acting classes at the Winnipeg Theatre School. She previously took two years of acting at Fantasy Theatre for Children and The Theatre School, and two years of musical theatre classes at Manitoba Theatre for Young People.

While at Fantasy Theatre for Children, Jordan's mainstage appearances included “The Stolen Prince” in 2011, and “Max and The Grinch” in 2010.

Offstage, Jordan loves music. She is in her fourth year of guitar, second year of voice lessons, and second year of flute in the school band. Jordan’s favourite pastime is to grab her guitar and sing a song.

Jordan is a grade 8 student at John Henderson Junior High.

Anna Woodward

KIMBERLY-KAY'S MOTHER / MARIA / KIKUSHYO'S MOTHER / JANOS' MOTHER

Anna Woodward is making her ninth appearance with Merlyn Productions, having recently appeared as the Fisherman's Wife in “The World of The Brothers Grimm” at the 2012 Winnipeg Fringe Festival. She was also seen playing the Red Queen in “Through The Looking-Glass” last December.

Anna also took part in two Winnipeg Fringe Festival shows last Summer: “LAW & ORDER: Nursery Rhyme Unit” with HamDad Productions, and “HEY ABBOTT! - Another Classic Comedy Tribute Show” with Chase & Hamill.

Anna started acting in Grade 5, when she played Little Red Riding Hood. Her other recent stage appearances have been in “Fiddler on the Roof” with the Victorian Operatic Society, and “Sweeney Todd” with the Belleville Theatre Guild. As a military brat with her father in the Armed Forces, she has acted from Comox, B.C., to Belleville, Ontario.

In addition to stage acting, she has taken six years of vocal lessons, and is currently enrolled in a beginner jazz class.

Outside the arts, Anna is working as an ECE II, and holds a Social Service Worker Diploma. She is a “Jill of All Trades”, having interests in jewellery-making, metal-smithing, gecko breeding, and small home repairs.

Jazmyn Shell

BRISA / ENSEMBLE

Jazmyn Shell is excited to be making her first mainstage appearance with Merlyn Productions. Earlier this year, she appeared with its Winnipeg Theatre School as The Beast in a special presentation of “The Beast in the Bag”.

Jazmyn has been involved in theatre since the age of 7, and is currently a Teen Acting II student at the Winnipeg Theatre School. Her previous training includes seven years at Fantasy Theatre for Children and The Theatre School, where she appeared in as the title role in “Snow White”, and as Max in “Max and the Grinch”, alongside several other productions.

Jazmyn is currently enrolled in grade 10 at Garden City Collegiate. In March, she will be appearing as Patty Simcox in the school's production of “Grease”, which will be her sixth school musical.

Outside of theatre, Jazmyn has a passion for music and dance. She plays piano, guitar, and flute, and also sings. She has been enrolled in dance classes for 10 years.

Jazmyn hopes to one day graduate medical school and become a doctor.

Yvonne Grenier

NUSHI / AMERICAN GIRL / ENSEMBLE

Yvonne Grenier is making her first appearance on the Merlyn Productions mainstage, and has been a member of the company since 2011.

Previously, Yvonne served as Stage Manager for the adult segment of “Dramatic Showcase 2012”, as well as the 2011 Season's holiday special, “Through the Looking-Glass (And What Alice Found There)”.

Yvonne is a graduate from The Academy of Acting. While her year-long program covered film, television, and theatre acting, Yvonne feels best when she is working as a Stage Manager. Nevertheless, whether she is onstage or behind the scenes, Yvonne loves learning as a team and applying her knowledge to create theatre.

Tim Beaudry

BLUSTER / ENSEMBLE

Tim Beaudry is making his thirteenth appearance with Merlyn Productions. He was recently seen as The Clerk in “Augustus Does His Bit” for ShawFest2012, and as Alexander Brakespeare in “The Wraith of Wrath”.

Since his theatrical début as Warden Holt in the 2009 Winnipeg Fringe Festival production of “THE VALIANT”, Tim has performed regularly with the company. Previous roles include Uncle James in both the Ellice Theatre and Thaw Festival runs of “The Boy Comes Home”, and Robert Baldwin in “Confessional”, when the company presented its Morality Plays triple-feature last October. Both shows received critical acclaim on The Uniter's “Top Ten Theatre Productions of the 2010/2011 Season”.

Tim appeared with Chase & Hamill in “HEY ABBOTT! - Another Classic Comedy Tribute Show” at the 2011 Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and he recently performed with the BS Comedy Players at the PTE Mainstage in May 2012.

Offstage, Tim is an accomplished photographer, and has been part of the Winnipeg Folk Festival Photo Crew for 12 years. He enjoys paddling competitively with his dragon boat team, “Boogie’s Draggin Butt”, and has helped them win two Championship trophies, among others.

Edwing Juarez

CARLOS / ENSEMBLE

Edwing Juarez is making his first appearance with Merlyn Productions.

A native of Guatemala, Edwing discovered theatre while living in Winnipeg, where he attended the University of Winnipeg and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Film.

Theatre for Edwing, as in life, is an exploration of oneself. In each performance, he draws inspiration from his travels, and specially, from the two towns that have forever shaped his imagination: Winnipeg and Mexico City.

Edwing dedicates his craft to the people who have moulded his demeanour, and is forever thankful to his parents, brothers and his beautiful daughter Stephanie: his happiest Winter-October-memory.

Hope Figueroa

CORAZÓN / A VOICE / ENSEMBLE

Hope Figueroa is making her first appearance with Merlyn Productions. Born and raised in Winnipeg, she has always had a taste for local theatre. Her love for performance started when she was just a young girl telling stories, and since then she has not stopped!

Most recently, Hope appeared in the thirty-minute film “Abducted”, and can also be seen as a featured extra in the upcoming fantasy / sci-fi web series “Adventurers Inc” with White Rabbit Productions. Meanwhile, at Six Pines Haunted Attractions, she has been known for the past four years as the mad scientist Igor in an all-ages comedy show.

On the improv scene, Hope has been an active high school coach in the Manitoba Improv League (MIL) for two years, and is currently performing in a variety of local venues with the University of Winnipeg’s “UW Improv Troupe”.

At the University of Winnipeg, she is currently in the Integrated Education program, with a major in Theatre.

Hope thanks the special people in her life (they know who they are) for their continuous inspiration and support.

Mitch Krohn

KIKUSHYO / THE MAYOR / ENSEMBLE

Mitch Krohn loved playing in the bumbling boots of Lord Augustus in “Augustus Does His Bit”, and was eager to make a second appearance with Merlyn Productions. He is excited to be playing Kikushyo (probably the tallest Japanese boy in history!), because it is a new type of character for him.

Mitch is currently a member of the Crosseyed Rascals Improv Troupe, the Artistic Director of the BS Comedy Players, and a theatre instructor at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU).

He has been performing since the ripe age of 9, and grew up entertaining relatives at family gatherings year after year. However, a Thanksgiving Day celebration is not enough to hone one's skills, and so he proceeded to get his dramatic training through the University of Winnipeg's theatre program.

Mitch has worked with many local theatre companies, including North Kildonan Community Players, Phoenix Productions, Crosswalk Players, and White Rabbit Productions. He has been seen performing in the Winnipeg Fringe Festival since 2002, and also spent a few years travelling with performance troupes to B.C., across to Ontario, and as far south as Mexico – with a quick jaunt to Kenya for good measure!

He is happy and thankful for the opportunity to be performing as a returning member of Merlyn Productions.

Rachel Hiebert

KIYOMI / ENSEMBLE

Rachel Hiebert is making her first appearance with Merlyn Productions.

While attending high school at John Taylor Collegiate in Winnipeg, Rachel played Gabriella Montez in “High School Musical”, and Mulan in “Mulan Jr”. She has been acting since her grade 5 appearance as Martha Sew-wart in “Home for the Holidays”, and is currently studying Theatre at the University of Winnipeg.

Alongside her acting studies, Rachel brings with her 15 years of dance training in jazz, tap, and hip hop, as well as 10 years of vocal training in Classical, Jazz, and Musical Theatre styles.

Brian Dougherty

THE KING / ENSEMBLE

Brian Dougherty is making his sixth appearance on the Merlyn Productions mainstage. His recent roles include Philip Norton in “The Curtain”, when the company presented its Morality Plays triple-feature last October, and the King in “The World of The Brothers Grimm” at the 2012 Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

After once venturing briefly onto the stage with a self-written solo comedy routine for the local “Free Laughs Comedy Series”, Brian decided to pursue theatre in earnest. He enrolled in the Spring 2011 session of “STAGE ONE: Adult Theatre” at the theatre school, and performed with the class in Dramatic Showcase 2011.

Brian's first major community theatre production was with Chase & Hamill, creating multiple characters in “HEY ABBOTT! - Another Classic Comedy Tribute Show” at the 2011 Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Behind the scenes, Brian has actively contributed his carpentry talents to the scenic departments of many productions. He was a key member of the crew that brought Castle Wrath into being for “The Wraith of Wrath” in October, and also served as the Rehearsal Stage Manager for the company's ShawFest2012 production of “Augustus Does His Bit”.

Isabelle Mae

PRINCESS ANNA / ENSEMBLE

Isabelle Mae is making her first appearance with Merlyn Productions.

Having acted in shows for over twelve years, Isabelle discovered her passion at a young age. At Manitoba Theatre for Young People, she enrolled in the Young Company for two years, in the Musical Theatre Company and The Company for one year each, and was part of the student cast that presented Roald Dahl's “The Witches” in the 2011 Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Her other previous training includes a Directing/Acting Mentorship with Carolyn Grey, as well as two previous mentorships with ACI Manitoba.

Currently, Isabelle is a Theatre and Film student at the University of Winnipeg.

Dean Duncan

JANOS THE PEASANT / JUAN / ENSEMBLE

Dean Duncan is making his fourth appearance with Merlyn Productions. Last season, Dean appeared as Lestrande in “The Curtain”, when the company presented its Morality Plays triple-feature in October, and has most recently come off the set of “The Wraith of Wrath” as Doctor Findlay.

Dean made multiple character appearances in “Dramatic Showcase 2012”, and took on the position of Assistant Stage Manager for the Ellice Theatre re-mount of Chase & Hamill's “HEY ABBOTT! - Another Classic Comedy Tribute Show”.

Starting back in high school, Dean played Frank Gilbreth Jr in “Cheaper by the Dozen”. After years of unexpressed interest in theatre and a brief foray into stand-up comedy, he auditioned for Merlyn Productions in Autumn 2011.

Born in Winnipeg and growing up in Churchill, Dean returned almost a decade ago to explore broader horizons.

Offstage, Dean enjoys reading, cooking, and sarcastic observations on life, in general.

Harmony Light

WOMAN ONE, TWO / GIRL / ENSEMBLE

Harmony Light is making her first appearance with Merlyn Productions.

Harmony is enrolled in the Teen Acting I class at the Winnipeg Theatre School, and initially began taking acting lessons in 2009 under Tony Frost at Fantasy Theatre for Children and The Theatre School. While at FTC, she appeared as the Nurse in their final production of “The Stolen Prince”. Currently, she is also working on the Ecole River Heights School production of “Alice In Wonderland” as the Cheshire Cat.

Harmony has been performing, singing and dancing from an early age, having studied with the Doreen Bissett School of Dance for six years. At Ecole Laura Secord School, Harmony was the only grade 4 actor to receive a lead role in the musical “Pirates!” – and in a subsequent production of “Joust” – while also performing with various school choirs.

Harmony also studies voice under singer Colleen Morrison, and won silver in her vocal category at the Winnipeg Music Festival in 2012. At her school's talent show, she electrified teachers and fellow students with her rendition of “Mad World”.

Harmony looks forward to seeing her creative gifts continue to grow and mature with each new endeavour!

Heather Forgie

INNKEEPER / JUANITA / ENSEMBLE

Heather Forgie is making her first appearance with Merlyn Productions.

This Summer, Heather appeared in her first-ever Winnipeg Fringe Festival as Evie in “Shades of Grey” with R-G Productions. Aside from “Wind of a Thousand Tales”, she is currently working with Resonator Theatrical on “The Last of Sheila” for Sondheimfest 2013.

Heather is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg's theatre and dramatic arts program, and is currently employed as a high school Drama and English teacher.

Having once upon a time taken a few years off from the acting scene to have children and establish herself as a teacher, Heather is now back full-force. She looks forward to many further appearances with the company!

Kai Jolley

JOSÉ / SPIRIT / HAROLD THE HERALD / ENSEMBLE

Kai Jolley is making his first appearance with Merlyn Productions.

Kai has been involved with many musicals and plays, and is now only starting to dive into film. Be it singing or acting, Kai is pursuing a career in the performing arts, with a burning passion to perform and to hone his craft.

Previously, Kai studied theatre at Providence College, as well as at the Academy of Acting, where he appeared in “The Importance of Being Earnest” under Jeff Erbach.

Outside the theatre, Kai enjoys writing novels (which he hopes to get published!), and sketching. His goals for the near future are to take dance and piano, in pursuit of achieving that “triple threat” status!

Ken Stone

PEPE / THE EXECUTIONER / ENSEMBLE

Ken Stone is making his second appearance with Merlyn Productions. He previously appeared as the First Policeman in “The Curtain”, when the company presented its Morality Plays triple-feature in October 2011.

Most recently, Ken appeared with Churchill Park Players as Donald, when they presented “Kicked by a Duck” in March 2012.

Ken is currently continuing his studies at PTE Theatre School with Sharon Bajer, Brenda McLean and Erin McGrath. Past studies were at the Actors Training Centre of Manitoba (ATCMB) with Nancy Drake and Jeff Skinner.

He is thrilled to be working with Merlyn again. In life, he enjoys the opportunity to learn and to have as much fun as he possibly can.

Thank you for coming, and enjoy the show!

Lucy Barbara

INKEEPER'S DAUGHTER / ENSEMBLE

Lucy Barbara is pleased to be making her second appearance on the Merlyn Productions mainstage. Lucy appeared as Evie in “Confessional”, when the company presented its Morality Plays triple-feature in October 2011, and previously performed with the theatre school's “STAGE ONE: Adult Theatre” class in Dramatic Showcase 2011.

Lucy was first was introduced to theatre as a child, taking dance classes and performing with the Winnipeg School of Performing Arts under Kimberley Timlock. Interest in the arts continued into her teens, when she began drawing, writing poetry, and playing with the “Hamburger Earmuffs” improv team during her high school years.

Since then, Lucy has worked on several creative projects that focused on digital photo restoration and graphic design, leading her to develop a taste for entrepreneurship and photography. Now, Lucy's aspirations are to become a playwright of dark comedies, act, have fun with paint, and travel to inspirational places.

Tony Porteous

PRINCE ONE, TWO, THREE / ENSEMBLE

Tony Porteous is pleased to be making his first appearance with Merlyn Productions.

Tony has always been pleased to try new things, and it's the theatre that allows him to do this. Before he was a prince, he played a gay lawyer in “Shades of Gray”, a bowling enthusiast in “How I Died”, a multitude of demons and angels in “Undead Rotting Zombie the Musical”, a drug dealer in “Caroline” an insane ex-good-humour in “Landscape of the Body”, and an unsavoury bartender who took part in various illegal activities. He also spends Halloween scaring small children for money (yes, parents pay him to do this!) and allows himself to be diagnosed by the students at Health Sciences.

When not referring to himself in the third person Tony enjoys acting in various film projects, writing his own scripts, and spending quality time with his lovely girlfriend. He thanks everyone who knows him and has supported his immense ego.

John Chase

DIRECTOR

John Chase is the Artistic Director of Merlyn Productions Theatre Company, and an instructor at the Winnipeg Theatre School. As a Winnipeg actor, director, producer and stage manager, he is pleased to be marking his 100th production with “Wind of a Thousand Tales”!

John is a veteran of theatre for young audiences, having produced multiple Kids Fringe best-sellers, staged last season's “Through the Looking-Glass”, and worked extensively in children's theatre with Fantasy Theatre for Children, both on and behind the FTC mainstage for twenty seasons (1991 - 2011). He directed multiple shows for G.D. Productions (FTC's adult arm), and is an alumnus of The Theatre School, where he obtained five years of formal training under Tony Frost in the early-to-mid 1990s.

John founded Merlyn Productions after his Co-Artistic Director at C.G. Productions departed Winnipeg in 2000, and has produced full seasons of plays at the Ellice Theatre, Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and other local venues since 2009. As one half of Chase & Hamill on the local comedy scene, John can also be found portraying quintessential straight man Bud Abbott of Abbott & Costello fame, alongside performing partner Kevin Hamill (Lou Costello).

Today, he is delighted to be staging a long-standing FTC favourite with Merlyn's dedicated cast, staff, and crew – and hopes you enjoy the show!

David King

STAGE MANAGER

David King stage managed “The Wraith of Wrath” in October, and has made four previous appearances with Merlyn Productions. He was most recently seen at the 2012 Winnipeg Fringe Festival, playing the Shoemaker in “The World of The Brothers Grimm” at the Kids Venue.

For more than twenty years, David has been involved in both amateur and professional theatre, and has worn many hats, including acting, set construction, and stage management, with theatre companies in Toronto, Ontario and Cornwall, Ontario, as well as Wichita, Kansas.

On the film and television scene, David has been involved in several films and commercials shot locally in Winnipeg.