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Panto Come Home!
Theatre Replacement
Playwright: Mark Chavez
Directors: James Long and Maiko Yamamoto+
Music and Lyrics: Veda Hille
Choreographer: Amanda Testini+
Assistant Director: Arthi Chandra
Stage Manager: Jan Hodgson+
Assistant Stage Manager: Yvonne Yip+
Cast: Mark Chavez, James Long, Shawn Macdonald, Dawn Petten, Donna Soares, Amanda Sum and Maiko Yamamoto+
Orchestra: Veda Hille and Barry Mirochnick
Costume Coordinators: Barbara Clayden and Alaia Hamer
Based on Costume Designs by: Barbara Clayden, Marina Szijarto, and Heather Redfern
Lighting Designer: Sophie Tang
Lighting Design Associate: Adrian Muir
Sound Designer: Brad Danyluk
Props Builder: Heidi Wilkinson
Props Coordinator: Carol Macdonald
Chandelier Design: Laura Zerebeski and Yvan Morissette
East Van Drop: Laura Zerebeski
Wig Styling: Donnie Tejani
Animated Text: Sam Tudor
Title Cards and Graphics: Zoe Yuan
Intermission Archival Photos: Emily Cooper
Videographer: Cameron Anderson
Assistant Videographer: Mily Mumford
Production Manager: Andrew McCaw
Technical Director/Video Switcher: Cody Biles
Head Electrician: Kaden O’Reilly
Assistant Head Electrician: Nicole Weismiller
Head Audio: Kyra Soko
Head Audio: Chris Engleman
Head Fly: Ross Albrecht
Assistant Production Manager: Taylor Janzen
Theatre Replacement Staff:
Artistic Directors: James Long and Maiko Yamamoto
Managing Producer: Corbin Murdoch
Operations Manager: Chelsea MacDonald
Artistic Producer Intern: Arthi Chandra
The Cultch Staff
+Appears with the permission of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Theatre Replacement engages under the terms of the Independent Theatre Agreement, professional Artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
Produced with the cooperation of UBCP/AC
Huge thanks to: Charles Demers, Ami Gladstone, Stephen Drover, Marcus Youssef, Anita Rochon, and all of the past Panto artistic and production teams; Kirsten McGhie, Sarah Sosick, Darryl Millot, and Ace Martens; Geoff Hicks; Justin Kellam; Sarvin Esmaeili, Jacob Leonard and Tanner Zerr; Kathryn Shaw, Yvan Morissette, David Hudgins, Daniel Dolan and Studio 58; Bard on the Beach and Arts Club Theatre; Elia Kirby, Kyle Sutherland, Kiki Lightburn and the GNW Scene Shop; Jennifer Reidle and the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association; Jason Cameron and UBCP.
CAMERON ANDERSON is a professional videographer with a special focus on live performance. As a filmmaker, he has produced, shot, and edited several short documentaries and films, and is co-directing, alongside Chelsea Haberlin, the upcoming short film Dust, written by Marcus Youssef. He is the resident process videographer of Neworld Theatre, and the current in-house videographer of The Cultch. He has collaborated with several dozen local arts organizations, including Music on Main, Theatre Replacement, and Electric Theatre Company. He has also built promotional videos for the Vancouver Green Party, Green Party of Canada, and current BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau. He is a graduate of the University of Victoria, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with distinction. His film training includes a diploma in Documentary Filmmaking from In Focus Film School, and a one-year practicum with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
ARTHI CHANDRA (she/her) is a Vancouver based director, writer, and performer. She studied contemporary theatre performance and directing at Simon Fraser University. Her practice is based on text-based devising and adapting canonical work. Arthi is interested in work that engages with queerness, intersecting identity policies, and explores the concept of radical empathy. Arthi is currently the artistic producing intern for Theatre Replacement, and is directing Peninsula Production’s NextGen program. Additionally, she is a part of PTC’s Block A program, as well as Tightrope Theatre’s Director’s Circle. Arthi is also alternating between writing an adaptation of King Lear and a YA novel about magic sorts of things and detectives.
MARK CHAVEZ is a writer, actor, and comedian who hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is one half of the Pajama Men, a narrative-sketch comedy duo that The Guardian hailed as “one of the most influential comedy groups of a generation”. He has written or co-written numerous screen and teleplays for studios including the BBC, Scott Free, Film 4, and CBS and recently co-wrote season two of the critically lauded podcast, This Sounds Serious with Kelly & Kelly, winner of the Banff Podcast of the Year Award. He is also the writer of two other East Van Pantos (Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White) and is super excited that Theatre Replacement allowed him to write himself into this one. Mark can also be found on the web every week as host of a show for young people called Fun Time Funday! on Campbonkers.com, and every Sunday night Chavez can be found performing with Vancouver’s longest running independent comedy show, The Sunday Service improv group.
BARBARA CLAYDEN has costumed a great number of shows for many different companies over a lot of years and won a few Jessie Awards along the way.
BRAD DANYLUK is a Vancouver-based sound designer who specializes in musical theatre. His past work includes many productions at Arts Club, TUTS, Gateway Theatre, Patrick Street Productions, Theatre Calgary, and others. He also works as a sound system consultant, a music recordist and mixer, and as an operator for live music and theatre shows. Post-pandemic he has shifted to primarily working as a recording and broadcast sound engineer for classical music at the Chan Centre, and helps all kinds of productions sound their best in recorded or streamed formats.
ALAIA HAMER is an emerging theatre designer and artist located in Vancouver, BC. Recent projects include: associate costume on Amahl and the Night Visitors (VO); costume design on The Birds and the Bees, assistant costume design for Sweat, The Humans (Artsclub); set design for The Drawer Boy (ETC); assistant costume for Three Winters (Amiel Gladstone); costume for C’mon Angie (Touchstone), assistant costume for Coriolanus, Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth (Bard on the Beach); set design for She Kills Monsters (UBC); along with wardrobe work and design for a variety of smaller shows and companies. Alaia is a graduate of the UBC Theatre Design program in 2017 and holds an English literature degree from 2012.
VEDA HILLE is very happy to be playing around with the East Van Panto, as always. You can keep track of her comings and goings at vedahille.com or on Instagram @loveyoulikealion. She has a new solo album called Little Volcano that you can download at her site or on bandcamp, or go nuts and order it on gold vinyl! Look for more online shows in the new year, and good luck and love to you all in this strange season.
JAN HODGSON is happy to be once again hanging with the Panto Gang in the York Theatre. Select Credits: Betroffenheit (Kidd Pivot/Electric Company); Coyotes, Law of the Land, Ballad of Weedy Peetstraw (Caravan Farm Theatre); Mustard, Angels in America; Part 1 (Arts Club Theatre); Titus Bouffonius (Rumble Theatre); Mump and Smoot; Tear The Curtain, Studies In Motion, No Exit, Palace Grand, Brilliant (Electric Company); The Overcoat, Death of a Salesman, I Am My Own Wife, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Dolly (Vancouver Playhouse); The Great Gatsby (Theatre Calgary); The Edward Curtis Project (GCTC/ National Arts Centre); Glory (Western Canada Theatre).
JAMES LONG This year has been extraordinary in so many complicated, introspective, speculative and, often joyous ways, like this one. To share a room with this group of people and create something to share in this moment has been a gift I will never forget. I hope all are doing as well as can be out there and I see your full faces in the very near future, either here in the York, or on the street, or in a restaurant, or out in the world when we get back to touring. I artistic direct Theatre Replacement with Maiko Yamamoto and we have a website, theatrereplacement.org. Check it out if you want to see what I get up to normally with the company. I also make work with people outside of T/R, teach post-secondary students, and professionals performance, hold a Masters in Urban Studies, have a remarkable pair of kids, Nora and Leo, and glorious partner, Nicky. Happy holidays.
SHAWN MACDONALD feels so blessed to be part of Panto Come Home! He played Gelato and Fox Cabaret in East Van Panto: Pinocchio last year, and just recently performed in Michele Riml’s play The Amaryllis at the Firehall Theatre (produced by Firehall/The Search Party). Shawn loves acting and writing plays and working with emerging playwrights. He is the Program Leader for the LEAP Playwriting Intensive at the Arts Club Theatre. He also recently worked as a mentor for Pacific Opera Victoria on their Civic Engagement Project, and led a devising process with Realwheels Theatre. Shawn loves artists and art and stories and theatre and really hopes that this show makes people as happy as he is performing it.
BARRY MIROCHNICK is a Vancouver-based drummer and multi-instrumentalist (also plays guitar, bass guitar, and pineapple shaker). Barry has performed, toured, and recorded with many singers, composers, and songwriters, both local and international. He has also been busy in Vancouver’s theatre scene since 2012, performing in Arts Club Theatre’s productions do you want what i have got? a craigslist cantata, and Onegin. He also played in Neworld Theatre’s King Arthur’s Night, five of the past six East Van Pantos, and is currently involved in Rice and Beans Theatre’s upcoming production Made In Canada. Barry recently performed in an online streaming version of a craigslist cantata, from The Cultch (it was a lot of COVID fun!)
ADRIAN MUIR is excited to be working with Sophie and the entire team on another East Van Panto. In January, he’s working with Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre on their virtual tour of 1 Hour Photo. He is looking forward to be back doing live theatre in the New Year.
MILY MUMFORD is a filmmaker, playwright, director, and scientist originally from unceded Lekwungen territory. They are the new Associate Videographer for The Cultch and very excited to be working with Theatre Replacement and the Panto this year! Recent work includes Controller, a choose-your-own-adventure sci-fi play developed during the Arts Club Emerging Playwright’s Unit 2019, The Cinephiles (producer/host/projection artist) a film/drag queer multimedia series, the sci-fi short film GEMINI (writer/director, Crazy8s 2018, Cannes Short Film Corner), and the short film Operation Gingham (writer/director, Best Film Vancouver Quarantine Performance Project). In addition to creative work they are a graduate student at SFU in Interactive Technology where they research mental health support for long term space travel, and the Multimedia Producer for the HR Macmillan Space Centre—where in non-pandemic times they can be found entertaining kids and adults with planetarium shows and fireballs.
DAWN PETTEN Being in the East Van Panto is indeed “coming home” for Dawn. She has acted in four previous East Van Pantos wherein she has had the pleasure of being a harp, a Hansel, a Prince, and Gloria Macarenko (among others). In the alternate universe sans COVID, there would have been other cool shows that she did this year. In reality, most recently Dawn performed in Electric Company Theatre’s REFRAMED for the NAC, and before that, starred in the one-person show Every Brilliant Thing at the Belfry Theatre, and The Birds and The Bees at the Arts Club. Other favourite theatre companies Dawn has trod the boards with include Bard on the Beach, Caravan Farm Theatre, and Touchstone Theatre. Dawn is a grad of UBC’s BFA Acting Program and has a bunch of Jessie nominations and received some of the hardware/glassware. She can’t wait to be again onstage with a full house or in the audience nestled between other theatre-lovers. In the meantime may the spirit of the season and this show light up our distanced hearts in a way that brings us oh-so-close.
DONNA SOARES is an actor living and working on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She feels very fortunate to be gathered with her friends and colleagues at this time to make work. She hopes that Panto Come Home! will bring some light and laughter into your homes. You might remember Donna from East Van Panto: Cinderella. Yes? No? Some of her other credits include: Kuroko (vAct), China Doll (Gateway Theatre), Nassim (Bush Theatre), Salmon Girl (Raven Spirit Dance), The Enemy (Firehall Arts Centre), King of the Yees (Gateway Theatre), The Drowning Girls (Vertigo Theatre), Half Life (Theatre NorthWest), Green Lake (Solo Collective), Benefit (Downstage), and Cock (Rumble). Donna is a graduate of Studio 58 and holds a double major in Theatre and French from UBC. A big thank you to all of our frontline workers, especially those in healthcare!
AMANDA SUM is a performer and creator dancing between theatre and music. She holds a BFA from Simon Fraser University. Recent credits include do you want what I have got? a craigslist cantata (The Cultch), East Van Panto: Pinocchio (Theatre Replacement), Double Happiness: Detour This Way (Nancy Tam & Robyn Jacob/Music on Main/Neworld/plastic orchid), and Chicken Girl (rice&beans). Equipped with an all-female team and Asian female band, Amanda released her debut indie-pop singles, Groupthink and Mary Shelley, this fall. She is so grateful to be back with the Panto family, and sends love and warmth to you at home this holiday season. Up next, Amanda will present a piece at Theatre Replacement’s PushOFF. Antics and updates can be found on Instagram @amanduhsum, or her website amandasum.com.
SOPHIE TANG is a Jessie Award Winner and Nominee, as well as an Ovation Award Nominee. She holds an MFA theatre design degree from UBC and a BFA theatre production and design degree from SFU. Recent credits: 12 Dates of Christmas (Lighting) – Arts Club Theatre; Straight White Men (Lighting) – ITSAZOO Productions; Little Volcano (Lighting) – Veda Hille X Theatre Replacement; Peter Pan (Lighting) – Carousel Theatre; Kuroko (Set) – Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre; Herringbone (Lighting and Set) – Patrick Street Productions; The Orchard (Lighting) – Arts Club Theatre; Chicken Girl (Lighting) – rice & beans theatre; Old Man and the Sea (Lighting) – Turning Point Ensemble; Elephant and Piggie: We are in a Play (Lighting) – Carousel Theatre; Yoga Play (Set) – Gateway Theatre; Titus Buffonious (Lighting) – Rumble Theatre; Last Train In (Set) – rice & beans theatre; Urine Town (Set) – Arts Umbrella. Portfolio website: sophieyufeitang.com
AMANDA TESTINI is overjoyed to be back for another East Van Panto, and is grateful for this rare gift that is making theatre during this pandemic. She is a performer, choreographer, and director based on the unceded territories of the Musquium, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Some of her recent credits include: a craigslist cantata (choreographer/The Cultch), Barber of Seville (assistant director/Vancouver Opera), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (‘Lydia Wickham’/Arts Club), Love Bomb (‘Justine’/shameless hussy productions), and the last two East Van Pantos (Wizard of Oz and Pinnochio/choreographer/Theatre Replacement). She’s also worked at the Belfry Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Savage Society, Axis Theatre, Theatre Kelowna, Theatre Under the Stars, Carousel Theatre for Young People, and the Firehall. Amanda is a Jessie Award nominee and a graduate of Studio 58. Big thanks to Maiko, Jamie, Veda, Corbin, the stellar stage management team, the cast, crew and amazing tech team, and, especially, to you at home for watching!
MAIKO YAMAMOTO Since 2003, Maiko has been Co-Artistic Director of Theatre Replacement, a company she formed with fellow artist James Long. The company’s work has focused on building new, experimental and intercultural performances that react to contemporary existence through a highly evolved and extended process of collaboration, and explores unique and challenging ways of using content and staging material. In addition to her work with T/R, Maiko directs, writes, teaches, mentors, and creates contemporary performance for and with a diverse range of companies and institutions, including the National Theatre School, Company 605, Vancouver Art Gallery, and the MAKE Artists Residency in Ireland among others. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts and a MAA in Visual Art from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Maiko is the recipient of the 2019 Siminovitch Prize in Directing, with James Long.
YVONNE YIP is thrilled to join the amazing Panto Come Home team! Yvonne is a Vancouver based stage manager, and currently the Interim Producer with Neworld Theatre. Recent credits include: It’s A Wonderful Life (Patrick Street Productions), China Doll (Gateway Theatre), and Iron Peggy (Vancouver International Children’s Festival & Boca del Lupo). Favourite projects include: King Arthur’s Night (Neworld Theatre), King of the Yees (Gateway Theatre), Shylock (Bard on the Beach), Competition Is Fierce (ITSAZOO), Fall Away Home (Boca del Lupo), and Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’s Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites Tour (Canada, USA, Kingdom of Bahrain, and South Korea).
ZOE YUAN is a senior website design student and minor in production design at SFU School of Contemporary Arts. She is a music and dog-loving human who designs user experiences for companies. This year she is excited to work as a production design intern in the Panto Come Home team! User-centred designs that can empower people and inspire moments of joy are at the heart of what she does. Portfolio website: sparklingzoe.com
What do you get when you mix the best of all seven East Van Pantos, the York Theatre, and 350 pounds of past costumes? It’s Panto Come Home!
In 2020’s Panto Come Home! Theatre Replacement’s Artistic Directors James Long and Maiko Yamamoto sneak into the York to find very sad pyjama clad Veda Hille parked at her piano. Seems she’s moved into the theatre and has been spending her days trying to relive Panto memories of old. In an attempt to cheer her up they call up a bunch of their Panto friends to sing and dance the greatest East Van Panto hits. Things go sideways fast when the Phanto of the Panto swoops in. He’s been watching these things ever since Jack and the Beanstalk opened the York 8 years ago and has a few choice ideas of his own. Physically-distanced antics ensue!
The chickens have been busy collecting an all-star cast of East Van Panto favourites including Dawn Petten (Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Wizard of Oz), Donna Soares (Cinderella), Amanda Sum (Pinocchio), Shawn Macdonald (Pinocchio), and Mark Chavez (writer, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White). Together, they will dig into the East Van Panto vault and remix the best of the last seven years into a brand new holiday extravaganza. From the ‘Cheese Song’ to the BC Ferry Godmother, Panto Come Home! is guaranteed to knock out the isolation blues and bring home the holidays.
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