Sanctuary Song
Composed by Abigail Richardson-Schulte
Libretto by Marjorie Chan 陳以珏
Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Music Direction by Gregory Oh
Commissioned by Tapestry Opera and Theatre Direct
Welcome to Sanctuary Song. If it’s your first time at a Tapestry show, welcome. If you know us well, welcome back! Either way, we’re so glad you’re here with us for our first mainstage production in our new home, the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre.
Nearly three years after leaving the Distillery District, and 17 years after the World Premiere of this beautiful show, we’re excited to share this space with you for a new retelling of Sanctuary Song. It’s a fitting first show, resting as it does on our shared desire for freedom, our collective longing for home.
We are transported into the world of Sydney, an elephant yearning for a life beyond captivity. Her journey, filled with moments of friendship, loss, and ultimately, hope, invites us to reflect on our understanding of belonging and the ties that bind, the resilience of the spirit, and the enduring power of memory.
Dear friends, we’re so happy to have found a home. Thank you for being here with us.
With gratitude and joy – Michael Mori, Artistic & General Director, Jaime Martino, Executive Director, and Stephanie Applin, Director of Advancement
Composer’s Note
Music is a linear art form. Its time dimension makes it dynamically reflective of our lives and, therefore, emotionally immediate and powerful. To be a music writer is to be a storyteller. In opera, the music makes us live the experiences of characters in whatever situations they find themselves in.
As house pets, the well-defined characters of English pointer dogs have played ever-present roles in my life, so writing an opera about the experience of an elephant was no leap of faith. I wrote Sydney as a dignified soprano, an elegant lady, and the music takes us through time and space as we delve into Sydney’s memories. Are we in the angular, cold jail with her new jailer or in the Indonesian jungles of her youth? We feel her fear, love, memories and dreams. This was my first work intentionally written for children and adults, soon followed by another storytelling work for all ages, The Hockey Sweater.
– Abigail Richardson-Schulte
Librettist’s Note
In 2003, Abigail and I met, walking across the bridge as we headed to our first experience of Tapestry’s LIBLAB. At that time, I did not have a professional play yet produced, and here I was thrust head and heart first into creative partnerships with composers as we experimented, tossed around ideas and yes, wrote operas.
One of the provocations offered during the workshops was considering what could only be adequately expressed through this form. I was inspired by a documentary about a captive elephant, Shirley, who, at that time, was retiring to a sanctuary and was reunited with a childhood friend. I was also struck by her intimate and complex friendship with the zookeeper. At the LIBLAB, Abigail and I debuted a few minutes of our exploration, the beginning of this journey.
To me, opera evokes the grand, majestic, and expressive. When writing the libretto, I could think of nothing more grand, majestic, and expressive than the nuanced life of elephants. Shirley proved to be the ultimate inspiration, allowing us to look through the eyes of these magnificent animals. Enjoy.
– Marjorie Chan 陳以珏
Director’s Note
It is a profound honour to create a new production for Sanctuary Song, a piece that has left an indelible mark on Canadian music theatre since its world premiere in 2008. I’ve encountered so many people—artists, audience members, educators—who remember that first production vividly. It was a unique fusion of artistic ambition and emotional resonance, created by the extraordinary team of librettist Marjorie Chan and composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte.
Marjorie’s libretto is a poetic and powerful voice for the voiceless, offering a lens into memory, trauma, and ultimately, healing. Abigail’s music is equally astonishing—lyrical, intricate, and emotionally direct. The integrity of their collaboration is evident in every beat of this work. It’s no surprise to me—or to anyone who has heard Sanctuary Song—that the Toronto Symphony Orchestra was so moved by its premiere that they commissioned Abigail to compose The Hockey Sweater, now one of the most frequently performed orchestral works in Canada. That legacy began here.
At the heart of Sanctuary Song is the elephant—a creature of immense intelligence, emotion, and memory. Elephants carry so much within them, and in this opera, they become mirrors for our own humanity as we struggle with independence and loneliness in the age of social media, and helplessness or the struggle for resilience in the face of an increasingly challenging world order. Like the elephant, we too are asked to entertain, conform, and endure—but how often do we consider the cost?
This production is a meditation on that duality, and a call to confront the systems that confine us, be they physical, emotional, or societal. It’s also a tribute to those who resist them. One of the most inspiring figures behind this story is Carol Buckley, whose unwavering compassion and perseverance led to the creation of The Elephant Sanctuary—an actual place of peace, dignity, and healing. Her work reminds us that sanctuary is not just a location, but a way of being in the world.
I invite you to enter this story with an open heart and to consider what it means to be free, to be remembered, and to be truly seen.
– Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Synopsis
Prologue/Scene 1: Goodbye
As he tries to get her into the train car, James explains to Sydney the elephant why it is best for her to leave the zoo for a new home.
Scene 2: Capture
James and Sydney start their journey. Sydney remembers being young and playing in the forest with her friend Penny. One day, they are both captured, and the family herd is shot.
Scene 3: Fire
Sydney is injured in a fire and sold to the zoo.
Scene 4: Alone (aria)
Sydney is on her first day at the zoo. Frightened and alone, she thinks of her homeland.
Scene 5: First Meeting
Sydney and James meet for the first time. Though both are nervous, they connect with each other.
Scene 6: Arrival
Sydney and James arrive in Tennessee, remembering their 22 years together. They say goodbye.
Scene 7: Reunion
Sydney exits the train with James at the Sanctuary and sees her old friend Penny. They reunite lovingly. Sydney and James say their final goodbye. Despite the pain, a glimmer of hope emerges in her deep friendship with James, built slowly through patience, kindness, and small gestures of trust. As Sydney nears her new home, she faces the ultimate farewell — and a breathtaking surprise at the sanctuary that promises a new beginning.
Creators
Abigail Richardson-Schulte
Composer
Composer Abigail Richardson-Schulte was born in Oxford, England, and moved to Canada as a child. Ironically, she was diagnosed incurably deaf at 5, but upon moving to Canada, her hearing was fully intact within months. Her music has been commissioned and performed by major orchestras, presenters, music festivals and broadcasters, including the Festival Présences of Paris. Abigail won first at the prestigious UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers and had her music broadcast in 35 countries. She won the CBC Karen Kieser Prize, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Opera, the Quenten Doolittle Award from New Works Calgary, the City of Hamilton Arts Award and the Prairie Region Emerging Composer Award.
Abigail has been Affiliate Composer with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and curated for their New Creations Festival. In 2012, she wrote a piece on the classic Canadian story, “The Hockey Sweater” by Roch Carrier, in the country’s first triple co-commission by the TSO, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. This orchestral “hit” has had over 180 performances in Canada, frequent repeat performances, and a dozen performances in France. A recording of the work has been released on the Centrediscs label in both French and English with Roch Carrier and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Other notable orchestral works include a WWI memorial piece, “Song of the Poets,” with choir and orchestra for NACO’s UK tour, co-commissioned by the NACO, The World Remembers, CPO, and TBSO; multiple works for the HPO; and a complete children’s orchestra concert for the CPO and the TSO using Dennis Lee’s “Alligator Pie.”
Abigail has a busy schedule as a composer, teaches composition at the University of Toronto, and is in her tenth year as Composer-in-Residence with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Recent commissions include the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Russell Braun with the Magisterra Soloists, and the Lafayette String Quartet.
Marjorie Chan 陳以珏
Librettist
Born in Tkaronto (Toronto) to Hong Kong immigrants, Marjorie has written for opera, theatre, radio drama and various intersections of performance and media, including collective forms. Her operas include Sanctuary Song (with composer Abigail Richardson Schulte) and M’dea Undone (with composer John Harris, also with Tapestry), The Lesson of Da Ji, and The Monkiest King (both with composer Alice Ping Yee Ho) and The Nightingale of a Thousand Songs (with composer Serouj Kradjian). Sanctuary Song, M’dea Undone and The Lesson of Da Ji received the Dora Award for Outstanding New Opera. M’dea Undone was also awarded the Broadway Entertainment Award for Best New Large Work.
Michael Hidetoshi Mori
Director
Michael Hidetoshi Mori is a stage director and the artistic director of Tapestry Opera in Toronto, Canada. As an operatic stage director, Michael has been twice awarded Canada’s highest honour for “Outstanding Direction of an Opera” for Rocking Horse Winner and R.U.R., a Torrent of Light. In 2024, he directed Jacqueline, a story of cellist Jacqueline du Pré at West Edge Opera and Le Nozze di Figaro for Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera.
His work ranges from explorations in immersive digitally enhanced presentation with Augmented Opera at Sidewalk Labs and integration of original wearable tech in R.U.R., a Torrent of Light to neo-classical settings of Il Trittico & Rigoletto, to community-integrated story development and collaborations with Indigenous artists with Shanawdithit in Toronto and St. John’s and Maada’ookii Songlines with the Luminato Festival. As a film director, his music video Where do I go, in collaboration with singer/pianist/songwriter Morgan Paige Melbourne, recently won best picture at Toronto’s Experimental/Dance/Music Film Festival.
In early 2018, BBC World profiled Michael’s direction of Forbidden as an example of barrier-breaking in opera, and as early as 2015, VICE reviewed how Tap:Ex Tables Turned “gives a glimpse as to what opera can offer us in our multimedia-savvy world.”
CAST
Midori Marsh
Sydney
Midori Marsh is an American-Canadian soprano hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. She received her Bachelors of Music at Wilfrid Laurier in 2017 and her Masters of Music in Opera at the University of Toronto in 2020. In fall 2019, she won first prize and audience choice award at the Canadian Opera Company’s Centre Stage competition and recently completed her third year with the COC’s young artist ensemble.
While at the COC, she was seen as Nella in Gianni Schicchi, the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, Annina in La Traviata, Papagena in Die Zauberflote and Frasquita in Carmen. A “polished and poised performer”, with “a truly gorgeous, expressive sound,” she is a known quantity in the Canadian Opera scene, performing with Tapestry Opera, Against the Grain Theatre, the TSO, the National Arts Centre and more. In 2020, she was named one of the CBC’s “30 hot Classical Musicians under 30,” in 2022, she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her portrayal of Papagena in the COC’s 2022 production of The Magic Flute. She took first prize at the 2023 Quilico awards, was a semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2023 Laffont competition and a 2023 Lotte Lenya finalist.
In October 2019, she took home both the first prize and the audience choice award at the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio Competition and was a member of the COC’s young artist ensemble for the 2021-2022 season. This past fall with the COC, she appeared as Nella in Gianni Schicchi and as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem. In the Spring season, she appeared as Annina in La Traviata and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte.
Alvin Crawford
James
Alvin Crawford, a highly sought-after bass, has captivated audiences worldwide with his dynamic voice, praised by the New York Times as “strikingly fine.” Comfortable across musical theatre, film, television, and classical music, Crawford has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages.
On Broadway, his standout roles include Mufasa in The Lion King, the Lion in Candide, John in Miss Saigon, and Sam Cooke in The Buddy Holly Story. His national tour credits feature Caiaphas in the 50th Anniversary production of Jesus Christ Superstar, Crown in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and Andre in Martin Guerre.
Crawford’s regional highlights include Bobo in A Raisin in the Sun at Westport Country Playhouse, directed by Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad; Odysseus in The Odyssey at The Globe Theater; the Innkeeper/Governor in Man of La Mancha at Milwaukee Repertory Theater; and Dion in Famous Orpheus at Geva Theatre Center.
On television, Crawford has made guest appearances on Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, Nurse Jackie, and Pray for Me, Paul Henderson. He has also performed in Show Boat and South Pacific musical productions on PBS. His film roles include appearances in It Runs In The Family and And So It Goes, both starring Michael Douglas and directed by Rob Reiner.
Crawford’s voice can be heard in the Netflix series The Get Down and the independent film Trick. In the opera world, his roles include Sarastro in The Magic Flute at Volksoper Wien, the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos at Staatstheater Kassel, Sourin in Pique Dame at The Canadian Opera Company, and Der Lautsprecher in Der Kaiser von Atlantis with the LA Philharmonic under the baton of James Conlon. He has worked with renowned conductors, including Julius Rudel, Sir Andrew Davis, Randall Behr, and Christopher Hogwood, with whom he made his Kennedy Center debut as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with the National Symphony Orchestra.
Crawford debuted at Carnegie Hall as the bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s College of California and graduated from The Juilliard Opera Center.
Courtenay Stevens
Hunter, Circus Owner, Zoo Worker
I grew up in a bucolic setting tucked in the southern corner of British Columbia with the Rocky Mountains as the backdrop. Beautiful! And I couldn’t wait to leave. I graduated high school and two months later was off to Vancouver to become an actor. Only now do I recognize how lucky I was growing up in the woods; the daydreaming and made-up games fostered my imagination. Also, those mountains are spectacular.
Since then I went to theatre school (Studio 58) and studied with many other teachers along the way in theatre, film, clown and mime. I’ve travelled all over the world with different plays and circus shows including Cirque du Soleil and I now call Toronto home. I often work in ‘physical theatre’ and as a ‘clown’ and both of those terms are confusing to me, so let’s just say I have an affinity for play, physicality and silly things when I work.
Elvina Raharja
Penny, Girl
Elvina Raharja (she/they) is an Indonesian interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, ON, working in dance, film, and fashion. Their artistry strives for conscious and intentional creation, stemming from their experiences as a Southeast Asian immigrant and mindfulness practices. Elvina has trained under Galen Hooks, Shameka Blake, Andrew “Pyro” Chung and Mariano “Glizzi” Abarca at Footnotes Academy, Raoul Wilke, Monica “Knivesz” Fernandes, Ming-Bo Lam, and more to expand her knowledge in street dance and contemporary styles. Known for her strong and captivating performances, Elvina had found her vocation within dance theatre, having performed with KINAJ (Bodies Of Nature, Toronto Dance Theatre), Near Far Projects (Phantasmagoria, Fringe Festival), and Mikaela Demers (the pack, Hamilton). Elvina strives for authentic storytelling and honest expression in all of their endeavours. Their film works have been featured at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Creators Grant, CanAsian’s Grit: 2021 Short Dances, Dancing In The Park Online, and Homepage for Change by Juliet. Their film, PUAN, was the official selection and finalist for Open Vision Film Fest 2021 and featured on DanceWorks’ 2022 Summer Reels. Elvina works as a movement artist, model, and content creator.
ORCHESTRA
Aysel Taghi-Zada
Violin, Steward
Aysel Taghi-Zada is a passionate violinist/violist devoted to the performance of classical and contemporary music. She has collaborated with some of the most distinguished composers and musicians from North America and Europe, such as Philip Glass, Brian Current, Salvatore Sciarrino, Chris Paul Harman, Kevin Lau, Mark Fewer, Pierre Leroux, David Geringas, Gidon Kramer and Pascale Beaudin.
She is frequently invited to perform with contemporary ensembles such as New Music Concerts, Freesound Ensemble, Thin Edge New Music Collective, Soundstreams Canada, and Continuum Contemporary Music. She was invited to be a Guest Concertmaster for the Georgian Bay Symphony in 2018 and 2019, and a Guest Assistant Concertmaster for the Kingston Symphony Orchestra in 2019. She has performed with several orchestras, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, Windsor Symphony, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra and Toronto Concert Orchestra.
She is a graduate of the Artist Diploma Program at the Glenn Gould School, where she studied with Barry Shiffman. While studying at McGill University with Jonathan Crow, she co-founded Ensemble Paramirabo, a group specializing in showcasing music written by Canadian composers, and she performed on their first album, Autoportrait.
Most recently, Aysel became a member of Labyrinth Ensemble, dedicated to the study and performance of sonic traditions of modal makam music.
Talisa Blackman
Piano
Talisa is an active keyboardist based in Toronto, specializing in orchestral performance. She has worked with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, the Esprit Orchestra, and the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, under the direction of Valery Gergiev. She has performed on multiple Juno Award-winning orchestral albums. She has appeared as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, among others. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with noted vocalists and instrumentalists, including violinist Nicola Benedetti, Russell Braun, Measha Brueggergosman, Betsy Wolfe, Ramin Karimloo, and Jeremy Jordan. Talisa enjoys performing music of all genres, especially video game music, film scores and Broadway tunes, and has also performed with pop artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, the Moody Blues, and Evanescence. In her spare time, she loves reading, gaming, and playing with her two kittens, Freddy and Samus.
Ryan Scott
Percussionist
Leading Canadian percussionist Dr. Ryan Scott has been hailed as “Fierce and delicate… a chameleon-like virtuoso who triumphs over the varied colouristic demands and technical challenges” (Gramophone). Ryan is a stalwart figure in the Toronto contemporary music community and has performed in over 400 world premieres.
Hoi Tong Keung
Percussion
Hong Kong-raised percussionist Hoi Tong Keung believes in the power of music in connecting people. As a contemporary music advocate, she has attended Darmstadt Summer Course (Germany) and soundSCAPE festival (online), collaborating with composers and premiering their works. Her performance and research interests explore the interplay between modes of expression, be it Eastern and Western music, acoustic and electronic instruments, or music and speech. Among which, Hoi Tong’s doctoral research focuses on incorporating spoken Cantonese into percussion music. One of the commissioned works for her research-creation project is One Dollar for One Turtle by Ehwa Hong (France/Korea), which was premiered at Festival POTE in Besançon, France.
Hoi Tong co-founded KöNG Duo with percussionist Bevis Ng. In 2022, they curated their début set “good morning, hong kong” during their residency at Banff Centre. Since then, they have performed locally at Music TORONTO’s Celebration of Small Ensembles series and internationally at the New Music Gathering in the U.S.A.. Besides discovering under-performed gems, they collaborate with emerging composers and have premiered over 15 works. The Duo won First Prize at the 2023 Southern California Marimba International Artist Competition and was named Young Artistic Associates of Confluence Concerts in the 2023–2024 season. KöNG Duo proudly endorses Marimba One instruments.
Hoi Tong is a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto under the guidance of Aiyun Huang and Beverley Johnston. She holds degrees from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Creative Team
Gregory Oh
Music Director
Gregory Oh tends to wander the genres, appearing in places from the legendary Berlin techno club Berghain to the Lincoln Centre. He conducted Bearing (Signal), While 100 Guitars Gently Weep (Bradyworks) and the world premiere of John Millard and Tomson Highway’s The Cave at the Luminato Festival, the Canadian premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s The Raven at the University of Toronto New Music Festival. and was featured as conductor and pianist at the Shanghai New Music Festival. Other credits: Continuum, Soundstreams, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company, the Evergreen Gamelan Club, Native Earth, Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, Tapestry New Opera, Canadian Rep Theatre, Theatre Direct, Arraymusic, and San Diego Opera. He teaches at the University of Toronto and NYO Canada.
Aria Evans
Choreographer
Aria Evans is a queer, Vancouver Island-born, award-winning interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans dance, theatre and film. They are currently splitting their time between Toronto and Winnipeg, where they have begun a tenure track Assistant Professor position teaching movement in the Theatre and Film Department at the University of Winnipeg. A 2012 graduate of York University, Aria was the Metcalf Artistic Director Intern at Soulpepper Theatre from 2021-2022 and was co-Artistic Director of hub14 from 2013-2018.
Aria is a certified Intimacy Coordinator who works in both film and theatre. Over the course of Aria’s time as a professional artist, they have had the pleasure of working as a Movement Director, Choreographer and/or Intimacy Professional for a number of Canada’s leading arts organizations, with highlights including the Canadian Opera Company, Tarragon Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre, Stratford Festival, Coal Mine Theatre and Factory Theatre, to name a few.
As a public speaker, activist and creative leader, Aria draws on their experiences of being multiracial. With a large-scale vision, collaboration is the departure point to the choreographic work that Aria creates under their company POLITICAL MOVEMENT. Advocating for inclusion and the representation of diversity, Aria uses their artistic practice to question the ways we can coexist together.
Rebecca Cuddy
Assistant Director
Canadian and Métis mezzo-soprano and multi-disciplinary artist Rebecca Cuddy is a 2024 Opera Canada Rubie Award recipient, a two-time Dora Award-nominated performer and named to CBC’s top classical 30 Under 30 List. She is quickly gaining international recognition on both concert and operatic stages. As a director, she was part of the Stratford Festival 2022 Langham Directors’ workshop and Assistant Directed under Alisa Palmer on ‘Hamlet-911’ by Ann-Marie MacDonald. She has created and directed a number of mixed media theatrical projects, including ‘The Maydee Box’ for the Festival of Live Digital Arts, 2022 and ‘where the water meets the land’ for the Canadian Opera Company.
Kelly Lin
Assistant Conductor
Kelly Lin is a Chinese-Canadian conductor who has gained recognition for her magnetic, captivating, and inspiring interpretations of a diverse range of musical genres, from classical to contemporary. As the founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Lagom, her performances have been praised for their advocacy of under-represented voices.
Kelly earned her master’s degree in orchestral conducting from McGill University, where she was the recipient of the Hnatyshyn Foundation – Christa and Franz-Paul Decker Fellowship in Conducting. She has studied under renowned mentors such as Alexis Hauser and Guillaume Bourgogne.
Kelly’s reputation has led her to work with professional orchestras and ensembles across Canada and internationally, and she has performed in major music festivals such as Toronto Summer Music, Ottawa Chamberfest, and 21 Stops Music Festival. Kelly’s recent conducting engagements include concerts with Ensemble Obiora, Ensemble Lagom, Hatch Ensemble, McGill Symphony Orchestra, and McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Jung-Hye Kim
Set & Costume Designer
Jung-Hye is a Toronto-based set and costume designer. Her recent design credits include Mary Poppins (Theatre Sheridan), Guilt a love story (Tarragon Theatre), Lady M (1S1 Theatre), The Chinese Lady (Studio 180, Dora award for outstanding costume design), The Nightingale of A Thousand Songs (CCOC), Jesus Christ Superstar (Theatre Sheridan), Hamlet-911 (Stratford Festival), An Imm-Permanent Resident (Why Not Theatre), Hilot Means Healer (Cahoots Theatre), Dry Powder (Evermore Theatre), Now You See Her (Quote Unquote Collective, Dora nomination for outstanding costume design.)
Bonnie Beecher
Lighting Designer
Bonnie Beecher has designed over 400 productions for theatre, opera and dance across Canada and internationally. Recent productions include Something Rotten and Twelfth Night (Stratford), My name is Lucy Barton (Can Stage), Carmen (Edmonton Opera), Aportia Cryptych (COC), Classic Soul (Wurzburg Ballet), A Streetcar Named Desire (Citadel/Theatre Calgary), and Waitress (RMTC). Upcoming productions include Sanctuary Song (Tapestry), Lady M (Dutch National Ballet), Demian (Hamburg Ballet), Major Barbara (Shaw), and Mary Queen of Scots (Scottish Ballet.)
PRODUCTION TEAM
Remington North
Production Manager
Remington North is a career Technical Director and Production Manager based out of Toronto, Canada. He derives his professional mandate from the word “facilitate” via the Latin “facile” (easily). Making art is hard, and Remington endeavours to make it easier for those working through their craft. Having opened two of Toronto’s prominent mid-sized venues, The Theatre Centre and Crow’s Theatre, Remington strives to represent not just the technical labourers who make this art possible, but also the houses in which they take place. Remington has worked with Against The Grain, J Mar Electric, Necessary Angel, Crow’s Theatre, The Theatre Centre, Volcano Theatre, YES! Theatre, Why Not Theatre, and many other companies in the GTA. He’s pleased to be here with Tapestry Opera and looking forward to the future offerings of Live Performance in Canada.
Hailey Tan
Associate Production Manager
Hailey is a queer, Filipino-Canadian technician who is excited to join the production team for Sanctuary Song as the show’s associate production manager. She is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Technical Production program, where she specialized in carpentry, lighting, and audio. She would like to thank her friends and family for supporting her in this journey, as well as her mentors who have helped her get to where she is now.
Selected credits: Production Manager – The Calling (Makeshift Company); Production Manager – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Shifting Ground Collective); Apprentice Production Manager – Mahabharata 2025 tour prep (Why Not Theatre); Assistant Technical Director – Mary Poppins & Alice In Wonderland (Theatre Sheridan)
Myra A. Malley
Stage Manager
Myra is a career stage manager for both opera and drama. Theatre companies worked with include the Foster Festival, Grand Theatre, Citadel Theatre, Watermark Theatre and both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals; Opera companies include Toronto Operetta Theatre, Opera Hamilton, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, Edmonton Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Opera Lyra and The Banff Centre.
Angela Mae Bago
Assistant Stage Manager
Angela Mae Bago is a proud Filipino-Canadian woman who’s manifesting a fantastic life thanks to the nurture of her partner, family, and friends. She’d like to shout out her cousin and partner, Janica Mae Trono and David See Jr., for supporting her and being her partners in crime.
Selected Credits: Kim’s Convenience + Upcoming Tour, The Seagull, Draw Me Close (Soulpepper); Farm Show: Then & Now (Blyth Festival); Prison Dancer The Musical (National Arts Centre); Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Thousand Islands Playhouse); 15 Dogs (Crow’s Theatre); Little Women (Stratford Festival).
Perseus Rebelo
Head of Wardrobe
Perseus is a costume-maker and wardrobe specialist based in Toronto. A York U alum, he has done costume work for over ten years on a wide variety of theatrical productions, including with the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, George Brown College, Innovative Arts, and Shifting Ground Collective. Sanctuary Song is his first production with Tapestry Opera, and he is thrilled to be a part of it!
Mabel Wonnacott
Surtitlist
Mabel Wonnacott is a Toronto-based opera director, performer and arts educator. She recently completed a diploma in Operatic Stage Directing with the University of Toronto. This winter, Mabel made her main stage directing debut with the world premiere of Lysistrata Reimagined, an opera by the New Composers Collective. With one foot in the world of puppetry, Mabel’s approach to opera often incorporates interdisciplinary practices. Mabel is the Creative Director of Can of Soup Collective where she produced and directed operas such as Bon Appétit! and Aunt Helen. Other directing credits with U of T Opera include Mostly Mozart (2024), Setting the Stage (2023) and scenes from the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre Concert Series (2022/2023). Mabel was the assistant director for U of T Opera’s 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons where she worked with Maria Lamont (Cendrillon), Jennifer Tarver (Un Capello di Paglia di Firenze), Kelly Robinson (A Tale of Two Cities) and Michael Albano (A Comedic Trilogy). She was also the assistant director for Western’s 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons where she worked with Anna Theodosakis, Allison Grant and Michael Cavanagh.
Camille Rogers
Surtitlist
Camille Rogers (they/them) has been praised for their “tremendous stage presence” and “real flair for comedy” (Operaramblings). Opera roles include Suli/Suzie in Buddies in Bad Times’s world premiere of Pomegranate, Lake in FAWN’s collectively improvised techno opera Belladonna, Young Girl in The Marriage of Figaro with Opera Atelier, and the title role of L’Italiana in Algeri with MYOpera. Camille has also been featured as a soloist with Pax Christi Chorale, Toronto Bach Festival, and the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra. They have presented solo recitals with Centric MusicFest and Lethbridge Pride. As Co-Artistic Director of Toronto’s queer opera collective OperaQ, Camille has produced three full-length productions. They have been invited to speak at events hosted by Against the Grain Theatre, Amplified Opera, and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
Talisa Blackman: Répétiteur
David Christo: Production Assistant/Set Supervisor
Kate Ingman: Scenic Carpenter/Set Supervisor
Peter Velocci: Scenic Carpenter
Martin Zinko: Scenic Carpenter
Clare Padgett: Head Scenic Artist
Deanna Morrison: Scenic Artist
Emma Burnett: Scenic Painter
Vivian Ly: Scenic Painter
Emily Ledjenac: 877 House Tech
Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre
Pip Bradford: Director of Facilities & Production
Emily Ledjenac: House Technician
Nathan Akamba: Crew
Sebastian Cattrysse: Crew
Sebastian Chow: Crew
Kate Ingman: Crew
Rowan Jones: Crew
Julie M. Li: Crew
Chin Palipane: Crew
Stephanie Taylor: Crew
Rian Tran: Crew
Riley Donovan-Whitelaw: Crew
June Lytle: Crew
Jay Reinstein: Crew
Thank you to our Sponsors & Supporters
Government
Season Presenting Sponsor
Season Supporting Sponsors
BALFOUR BOWEN
FAMILY
FOUNDATION
CAROL
SAWKA
FOUNDATION
FINDLAY
FAMILY
FOUNDATION
NANCY’S
VERY OWN
FOUNDATION
Women in Musical Leadership Sponsors
TONI CESARONI
FAMILY
FOUNDATION
WILLIAM & NONA
HEASLIP
FOUNDATION
Tapestry Opera DONORS
Thank you to our members for their generosity and commitment to supporting new opera creators!
Adam Cunningham
Alain Coulombe
Alex Nikolic
Ali Kashani
Allison Bent
Almos Tassonyi & Maureen Simpson
Amanda Smith
Amy Colson
Andrea Bellefeuille
Andrew & Tauna Staniland
Angela Cuddy
Anna Jarmain
Anne Richards-Bentley & Bob Bentley
Annie & Ian Sale
Ann MacKenzie
Barbara-Ann Millar
Barbara Basta
Benjamin Dietschi & Caitlin Wood
Brenda Graham
Brent Vickar
Brian & Linda Corman
Brian Dawson & John Therrien
Bruce Chown
Bruce Reid
Bryan Holt
Byron Bellows
Carl Lyons
Carol & Ken Anderson
Caroline Howes
Catherine Park
Celia Harte
Christian Perry
Christina Trunn
Christopher Bozek
Chrystal Dean
Claire Hopkinson
Clara Eta
Cornelia Schuh & Michiel Horn
Courtenay Stevens
Daevyd Pepper
Dana Lafarga
David Holt
Dean Burry
Debra Chandler
Denny Creighton & Kris Vikmanis
Don & Francie Kendal
Don & Helen McGillivray
Douglas Rodger
Dr. Jacqueline Gibbons
Elaine Iannuzziello
Elise Orenstein
Elizabeth Asselstine
Ellen Karp
Ernest Balmer & Barb Parsons
Eva Ing
Gail Leder & Dan Goodwill
Heather Hayman
Heli Donaldson
Helmut Reichenbacher & John Stanley
Rena Bedard
Janet McCrae
Janice Ketchen
Janice Lavery
Jeanne LeSage
Jeff Clapp
Jennifer & Peter McGillivray
Jing Yi Lin
Joe Martino
Julia Bass & David Hamilton
Julia Grant
Juliette Sweeney
Karen Olinyk
Karen Rice
Katherine Semcesen
Kathleen McMorrow
Ken & Ginny Goldberg
Kimberly Barber
Kristine Anderson & Richard Wolfe
Krisztina Szabo & Kristian Clarke
Kyra Millan
Lesley Bradley
Leslie Allt
Leslie Jost
Leslie McIntosh
Lise Desaulniers
Liza Balkan
Lorraine & Ken Coull
Marc-André Savoie
Margaret Bryce
Margaret Fisher
Margaret Genovese
Maria Braico
Maria Soulis
Marie Berard
Marilyn Cook
Mark Wilson
Marsha Groves
Marta Braun
Michael & Linda Hutcheon
Michael Ford
Michael Mori
Miranda Hubbs
Mitchell Cohen
Molly Thom
Nancy Hermiston
Neil Tait
Niki Kemeny
Paul & Juliet Joseph
Paul Gingrich
Peter Kwok Fai Lam
Philip Adams
Reginald Bronskill & Helen Findlay
Remington North
Rene Stock
Riki Turofsky
Robert A Spence
Robert Dick
Robert Sirman
Robin Shonfield
Sally Holton
Sami Anguaya
Sean McCowan
Sharon Harris
Shawn Kerwin
Simon Foster
Sonya Popovich
Stephanie Applin
Stephanie Gower
Sue White
Susan & Joe Salek
Susan Davies
Susan Worthington
Wayne Gooding & Peter Lam
Timothy & Frances Price
Tom Diamond
Tony Giancola
Tracey Chin
Trixie Postoff
Tuan Nguyen
Val Lem
Vinetta Strombergs
Wayne Strongman
Wendy Nielsen
William & Karen Dunk-Green
Wilma Spence
TAPESTRY OPERA
Tapestry Opera is an award-winning Toronto-based company dedicated to creating, developing and performing original Canadian opera. Tapestry is passionate about uniquely Canadian stories, told in innovative settings and unforgettably interpreted by world-class artists. Tapestry supports emerging artists, develops new audiences and brings Canadian opera to the world stage. Founded in 1979, Tapestry is the voice of original contemporary Canadian opera.
STAFF
Michael Mori, Artistic and General Director
Jaime Martino, Executive Director
Stephanie Applin, Director of Advancement
Mélanie Dubois, Artistic Producer
Clay Jones, Marketing and Communications Manager
Dona Arbabzadeh, Box Office and Audience & Community Coordinator
Camille Rogers, Program Manager, Women in Musical Leadership
Katie Mariz, Development Coordinator
Máiri Demings, Social Media Specialist
Zile Liepens, Graphic Designer
BOARD
Brian Dawson, Chair
Claire Hopkinson, Vice-Chair
Michael Ford, Treasurer
Ben Dietschi
Ellen Karp
Susan Salek
Isabelle Savoie
Juliette Sweeney
