Toronto Film School Presents Virtual Stage Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Redux

Toronto Film School will bring a modern twist to a Shakespeare classic when its upcoming production of Midsummer Night’s Dream – Redux hits the virtual stage later this month.

Conceived and directed by Jonathan Whittaker, this 90-minute production of the Bard’s iconic comedy about love and marriage was adapted by his fifth-term Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre class.

“Dissecting the text and voicing it in the cast’s own current day words and sensibilities has been thought provoking and illuminating,” Whittaker said of the adaptation process – an exercise he called a ‘very rewarding challenge.”

“In this new twist, we set our play in the corporate downtown of Toronto and the wilds of Edwards Gardens. Love is told, unfolded, unrequited, misinterpreted and found again, all in the magic of one night.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Redux, which was assistant directed and stage managed by Ahmed Almokdad, will take to the virtual stage for a three-performance run on the evenings of June 16, 17 and 18 as follows:

Wednesday, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. (EDT)

Thursday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m. (EDT)

Friday, June 18 at 8:30 p.m. (EDT)

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

The Creative Team Behind A Midsummer Night’s Dream Redux:

Alice Blondeau as Puck and Theseus

Alice Blondeau is a Term 5 Acting student at Toronto Film School. Originally from Quebec City, Alice speaks both French and English fluently. Appearing every term on the President’s List and Honours List of Toronto Film School, Alice’s grades and hard work are a confirmation of her passion for acting. Alice is a very versatile actor. She loves to interpret roles that are a dramatic departure from herself and has a great creative muscle that gives her the ability to give unique performances. Alice is also an independent singer-songwriter and has some of her original songs out on every music platform under the name Alice Blondo. She is also passionate about sports, and has been playing ice hockey, basketball and soccer ever since she was a kid.

Henry Daniel as Egeus, Snug, Mustardseed and Lion

Henry Daniel is a dedicated actor at Toronto Film School who has had a passion for acting since he was 14 years old. He studied theatre all through high school and at Centennial College. He’s not just an actor, he can also do voices of different characters from a variety of cartoon shows. Things don’t always come easy to him, but he doesn’t use his learning disability as an excuse from getting the work done. He accepts and admits to his wrongs and pushes through to be the best performer he can be. Henry is always willing to work well with others and try new things so he can help his team succeed. Being part of this play has been an amazing experience for Henry, who plays Egues, Snug the company welder and the Fairy Mustardseed. Working with multiple characters has always been fun for Henry, because he can showcase his voice acting skills.

Fabiola DeVivero as Hippolyta and Titania

Fabiola DeVivero is a 22-year-old acting student currently training under Toronto Film School’s Term 5 Acting program. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, she is fluent in both Spanish and English. She has previously trained under LB Acting Studio and Alza Acting Studio before finding her home at TFS. Fabiola has extensive dance experience from childhood to her early teens, specializing in ballet and jazz. Her interest in acting began after doing commercial work in her home country under Inka Productions. In November of 2020, Fabiola got the opportunity to direct and produce her first short film, Catherine’s Void. Fabiola aspires to be a film and television actress but is also interested in dabbling in theatre and musical productions in the coming years.

Jae Kim as Steve Cobweb the Fairy, Flute and Thisbe

Jae “Leon” Kim is a 27-year-old Term 5 acting student at Toronto Film School. A native of South Korea, Jae immigrated to Canada at a young age and now lives in Toronto, where he also completed a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology at York University. A relative latecomer to the industry, Jae has been passionately working on improving his acting skills. He can speak Korean and practices archery with a recurve bow. Jae started off as a model working with brands such as Goldwell, KMS California and Maclean’s Magazine.

Rachel Kramer as Helena

Rachel Kramer has been passionate about cinema from a very young age. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts then moved to Montreal, Canada at five years old. She started working on her writing in her teen years without ever imagining herself as an actor, but more as a director or screenwriter. Rachel also took dance classes for 10 years and learned on her own how to play various instruments. She’s also been into numerous sports her whole life. She received a French education from elementary school to college, which permitted her to flourish in both English and French. When she was 19 years old, she started acting classes at Gilles Plouffe Acting Studio in Montreal while continuing her college courses. For the first time, her life began to make sense. Encouraged by her teacher, she then went on to look for more acting classes. Rachel signed up for Toronto Film School. She then moved to the big city and is currently completing her education in the Acting for film, Television & the Theatre program at TFS. On the side, she continues to feed her love of reading and learning more about astrophysics, anthropology, philosophy and psychology.

Keith Kunaka as Quince, Peaseblossom, Prologue, Wall and Moonshine 

Keith Kunaka is an actor born in Plano, Texas. He then moved to Red Deer, Alberta and found his love for acting at the age of seven. Since then, he has taken part in several plays, such as the Notre Dame High School productions of Do You Wanna Dance, Seussical, and Beauty and the Beast. Apart from acting, Keith has found an interest in dance and has taken classes throughout high school. He has also written and directed a play Family Time, which was submitted for the 2019 regional one-acts festival. Keith thanks his family for their support as he pursues his dream of acting.

Vincent Lellouche as Demetrius

Vincent Lellouche was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. In addition to English, he also speaks Spanish and French fluently. Shortly after moving into Canada in 2019, he dropped out of college to pursue his love of acting, which lead him to Toronto Film School. His entourage never favoured him landing on this path, but eventually, he fell into and pursued what he loves. He is grateful for life and all its experiences, both the good and the bad, as they made him the person he is today. Bringing him at the beginning of a dreamed journey.

Deep Shah as Bottom and Pyramus

Originally from India, Deep is a Term 5 student in Toronto Film School’s Acting program. He speaks fluent English, Gujarati, Hindi and conversational Punjabi. Deep finished Mechanical Engineering and worked in the industry before he decided to join TFS to follow his passion for acting. Deep has written, produced, acted, and directed his green-lit silent film Privileged, which focuses on the importance of charity and the life of homeless people. Deep has acted in several student short films and commercials at TFS. He also participated in a production of Clues directed by Rosanna Saracino. Deep enjoys writing, fitness, and all things film.

Obi D’Meano as Lysander

Obi D’Meano is a 24-year-old actor who has been a performer for the past 15 years, ranging from theatre, film, TV, dance and music. He spent his early years in Nigeria, where he was trained in theatre from the age of 10 and began to star as the lead in plays from the age of 13 till he was 17, where he was awarded best actor in a production. At the age of 18, Obi moved to television working behind the scenes of an MNet Production, Battleground. Later, at the age of 20, he starred and debuted his film career in a TV show E.V.E.After living in Canada and working in Nigeria, Obi decided to begin his career in Toronto. He decided to start training in Toronto Film School, and since then has worked on numerous projects, including, Painted, Self-Supporting, French Club and many more. He has also constantly remained on the Presidents and Honour’s List during his time in school. He intends to use his talents to make himself a household name all around the world.

Angela Voortman as Hermia

Angela Voortman is an actress born and raised in small town Southern Ontario. She has been acting since she was in high school and found her passion for the profession throughout her experience as the lead in several plays, such as Marion in Woody Allen’s Don’t Drink the Water. She has a passion for performing and enjoys playing different instruments, such as guitar and piano, as well as singing. Angela is down to earth and enjoys learning and growing through every experience.

Ahmed Almokdad – Assistant Director and Stage Manager

Ahmed Almokdad is a Syrian-Canadian actor and writer currently based in Toronto. With a background in theatre work, Ahmed has been contributing to live entertainment for over five years. From on-stage performing to the tech booth, Ahmed’s experiences have allowed him to utilize every aspect of what it takes to create a show. His previous work includes starring in the Hip-Hop musical, In The Heights, and as a light and sound technician in a production of Footloose during his final year of high school. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Redux marks Ahmed’s first stage-managing role in a production, and he hopes you enjoy this extraordinary play.

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.