Co-Devised by Jean-Marie Alexandre and Monica Dufault with the company

Created with input from students in grades 4 – 6, What’s So Funny? is a lighthearted new play about three characters who need to learn how to accept each other’s differences, share space together, and ultimately leave behind a better place for those coming after them. Told through humour and playful clown physicality, this comedic live performance explored themes of friendship, inclusion and acceptance while making you laugh.

Creative Team

Jean-Marie Alexandre – Co-Creator

Monica Dufault – Co-Creator

Keira Forde – Performer

Alicia Plummer – Performer

Zanifa Rasool – Performer

Sara Allison – Stage Manager

Courtney Moses Orbin – Set & Costume Design

Meryl Ochoa – Sound Design

Adapted by Jocelyn Adema, Lena Maripou, Reanne Spitzer and Annie Tuma from the book by Margery Williams

At first the Velveteen Rabbit seems like an old-fashioned toy to B, who prefers more high-tech birthday presents. Soon though, B and “Bunny” become inseparable friends. together they invent worlds in the house and in the garden, and when B gets sick, the Velveteen Rabbit never leaves B’s side. Guided by the wise Toy Horse and the Magic Fairy, the Velveteen Rabbit discovers how toys become real through the power of a child’s love. This vibrant new stage adaptation of the classic story features original music and dance.

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Aisha Jarvis, Fiona Cain, Pascale Berhman, Sofía Contal

Stage Manager: Sara Allison

Set Design: Rachel Forbes, Kara Pankiw

Cosume Design: Ming Wong

Music Director: Raha Javanfar

book, music, and lyrics by Tomson Highway

with additional arrangements by Ryan de Souza

Northern Ontario & GTHA Tour

Mary Jane Mosquito has no wings. At home and at school she is teased by the other mosquitos, and then she is sent away live with her auntie in the city. What she really wants to do is sing her songs, share her language, and make friends. But how will she fit in without wings?

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Brianne Tucker, Catherine Teichman, Shane O’Regan

Stage Manager: Frankie Mulder
Set Design: Kelly Wolf
Costume Design: Alexa Fraser
Puppet Design: Clelia Scala
Music Direction: Ryan de Souza

by Cameron Grant

It’s another day of virtual history class. Chloe is working with her group on a research project about John Graves Simcoe, but she discovers another historical figure that is far more relevant to learn about, someone who even shares her first name: Chloe Cooley, a young Black woman enslaved in Fort Erie and Queenston, Upper Canadian the late 1700’s.

Creative Team

Director: Marcel Stewart

Assistant Director: Sid Malcolm

Featuring: Yvonne Addai, Daniel Jelani Ellis, Michael Man, Tsipporah Shendroff

Stage Manager: Sara Allison

Scenography: Michelle Tracey

Video Editor: Elizabeth Pereira

Adapted by Jocelyn Adema, Lena Maripou, Reanne Spitzer and Annie Tuma from the book by Margery Williams

At first the Velveteen Rabbit seems like an old-fashioned toy to B, who prefers more high-tech birthday presents. Soon though, B and “Bunny” become inseparable friends. together they invent worlds in the house and in the garden, and when B gets sick, the Velveteen Rabbit never leaves B’s side. Guided by the wise Toy Horse and the Magic Fairy, the Velveteen Rabbit discovers how toys become real through the power of a child’s love. This vibrant new stage adaptation of the classic story features original music and dance.

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Aisha Jarvis, Lena Maripou, Reanne Spitzer and Annie Tuma

Stage Manager: Sara Allison

Set Design: Rachel Forbes, Kara Pankiw

Cosume Design: Ming Wong

Music Director: Raha Javanfar

by Cameron Grant

It’s another day of virtual history class. Chloe is working with her group on a research project about John Graves Simcoe, but she discovers another historical figure that is far more relevant to learn about, someone who even shares her first name: Chloe Cooley, a young Black woman enslaved in Fort Erie and Queenston, Upper Canadian the late 1700’s.

Creative Team

Director: Marcel Stewart

Assistant Director: Sid Malcolm

Featuring: Yvonne Addai, Daniel Jelani Ellis, Michael Man, Tsipporah Shendroff

Stage Manager: Sara Allison

Scenography: Michelle Tracey

Video Editor: Elizabeth Pereira

by Linda Carson and Monica Dufault

Two characters who are very different from each other are exploring a strange new world and finding surprises in this colourful sensory experience. One instinctively hides, other other instinctively seeks. Together they find lots of surprises that pop up everywhere!

CREATIVE TEAM

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Katherine Cappellacci, Kaylyn Valdez-Scott

Set, Puppet & Costume Design: Kelly Wolf, Alexa Fraser

Music Composition: Joe Lapinski

Stage Manager: Sara Allison

by Elyne Quan & Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull

Lig is very tall, and Bittle is very small. They both wish they could find someplace where everything is just the right size for each of them, where no one will notice that they are different. When Lig and Bittle hear about Perfeckt Phitt, they set out on a quest to this wonderful place where all their problems will be solved. Can Lig and Bittle overcome the Muckety Muck and the Ooga Monster to find the place where they both fit in?

For this season only, Lig & Bittle was available in the form of an Audio Play – like listening to a podcast or an old-time radio adventure story.

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Demi-Lee Bainbridge, Nicholas Eddie

Sound Design: Shane O’Regan
Sound Engineering: Joe Lapinski

HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE YOUR 11TH BIRTHDAY WHEN YOU CAN’T GET TOGETHER WITH ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS?

HBD2Me (Happy Birthday to Me) is about four friends in grade six who haven’t been together for a while, because of the pandemic.

A is celebrating her eleventh birthday online, and she can’t wait to see her friends again, but worries that they won’t want to come to her weird virtual party. When everyone does show up, they all find ways to laugh, to be themselves, and to support each other in these unusual times.

This show is the first Carousel on Film show, and was created entirely on Zoom!

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Kat Khan, Lia Luz, Quianna MacGilchrist, Nicole Smieja

Set & Costume Design: Elahe Marjovi

The Carousel Players Community Celebrations were a time for families, and particularly children, engage with their community in a safe and comfortable way. The goal was to safely allow families to experience creative activities created especially for COVID times.

The Carousel Players Community Celebrations project was made up of four events:

• in person Downtown STC Scavenger Hunt (Sept/Oct 2020)
• in person Halloween Happening (October 30 & 32, 2020)
• in person Winter World (December 2020)
• virtual At Home Adventures (April/May 2021)

These projects were supported by the City of St Cathairnes’ Arts and Culture Community Revitalization Program. We worked with many partner businesses and arts organizations to bring these projects to the community, which are listed on the Our Supporters page.

by Cheryl McNamara

A water bottling company is set to clear-cut the forest near Richard’s house to build a new facility. He pleads with his friends and family to help protect the green spaces in their town, but no one seems to care about the brook and the trees, or the creatures who live there. Can Richard change their minds and convince the mayor to save the woods?

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Nathaniel Kingham, Isaiah Kolundzic, Kate Werneberg

Stage Manager: Sara Allison
Set Design: Kelly Wolf
Costume Design: Sim Suzer
Sound Design: Ethan Rising

book, music, and lyrics by Tomson Highway

with additional arrangements by Ryan de Souza

Western Canada Tour

Mary Jane Mosquito has no wings. At home and at school she is teased by the other mosquitos, and then she is sent away live with her auntie in the city. What she really wants to do is sing her songs, share her language, and make friends. But how will she fit in without wings?

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Haley Vincent, Catherine Teichman, Shane O’Regan

Stage Manager: Martine Beland
Set Design: Kelly Wolf
Costume Design: Alexa Fraser
Puppet Design: Clelia Scala
Music Direction: Ryan de Souza

by Michael P Northey

Stan, a.k.a. “Definition” is a rising freestyle MC – or at least he was, until his life’s passion lost out to his drug habit. Now on the road to recovery and prepping for a come-back show, Stan confronts his demons and recounts his harrowing journey through the wild highs and deep lows of addiction.

CRANKED is an award winning piece from Green Thumb Theatre that uses spoken word and hip-hop to create a pulse-pounding full-sensory experience that deals in the brutal realities of addiction and drug culture, and the redemption that can lie in recovery.

Carousel Players’ Youth Tour of CRANKED was supported by the Niagara Region’s Niagara Investment in Culture Program.

adapted by Fiona Sauder & Reanne Spitzer

music by Landon Doak & Company

A contemporary musical reimagining of the classic Peter Pan story. With live acoustic music, and minimal scenery, this playful adaptation encourages kids and kids-at-heart to dream, to imagine possibilities, and to remember the power of make-believe.

Creative Team

Director: Severn Thompson

Featuring: Jocelyn Adema, Andrew Cameron, Graham Conway, Landon Doak, Matt Finlan, Lena Maripuu, Matt Pilipiak, Victor Pokinko, Fiona Sauder, Reanne Spitzer, Annie Tuma, Micah Woods

Stage Manager: Lucia Corak
Production Designer: Amy Marie Wallace
Music Director: Noah MacDougall
Original Music Direction by Nathan Carroll
Fight / Flight Director: Jack Rennie

The Community Tour of Peter Pan was made possible by the Nigara Region’s Niagara Investment in Culture Program and the Niagara Community Foundation.

by Sean Dixon

Omar is new in school, new in Canada. As he struggles to make himself understood in a new language, a group of students struggle to understand Omar at all. Unexpected friendships form as Nashira, Alex, and the Kid travel through school yards, junk yards, and back yards to learn more about Omar. Will these four find common ground?

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Nicola Franco, Ahmad Meree, Josepeh Recinos, Brady Van Vaerenbergh

Stage Manager: Sara Allison
Set, Props, and Costumes designed by Christine Urquhart
Sound Design and Percussion Direction by Maddie Bautista
Fight Director: Anita Nittoly

book, music, and lyrics by Tomson Highway

with additional arrangements by Ryan de Souza

Mary Jane Mosquito has no wings. At home and at school she is teased by the other mosquitos, and then she is sent away live with her auntie in the city. What she really wants to do is sing her songs, share her language, and make friends. But how will she fit in without wings?

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Nicole Joy-Fraser, Catherine Teichman, Shane O’Regan

Stage Manager: Jennifer Hare
Set Design: Kelly Wolf
Costume Design: Alexa Fraser
Music Direction: Ryan de Souza

by Mark Crawford

Deep in Simon’s basement is a secret world of imagination and adventure—where a young prince can transform into mythological creatures! Simon invites new neighbour Abby to help save a princess in a battle against a fire-breathing dragon. Meanwhile, in reality, Simon’s older brother Zach’s not so sure about all this dressing up and fairy tale business… A thoughtful and hilarious new play about our ability to transform!

Creative Team

Director: Jessica Carmichael

Featuring: Matt Pilipiak, Cynthia Jiminez-Hicks, Drew O’Hara

Stage Managers: Laura Granfield (January), Heather Bellingham (May)
Set & Costume Design: Brian Dudkiewicz
Sound Design: Sam Ferguson

by Brendan Murray

music by Joe Lapinski

Hare & Tortoise is a whimsical retelling of Aesop’s Fable about two friends who have opposite approaches to absolutely everything. As the seasons change from winter to spring, Hare impatiently waits for Tortoise to wake up so they can hurry up and have their race. But Tortoise has other things to do first: a little spring cleaning, taking care of the garden, and enjoying a holiday. Finally the race day arrives – but things don’t turn out the way Hare expected at all!

 This charming adaptation won Best Play for Children and Youth at the Writers Guild of Great Britain Awards in 2012.

Creative Team

Director: Monica Dufault

Featuring: Kurtis Leon Baker, Kaileigh Gorka

Stage Manager: Jennifer Hare
Set & Costume Design: Kelly Wolf
Music Director: Joe Lapinski

created by Michelle Silagy & Lynda Hill

original music by Kathy Nosaty

Flying Hearts is a dance/theatre performance conceived especially for children 2 years and up of all abilities. Flying Hearts takes children on a journey through the elements of earth, water, air, and light using dance, live music, and rich lighting. A Relaxed Performance experience with live music and gentle audience interactions, Flying Hearts is Sensory Friendly and Autism Friendly and welcomes children of all abilities and diverse needs.

Creative Team

Featuring: Allison Basha, Lucas Penner, Jake Ramos, Jessica Runge

Production Design: Jung-Hye Kim
Costume Design: Jennifer Dallas
Lighting Design: Jennifer Lennon

The Community Presentation of Flying Hearts was made possible by the Niagara Community Foundation.