TFS Presents Virtual Stage Production of Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

Toronto Film School will bring a modern twist to a Shakespeare classic when its upcoming production of Double, Double, Toil and Trouble hits the virtual stage this month.

Conceived and directed by Jonathan Whittaker, this 90-minute adaptation changes both the perspective and voice of the Bard’s Macbeth to focus on the rise and demise of the Thane of Glamis.

“Ambition can guide us, influence us, confuse us, corrupt us, elude us. Such is the foundation of this play,” said Whittaker, who adapted the play alongside his fifth-term Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre students.

“We have been told sometimes that ambition is bad. He/She/They/Them are too ambitious. And yet our ambitions/desires are what drive us, keep us afloat, move us forward and… sometimes betray us.”

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, which was assistant directed and stage managed by Bethany Kerr, will take to the virtual stage for a three-performance run on the evenings of Dec. 15, 16 and 18 as follows:

Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. (EST)

Thursday, Dec. 16, 6 p.m. (EST)

Saturday, Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. (EST)

***Click here to livestream any of the above performances***

The Creative Team Behind Double, Double, Toil and Trouble:

 Kelly Baker as Witch, Murderer, Lord

Kelly Baker is a young and excited actress from Orillia, Ontario. Her interest in acting started at a young age through watching movies. She has been in a few high school plays, starring in Alice in Wonderland, and as Rachel in Seven Stories. Kelly has also played Reggie Fluty in The Laramie Project. She is attending Toronto Film School to further her acting knowledge in hopes of becoming a household name.

Jael Jones Cabey as Witch, Murderer, Attendant, Gentlewoman

Jael is a multidisciplinary artist, born in Trinidad and raised in the city of Toronto. As a professionally trained dancer, actor, singer and poet, Jael’s work ranges from film and television to numerous staged productions and live performances. Her unique ethnocultural perspective, stemming from her Trinidadian heritage, coupled with her artistic capabilities within each individual discipline, allows for an intriguing intersection of various art forms. Her entry into the performance arts began at the tender age of 3, under the tutelage of the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre. Since then, Jael has gone on to take part in productions such as The Journey RP, Honey Jam, as well as having graced the stages of the Mod Club, El Mocambo, Phoenix Concert Theatre and most recently Manifesto15 at the City View Drive-in.

Julianne Glugosh as Malcolm, Lady Macduff

Julianne Rose Glugosh is an ambitious and driven actress from Mississauga, Ontario. At a young age, she attended classes and camps of all sorts: sports, dance, skating, art, and, the one that stuck the most, acting. Julianne began to pursue her performance career after high school, starring in productions of all genres. Her favourite? Criminals in Love directed by Jonathan Tench. Julianne is determined and excited to explore the world of acting, every step of the way.

Eb Mensah as Duncan, Lennox

Eb Mensah is an actor born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He’s been passionate about cinema from a young age and started performing in production plays from elementary to high school. At the age of 22, Eb was hired by an acting coach and started basic training with self-tapes and auditioning. He landed background roles for production sets, such as television series Tin Star. In 2019, Eb decided to move to Toronto and pursue his career and training at Toronto Film School. He intends to use his talents to grow within the industry. He enjoys fitness, writing and all things film.

Steve Diouf as Sergeant, Donalbain, Fleance, Boy, Doctor

Steve Felwin Diouf is a young actor attending Toronto Film school. Born in Jersey City, USA, he globe-trotted his entire life living in Senegal West Africa, Montreal and now Toronto. After a prolific basketball career and studies in business, Steve decided to pursue his passion for acting and join TFS. His mastery of many sports, alongside his ability to speak four languages, makes him a versatile actor. To his credit, Steve has a dozen of short films, a few commercials and a role on a television series that will be airing in 2022 on the French branch of CBC; Radio Canada.

Hunter Lewis as Ross

Hunter Gordon Otto Lewis is an energetic and charismatic young man from Cobourg, Ontario. He started acting at The Capitol Theatre, where he has performed in front of large audiences since the age of 12, starring in roles such as the mayor of Munchkinland in The Wizard of Oz and Mr. Worm from James and the Giant Peach. In high school, he attended St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School and graduated with a specialist high skills major in Arts & Culture, and was often asked to help younger students in their drama classes as a teacher’s assistant. He now studies at Toronto Film School, where he has played multiple roles in class productions including a shared role of Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum in The Three Penny Opera directed by John Tench. Hunter excels in humour driven projects and when he isn’t acting, he is making music or making mistakes with his hometown friends.

Moy Seraphina as Macbeth

Moy Seraphina is a Canadian actress, and aspiring director and producer. She began her career as a child actor, when she starred in a production The Miracle Worker, playing the role of Kate Keller. It was then that she realized that she had a love for film and theatre and began to pursue it. Throughout her teenage years, she attended many theatre and acting classes in order to strengthen her skills as an actress. In 2019, she starred in W Theatre’s production of The Wiz, playing the role of Dorothy. In 2021, Moy wrote, co-produced, and acted in the short silent film titled The Mask. When she isn’t working, her hobbies include playing instruments, dancing, hiking, running, writing, photography, baking, gardening, singing, reading, yoga and much more. Moy is also very passionate about social justice. She is outspoken about her advocacy for women’s rights, equity for various marginalized communities, the African diaspora, environmental activism, and animal rights.

Jahvanté Tota as Banquo, Siward

Jahvanté Isa Tota is an actor who started his artistic path by studying at the University of Music Conservatorium in Italy. There for eight years, he studied music and two different instruments, Trombone and French horn. With this knowledge, he gets the opportunity to get into a theatre and perform for people for years around Italy. This experience brought him to join a theatre company for one year around in the region Liguria, performing a play created by them. Falling in love with this world, he moved to Canada to look for an opportunity to learn more about it. The opportunity came forward when he was able to get into Toronto Film School. In his free time, he works towards creating his own brand.

Schneida Firmin Innocent as Lady Macbeth

Schneida Firmin Innocent was born on April 24, 2000, in Montreal. From the day of her birth, she fought through trials and tribulations, which, eventually, guided her to the career of her dreams: acting. Following the creative path she chose, she enrolled at Toronto Film School and there she was able to refine her acting abilities, develop directing, writing, editing, producing skills, and work on her first short film Pandemic (2021). She dreams of bringing her artistic visions to life and touching people’s lives with her work. Tune in for her upcoming project Moving Forward.

Haroon Kadwani as Macduff

As a student, Haroon Kadwani always enjoyed the subject of psychology and was interested in how the human mind worked, the way people feel, and the ways in which they express themselves – hence acting was the only form of art he felt drawn to. While studying Business Management in London, UK, Kadwani took screen acting courses at the City Academy part time, but his passion for acting was so deep that he dropped out of his university and made his way to one of the best film schools in the world – Toronto Film School. As an actor, Kadwani’s credits include: four telefilms, three drama serials and a few commercials. He has taken his job very seriously over the years and is an up-and-coming aspiring actor in Pakistan.

Yiou Sun as Porter, Hectate

Yiou Sun is an acting student at Toronto Film School who is interested in acting, directing and writing and aspires to one day show up on IMDb as an independent filmmaker. Yiou started her career as a producer and director in the comedy Fame Academy, and from there went on to create her next short film, WEEDS. She is very good at using a series of bizarre, innocent images to tell a story. Before she started her film adventure, she was working in theatre as actor and director from 2014 to 2019. Five years in theatre allowed her to explore both classic four-act plays such as Seagull, and a series of Broadway plays such as Rent. As an actor, theatre acting is her ground and helps her to explore deeper in cinema.

Stephanie Moldovan as Witch, Murderer, Messenger, Seyton

Stephanie studies at Toronto Film School.

Jonathan Whittaker – Director

Jonathan Whittaker is a graduate of Ryerson University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with distinction degree in Performance/Acting (1978-80) and a 2015 participant of the Banff/Citadel Professional Development Program. His notable theatre credits include: Beside Myself, Prom Queen, Nigredo Hotel (Dora Award nomination), The Big Sleep, Colours in the Storm, The Team on the Hill, Jake and the Kid, Les Misérables and Dirty Dancing (Mirvish Productions), Man of La Mancha, Closer than Ever, 12 Angry Men and The Dining Room. He’s also appeared on many television series and feature films, including: Murdoch Mysteries, Ransom, The Expanse, Open Heart (series lead), Alienated (series lead), The Kennedys, Flashpoint, Suits, The Kid Detective, Chicago, Land of the Dead, Three Men and a Baby, and Virgin Suicides. For Toronto Film School, he’s director the plays Lord of the Flies, Journeys, 12 Angry Jurors, and Spirited.

Bethany Kerr – Stage Manager, Assistant Director

Bethany Kerr is a triple threat performer with a strong background in dance, voice, and theatre. She has been a part of various productions ranging from full-length ballets, to Shakespeare plays, to musical comedies. Skilled in many creative areas, she is an advanced violinist, experienced in choreography, and an indie singer/songwriter, to name a few. Bethany has four years of full-time training from the Hamilton Academy of Performing Arts under Max Ratevosian and Melania Pawliw. Some of her performance experiences include playing leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and The Nutcracker with the Hamilton City Ballet, playing lead and supporting roles in plays and musicals with the Hamilton Academy of Performing Arts such as Robin Hood, Hamlet, and Snow Queen, and has danced and background acted in La Traviata with the Opera Belcanto of York. Bethany is moving forward in her career with a focus on film and television after working on sets of various short films and receiving a diploma in Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre from Toronto Film School, studying under John Tench and Andrew Moodie.