Mengzhou Li (playwright)

Mengzhou is a Montreal based multi-disciplinary artist who has dabbled in improv and sketch, and now play-writing! That's right, this is the first play (not counting sketches) she has written. Mengzhou enjoys the collaborative, imperfect and relational parts of performance arts and is dedicated to practicing the craft whenever possible. She would like to thank Danielle Davidson who forced her to write a play in the first place. Moreover, she would like to thank the Moment Theatre Collective for creating the space for emerging artists to showcase their work, without which, none of this is possible.

Olivia Collette (playwright)

A graduate of The Second City (TSC), Olivia Collette recently made her playwriting début at the 2026 Montreal Fringe Festival with The Paranoid King, an extremely goofy comedy about the Assyrian empire that managed to be both mildly historically accurate and wildly anachronistic. To her delight (but mostly to her surprise), The Paranoid King was nominated for a Frankie Award in the category of Outstanding English Production. In a previous life, Olivia was a journalist and film critic.

Paul Van Dyck (playwright)

Paul is a playwright, screenwriter, director, and performer. He is a past participant of the Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival, a past National Forum Representative of Quebec for the Playwrights Guild of Canada, and the founding Artistic Director of Rabbit in a Hat Productions. Paul has received the Playwrights Guild of Canada Comedy Award, the Montreal English Critics Circle Revelation Award, and the Montreal English Theatre Awards Outstanding Direction. He holds a BAH in Stage and Screen Studies from Queen’s University, an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC, and has taught playwriting at Bishop’s University.

Thomas Barnwell (playwright)

The recently retired Thomas Barnwell has been doing improv, stand-up, and the very occasional acting gig for about 10 years. One day he fully intends to tell his family about these activities. This is his first one-act play. Thomas is grateful to Moment Theatre Collective and Mile End Improv for their support; to the director for her creative vision and casting suggestions; to the actors for their amazing talents and for agreeing to participate; and, to his best friend Dr. Kurt Olsen for listening to ideas and making suggestions. Thomas is still searching for his purpose in life.

Valerie Free (playwright)

Valerie Free (she/her) is an alumna of Sage Hill Writing’s 2023 Playwriting Lab. She also writes fiction and poetry in her long-time adopted city, Tiohtià:ke / Montréal. The city is the inspiration for her full-length play, Hiding in the House of Talents, about aging devotees losing their home. That play received an Honourable Mention in Theatre BC’s 2023 Canadian Playwriting Competition; an extract was chosen for Nightwood Theatre’s 2022 Fempocalypse virtual art gallery. In Marina’s Candidacy for Motherhood with Key Witnesses, Valerie toys with some ideas people might hold about mothering. She feels honoured to be part of Stage Fright.

Dan Jeannotte* (playwright, director)

Dan Jeannotte is an actor, improviser and writer. He has had recurring roles on TV shows such as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Way Home, The Bold Type, Reign and The Good Witch. His theatre credits include The Real Inspector Hound, Equus, Hedda Gabler, The Heretics of Bohemia, Cherry Docs and Dracula. He is the writer of the play A Love Unbecoming, which was directed by Heidi Hawkins for the 2025 Montreal Fringe, and won the Patron’s Pick Award. Dan is also an alumni of the CFC Actors Conservatory. A Montreal native, he is a founding member of award-winning improv & sketch comedy troupe Uncalled For.

M. Leander Kalil (playwright, director)

M. Leander Kalil is an interdisciplinary artist living in Montréal. His practice involves sculpture, text, picture making, music, and architecture, and these lines culminate in projects for screen and stage. He currently has a short film called Water Tricks, about a princess going blind, in post-production. Leander's work tends to explore archaism, spatiality, dreams, jokes, and play. He studied Philosophy at The New School and Architecture at the University of Toronto. For his architecture thesis, Leander mounted a short opera called Chamber Music. Florentine is his second live operatic work.

Dominique Gagnon (assistant director)

Dominique Gagnon is a Montreal-based improviser, actor, PhD candidate in Communication, and occasional writer and video editor. She’s been part of two Montreal Improv house teams (Chesterfield, 2025; Horse Fire, 2026) and regularly performs in community shows and independent productions, as well as local and international improv festivals (Le Grand Yes And, 2025; Big Pond Festival, 2025; Le Mini Grand Yes And, 2026). She was a stage manager for Moment Theatre Collective’s inaugural short play festival One Acts Now (April 2026), and recently performed in Time Travel Not Guaranteed at the Montreal Fringe Festival (OwlySprockets Productions, 2026).

Eve Majzels (director)

Eve Majzels is a writer, actor and director from the UK and Winnipeg. She studied theatre at the University of Winnipeg and film at Concordia and the University of Amsterdam. She has appeared as an actor onstage and in independent and experimental films, and has written and performed two solo shows. She also wrote and directed several short films that have screened in festivals across Europe and North America.

Heidi Hawkins* (director)

Heidi Hawkins is a Montreal-based theatre director and actor with a passion for character-driven storytelling. A graduate of John Abbott’s Professional Theatre Program, her directing credits include A Love Unbecoming (Montreal Fringe Festival Patron’s Pick Award, Marsh Street Centre, and Lakeshore Players), The Game’s Afoot (Hudson Village Theatre), The Real Inspector Hound (Marsh Street Centre and Lakeshore Players), Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (McGill Players Theatre, Nani Tanifa), Let’s Start a Country! (Montreal Fringe Festival and Tillotson Center, nominated for Just For Laughs Best Comedy, and Cirque Du Soleil Best Original Production) and Hot Pink (Montreal Fringe Festival, Mainline’s Next Stage Award runner-up). She also had the pleasure to assist in the direction of Hippies and Bolsheviks (Freestanding Space) and Cherry Docs (Theatre Ste-Catherine, Persephone Productions). With a strong background in both theatre and voice over, Heidi’s favourite acting roles include Felicity in The Real Inspector Hound (Mainline Theatre) Celia in As You Like It (Mainline Theatre), Erika in SubUrbia (Monument National), and Jen in Sunday On The Rocks (White Raven). Heidi hopes to bring a collaborative, creative and performance-focused approach crafting work that’s engaging, honest, and hopefully not boring.

Jessica Abdallah (director)

Jessica Abdallah is a theatre director, creator, and educator based in Tio'tia:ke/Montréal. She is a graduate of Acting at John Abbott College, Theatre & Development at Concordia University, and the University of Alberta’s MFA in Directing. Directing credits include Eurydice (McGill University), Other Worlds (Geordie Theatre), What Rough Beast (Theatre Ouest End/Tantalus), Squawk (Geordie Theatre), the French and English versions of TUMIT (Akpik Theatre), and Sedna: Goddess of the Sea (Tableau D’Hôte Theatre). Jessica is the Creative Director of Geordie Theatre School, a teaching artist for the National Theatre School public classes, and sits on the Membership Committee at PACT.

Joe Garque (director)

A graduate of Dawson College professional theatre, Joe is a founding member of Through Line Productions. Selected directing credits: Leftovers (Mackay Productions), Montreal Fringe Frankie award winner Shades of Grey (Blackbox & Through Line), The House of Yes (Last One Standing Productions), and Fat Pig (Through Line). Acting credits include: Mugsy - Dealer’s Choice (Through Line), Raul - Seduced (Raise The Stakes Theatre), Oscar D’Armano - Wild Party (La Maison), and Steve - Men at Work (Sydney Crash Test Festival). Joe is excited & humbled to collaborate with this incredible ensemble on this wonderful piece for MTC’s Stage Fright Festival. Salamat.

Lucie Gee (director)

Lucie is a Montreal-based improviser, producer, and arts administrator focused on building opportunities for performers and strengthening the local improv community.She produces and co-produces sold-out comedy shows, including Murder at le Basement, A Murder Most Fatale, Yes and Dragons, and Take It Away. Lucie is the founder, board member, and Executive Producer of Le Grand Yes And, Montreal’s international improv festival, which launched in 2025 and brings together performers and teachers from across Canada and beyond. She is very excited to be directing her first play, marking a new step in her creative work as she expands into theatrical directing.

Anya Kowalchuk (Fairy 2)

Anya Kowalchuk is a cultural events organizer in Montreal. She has previously portrayed Peaseblossom in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Christine Priest (Person #2)

Christine is thrilled to be part of Moment Theatre Collective’s Stage Fright. After more than 25 years away from theatre, she returned to the stage four years ago following her “real-life role” as a lifelong juggler of responsibilities in Life Happens. Since returning, she has performed in three pantomimes and two mainstage productions, including Smee in Peter Pan (Hudson Village Theatre) and Marvalyn & Hope in Almost, Maine (Hudson Players Club). Over the past 10 months, she has focused on vocal training and most recently performed “As We Stumble Along” in a singing showcase under the guidance of Simone Pitot.

Colin Nash (Jordan)

Colin Nash is a multidisciplinary creator who blends the performing arts with organizational leadership. He spent more than a decade as a professional actor in Toronto’s film, television, and theater scenes. After leading high-growth teams in the startup world, Colin founded Moment Theatre Collective to bring these two worlds together. He focuses on creating a structured, experimental environment for Montreal artists.

Danielle Davidson (The Ghost)

Danielle is a performing artist, choreographer, director, producer and arts administrator working primarily in experimental and collaborative improvised dance and theater forms. She has been working in the performing arts industry for over 25 years, including at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, AS220, Doppelgänger Dance Collective, Productions Fila 13, Prometheus Dance Company, Opera Ontario and Bridge Repertory Theater. She's the co-creative director at Moment Theatre Collective and the administrative assistant at Theatre VME. In addition she teaches physical theatre and improv at several institutions, including Mile End Improv, House of Actors, and Impro Montréal.

Jackson Palmer (A man, a knight)

Jackson Palmer is a writer and musician from Calgary, Alberta.

Janis Kirshner* (Mother)

Janis takes comedic roles seriously and values serious roles. For film/TV she’s been a helpful guard with a secret; felt responsible for her father’s death; tossed around a decapitated head; and been killed repeatedly. As half of the duo TITTERS, Janis co-wrote and performed (with Laura Mitchell) numerous hit shows featuring stand-up comedy, sketches and songs. Radio work included traffic reporter, voicing commercials, entertainment reviewer and hosting open-line talk shows, often on topics she knew very little about. Janis is a respected arts publicist and has also created a range of writing for diverse media. With Stage Fright she is beyond thrilled to dip her toe back into theatre.

Kate Bradley (Janet/Woman on Beach)

Kate is a visual artist and performer who found their footing on stage with improv comedy. They recently performed in Full Out’s Flip Flop at Fringe and with the improv team Imploding in Theatre Sainte-Catherine’s Theatresports. Their performance experience also includes sketch comedy at Joketown and Sketchfest, as well as acting in Daniel Reid’s short film Face.

Loris Kecaj (Fairy 1, a queen)

A librarian by profession, Loris is also a singer, multi-instrumentalist and an aspiring composer. As a classically trained violinist, she has performed within a number of orchestras, chamber music ensembles, and outdoor experimental solo-live sets. Loris is also a contributing singer, writer, instrumentalist in the band MAYBEL (signed to Idée Fixe Records). The band has released 2 albums (Gathering, 2020 and GLOAM, 2023). This summer, she self-released her debut album "Tunnels of a Cloud" under the project, Lori Star.

Marissa Blair (Mother)

Marissa has spent many years as a theatre artist in Philadelphia, New York City, and Montreal. SInce 2019 she has been a presence at the Montreal Fringe Festival, where audiences may have encountered one of her strange and bloody shows. Marissa is currently in her third year as Artistic Director of Dramatis Personae - Westmount's Community Theatre. When she is not cleaning, she's leaning...into cool projects like Stage Fright!

Max Leblanc (Ex-Boyfriend 1)

Max has always been obsessed with stories and storytelling. Thriving in chaos and uncertainty, he is comfortable with being uncomfortable and is always looking for new experiences to take him well outside of his comfort zone. His experience as a performer began in 2023 as an improviser, having now performed across theatres in Montreal and New York City. He is excited to act for the first time thanks to Moment Theatre Collective’s Stage Fright.

Miranda Handford* (Person #1)

Miranda Handford is an actor, writer, and filmmaker in Montreal. She graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1999, and has acted professionally since then, on screen, stage, and behind the mic in voice work. In 2021, she graduated from Concordia in Film Production, and since then wrote and directed a short film called Carry. Highlights of her acting work include CTV's Tripping the Wire for which she received a Gemini nomination in 2005, a starring role in the IFC series The Festival; and the lead in Sarah Galea-Davis' Can You Wave Bye-Bye, which won "Best Canadian Short" at CFC's Worldwide Short Film Festival.

Morgan Doke* (Fairy 3)

Originally from Montreal, Morgan is an active stage and voice actor pursuing her passion for versatile performance through body and voice. Having worked for different English-based Montreal theatres such as Geordie, Centaur, and Repercussion Theatre, her experience ranges from being an on-stage presence to production work as well. As she continues to grow her skills as an artist, she’s very excited to be joining the Moment Collective team!

Natalie Demmon (Maria)

Natalie Demmon (She/They) is an all-around theatre artist in Montreal with experiences ranging from the onstage to the offstage with performance, direction and design credit. Fresh off a sold out run as Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music with the Côte Saint-Luc Drama Society, Natalie is thrilled to jump right into another exciting project with Stage Fright! They will be onstage at the end of the summer with Penumbra Theatre’s remount of the musical, Amélie, being put on at the Centaur Theatre from August 28th-30th.

Nima Ghomeshi (Father)

Nima is a multilingual stage and screen actor with credits in Canada and the U.S. Past theatre work includes Cyrano de Bergerac, Romeo and Juliet and The House of Bernarda Alba. Most recently, he performed in The Paranoid King at the 2026 Montreal Fringe Festival. He strives to have fun while bringing truth and depth to every performance.

Paul de Shanker de Tourreil (Ezekiel)

Canadian-born Swiss-Indian weirdo Paul Shanker de Tourreil, aka postitpaul, is a writer-performer (award-winning), fight choreographer (occasionally), biologist (non-practising), and kung fu teacher (retired). He has been active in Montreal’s performing arts community for more years than he cares to count. His work has been presented at Just For Laughs, Centaur Theatre, the Montreal Fringe Festival, Montreal Improv, Comedyworks, Theatre de la Manufacture, Theatre Prospero, and INIS (L'institut national de l'image et son). When not delighting audiences onstage, Paul works in mental health care as a suicide helpline responder.

Serena Totera (Daughter)

Serena Totera (she/her) is an emerging multi-disciplinary theatre artist based in Montreal. A recent graduate of John Abbott College's Professional Theatre program, she is currently completing her BFA in Performance Creation at Concordia University. Having fallen in love with theatre at a young age, Serena continues to be drawn to the art form for its capacity to bring people together and its ability to help people feel seen. Her recent acting credits include: Betty in The Crucible, Snug in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Morgan in Adorned With Dried White Roses, an original play she co-wrote with Alexia Maldonado-Juàrez.

Sonia d’Amico (Examiner)

Sonia D’Amico had played on several stages in Montreal before going to Toronto to complete the Second City Conservatory program. And after performing in both English and French on stage, on the radio for the CBC and on television for TFO, she returned to Montreal with many great experiences and a BABY! Although coming home was a challenge, this city’s wonderful improv community helped her get back on stage and led her to this wonderful theatre collective. Sonia would also like to thank her incredibly supportive Italian family and her petit trésor Simone.

Stefan Spec (Roscoe/Professor Tuttle/Man on Beach)

Stefan is an improvisor and comedian. He performs regularly at shows in Montreal and has participated in festivals in Detroit, Austin, Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa.

Stephanie McKenna* (She)

Stephanie McKenna is a Montreal-based actor with a background in theatre, improv, musical improv, and a long history of saying “yes” to projects that spark her curiosity. Select credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (Persephone Productions and Repercussion Theatre), The Rocky Horror Show (MainLine Theatre), and Mother House (Centaur Theatre). Whether she's following a script or making it up on the spot, Steph brings energy, creativity, and a collaborative spirit to every room she enters. A proud Montrealer, she is endlessly inspired by the city's vibrant arts community and the people who make it thrive. Steph is thrilled to be joining Moment Theatre Collective for this exciting new adventure.

Tamir Virani (Ex-Boyfriend 2)

Curious about storytelling in all its forms, Tamir Virani is excited to make his stage debut with Moment Theatre Collective. His creative interests have led him to filmmaking, poetry, graphite drawing, and live storytelling, including performances with Confabulation Montréal and poetry featured during Montréal's Nuit Blanche. Most recently, he honed his acting skills at the National Theatre School of Canada, and he works professionally in communications. When he's not creating, he's usually sketching, reading, or exploring Montréal with his dog, Chico. He is delighted to join the cast of Marina's Candidacy for Motherhood with Key Witnesses.

Thomas Victorio (Peter)

Thomas is based in Montreal, Canada. While living in Paris he started acting training at the NYFA (New York Film Academy) followed by a four year study at the BAW (Bilingual Acting Workshop). He also had the rare opportunity of being taught by Joanne Baron and DW Brown. While living in Paris he landed the part of a fighter pilot in an episode of America: The Story of Us directed by Renny Bartlett. He was the lead in the short-films Spy Dreams and A Sacred Gift: The Making of a Short Film. Now living in Montreal, he continues his training at Montreal Improv Theatre and Mile End Improv. He was a cast member of the show Make It a Musical at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 2019 and 2025 as the production improvised a musical theatre piece from movies that are not musicals.

Vance Gillis (He)

Vance Gillis is a writer, actor and director originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He's performed at festivals across the continent including Just For Laughs, Ottawa Improv Festival, Big City Improv Festival, SOlOS Festival, East Coast Improv Festival, Combustion Festival, Montreal Sketchfest and Vancouver International Improv Festival, among others. Stage credits include Trampoline (Weeping Spoon Productions), Scum FM (Jolly Boy Theatre Co.) and, most recently, Surprise! at the Montreal Fringe Festival. Screen credits include The Twentieth Century, The Edlerwyn and 24x36. He is the former Artistic Director at Montreal Improv and the former Education Director at Bad Dog Comedy Theatre.