George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Illustration from Class Trip. Copyright © 2023 by Michael Martchenko
About the Play
Based on the stories of Robert Munsch, devised by Christel Bartelse and the Second Year Class.
Directed by Christel Bartelse*
Music and Lyrics composed by Stephan Ermel & the George Brown Class
Get ready to journey through the wild, wacky, and wonderful imagination of Robert Munsch! Join a group of curious kids on a school trip like no other—where the museum they visit doesn’t just tell tales...it unleashes them! One moment you're walking past a display case, the next you're seeing huge eggs hatching, or dodging a dragon, meeting a princess in a paper bag, watching Julie paint her face with every color she can find, or meeting Andrew who refuses to take off his super-comfy pajamas. At the Marvelous Museum of Munsch, the exhibits don’t just sit still—they spring to life! But this isn’t just any field trip—there’s a quest to complete. What surprises does the Marvelous Museum have in store? Only one way to find out.
George Brown’s 38th 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. This year features Class Trip, Makeup Mess, Pyjama Day and The Paper Bag Princess.
LOCATION
Young Centre for the Performing Arts
50 Tank House Lane, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4
Running Time:
~50 min (no intermission)
School/Group Shows
November 26, 27, 28 & December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 — 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
COST: School/Group (10+) Bookings: $10/child. No charge to supervisors at a 10 to 1 ratio. $10/supervisor above 10 to 1 ratio.
Open to the Public Shows
November 29 — 10:30am and 1:00pm
December 6 — 10:30am and 1:00pm
COST: Public Bookings: Children under 12: $12, Adults: $27.
Creatives
Christel Bartelse, Director
Christel Bartelse is a multifaceted performer whose work spans acting, comedy, storytelling, clown, directing, writing, and education. She began her career in comedy and improv as one half of the acclaimed physical comedy duo The Burnt Marshmallows (Canadian Comedy Award Nominees), and has since collaborated with a wide range of artists to create bold and original independent work. She is mostly known for having created and written several solo shows, including Chaotica, ONEymoon, All KIDding Aside and most recently A Woman of my Age and she has toured extensively across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. earning her a reputation as a dynamic and inventive solo artist. A fixture in the Toronto comedy scene, she is regularly seen on stage performing character work, physical comedy, stand-up, and storytelling. She was the co-producer and co-host of the hit storytelling show "But That's Another Story", and currently produces and hosts "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" where veteran actors and comedians present material on the theme of Age. In addition to her performance work, she is a passionate educator, leading workshops in improv, physical theatre/clown, and solo performance across Toronto. As a Director she has worked on several shows across various institutions but most recently directed Almost, Maine (Toronto Film School) The Ensemble for Toronto Fringe, and their recent remount at The Second City Toronto, and had the pleasure of directing "Carnival of Munsch" for George Brown Theatre Program in 2023. She is thrilled to be back again this year working on this show, with such a talented group of artists.
Stephan Ermel, Music Director
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: New World, Witch of Edmonton, It's Munsch Time; The Grand: Grow; Talk is Free: Sweeney Todd, Mahagonny Songspiel; Hart House: Legally Blonde; YES Theatre: Into the Woods, James and the Giant Peach, Mamma Mia, The Sound of Music, Merrily We Roll Along, Billy Elliot.
Michael Panich, Stage Manager
For George Brown Theatre School: Harvey, Munschstock!, Munsch Garden, Low Pay? Don’t Pay!, The Children’s Hour, Engaged, Per Gint, Blood Wedding, The Corsican Complaint, Love & Information, The Witch of Edmonton, Three Sisters & Co, Metamorphoses, Planet Munsch, You Never Can Tell, It’s Munsch Time, Munsch Goes to School, Munsch-o-Mania, Munsch All Over, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Elsewhere: Playing Shylock (Starvox Entertainment). Discovering Allan Sherman, The Children’s Republic (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), Mechanically Inclined, On a First Name Basis, Time and Tide, The Melville Boys, Those Movies, Outlaw (The Foster Festival). John Ware Reimagined, Cottagers and Indians (Blyth Festival). Suddenly Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in Action), 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), It’s Okay to be Different, The Rainbow Fish and Stella, Queen of the Snow (Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia). 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.
Glenn Davidson, Set Design
Glenn is happy to be back at George Brown, after designing the set for Carnival of Munsch last year. Recent credits include Les Filles de Roi for Theatre Francais de Toronto, A Girl Who Loved Her Horses for the Centre for Indigenous Theatre and Staircases for Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. His work as a set and lighting designer has garnered him 2 Dora Mavor Moore awards, the Pauline McGibbon award and a Harold award. Upcoming projects include Feu M. Feydeaux for Theatre Francais de Toronto and The Amazing Cordobas/War of the Clowns for George Brown.
Siobhán Sleath, Lighting Design
Siobhán is happy to be back at George Brown Theatre to design Munschstock! She’s also worked with the School on Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, New World, Witch of Edmonton, Cymbeline, Blood Wedding, The Learned Ladies, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Machinal, Calvalcade, Lady Windermere’s Fan and 5 Munsch Shows. Other recent shows include: Canoe (Unsettled Scores); Homes: A Refugee Story (Grand Theatre), 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) and Beau: The Musical (Adirondack Theatre Festival). More information can be found on her website: www.siobhansleathdesign.com
Sim Suzer, Costume Design
Recent Design Work: Costume Design and Associate Set Design for Everybody (Shaw Festival), Associate Costume Design for Three Women from Swatow (Tarragon Theatre), Set and Costume Design for Untamed (XU) Stratford Festival 2021: Assistant Set and Costume Design for Romeo and Juliet. Shaw Festival 2020: Assistant Costume Design for Gypsy, Assistant Set Design for Devil’s Disciple. Shaw Festival 2019: Assistant Set and Costume Design for Horse and His Boy, The Ladykillers, Victory, Holiday Inn. Design Work 2019: Costume Designer for Water Wonder (Carousel Players), Set and Costume Designer for Play House (Shaw Festival), Set and Costume Designer for The Subjection of Kezia and Poof! (Shaw Festival), Set and Costume Designer for Journey to the Greatest Gift (L’Arche Daybreak), Costume Designer for Good Morning, Viet Mom (Cahoots Theatre).
Online: https://simgesuzer.journoportfolio.com/
Scott Banks, Sound Design
Scott is a freelance production manager, technical director, and sound designer in the GTA. Scott attended the University of Waterloo, earning a Bachelor’s degree in technical theatre. Since those days, he has been around the world and back, working on cruise ships for 7 years in the production department. He has worked in the corporate and music sectors with companies such as PSAV, Freeman AV, Snap Hoek and PRG. His real love is theatre though, and he has been involved with various theatres around the country, from Watermark Theatre in PEI (Production Manager, Canada 300 national tour), to Manitoba Theatre for Young People in Winnipeg, MB (Interim Production Manager, 2013-2014 season) to 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook, ON (Production Manager). This is Scott’s 8th season with George Brown Theatre School, and he is happy to be back to help these young theatre artists as they grow and learn.
Sarah Flanigan, Assistant Stage Manager
Sarah is a Toronto based Stage Manager/Assistant Stage Manager. She is a graduate of the Queen’s University Drama department. Selected Credits: Stage Management for Sleeping Beauty: A Panto Awakening (Capitol Theatre); Outlaw, Those Movies, On a First Name Basis, Mechanically Inclined (Foster Festival); Concord Floral (Theatre Kingston/Queen's University); Crow Hill: The Telephone Play, Carmel, Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, The Great Shadow (4th Line Theatre); The Story of Ethel & Julius Rosenberg (Teatron Toronto Jewish Theatre); Anatol, Jane Eyre, Harvey, Munschstock!, The Marvellous Museum of Munsch, The Amazing Cordobas/War of the Clowns & five sets of repertory shows (George Brown Theatre School); Ladies Day (New Stuff Theatre). Other: In addition to Stage Managing, Sarah is also a trained percussionist, and enjoys playing in pit bands for musicals.
Cast
| Abby Alexander | Andrew |
| Gabe | Security Guard, Ensemble, Bus Driver, Kid |
| Ben Sohi | Ensemble, Father, Kid, Dragon Posse |
| Camila Barba Solis | Ensemble kid, Pajama Teacher, Kid, Dragon Posse |
| Aaron Berchuk | Thief Auguste |
| Jamiel Bertrand | Ensemble kid, Uber Driver, Kid |
| Jon Britton | Ensemble kid, Principal, Kid, body of Dragon |
| Garrett Callahan | Tour Guide Bobby (Robert Munsch) |
| Jing Cui | Ensemble, Teacher, Kid |
| Arthur Davies | Ensemble kid, Dog, Kid, Dragon Posse |
| Adriana Diaz | Sean |
| Caroline Gail | Museum Curator |
| Jaya Georgiades | Ensemble kid, Pajama Mannequin, Kid, Tree |
| Sawyer Greene | Ensemble kid, Salesclerk, Kid, Dragon |
| Pierre Lacombe | Statue 2, Father |
| Kathleen Macneil | Ensemble kid, Egg, Sister, Kid |
| Kalem L. Mahaffy | Ensemble kid, Egg, PJ Mannequin |
| Liam Marriott | News Reporter, Ensemble kid, Egg, Little Brother, Kid |
| Georgia Peacock | Elizabeth |
| Sasha Polienko | Ronald |
| Melissa Pomfret | Stephanie |
| Julia Rodrigues | Statue 1, Mother |
| Sierra Sutcliffe | Ensemble kid, Mother, Pajama Mannequin, Kid, Tree |
| Yohannes Alemu Taye | Thief Joey |
| Joy Tice | Julie |
| Nox Watson | Ensemble kid, Principal |
| Shu Yan | Statue 3, Doctor |
Credits & Acknowledgements
Production Staff
- Properties Master: David Hoekstra
- Set Carpenter: Andy DeVries
- Set Painter: Paul Boddum
- Wardrobe Assistant: Barbara Morrone-Sanchez
- Stitcher: Victoria Bruer
- Movement Coach: Suzanne Liska
- Voice Coach: Debora Joy
- Speech Coach: John Nelles
- Dance Consultant: Bob McCollum
- Choreographers: Adriana Diaz, Jaya Georgiades & Kalem L. Mahaffy
- Composers: Abby Alexander, Gabe, Garrett Callahan, Pierre Lacombe, Liam Marriott, Melissa Pomfret, Sierra Sutcliffe, Joy Tice
- Music Vocal Coach: Stephan Ermel
- Social Media Coordinator: Jonny Ingley
Staff for George Brown Theatre
- Associate Dean: Trent Scherer
- Program Coordinator: Sue Miner
- Support Coordinator: Michael Longstaff
- Production Manager: Scott Banks
- Assistant Technical Director: Tim Moore
- Head of Wardrobe: Ina Kerklaan
Thank you to our friends in the community
- Jasmine Knox, Julia Carrano, Corey MacVicar and Soulpepper Theatre, David Hudson and extra special thanks to the amazing writing team among the 2nd Year class.
*The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance.Opera.Theatre Policy (DOT).
Based on the following books:
Class Trip, text copyright © 2023 by Bob Munsch Enterprises Ltd., illustrations © copyright 2023 by Michael Martchenko;
Makeup Mess, text copyright © 2011 by Bob Munsch Enterprises Ltd., illustrations copyright © 2011 by Michael Martchenko;
Pyjama Day! text copyright © 2014 by Bob Munsch Enterprises Ltd., illustrations copyright © 2014 by Michael Martchenko.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Canada Ltd. Based on The Paper Bag Princess © 1980 © Bob Munsch Enterprises Ltd; published by Annick Press