Toronto Film School Presents Virtual Stage Production of AL/ONE
In This Article
Alone. Together. One. All one.
Toronto Film School’s upcoming production of AL/ONE, directed by Rosanna Saracino, began with a simple discussion amongst a fifth-term Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre class about where they found themselves in the face of the world today.
“Lockdowns, massacres, protests, pandemic, riots, attacks. We discussed isolation and how alone we found ourselves. We looked out to the world – Canada, U.S., Rwanda, Korea, Turkey, Nigeria, Russia, Mexico, Poland, Italy, and more – seeking connection,” Saracino said of the inspiration behind AL/ONE.
“We saw division – governments, technologies, us versus them. But we persisted. We sought unity amidst the division. We sought to remember that which makes us all human.”
Using those initial discussions as a starting point, Saracino and her class of nine students then embarked on an exercise in devised theatre – a collective creation process in which performers and directors use a variety of forms of improvisation, research and investigation, physical theatre, and discussion to arrive at a play production.
In the end, they landed on AL/ONE.
“We found that we are ALONE, but we are also ALL ONE,” Saracino explained. “This is us, and this is our play, AL/ONE.”
The 75-minute play, which was stage managed by Katrina Phang-Lyn, will take to the virtual stage for a three-performance run on the evenings of March 24, 25 and 26 as follows:
Wednesday, March 24 – 8 p.m. (EDT)
Thursday, March 25 – 8 p.m. (EDT)
Friday, March 26 – 8 p.m. (EDT)
***Click here to livestream any of the above performances***
The Creative Team Behind AL/ONE:
Ramazan Basak
“Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Let’s begin.” Ramazan Basak started his new career in acting in 2019 at the Toronto Film School. He has been called a natural actor by his colleagues and mentors. He can speak and write Kurdish, Turkish and English fluently and Arabic at an intermediate level. He is energetic, passionate and athletic. He is also interested in film production and writing. He is a good storyteller and aiming to use his experiences in different fields to advance his acting career.
Manuel Da Cruz
Manuel Da Cruz is an acting student at Toronto Film School. He has been in two theatre productions – one a production of Holes, based on the book by Louis Sachar, and the other an original called Look At You. Manuel was also in a music video produced by some of his fellow TFS students.
Dan Guther
Dan Guther was born in Burlington, Ontario. He is a Term 5 student in TFS’s Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre program. Dan has performed in a number of works on stage such as The Canadian Collectives, Anton Chekhov, and Paradise Lost. Hid film, television and commercial credits include A Fuller Day, Happy, Hell to Paige and Safety First. He is currently developing his second short film, Duality. Prior to acting, Dan served in the Royal Canadian Army Cadet program, received a certification in firefighting from Texas A&M University and worked as a real estate sales professional in the GTA. Dan enjoys writing, singing, fitness and all things film.
Niyah Lewis
Niyah Lewis grew up in Toronto for the majority of his life before taking the move up north to Barrie to stay away from the violence in the city. During his time in Barrie, he was inspired by action movies and decided to become a boxer in high school. A month later, he joined the wrestling team and earned a purple belt in Judo. After high school, acting sparked Niyah’s interest, and he enrolled at the Toronto Film School to mold himself into an elite actor. Niyah acted in several films at TFS, including The 6ix, and he continues to make his mark.
Estivalli Medrano
Originally from Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, Estivalli Medrano is an actress, singer, and dancer whose professional career began in Toronto. She is bilingual in Spanish and English. After graduating from high school in Mexico, Estivalli moved to Los Angeles to continue her training at The Los Angeles Film School. Later, she decided to travel around the world while furthering her training in Argentina and Spain. In 2019, Estivalli transferred to Toronto Film School to focus primarily on acting for film and television. Estivalli has collaborated in student and professional projects including short films, music videos, theatre performances and background acting in television series and movies.
Olivia Munyaneza
Olivia was born in Toronto and raised in Ottawa. Her mother is a genocide refugee from Rwanda, and her father immigrated from Rwanda to Canada in the ’80s to pursue a Master’s degree in Business. Olivia has always been a pop culture baby who keeps up with all the latest TV shows and movies and has always pictured herself being a Hollywood actress. She enrolled at Toronto Film School in 2019 to begin her journey to becoming an actress and filmmaker. You will see her on the big screen coming soon.
Sunmin Oh
Originally from South Korea and British Columbia, Sunmin is a Term 5 student in Toronto Film school’s Acting program. She speaks fluent English, Korean, conversational French and basic Spanish. Sunmin studied violin for 10 years, finished her BA in Sociology at Western, travelled the world and completed her certificate in Multimedia Journalism at U of T. Her film and theatre credits include: Twofold, Solitaire and Hell to Paige, Canadian Collectives, Anton Chekhov, Paradise Lost. Sunmin wrote, produced, and directed a silent film called Losing Berlin, which explores the contradicting nature of high-functioning addiction. Sunmin enjoys exploring film, writing poetry, making mood-specific Spotify playlists and leaving too many tabs open.
Ayomide Ologun-Kolawole
Nigeria-born Ayomide Ologun-Kolawole is a graduate of Centennial College. After obtaining her diploma in Child and Youth Worker and Social Service Worker, Ayo gave back to her community by volunteering at YMCA Whitby and One Kenton place. She is currently attending Toronto Film School for acting, but also enjoys directing and producing. Ayo values honesty above all things and is accountable for her feelings. If Ayo is not writing scripts, acting or cooking, she is watching movies and just living her best life in any possible way.
Harsha Rao
Harsha Rao is a student of the Acting program at Toronto Film School. He has appeared in a few student-produced short films and commercials, as well as adaptations of Paradise Lost and True West. Harsha finds comfort in playing villainous roles, as he most recently did in a short film production outside of school called Safety First. He enjoys writing and incorporating life experiences in his scripts.
Katrina Phang-Lyn – Stage Manager and Assistant Director
Katrina Phang-Lyn is ecstatic to be a stage manager for the first time after spending many years developing her acting craft. She is a graduate of the Toronto Film School’s Acting for Film, TV and the Theatre diploma program. She has also completed the Acting Conservatory program at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Katrina starred as Cassandra Cain,in the Off-Broadway show, I Killed Batman. She most recently starred and directed in her first short film, Convenience. Theatre is her bread and butter; Katrina aspires to continue to create devised theatre alongside other dedicated performers.
Rosanna Saracino – Director
Rosanna Saracino is an Italian Canadian director, educator, and activist, with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. She has directed more than 80 projects in theatre and film, and coached and created in theatre, film, dance, and the music industry all around the world, including: One Yellow Rabbit, Canadian Opera Company, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Shaftsbury films. Rosanna is the recipient of the Yorkville University SSAF fund, for her research and innovation in psychological consent and boundary practices for the entertainment industry.
