Below is a select list of some of our past students and graduates and their accomplishments, by degree program.
BFA Acting/BFA Music Theatre
Antoni Cimolino, BFA Acting class of 1984
Antoni Cimolino is a well known and celebrated Canadian Theatre Practitioner. In 2013, after many years as a member of the company, Antoni became the Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival. Since his appointment, Antoni has overseen the launch of an endowment fund at the festival, the creation of the Studio theatre, and most recently the creation and opening of the new Tom Patterson Theatre. Antoni was awarded the Order of Canada in 2015 for, "his outstanding contributions to Canadian theatre".
Stephen Ouimette, BFA Acting class of 1977
Stephen Ouimette is a dedicated and celebrated actor. He has acted on many great stages across the United states and Canada, including performances of La Bete on Broadway, The Iceman Cometh at the Goodman Theatre, The Alchemist at Yale Rep, the Taming of the Shrew at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and an astounding 24 seasons working with the Stratford Festival. Additionally, Stephen has lent his voice to many animated cartoon television shows, notably including Beetlejuice (1991), Babar (1991), and X-Men (1996). Stephen is the recipient of three Dora Awards, a Blizzard award, a Critics Circle award, and a Gemini award all in recognition of his acting talents.
Jeanne Holmes, BFA Acting class of 1987
Jeanne Holmes is the Artistic Director of the Canada Dance Festival. The Festival showcases Canadian dance on a national scale, and gives focus to contemporary excellence in dance and culture. Jeanne is also currently the programming supervisor of city and cultural events for the city of Toronto.
Mike Shara, BFA Acting Class of 1994
Actor who has appeared at the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Soulpepper Theatre, and Theatre Calgary among others. His work in television includes Little Mosque on the Prairie, Queer As Folk, and Due South.
Paul Constable, BFA Acting class of 1995
Paul Constable is a dedicated actor. Often known for being the 'Canadian Tire Guy', Paul has appeared in over 100 Canadian Tire commercials to date. Paul's work also extends to the world of film, and he can be seen in Baby it's Cold Outside (2021), Queen of the Morning Calm (2019), Little Italy (2018), and Downsizing (2017), amongst other credits. Paul is also the Executive producer of the documentary film Waiting for Ishtar (2017).
Tom McCamus, BFA Acting class of 2007
Tom McCamus is a dedicated and award winning actor. He has appeared in over 20 productions at the Shaw Festival and has worked for 16 seasons with the Stratford Festival. Tom's work also stretches to the screen, appearing in television shows and films including Room (2015), Orpahn Black (2015), Waking up Wally (2006), and I Love a Man in Uniform (1993), along with many other credits. In 1993, Tom received a Genie Award for his performance in I Love a Man in Uniform, and in 1994 he received a Dora award for his performance in Abundance. In 2006 Tom was awarded a Gemini Award and an ACTRA Award for his performance in Waking up Wally.
Meghan Swaby, BFA Acting class of 2007
Meghan Swaby is a dedicated actor and playwright. Meghan is the author The Numbers Game: Go to the Matress (2016), Venus' Daughter (2016), and Derailed: The History of Railway Porters in Canada (2020), a piece commissioned by the Museum of Toronto. As an actor, Meghan has appeared in Calpurnia (Nightwood Theatre), Venus' Daughter (Obsidian Theatre), and In this World (Roseneath Theatre), amongst many other credits. Meghan was featured at 50In50: Writing Black Women into Existence, a curated evening featuring the works of 50 selected playwrights at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. Her play Venus' Daughter is included on the SureFire list of recommended and highlighted Canadian plays by the Playwrights Guild of Canada.
Amanda Tapping, BFA Acting class of 1988
Amanda Tapping is an award winning actor and director, best known for her work in the Sci-Fi genre. Amanda starred as Samantha Carter on Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis from 1997-2008. She has also appeared on Sanctuary (2011), Supernatural (2018) and Killjoys (2019), amongst many other television and Film credits. Amanda has also accumulated a large number of directing credits including Van Helsing (2016), Travelers (2018), and Anne with an E (2019). Amanda has recieved four Leo Awards, a Saturn Award, a Jules Verne Award, a Woman of Vision Award, and was named ACTRA Woman of the Year in 2015.
Nigel Shawn Williams, BFA Acting class of 1990
Nigel Shawn Williams is a well known director and award winning actor. Nigel has worked with the Stratford Festival directing Othello, as well as with Cahoots and Obsidian Theatre company directing The Other Side of the Game. Nigel starred in Hamlet at the Tarragon Theatre, as well as Topdog/Underdog with Obsidian Theatre and the Shaw Festival. Nigel is the recipient of three Dora Awards for outstanding performance (1995, 2003, and 2012), and a Dora Award for Outstanding Direction (2006).
Laura Condlln, BFA Acting class of 2001
Laura Condlln is an award winning actor. She has spent 14 seasons with the Stratford Festival, and has appeared in shows including The Virgin Trials (Soulpepper), Sisters (Soulpepper), and Fun Home (The Musical Stage Company). Laura is the recipient of the Mary Savidge award, and won the Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Actress in 2016 and 2018.
James Barrett, BFA Acting class of 1990
James Barrett is the co-creator and artistic producer of Globus Theatre. James has appeared as an actor in over 40 Globus Theatre productions including Blithe Spirit, The Foursome, Home to Roost, and Here on the Flight Path. In 1995, James co-founded JEM Theatre, for which he co-wrote and produced the show MINE, which went on to tour across Canada for several years. James is a member of the Board of Directors for the Community Foundation of the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Claire Jullien, BFA Acting class of 1994
Actor who has appeared at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival for many seasons, as well as many other prominent theatres, including King Lear on Broadway.
Tom McCamus, actor who has appeared in many seasons at the Stratford Shakepeare Festival, and is well known for his performance in the TV series Mutant X.
Emmanuelle Zeesman, BFA Music Theatre Class of 2003
Actor, Finding Neverland National Tour, Broadway World
Alexis Gordon, BFA Acting class of 2012
Alexis Gordon is an award winning actor. She has extensive stage experience, appearing in Room (Grand Theatre), Hook Up (Theatre Passe Muraille), as well as in 4 seasons at the Stratford Festival and 2 seasons at the Shaw Festival. In 2012, Alexis won the Banks Prize for Emerging Artists, and in 2015 she was awarded the Amy Wallis Memorial Guthrie award.
Sean Sennett, BFA Acting Class of 2020
Actor, We Will Rock You National Tour, Windsor Life Magazine page 48
Eric Keenleyside, BFA Acting class of 1980
Eric Keenleyside is a well known actor, as well as a founding member of Delta Stageworks. As a member of Delta Stageworks, Eric has worked as a director as well as a workshop leader and educator for many of the company projects. Eric's work as an actor stretches across the big and small screen, including roles in Welcome to Marwen (2018), Once Upon a Time (2016), and Fargo (2015).
Lindsay Bellaire, BFA Acting class of 2010
Lindsay Bellaire is the Artistic director and co-owner of Articus Productions. She works as a choreographer and performer with the company, creating, "shows that tell stories through a heightened fusion of theatre and aerial arts" (SITE ARTICUS WEBSITE). Some of Lindsay's most recent work for Articus include directing and choreographing SHIPWRECKED (2019) and The Aerial Pirate Show (2019). Lindsay is also the co-founder and program director of the TriCity Centre for Circus Arts, "a contemporary circus studio that is dedicated to providing high-quality training in circus arts for kids, youths, and adults" (CITE TRICITY WEBSITE). Lindsay has trained at the Toronto School of Circus Arts and l'Ecole Nationale de Cirque in Montreal, where she became a certified Circus Arts Instructor.
For more information about Lindsay and her work, please visit https://articusproductions.com/
Kyle Sipkens, BFA Acting class of 2008
Kyle Sipkens is the founder and owner of Incirque, a highly interactive entertainment company offering stilt walkers, jugglers, street shows, and living statues. As a performer with the company, Kyle is a stilt walker, knife juggler, and fire breather. He also created the Lucky Barber Show, a street juggling performance which can regularly be seen at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kyle created the interactive workshop #JugglingMentalHealth, a free to use series which combines basic juggling lessons with mental health tips. For more information about Kyle and his work, please visit https://incirque.com/
Joshua Browne, BFA Acting class of 2008
Joshua Browne is the Artistic producer and co-writer for Circlesnake Productions. The company, "uses collaborative creation to produce new work with a cinematic approach to storytelling," and seeks to explore genres not often brought to the stage. Joshua is also a performer, having appeared in Trigger (2016), The Queen's Eulogy (2018), and Murdoch Mysteries (2020). Joshua is the Playwright of The Queen's Conjuror, which was produced by Circlesnake in 2016.
For more information about Joshua and his work, please visit http://www.circlesnake.com/
Kevin Hanchard, BFA Acting class of 2012
Kevin Hanchard is an award winning actor, and member of the AFC Board of Directors. Kevin has appeared in many TV shows and movies, including Hudson and Rex (2021), The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021), and Orphan Black (2017). Kevin's most recent stage work includes HOUSE: The Isolation Version (2020) produced by Factory Theatre. He is well known for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr in The Mountaintop (2014) at the Shaw Festival, which earned him a Dora Award for outstanding performance. Kevin has also received a Canadian Screen Award in 2017 for his performance in Orphan Black.
Emma Mackenzie Hillier, BFA Acting class of 2012
Emma Mackenzie Hillier is the founding general manager and producer of Shakespeare in the Ruff. She has worked as a performer, dramaturg, and playwright. Emma wrote the play White Picket Fences, which was performed as the fifth episode in a series of plays titled The Numbers Game produced by The Pulp Collective in 2016. Emma is currently the event manager for The Walrus.
Ijeoma Emesowum, BFA Acting class of 2008
Ijeoma Emesowum is a dedicated actor. She has spent 5 seasons at the Stratford Festival, and 5 seasons at the Shaw Festival. Ijeoma has also appeared in A Christmas Carol for Theatre New Brunswick, Aftermath for Nightwood Theatre, and a Midsummer Night's Dream for Canadian Stage. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, Ijeoma worked as a member of Spontaneous Theatre's Sidewalk Scenes ensemble performing in Instant Theatre and Romeo and Juliet.
Emerjade Simms, BFA Acting class of 2016
Emerjade Simms has worked on both stage and screen, appearing in Web of Lies (2019), Paranormal 911 (2019), School Girls; Or the African Mean Girls Play (Obsidian/Nightwood theatre), and Peter Pan (Bad Hats/Soulpepper) amongst many others. Most recently, Emerjade appeared in Obsidian Theatre's 21 Black Futures, an anthology series created by 21 playwrights, directors and actors. Emerjade's performance for the series, Omega Child, can be viewed through CBC Gem at https://gem.cbc.ca/media/21-black-futures/season-3/episode-7/38e815a-013a5f80b93
Erika Downie, BFA Acting class of 2015
Erika Downie is the co-founder of Seven Siblings Theatre, where she also worked as the Creative Director until 2017. For the company, Erika worked as an actor, director, and Chekhov coach on many of their productions. In 2016, Erika co-created the Confidential Shakespeare Project, an innovative performance project combining classic works of Shakespeare with a twist of secrecy and surprise. Erika directed Abridged Opera's performance of Don Giovanni with the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra in May of 2019.
Hannah Ziss, BFA Acting class of 2014
Hannah Ziss is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Theatre Baddeck. Hannah is the co-writer of Theatre Baddeck's first comedy hit The Young Ladies of Baddeck Club. She has also appeared in many shows for Theatre Baddeck including The Ladies Foursome, Pocket Rocket, and The Shoplifters.
Yolanda Ferrato, BFA Acting class of 2006
Yolanda Ferrato is the managing director of Kaeja d'Dance. She is also a member of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts' (TAPA) Advocacy committee. Previously, Yolanda worked as the producer and general manager of Theatre Gargantua. Yolanda was the assistant director and dramaturge of the UK premier of Scorched (Old Vic Tunnels/Old Vic-Dialogue Productions), as well as the director of the North American premier of S-27 (Intersection Theatre/ Toronto Fringe).
Melissa D'Agostino, BFA Acting class of 2003
Melissa D'Agostino is the director of development for HighballTV, a streaming service designed just for film festival movies. She has also written several TV scripts including Hype Night (2018), and Tactical Girls (2016), as well as co-created the play Daughter. Melissa has won several awards for her acting work including a Canadian Screen Award for best performance (2017), and a Maverick Movie Award for best ensemble performance (2017).
Maria Vacratsis, BFA Acting class of 1977
Maria Vacratsis is a successful actor for the stage and screen. She has performed for many Canadian companies including Soulpepper theatre company (Prince Hamlet-2017, Endgame-2012), Tarragon Theatre (Cake and Dirt- 2015), Canadian Stage (Domesticated-2015), as well as the Stratford Festival for four seasons. On the big screen, Maria can be seen in films including Mama Mia: Here we go again (2018), Heroin (2019), and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1 and 2 (2002, 2016), along with many others. Maria has been awarded two Dora awards for her work as an actor in Second Nature and The Lorca Play.
Drama in Education and Community
Cathy Miyata, storyteller who has performed world-wide and is author of four publications, Journey into Storytelling, Speaking Rules, Starring Me, and The Reading Edge.
Niki Bencic, Deputy Headmistress of Miss Daisy's Nursery School in London, England.
Shawn Pentecost, professor at Algonquin College teaching English and Social Science.
Nadia Petraroja, children’s performer and recording artist.
Jeff Meloche, Program Co-ordinator for House of Shalom Youth Center, Amherstburg, Ontario.
Rachael King, stage manager.
Jody Fraser, human resources consultant, University of Calgary.
Jessica Loh, Campus Diversity Co-ordinator at Payap University in Thailand.
BA Dramatic Art
Hon. Dr. Colleen Blake, Executive Director, Shaw Festival.
Heather Landon, stage manager, Toronto, Ontario.
Agatha Knelsen, Costume Designer, University Players.
Danielle Istle, Academic Integrity Office, University of Windsor.
Robyn Brady, News Reporter, CFCO/CKSY, Chatham, Ontario.
Valerie Bonasso, founding member of Breathe Art Theatre Project, Detroit and Windsor.
Brian Froud, Toronto actor, whose credits include work at Second City, and a one man show Swiss Family Robinson.
Carol Crooks, children’s entertainer, Clarol the Clown, Windsor, Ontario.
Jamie Treschak, fight director and instructor for Sibling Rivalry Fight Company.
Sean Hooper, sound engineer and production designer, for national and international tours.
Drama and Communication, Media, and Film
Gwenyth Dobbie, Drama and Communication, Media, and Film class of 1987
Gwenyth Dobbie is an associate professor at York University in the school of Arts, Media, Performance, and Design. Gwenyth is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of Out of the Box Productions. Gwenyth has worked as a movement coach and choreographer at the Banff Centre for the Opera, Director for shows including the Canadian premier of On this Planet, and the world premier of Eyes on the Mountain. Most recently, Gwenyth worked on Chromesthesia, Disrupting Solitude, and Rallentando, immersive and interactive works produced by Out of the Box. For more information about Gwenyth and her work, please visit https://www.outoftheboxproductions.ca/
Shandra Spears Bombay, appeared in Fraud Squad TV, Forensic Factor, and on stage at Magnus Theatre. She has guest lectured at York University, and George Brown College, and currently teaching at Anishnawbe Health Toronto.
Keith Brown, Drama and Communication, Media, and Film class of 2014
Keith Brown is a world-class magician and entertainer. He has performed around the world, not just in theatrical settings, but at corporate functions, parties, and conferences as well. He is also a TEDx presenter, speaking on the topic of Magical Thinking, how magicians approach creativity. In 2013, Keith received a People's Choice award and was voted Toronto's Best Magician. Keith is the executive producer of The Art of Astonishment, Hotter Than Potter, and Absolute Magic.
For more information about Keith and his work, please visit https://www.absolutemagic.ca/
Samantha Burson, Drama and Communications, Media, and Film class of 1990
Samantha Burson is a successful set designer and scenic artist. Working with Drayton Entertainment, Samantha has designed sets for West Side Story, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Rock of Ages.