Land Acknowledgement
The Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival creates and performs on the land of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. We respect the relationship they continue to have with the land to this day, and the strength of their generational resilience in the face of ongoing systemic colonial violence and genocide. We are committed to the continual process of unlearning deeply embedded notions of white supremacy and colonial racism, and continuing to become better allies wherever we can. We ask that you consider your relationship to this land as well and remember that every settler is responsible for dismantling the colonial genocide that Indigenous people continue to face.
Greetings from Mayor Marianne Alto
On behalf of the City of Victoria, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival! Victorian’s are pleased to host this exciting event that brings together people of diverse ages, cultures and economic backgrounds - to feel inspired by Shakespeare’s works. Festivals like this contribute to our diverse community and foster connections through arts, culture and literature.
Thank you to the volunteers and participants for dedicating their time to make this event possible. We appreciate your commitment to include local businesses, educators and residents to recognize and celebrate the theatre and arts in our community.
I hope you enjoy the theatrical expertise for this year’s 2025 summer season production of Romeo & Juliet!
Marianne Alto
Victoria Mayor
Production Credits
Maddy Kirstein Artistic Producer
Karin Saari Director
SJ Valiquette General Manager, Fight & Intimacy Director
Holden Mckechnie Costume Designer
Phoebe Dunham Musical Director
Over the Moon Puppets Puppet Designers & Directors, Props Coordinators
R. Davey Stage Manager
Megs Cardinal Assistant Stage Manager
Rosa Fairley Front of House Coordinator
Castor Angus Front of House Assistant Coordinator
Board of Directors
Grace Martin President
Corvus Campbell Vice President
Kai Fig Taddei Secretary
Bridgette Nzomwita Treasurer
Kaylee Cavanagh Member-at-large
Cam Culham Member-at-large
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS:
Allison Balabuch, Shona Slack, Ian Case, Lori Fisher
Cast List
Audrey Moore Helena
Syrah Khan Hermia
Ryan Kniel Demetrius
Link Bechtold Lysander
Jenny Robinson Bottom
Gene Sargent Quince
Levi Jennings Flute
Dorothy Eggenberger Egeus/Moth
Carly Young Snout/Peasblossom
Sarah McKibbin Starvling/Cobweb
Alex Huxter Snug/Mustardseed
August Elzinga Titania/Hippolyta, Oberon/Theseus, & Puck/Philostrate
Willow Hayes Titania/Hippolyta, Oberon/Theseus, & Puck/Philostrate
SJ Valiquette Titania/Hippolyta, Oberon/Theseus, & Puck/Philostrate
Director’s Notes
By KARIN SAARI
What I find so remarkable about Shakespeare’s plays is the contemporary relevance that exists in them. These plays have become a vehicle for social commentary, a canvas for creative interpretation, and a framework for deeply emotional, empathy building theatre. Whether it’s a tragedy, a history or a comedy Shakespeare’s plays can act as scaffolding for accessible, modern storytelling.
This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream explores themes of transformation, humans versus nature and romantic relationships both old and new. This play is raucous, ridiculous and so much fun! We are so excited to offer you all 90 minutes of shared joy and celebration in a time where that can feel hard to come by.
For the second year in a row I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for this company and everyone in it. There is truly nothing better than making art with a group of brave, kind, curious and generous people and I am very proud of the work we have done.
Synopsis
by KARIN SAARI
Two households, both alike in dignity. What if a feral, desperate struggle for survival is what makes these families alike? When resources are scarce, infrastructure has crumbled, and society has collapsed? The trappings of wealth and status now mean nothing. Placed in a future built from the worst nightmares a civilization can bring on itself, one of the most recognizable love stories in the world still resonates in our hearts. A grudge is a grudge is still a grudge. Power (and the desire for it) still corrupts and destroys. Love is still love.
This new production, set against a backdrop of a dark dystopian possibility, strips Romeo and Juliet to the brutal core of two families willing to destroy each other at any cost in the name of power, legacy, and revenge. The show run time is approximately 2 hours, with no intermission.
Company Biographies
Audrey Moore
Helena- co-sponsored by Allan & Virginia Miller
Audrey Moore (They/Them) is a non-binary performer and creator, originally from Toronto, Ontario and a 2026 graduate from Victoria’s Canadian College of Performing Arts. They are so thrilled to be involved in their first Victoria Shakespeare Festival Show. You may have seen Audrey as Cinderella in The Canadian College of Performing Arts’ 2025 Year-End Musical or as Carolyn Addison in Bluestockings last December. Audrey has also had the honour of playing The Witch in Into The Woods, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family Musical and even Puck in a previous production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When Audrey isn’t performing, they also Paint, Direct, Playwright and quote “Get silly with it”! They can’t wait for everyone to see the show!
Syrah Khan
Hermia
Syrah Khan is a theatre artist currently living on the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples. Having graduated from the UVic with a BFA in theatre and a focus in performance, they have remained in Victoria where they continue performing in (and watching) theatre they love. They also have a (very big) soft spot for theatrical improv and have been contentedly improvising for the last 12 years. They have most recently appeared in the “...Until Forever,” and “End of the Line: a Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia” with Snap! Theater, “Origins of the Coast” with Alectoria Productions, and “Romeo and Juliet” with the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival.
Ryan Kniel
Demetrius
Ryan is joining this wonderful cast and crew for his second production with GVSF, and he couldn’t be happier to be traipsing through the familiar woods of Athens again. Since graduating from the University of Victoria’s Phoenix Theatre Program in 2022, Ryan has been an active part of the Victoria theatre and improv scene. A few of his recent credits include The Hawk Lover (Bragi Theatre) at The Belfry’s BMO studio, High Moon: A Werewolf Western (31 Iguanas) at Heritage Acres, Sisters (Theatre Inconnu), Absinthe, Bourbon, Vodka, and Sake (Bema Productions), and the political farce Ducks (Handmade Ivy) at last year’s Victoria Fringe festival. Ryan has also previously played Dogberry in the GVSF’s production of Much Ado About Nothing in 2024. He very much hopes that you enjoy the show.
Link Bechtold
Lysander
Lincoln (Link) Bechtold is an upcoming actor, playwright, and general goof from the Treaty 7 region of Alberta. His performance credits include: Static (Timetheft Theatre, Dead Horse Theatre), Corpus: Alive Art Exhibition (Timetheft Theatre); I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Langham Court Theatre); and A Midsummer Nightmare (Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival). Link directed their show Tiresias (Anywhere/Nowhere Creations, Pithy Productions) in 2025, and is currently writing a play about a man who falls in love with the Sea. In his spare time, Link enjoys bouldering, drawing, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Jenny Robinson
Bottom- sponsored Ann Lindwall
Jenny (they/them) is an artist from the lands of the Lekwungen speaking peoples. They are thrilled to be back with the GVSF for another year. After playing the most coveted role of Peter in R+J, they hope that audiences will once again be moved to tears in the true performing of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Jenny has a BFA in Theatre Performance, a huge ass (head), and a fear of lions. Enjoy the show!
Gene Sargent
Quince
Gene Sargent is an actor, writer, and musician from Victoria BC. He is a total nerd in a dozen ways, and overall just happy to be here.
Levi Jennings
Flute
An actor named Flute, played by a Levi that’s cute. You’ll certainly hoot, and holler, to boot!
Dorothy Eggenberger
Egeus/Moth
Dorothy is delighted to return to the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival as Egeus and Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Past roles include Lady Capulet (Romeo & Juliet, GVSF), Nellie in South Pacific (Broadway Spectacular, Victoria Symphony & Canadian College of Performing Arts), the Snake (The Little Prince, CCPA) and Maria in 9 to 5: The Musical (Victoria Operatic Society). She regularly sings national anthems for the UVic Vikes, Pacific FC, HarbourCats, Victoria Royals, and CCAA events, and is a member of the 150-voice Victoria Choral Society. Offstage, she works in emergency management at the University of Victoria.
Carly Young
Snout/Peasblossom
Carly Young is gleaming with excitement to be joining the cast of faeries and mechanicals for A Midsummer Night’s Dream! They are a performer and costume designer, creating on the traditional Lekwungen and Songhees territories. As someone who loves to express their passion through physical theatre, you can often find her parallel to the floor or upside down in some way or another. When they’re not clowning around on stage (or anywhere really) you can find Carly breaking the laws of reality through experimental costuming with nothing but hot glue, glitter and a prayer. Her other credits include: GVSF’s ‘A Midsummer Nightmare’ and Alectoria’s award winning fringe show ‘Origins of the Coast’.
Sarah McKibbin
Starvling/Cobweb
Sarah McKibbin(she/they) is a queer artist and producer originally from small town Ontario, thrilled to be a part of this year’s GVSF company. BIG fan of Shakespeare over here. They are a graduate of St Lawrence College’s Music Theatre Performance program, and recently relocated to the Lekwungen territory after finishing their performance degree in Ireland.
Sarah is a versatile vocalist with 13 years of training ranging from classical arias to contemporary musical theatre, although she is particularly fond of anything folk, soul, rock, or blues. When she’s not performing onstage, she can likely be found at an open mic, or a karaoke bar (probably.)
Sarah is also the co-creator and bookwriter of the musical one of the gulls, which held its first workshop in Toronto in August 2025 as part of the spotlight series with theatre company Half Blind Owl. Sarah is incredibly passionate about the creation and propagation of queer coming-of-age stories, particularly those centering women and underrepresented communities. As a young person moving into their professional career in the artistic world, she aspires to create and develop imaginative, meaningful theatre that challenges the ideas of the previous generation of theatremakers and gives a voice to the new.
Alex Huxter
Snug/Mustardseed
Alex is an actor, baker, and candlestick maker. When not acting they can be found under a bridge, asking people riddles before they can pass. Previous credits include: Our Town (VADArts), The Laramie Project (VADArts), and Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare by the Sea).
August Elzinga
Titania/Hippolyta, Oberon/Theseus, & Puck/Philostrate- sponsored by Caroline Ferrari
August Elzinga (they/them) is excited (and sweating profusely) about being back with GVSF! They are a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts’ ‘Company C’ program and received their Bachelor of Performing Arts from Capilano University. A poet, playwright, drag artist, lover of puppets and yearning, they’ll do anything for a tub of clown white lite. A special thank you to Willow and SJ for putting up with me. @august_isover @bromleywithab
(I love you to the stars and beyond).
Willow Hayes
Titania/Hippolyta, Oberon/Theseus, & Puck/Philostrate- sponsored by Caroline Ferrari
Willow Hayes (she/they) is a local performer, creator, aspiring cook, and devoted crow-feeder. She is tremendously excited to be joining the Festival for her sixth year with yet another fabulous crew of artists, and so grateful to the community that continues to come out and support local theatre in its many shapes and sizes. Hope you enjoy the show!
SJ Valiquette
Titania/Hippolyta, Oberon/Theseus, Puck/Philostrate, Fight & Intimacy Director, and General Manager- co-sponsored by Norm & Nedra Dickinson
SJ Valiquette (she/they) is an actor, audiobook narrator, and apiarist from Treaty 7 Territory who has been working on and off with the GVSF in just about every conceivable capacity since 2016. Previous GVSF Credits include The Winter’s Tale, Twelfth Night, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Macbeth, Cymbeline, Much Ado About Nothing, and Romeo & Juliet.
Maddy Kirstein
Artistic Producer
Maddy Kirstein (he/they), a theatre artist specializing in community-centered management and immersive storytelling, aspires to create spaces that give artists the strength and support to share their art. In 2018, they established the Alectoria School of Magic, a live-action roleplaying camp designed to create a safe environment and inspire creativity among young people throughout Vancouver Island. The camp's emphasis was on teaching youth that embracing magic can liberate their expression in spontaneous and joyful ways. In 2022, they co-founded a community of practice built on creativity and empowerment called Be With with Emily Coldwell. Focusing on retreats, workshops, and creative facilitation for all ages, they believe in the power of the arts to allow individuals the space to know and accept themselves fully. In 2023, they dedicated their time to empowering one another to step out into the world as their full selves. Since then, you can find them running between errands as they produce shows with Alectoria Productions. the GVSF, and everything in between.
KARIN SAARI
Director
Karin is a Vancouver Island based theatre director. They began their theatre career as an actor and has worked and studied in Vancouver, London, New York, Toronto, St. John’s, Victoria, Edinburgh, and Edmonton. Karin is committed to building creative spaces that prioritize safety, equity and transparency; believing that provocative and empowering art can be achieved through generosity, collaboration, and kindness.
Karin is incredibly grateful to be working with GVSF for the first time and thankful to have been given so much creative freedom and encouragement.
Gabriela Mattos
Assistant Director
Gabriela Mattos is a Brazilian/Canadian artist, recently relocated to Vancouver, and she is so excited to be returning to the GVSF to assistant direct this year's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. As a passionate Shakespeare lover, she moves hills and valleys to spend time with such rich text, but for the GVSF and a chance to work with Karin Saari and her generous talented friends, she will move mountains.
R. Davey
Stage Manager
Davey is a Canadian stage manager, livestream artist, and writer from North Vancouver - located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria. Recent backstage credits include: Maanomaa, My Brother and Belfry 101 Live! (Belfry Theatre), Origins of the Coast (Alectioria Productions), Romeo and Juliet (GVSF), and Twelfth Night (Phoenix Theatre). When not at the theatre, you can find Davey reading or pouring the coffee at their local cafe. She is delighted to be working on A Midsummer Night’s Dream with GVSF during their 2026 season!
Megs Cardinal
Assistant Stage Manager
Megs (they/she) is a Cree theatre artist and stage manager from Mohkinstsis territory. She is excited to return for her third season with the GVSF! Their goal is to create spaces where artists feel safe and comfortable to create their wildest dreams. Megs is a jack of many trades, and always willing to lend a hand. The opportunity to support so many talented artists is a dream come true.
Holden Mckechnie
Costume Designer
Holden Mckechnie is an interdisciplinary artist with a focus in textiles. Their work explores new ways of using conventional materials to reimagine the mundane. Holden is currently studying Fine Arts at the University of Victoria and has exhibited their work in a group show at Sweet Pea Gallery, and the Out of the Grey, emerging artist showcase.
Phoebe Dunham
Musical Director
I was so privileged to be asked to work with Karin again and as always its been a joy.
The composition was inspired by celtic chants, ancient siren calls and nature found in Victoria. The aim of the music is to both entice and create a sense of discomfort for the audience and the characters. This was also a collaborative experience between myself, cast and crew to allow for ownership and sharing of knowledge in the aim to create a piece that is individual and meaningful. Phoebe is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and previous musical compositions have been for "O GO MY MAN" performed at Edinburgh Napier University (2022).
Kiley Verbowski
Over the Moon Puppets
Kiley Verbowski is a working-class artist on the lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. In 2017 she was introduced to Sophie Underwood and the craft of puppetry, and the two have since collaborated on projects across the globe with their company Over the Moon Puppets. Kiley most recently produced a solo shadow puppet show in her living room, and built giant puppets for the award-winning fringe show, Origins of the Coast by Alectoria Productions.
Sophie Underwood
Over the Moon Puppets
Sophie Underwood is an artist based between London and Vancouver Island. She has been joyfully working with her primary collaborator Kiley Verbowski since 2017 with their company Over the Moon Puppets. Sophie recently performed with the international climate project The Herds, puppeteering life-sized animals at the Manchester International Festival, the Venice Biennale, Fête de la Musique, the London Design Biennale, and the International Community Arts Festival (Rotterdam) - as well as through city centres, swamps, and on top of a glacier. Earlier this year, she took part in the Curious School of Puppetry, a professional training programme in London, and she can't wait to use what she learned to make some dreamy puppets for this year's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Rosa Fairley
Front of House Coordinator
Rosa (she/her) is a theatre artist originally from beautiful Vancouver on the lands of the Musqueum, Stó:lō, and Tsleil Waututh Nations. Rosa is thrilled to be returning for a second season with the GVSF! She is still new to Front of House, and is ever grateful to the GVSF for giving her the opportunity to learn and grow in a new aspect of theatre outside of acting. When not working in theatre, Rosa can be found working towards her degree in art history at UVic, writing poetry, prose and general scribbles, and drinking endless cups of tea whilst reading endless mystery, historical fiction and fantasy novels. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is her favourite of Shakespeare’s plays. She first fell in love with the 1999 film, followed by a comic book adaptation read many nights under the covers as a kid. She can’t wait to be transported into an entirely magical world of mischief, delightful mayhem (and puppets!) with all of you. Enjoy your journey into the faerie realm, and keep your wits about you!
Some language and pronouns have been changed to accommodate and support the needs of our production and cast.
