Its time for another presentation of The Bellows! This time a discussion with stage manager Megan Speakman, stagehand Sally Roberts, and designer Simon Rossiter about unions and associations and how they work to protect the rights of the theatre workers they represent. the conversation took place at Theatre Passe Muraille on September 21st, 2018.
The Bellows Toronto is a collective committed to fostering discussion about all issues concerning theatre production and has existed since 2015. The Bellows is Pip Bradford, Rebecca Hooton, Kevin Hutson, Christopher Ross, and Michael Kruse.
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Bios
CHRISTOPHER ROSS
Christopher Ross has extensive experience as a technician, stage manager, and production manager. he has worked in most of Toronto’s independent theatres, and has been a venue technician for the Fringe Festival, the Next Stage Theatre Festival, and the Summerworks performance festival. he is currently the head technician of the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace.
MEGHAN SPEAKMAN
Born in Hamilton, Ontario and raised in Jerseyville, Ontario, Megan now works in Toronto as a stage manager. Megan’s theatre credits include Animal Farm, A Moveable Feast: Paris in the '20s. , Oh What a Lovely War (Soulpepper), Stupidhead! (Theatre Passe Muraille); Outside (Roseneath Theatre); One Slight Hitch (Upper Canada Playhouse); Real Estate (Lighthouse Festival Theatre); Dib and Dob and the Journey Home (Manitoba Theatre for Young People); For a Good Time Call Kathy Blanchard (Outside Inside). Megan is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School (Toronto).
SALLY ROBERTS
Sally is currently the head technician of the Downstairs Theatre at the Canadian Stage Company. She is a member of IATSE local 58, where she works as a live events technician specializing in electrics, lighting design and management. Sally started freelancing in the corporate AV and theatre worlds while studying performance production at Ryerson University. Since graduating, Sally has had the pleasure of traveling with The Tenors as the lighting designer on their "Lead With Your Heart" Tour of the US. She has also trained with Coalition Music to develop strong skills in live sound and tour management.
SIMON ROSSITER
Simon is a Toronto-based lighting designer who occasionally designs scenery. He has created more than one hundred and fifty original lighting designs over the last ten years for a diversity of theatre and dance companies throughout Canada, and is the lighting director of the annual Fall for Dance North festival at the Sony Centre and the Next Stage Theatre Festival at the Factory Theatre. He has received two Dora Mavor Moore awards for outstanding lighting design, is a graduate of the Ryerson Theatre School, and is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.