Directing Mentorship

The goal of the mentorship is for young directors to develop leadership skills, confidence, creative problem solving, and self expression. This will occur by pairing the young directors with a mentor, who is a professional artist with an established practice and experience working with youth. The mentor will facilitate a series of meetings centred around the process of directing a play, where focus is primarily geared towards the learning of the mentee rather than the creation of a perfect finished product. By working with a professional artist in one-on-one capacity, the mentee will learn about critical thinking, empathetic listening and responding, leading a small team towards a shared goal, and project/event management. At the completion of this process the mentee will have developed skills that will serve them in a variety of professions.

Directors

Alissa Stella Demers (elle)

Stella est une étudiante de 20 ans présentement en 3ième année du programme spécialisé en théâtre de l'Université d'Ottawa. Ce qui l'anime, c'est l'art: la littérature, le cinéma, la musique. Elle a un intérêt particulier pour tout ce qui se rapporte à l'horreur, les causes féministe et l'identité queer.

Canda-Leigh Habonimana (she/her)

Hailing from the great prairies, Canda-Leigh is now settled on the Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation as an emerging theatre professional. She holds a B.A of Arts Administration with a minor in Theatre. During her undergrad, opportunities were rampant to explore the small arts scene at Bishop’s, which she took full advantage of. From participating in culture fashion shows, to directing a student written play, to applying herself for a project grant, sending all the way to Brussels, Belgium to volunteer at KunstenfestivaldesArts. Her largest project to date was Co-Producing YIF in its 23rd season. She loved it so much, she came back for a second year to participate as a director.

Florence Letarte (they/elle)

Florence is a francophone third year student at the University of Ottawa in Theatre and Feminist and Gender Studies. For as long as they can remember, they have been passionate about the arts and theatre. This lifelong enthusiamsm has manifested in working to develop a practice that is founded in queer, feminist and anti-oppressive ideals. They love stage managing, directing, tech work – anything related to the behind the scenes work of theatre.
Their biggest accomplishments are the short scenes they have directed in high school and in their theatre classes at UOttawa, and they cannot wait to create more. Florence is a funny, charismatic, awkward 20 year old who loves to spend time with friends and read all types of books.

Maëlys Wega (she/her)

Maëlys is a seventeen year old Canadian born to Cameroonian Parents. She’s known as a third culture kid due to the many moves she made growing up. She has many hobbies including, listening to music, playing rugby and most importantly, Theatre. She’s been in the school theatre scene her whole life but only during Covid discovered her passion .Maëlys is an outgoing, kind and determined person. She wants everyone to feel nothing but comfortable around her at all times.She has many hopes and dreams and doesn’t plan on giving up yet. Maëlys has yet to fully acknowledge her ability to impact the world by sharing her thoughts. She is becoming.

Meagan Le Duc (she/her)

Meagan is a 19-year-old bilingual student who’s currently enrolled in scriptwriting at Algonquin. Her next goal is to study film productions. Her native language is French, having attended a French education all throughout high school. The arts in every shape or form fuel her passions: whether it be visual arts, the culinary arts, music, theatre, filming and editing, there is nothing better for her than to live vicariously through those creative minute details and colourful worlds. She strives to challenge herself and take new risks because there is much to learn and boredom is not one of them. Living in a full house with two older sisters, Meagan is an extrovert, born storyteller, whose favourite activity is to entertain her surroundings. To her, everything can become a story if one tells it well enough, and when those criteria are met, like with songs, films, jokes, theatre, etc., she finds it electrifying.

Mentors

Franco Pang (he/him)

Franco is a multidisciplinary artist that works primarily in Toronto and Ottawa. He is a production and stage manager, designer, creator, and performer.
He is a recipient of the 2019 Prix Rideau for Emerging Artist in design and creation. He co-created, performed, and designed *Light(less)*, a non-verbal show, which received an outstanding new work nomination from the Prix Rideau Awards. He is currently working at Roseneath Theatre as their Production Manager. He is also a standing member of Means of Production, a group of technical directors and production managers working together to re-examine the way we build shows.

Nicholas Leno (he/him)

Nicholas Leno is an Ottawa based theatre director who has been programmed at the In the Soil Arts festival, Kick and Push, the undercurrents festival. He is the Artistic Director of a Company of Fools, where he enjoys directing Shakespeare in the park. When Nick isn't fooling around he can be found running Fresh Meat, a pop-up arts festival which annually showcases 10 new 20-minute performances.

Ludmylla Reis (they/them)

Born and raised in Pindorama ( Brazil ) and an immigrant in Turtle Island ( Canada ). Ludmylla is a theatre maker that has a love story with cinema. With degrees in advertising in 2008 and directing for theatre in 2018, they've navigated live and digital storytelling for over ten years. Their focus is on Devising Theatre techniques which support their desires to tell stories with varied experiences and multiple points of view. With a BFA in Acting done in Portuguese and an MFA Directing done in English, a multicultural and multidisciplinary art is where they thrive.

Lydia Talajic (Elle)

Lydia est une artiste franco-ontarienne et finissante de l’Université d’Ottawa. Depuis presque dix ans, elle travaille dans le milieu artistique de la région dans une variété de rôles. De régie de plateau à metteur en scène à conceptrice de son, elle a eu la chance de travailler à travers le pays. Durant la journée, elle travaille avec l’équipe de Le Réveil pour promouvoir les arts aux jeunes Franco-Ontariens. Son art se concentre sur les relations familiales comme vues dans sa mise en scène de Little One de Hannah Moscovitch.