About It’s Not A Pivot Productions
It’s Not A Pivot Productions is a diverse ad hoc collective founded by three female artists. Our company consists of award winning actors, directors, writers, producers, and designers who have worked in the theatre industry across the globe.
It was created in the spring of 2021 as a direct response to the growing challenges of presenting live and interactive theatre in a pandemic-driven world. The Complex represents the beginning of this collective’s explorations of new ways to build unique theatre experiences and explore the growing ways in which immersive theatre can exist virtually.
The Architects
Chantal Forde
Playwright
jessie Fraser
Digital Designer
Mandy Roveda
Director
Chantal Forde is a writer, director, and educator in the GTA. She was recently part of Shadowpath Theatre Productions Femme Five apprenticeship program and Musical Stage Company and Prime Mover Theatre Company’s Noteworthy program. She has a passion for creating and directing theatre pieces that challenge audiences, social norms, and systemic biases, but also loves a good dose of light hearted fun. Chantal is devoted to inspiring creativity and a love of theatre in people of all ages. She and collaborator, Jewelle Blackman, are currently creating a TYA musical and recently completed a development program with Bad Hats Theatre. Other recent writing credits include the collectively devised piece, Lacuna, Table 7, and, GREY.
Jessie Fraser recently completed an intensive eight-month post-graduate certificate in Interactive Media Management through Sheridan College. Mixing a formal classical theatre education with ten years of bespoke training and discovery has informed an eclectic and travelled career. Jessie has worked with Philippe Gaulier, Anne Bogart and the SITI company, members of Tadashi Suzuki's SCOT, Complicité and Told By an Idiot. Recently, Jessie has been working with VideoCabaret and Mixed Company Theatre leading their archiving efforts to catalogue and digitise their incredible histories.
Photo credit: Dahlia Katz
Mandy Roveda (she/her) is an actor, director and educator originally from Mt. Albert, Ontario with her second home in Taipei, Taiwan. She has a passion for new works and creating in unconventional spaces. Mandy is a recent MFA graduate in Directing from York University where her research focused on reimagining theatre teaching methodologies and challenging traditional rehearsal practices. Mandy has worked in TV, film, and theatre across Canada, Thailand, Taiwan, and South Korea. She is the co-founding Artistic Director of Taipei Players, the first English Language theatre company in Taipei, and the founder and host of Taipei Story Slam, a live storytelling competition dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling.
Company
Kaeli
Mulvaney-Courtois
Stage Manager
Carling Tedesco
Production Manager
Brittany Howlett
Marketing Director
Kaeli is a collector of knowledge and skills with degrees in multiple areas. She is an educator, performer, entrepreneur, and seeker of fun new things to try. Kaeli is ecstatic to be a part of this production and the challenges/opportunities it provides (and as a bonus, remote rehearsals allow her the opportunity to pet her dog).
As a pandemic-era theatre school graduate, Carling thinks digital theatre is actually pretty neat! The Complex is her very first Fringe show. She will be directing @ThePlayhouseCollective’s production of Little Women at the Attic Studio (pandemic permitting) in April 2022.
Brittany Howlett is a Guelph-based bilingual communications and marketing professional. She has worked for a variety of non-profit organizations and social enterprises in Canada and overseas.
Brittany is also a professional circus artist who can be found dangling from a trapeze or balancing on her hands. She is a coach at TriCity Centre for Circus Arts in Cambridge, Ontario.
Jason Do
OBS Designer
Marcin Kedzior
Digital Architect
Tim Cadeny
Video Editor & Graphic Designer
Digital Experience Designer in Toronto. Always curious about creating collaborative user experiences, Jason strives to design and create meaningful digital products that are intuitive and impactful.
Marcinku Kedzior explores digital public spaces in relation to literary city constructions, bubble-formation, zoos, the subjectification of individuals, and political and corporate forces. He is a Senior Fellow at Massey College where his mentor, Dr. Ursula Franklin, taught him about the intangible, psychic, and cosmological implications of cities.
Originally from Vancouver, Tim graduated from the Theatre Diploma Program at Capilano College and has a BFA in Theatre from UBC. Tim has spent the past nine years co-writing and acting in the Oakville Holiday Pantomime as well as working as a director for BurlOak Theatre Group. He is currently the President of BurlOak Theatre Group.
Cast
Steve Hobbs
The Keeper
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Tsholo Khalema
Prospect 1: Barbaro
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Franny McCabe-Bennett
Prospect 2: Arkle
Steve Hobbs is an Actor-Entertainer known for hit comedic performances at Toronto Fringe like Behold the Barfly! (2016, 5N’s – Now Magazine) and the co-written/produced Everything Is Fine (2014, 4N’s – Now Magazine, 4.5 stars – The Torontoist). Recent TV appearances include FX’s Mrs. America and What We Do in the Shadows.
Tsholo Khalema is an Actor, Comedian, Director and Visual Artist. Born in Johannesburg during the South African revolution. A proud man of trans experience, in pursuit of truth and authenticity in how we share black and trans stories. For more information on upcoming work and updates, please visit tsholovisions.com
Franny McCabe-Bennett (she/her) is an award-winning actor, playwright, and producer. Franny also creates original work from a queer, neurodiverse, sober perspective and has toured her autobiographical solo shows across Canada and internationally. Selected credits: Eileen, Book Club (Port Stanley Festival Theatre); Ellen, Five Alarm (Port Stanley Festival Theatre); Lady Would-be, Volpone (Shakespeare Bash'd). www.frannymcb.com
Terry Tweed
Prospect 3: Phar lap
Duncan Derry
Prospect 4: Kinscem
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Tiffany Martin
Prospect 5: zenyatta
Terry Tweed has worked in Canada as an actor, director and teacher for over 45 years, and played in most of the major theatres across the country. Terry also sat on the Council of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association for 18 years, stepping down after serving two terms as President.
Duncan is a writer and performer based in Toronto. He has appeared in such productions as Seven Stories, The Possessed, and Success Horizon at this year's online Fringe Festival. Thank you for logging on!
Tiffany Martin is an avid DIYer, a productive procrastinator and extremely excited to be a part of this project. You may have seen her perform in Withrow Park, on the stage at Stratford, or Tarragon, or most recently in Frankie Drake. She is thrilled to be sharing this project with you and wishes you joy, rest and health. Check out her bathbombs:
Produced with the co-operation of ACTRA Toronto.
THANK YOU
Gary Hillis, Anne and John Roveda, Irina Rouby Apelbaum, Paul Chato, Christopher Lewis, Aaron Collier, Scott Emerson Moyle, Christos Giotis, Simon Malbogat, Jamie Johnson, Alene Degian, the cast and crew of York University’s Carnicoda, and Lucy, Laura, and the amazing Fringe team and volunteers.
Light & Shadow videos of Massey College
created by U of T architecture students,
Avijit Chakrabarty, Chloe Hebert & Abigayle Lalonde