THE TROJAN
WOMEN
BY EURIPIDES (TRANSLATION BY NICHOLAS RUDALL)
DIRECTED BY YO MUSTAFA
SEPTEMBER 19-22, 2024
7:30 p.m. + 2:00 p.m. Matinee Sept. 21 + 22
Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts
Tickets available at oakvillecentre.ca
CAST
Jessica Buckerfield
Chorus
Jessica is excited to appear in her first production in Trojan Women, having been a student at WEST for the past few years. She is honoured to perform with such a talented cast and crew, and is grateful to Yo for the opportunity and to her family and friends for their support and love.
Heather Cunningham
Chorus
Heather is delighted to be part of another powerful WEST production working with the brilliant Yo Mustafa and an incredibly talented cast and crew. Previous WEST appearances include Our Town and Funny Money. Thank you to my family and friends for all of your love and support.
Moe Dwyer
Chorus
Moe is a retired Drama teacher and very active in the theatre community of Burlington and Hamilton, acting and directing. What a thrill it is to finally work with Yo Mustafa and to be performing Chorus in Classical Greek Theatre! Thank you to such a talented cast and crew - I am in awe - for your encouragement and support, and for letting me sit down once in a while. Slainte!
Lucy Ellis
Cassandra
Lucy Ellis is a Toronto-based actor, singer/songwriter, and composer. She graduated from George Brown Theatre School in 2022, and at the end of 2023, graduated from Seneca’s Independent Music Production program. She recently released her FACTOR-funded debut EP and is always writing songs for the characters she plays! Selected theatre credits include Emily in Our Town (West End Studio Theatre), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Sunbeam Theatre), and Imogen in Cymbeline (George Brown Theatre School).
Dia Gupta Frid
Chorus
Dia was born in Mumbai and grew up in Kolkata. She received her theatrical training on both sides of the Atlantic and has spent most of her career here in Canada as a director and acting coach. However, acting remains her first love, and she is always indebted to directors like Yo Mustafa, who give her the opportunity to tread the boards every once in a while! She was last seen on the WEST stage in Talking With. Her favourite productions remain her two children, Natasha and Julian. Upcoming: J.B. Priestley's Dangerous Corner at Dundas Little Theatre, November 2024.
Mylo Gussi
Soldier
Aimee Kessler-Evans
Chorus
Aimee is honoured to be back at WEST and part of this immensely talented cast. She returns after roles in Talking With…(2023), The Real Inspector Hound (2019), and Blood Brothers (2017). Born in NJ, she has appeared in many area productions since moving to Canada in 2012. Offstage, Aimee works in content marketing and will (FINALLY) receive her MBA later this month. She is grateful to her family, fellow cast members, the WEST staff, and Yo for their support and patience.
Kelly Kimpton
Hecuba
Kelly is thrilled to join Yo, WEST, and a stellar ensemble of actors. Her acting journey began over 30 years ago with McMaster University's production of Aristophanes’ The Birds, and she is delighted to return to the world of Greek theatre. Her favorite roles include Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Rita in Educating Rita, Maureen in The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Lizzie Borden in Blood Relations, and Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire. She extends her heartfelt thanks to her own King, John, and princes Evan and Myles for their unwavering love, support, and inspiration.
Matthew Madzelan
Astyanax
Matthew is really excited to make his theater debut! He has attended WEST classes since the beginning of this year and has just started grade 3. When he’s not acting or in school, he loves to play piano and ride his bike. Big thanks to Yo Mustafa for instilling in him passion for the theatre.
Christine Marchetti
Andromache
Christine is thrilled to be part of her third WEST production; last September she performed in WEST’s Talking With... and in March 2024 she played Mrs. Webb in Our Town (with her youngest son who played her son). In April this year Christine played Lisa in VT’s Bloom (with her oldest son who played her son). Last October Christine played Elaine in DLT’s Arsenic & Old Lace, and before that, Myth of the Ostrich. Next up is Karla in Theatre Burlington’s Timepiece (January 2025). Thanks to Yo and the amazing production staff at WEST and love to her husband and boys for their patience and support.
Rod McTaggart
Percussionist
Rod is an actor and musician from Mississauga. Rod is pleased to offer his hand percussion colourings of the soundscape for Trojan Women. This powerful production has been simply wonderful to create in, with very talented human beings .
Mylo is making his debut with WEST but has been in school plays all his life. Yo Mustafa even directed two of the plays that Mylo was in. Mylo is excited, and looking forward to having more roles with WEST in the future.
Hannibal Ramirez
Soldier
Brian Melanson
Talthybius
Brian is honoured to be a part of this incredible cast with WEST. Most recently, Brian appeared as one of the 12 Angry Men for WEST and Mortimer in last year’s production of Arsenic and Old Lace for Dundas Little Theatre. Past performances for WEST include Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (“Brick”); The Good Doctor (“Narrator”); The Laramie Project (“Moises”); and Art (“Marc”). Brian continues to be in awe of Director Yo and his many stories and reminds his fellow female castmates to not shoot the messenger.
Adam Patterson
Soldier
Chris Reid
Poseidon
Chris is grateful for the opportunity to help tell this story alongside such an extraordinary collection of actors. He has appeared in a series of productions with West End Studio Theatre, the most recent of which being Twelve Angry Men, The Laramie Project and 'ART'. Thank you for supporting the arts in your community.
Claire Sears
Helen
Claire is proud to be making her WEST debut with this powerful show. Favourite roles include Alice in Alice in Wonderland and Mary Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life…But it sure is fun to play the baddie. Special shout out to the brilliant Yo Mustafa, her brainstorming buddies Matt, Matt, and Nectaria, and to her incredibly patient family.
Kayla Whelan
Athena
Matthew Willson
Menelaus
Matt is an award-winning actor and theatre director. He is so happy to be here - again - working at WEST! His last production here was playing Count Orsini Rosenberg in Amadeus in 2002. He's so grateful to have been given this opportunity and to be included in performing this important and very relevant piece of theatre. He wishes to thank his loves - J, T, B.
And Yo, too!!
...And Kelly, of course.
Hannibal is making his first appearance at WEST but has done school plays since Grade 1. Hannibal has done monologues with Yo Mustafa in grade 8 and is looking forward to doing more work with Yo at WEST.
Adam was spotted while perusing plants at Jade's Garden Centre and was immediately asked to play a soldier. This is his theatre debut and he thanks cast and crew for a wonderful experience.
Hannibal Ramirez
Soldier
Kayla is excited to return to WEST, having previously appeared in The Crucible (“Elizabeth”), The Dining Room (“3rd Actress”), and A Doll’s House (“Nora”). Her career in voiceover, television and commercials has taken her across Canada, and most recently, her work in theatre brought her all the way to Osaka, Japan, where she originated the role of “Professor/Sensei” for Hippogriff Magical Lesson in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Windsor.
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