It's Munsch Time

Munsch Time illustration of Dad and pigs in a kitchen

PERFORMED LIVE FROM THE MAINSTAGE

About

George Brown’s 34th children’s show returns to the much-loved world of Robert Munsch! Our theatre-for-young-audience shows have introduced tens of thousands of Toronto children to the magic of live theatre over the past three decades. The author of over 45 books, Robert Munsch’s knack for making young people smile, giggle, and want to read his stories over and over again, has made him Canada’s best-selling author. A fun and energy filled hour of story, music, and dance with many of Munsch’s most popular stories.

Suitable for children 3 years of age and up.

Based on Angela’s Airplane; Pigs; Mortimer; So Much Snow; and Love You Forever.

LOCATION
Youtube Live Broadcast

COST
Free Admission

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
School Shows
December 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Book now for school shows

Public Shows - Streaming LIVE at 11:00 AM
Saturday, December 4
Saturday, December 11

Book Now for Public Shows

Directed by James Simon

James Simon is a director and acting instructor. He holds an M.A. from the University of Alberta, B.A. from McGill University, and has studied at the Banff Centre. He has recently returned to school to study Art History at the University of Toronto. As an instructor, Mr. Simon has taught in the acting programs at the University of Alberta and MacEwan University (Edmonton), as well as Young People Theatre’s, Theatre, Ontario, and the Citadel Theatre. Directing credits include productions at the National Arts Centre; the Citadel Theatre; Tarragon Theatre; Young People's Theatre; Blyth Festival; Buddies in Bad Times (Dora nomination); Stage West; Theatre Network; Carousel Players; Theatre on the Move; University of Alberta - Department of Drama; Berkeley Street Theatre; and George Brown Theatre. Mr. Simon has been on the teaching staff of the Theatre School for twenty - six years and was the Artistic Director / Coordinator from 2000 - 2017.

Original Music Composed by Stephan Ermel

Stephan Ermel is the vocal music instructor for George Brown and a music director, musician, actor and educator. He is the Resident Music Director of YES Theatre in Sudbury, a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School, and holds an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music.

George Brown: Planet Munsch; Talk is Free: Mahagonny Songspiel; Hart House: Legally Blonde; YES Theatre: James and the Giant Peach, Mamma Mia, The Sound of Music, Merrily We Roll Along, Violet, Beauty and the Beast,

Creatives

Michael Panich* - Stage Manager

George Brown Theatre School: The Corsican Complaint, Love & Information, The Witch of Edmonton, Three Sisters & Co, Metamorphoses, Planet Munsch, You Never Can Tell, Munsch Goes to School, Munsch-o-Mania, Munsch All Over, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Elsewhere: Suddenly Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in Action), The Rainbow Fish, Stella-Queen of the Snow (Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia), Stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Theatre Smith-Gilmour), The Hound of the Baskervilles (Lighthouse Festival Theatre), Canada in Love, Remember that Song, The Legend of Dan McGrew (Smile Theatre). Michael graduated from Concordia University’s theatre program in 2008. In addition to stage managing, Michael is also a production manager, actor and set/light designer.

Jackie Chau - Set, Props and Costume Designer

Jackie has worked as a set and costume designer and her work has toured internationally. In addition, she is a production designer and art director for film and television. Selected theatre design credits include: Sexy Laundry (Theatre Aquarius) Annie Mae’s Movement, Almighty Voice and His Wife, Tombs of the Vanishing Indian, From Thine Eyes, HUFF (NEPA), Antigone Insurgency, Talking Masks, Charge of the Expormidable Moose, Ubu Mayor, S/W (One Little Goat), Gas Girls (New Harlem Productions), Romeo and Juliet (TD Dream in High Park/Can Stage), Zadie's Shoes, Lady Sunrise (Factory Theatre), Brown Balls (Fu-Gen), The Swearing Jar (Prairie Theatre Exchange), Fish Eyes Trilogy (GCTC), Canada 300 (Watermark Theatre), Cannibal the Musical (Starvox Entertainment),Twist Your Dickens (Second City Chicago/Toronto), Mini Me Makeover – Designer and Co-host (CBC Kids/Expect Theatre), Moment, Dissidents, Oil (ARC Theatre), Cowboy Versus Samurai, 39 Steps, Oraltorio (Soulpepper) and The Komagata Maru Incident (Stratford Festival).

Jackie was named in NOW magazine's Top 10 Theatre Artists of 2009, nominated for the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design, nominated for a Saskatoon Area Theatre (SAT) award, 2 Broadway World awards and has received 8 Dora nominations for outstanding set and costume design.

This is Jackie's 14th year designing for the George Brown Theatre.

Siobhán Sleath - Lighting Design

Siobhán is happy to be back at George Brown Theatre to design It's Munsch Time! She’s also worked with the School on The Learned Ladies, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Machinal, Cavalcade, Lady Windermere’s Fan and three Munsch Shows. Other recent shows include: Ann (Arkansas Rep Theatre), The Horse and His Boy, Wilde Tales (Shaw Festival); Miracle on 34th Street, A Year with Frog and Toad, Shrek and The Addams Family (Neptune Theatre); Steel City Gangster and On a First Name Basis (Theatre Aquarius); Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Avenue Q (Sudbury Theatre Centre; and Elegies: A Song Cycle (Acting Up Stage). She is the Associate Lighting Designer on the Canadian production of Come from Away.

More information can be found on her website: www.siobhansleathdesign.com

Steafan Hannigan - Video Design

Steafan was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland and moved to Canada nearly 12 years ago with his Wife Saskia and 3 children Oisin, Eile and Ayisha.

He has a background in theatre and has held many interesting positions: Technical Director, Musical Director, Head of Props, Head Carpenter, Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, and actor. Previously he worked as a Technical Director for many companies including Jumblies Theatre, Education Arts Canada and Festival Players.

He has also had an interesting career as a musician having composed the music for a 24-episode animated series which aired worldwide in 2015, worked with a diverse range such as Bjork, Depeche Mode, Loreena McKennitt and AfroCelts He has also appeared on MTV, BBC and CBC. Along with his wife Saskia, he was hired to work on developing the hit theatre show “Come from Away”.

And yes rumours are true, he arranged music for and appeared on the hit T.V. series “Friends” – the one with Ross’s wedding, acted in Canadian show “Coppers” and been a session musician on “Black Harbour”, “Relic Hunter ” and “Earth Final Conflict”.

He has played or produced over 200 albums, toured in over 30 countries and still has a recording studio and a collection of over 800 musical instruments. He is an author of “The Bodhran Book” and “The Low Whistle Book” both best sellers in their genre. He and his family also formed a band called Clan Hannigan

He regularly volunteers for ArtsCan Circle, working with Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario, specializing in working with the Pikanjikum First Nation and Project Journey.

Cast

Featuring the second-year class of the P104 Theatre Arts Performance program:

Tia Baum
Shelayna Christante
Keren Edelist
Noorin Gulamgaus
Hannah Ireland
Gibum Lim
Aly Macfarlane
Sydney Newediuk
Judah Parris
Charlie Rodgers
Sarah Schmidt-McQuillan
Alex Vautour

Credits & Acknowledgements

Production Staff

Properties Master: David Hoekstra
Streaming Tech Coordinator: Steafan Hannigan
Set Carpenter: Andy DeVries
Set Painter: Paul Boddum
Stitcher: Victoria Banjavcic
Movement Coach: Suzanne Liska
Voice Coach: Debora Joy
Speech Coach: Michael Armstrong
Choreographer: Bob McCollum
Musical Coach: Stephan Ermel
Social Media Coordinator: Naomi Jijina

Special thanks to our generous donors

The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation
Sonja Koerner and the Women’s Art Association
Loretta Bogert-O’Brien
Esther Farlinger
Larry LaForet
Audrey J. Murdoch
Ray Wares
Lu-Ju Chou
George Brown Seniors’ Association
Cindy Larable
Debbie Read

Staff for George Brown Theatre

Chair: Trent Scherer
Program Coordinator: Sue Miner
Support Coordinator: Michael Longstaff
Production Manager/Technical Director: Scott Banks
Head of Wardrobe: Ina Kerklaan

Thank you to our friends in the community

Corey MacVicar, and Soulpepper Theatre Company
Robert Scott (Canadian Actors’ Equity Association)
Ashley Harychan, Vibalin Padua, Yun Lin, and Arleen Prudenciado (George Brown College Accounts Payable)

It's Munsch Time!