Photo by ʀʏᴀɴᴛᴀᴄᴀʏᴘʜᴏᴛᴏ.ᴄᴏᴍ

CREATIVE TEAM
Chase Lo // playwright
William Dao //  director/presentation dramaturge
Kai Cheng Thom // sensitivity consultant/workshop facilitator
Zaiba Baig // dramaturge
Tammy Yu // stage manager
Leon Tsai // talkback presenter
Maher Sinno // presentation captioner
Adele Lee // ASL Interpreter

CAST
Kiara-Kumail // RUBY
Sze-Yang Ade-Lam // KU
Leon Tsai // ANN
Micah Chu // BELL
Ganesh Thavarajah // SIMON/BROOKE

Actor/Dancer

  • My Own Funeral by Phillip Henry Wu (Reading) - ReelWorld E20 table reads initiative

  • Dangerous Vacancies by Sid Ryan Eilers - Fall For Dance North International Presenters Presentation

  • Under The Same Sky by Sid Ryan Eilers - Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Dance Residency Program

  • Nick & Elly by Tony Tran (Reading Presentation) - fu-GEN Theatre Kitchen Potluck

  • Madness of the Square by Marjorie Chan (Reading) – Nathan Philips Square

  • The Kitchen Party Nervous Breakdown Reality Show - The Cabaret Company

  • 33 – 33rd Rhubarb Festival, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

  • OPERA 33 – Pop Montreal International Music Festival

  • In 40 Years by Bobby Del Rio – Sterling Studio Theatre

  • Tumbling into Light - Diasporic Genius, Harbourfront Centre

  • JukeJoint – Rock.Paper.Sistahz 12 Festival, b current Theatre

  • Dead Kings by David Yee – Tapestry Opera Briefs, Tapestry Opera

  • Al/Lex – World Theatre Day Celebration (hosted by Actors Repertory Company and presented by Cahoots Theatre Company)

  • A/Lex – Rock.Paper.Sistahz 13 Festival, b current Theatre

  • Al/Lex – 37th Rhubarb Festival, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

  • Al/Lex – The Body Politic, 35th Anniversary Party

  • Flight 109 - Taipei Shorts Festival

  • The Dragonflies (Reading) - Transformation Theatre

  • Distant Early Warning by Justin Miller (Workshop) - Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Choreography

  • ANIVIA by Tan Vu - Caminos Festival, Factory Theatre

  • ANIVIA by Tan Vu – Emerging Creators’ Unit, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

  • PING! by Aaron Jan - Greenhouse Festival, Tarragon Theatre

Awards & Honours

  • Promising Pen Prize Recipient (2021) – Cahoots Theatre

  • The Toronto Fringe 24-Hour Playwriting Contest 2021 – Jury Member

  • Toronto Arts Council – Emerging Playwrighting Grant Recipient (2021)

  • Canada Arts Council – Research and Creation Grant Recipient (2021)

  • Ontario Arts Council – Access and Career Development Grant Recipient (2012)

Plays

RUBY

  • Development & Research supported by:

    1. Toronto Arts Council - Emerging Playwrights Program

    2. Ontario Arts Council - Recommender Grants: Nightwood Theatre, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto Fringe Festival, and Theatre Passe Muraille.

    3. Canada Arts Council - Explore and Create Program

      Sensitivity Consultant: Kai Cheng Thom

    4. Dramaturgy: Zaiba Baig

    5. Creative Consultants: Angel Glady, Raf Antonio, Teiya Kasahara

  • Reading Workshop & Presentation supported by:

    1. Toronto Arts Council - Theatre Projects Program

    2. Director: William Dao

    3. Dramaturgy: Zaiba Baig & Myekah Payne

    4. Sensitivity Consultant: Kai Cheng Thom

    5. Reading presentation at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre - Pride 2023 Festival

AL/LEX

  • In 2014, an excerpt was performed at a World Theatre Day Celebration (hosted by Actors Repertory Company and presented by Cahoots Theatre) and at the Rock.Paper.Sistahz 13 Festival, B Current Theatre.

  • 2015 - 2016 Emerging Creators’ Unit, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre:

    1. Selected as one of the 4 emerging creators to receive mentorship and training by Sunny Drake and Mel Hague to develop Al/Lex.

    2. Presented a 25-minute solo interdisciplinary performance of Al/Lex, dramaturged by Mel Hague and directed by Tawiah Ben Eben M'Carthy at the 37th Rhubarb Festival.

  • Excerpt staged reading at the Body Politic, 35th Anniversary Party.

  • In 2021, presented a virtual excerpt performance of Al/Lex at an Asian Heritage Month event (University of Toronto) and the ArQuives (Joy Kogawa House).

  • 2021-22 OAC Theatre Recommender Grants through Factory Theatre and Nightswimming.Toronto Arts Council - Emerging Playwrights Program

LUCKY STARS

  • In 2019, selected as one of the 10 playwrights to showcase a short play at the Taipei Shorts Festival in Taiwan.

  • Liam Fanning directed Lucky Stars.

BLOODSTAIN

  • In 2009, selected as one of the 8 Asian Canadian Playwrights to develop a play in fu-GEN’s (Asian Canadian Theatre Company, Toronto) Kitchen Program under the guidance of artistic director Nina Lee Aquino.

  • A staged reading of Blood Stain was directed by David Yee and showcased at fu GEN’s Potluck Festival.