The Belfry Theatre Presents
Yaga
By Kat Sandler
CAST
(in alphabetic order)
Nicholas Nahwegahbow – Rapp and Henry
Tracey Nepinak – Yaga and others
Anastasiia Ziurkalova – Detective Carson and others
CREATIVE TEAM
Jani Lauzon – Director
Stephanie Bahniuk – Set Designer
Jeff Chief – Costume Designer
Ksenia Broda-Milian – Lighting Designer
Wayne Kelso – Sound Designer & Composer
Bradley Dunn – Stage Manager
Grace Carmichael – Apprentice Stage Manager
Treena Stubel – Intimacy Director
Simon Fon – Fight Director
Adrienne Smook – Dialect Coach
Diana Budiachenko – Directing Intern & Cultural Advisor
Yaga is 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
The Belfry production of Yaga is supported in part by a generous gift from Dr. Stephen Tax
The Belfry Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages professional Artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the terms of the jointly negotiated Canadian Theatre Agreement.
Yaga is generously sponsored by


SEASON SPONSORS



PUBLIC FUNDERS






…from the Artistic Director
Welcome to a new season at the Belfry.
I want to express my gratitude to you—our patrons— for being here right now, for returning after the shutdown, for helping us stay afloat, and for making it so clear that the arts—including theatre—and this theatre— are important to you, and a valuable part of your life. This moment in history has brought into sharp focus the need we all have for humanity and community—which together define theatre: human stories onstage, with our neighbours seated around us.
One of my reasons for inviting the wonderful Jani Lauzon to direct Yaga, was the play’s celebration of female empowerment—which seems to align with the strength of the matriarch in Indigenous culture. Jani then brilliantly conceived a production that brings together Indigenous and Ukrainian artists—honouring the Slavic roots of the Baba Yaga myth. This is a timely and beautiful collaboration between artists—both onstage and on the design team.
A member of Victoria’s Ukrainian Canadian community shared with me the long history of Indigenous and Ukrainian relations: when Ukrainian settlers first came to Canada, they were spurned by other settlers, but the Indigenous nations welcomed them. They guided them and helped them through the harsh winters. As a sign of gratitude, the Ukrainians gifted the Indigenous people colourful scarves— “babushkas.” The Kokum scarf has been incorporated into First Nations’ culture across the country—and is a sign of solidarity between the two communities.
Please welcome these wonderful artists from both communities—and please sit on the edge of your seat for Kat Sandler’s clever and powerful play—!
Thank you again—
Michael Shamata

…from the Executive Director
I realized that I have now completed a full season at the Belfry. All the staff at the Belfry have been so welcoming and have made my transition to this city seamless. I feel delightedly and completely at home. The Belfry staff, volunteers, and board have created such a sense of broad community that it deepens my immediate sense of belonging.
I am glad too, for you—our generous and inquisitive audience. Welcome back to another wonderful season at the Belfry. I am delighted that you have been able to join us this year. For some of you this is part of your lives, and for others it may well be the first time attending. I hope all of you enjoy the shows and feel as much at home here at the Belfry, as I do.
I am so profoundly glad that I made the move to Victoria.
Isaac Thomas

Director’s Notes
As I write, we are just beginning rehearsals. Much will be discovered in the rehearsal room. What I do know is that Yaga has been described as an ogress, a witch, and a villain to be feared. But early history suggests she lives on the crossroads of consciousness, that her archetype is a shaman who may help or hinder: offering comprehension, not comfort. Her persona changed when religion and patriarchy was adopted, and the old pagan deities were persecuted. While reading Yaga, I had been contemplating Joseph Campbell’s theory of diffusion: when iconography is similar between cultures. While his theory has been contested, I began to contemplate what the connection between Indigenous and Ukrainian cultures may be: the iconology of Yaga. How do these two cultures perceive medicine women? Certainly, there is a shared experience of navigating oppression and genocide. I am honoured that these amazing Indigenous and Ukrainian artists are interested in this unique journey and am excited to be bringing this funny and profound play to a Victoria audience, with our own special twist.
Jani Lauzon
Cast & Creative Team

Nicholas Nahwegahbow – Rapp and Henry
Nick is an Anishnaabe/Kanienkehka actor, appearing in Romeo & Juliet, The Breathing Hole and more over two seasons at the Stratford Festival. His last performance on stage was as Spanish in Honour Beat at The Grand in London, Ontario, he‘s also appeared in Tallboyz, the TV series. As well as Canada: The Story of Us. He’s also a graduate of The National Theatre School as well as The Birmingham Conservatory, with a BA in Theatre Studies from Guelph U. He’s thrilled to be back on stage and is incredibly thankful for his beautiful family.

Tracey Nepinak – Yaga and others
Tracey is delighted to be back at the Belfry for this production. Her Cree/mixed roots trace back to Peguis First Nation, Treaty 1 Territory. Tracey lives in Winnipeg and has been a theatre artist for more than 30 years. Some recent theatre and film credits include Acting Good, Big Mukwa Productions (TV); The Secret to Good Tea, RMTC; The Rez Sisters, RMTC (DIR.); The Rez Sisters, Stratford Festival (also the Belfry in 2014); The War Being Waged, PTE; A Short History of Crazy Bone, TPM. Her favourite role ever? Kokum to her one-year-old nôssim (grandson) Milo

Anastasiia Ziurkalova – Detective Carson and others
Anastasiia is a Ukrainian actress based in Toronto. Having started as a child film actor, she later fell in love with theatre and finds this love to be reciprocated. For most of her life she had been living and working in her native city, Kyiv. Her selected theatre credits include Antigone (by Jean Anouilh); The Lonesome West (by Martin McDonagh); The Cherry Orchard (by Anton Chekhov); The State of Siege (by Albert Camus); Little Mermaid and Cinderella. She moved to Canada about a year ago and is thrilled to make her very first appearance on a Canadian stage here at the Belfry Theatre.

Kat Sandler – Playwright
Kat Sandler is an award-winning playwright, director, screenwriter, and served as the Artistic Director of Theatre Brouhaha in Toronto. Her plays have been performed across Canada and internationally. As a writer/director she has staged nineteen of her original plays in the last decade. She’s developing a handful of feature films and television shows with eOne, Good Question, Blue Ant and the Donaldson Company. She’s a graduate of Queen’s University.

Jani Lauzon – Director
Jani Lauzon is a multidisciplinary artist of Métis/French/Finnish ancestry. She is a 10-time Dora Mavor Moore nominated actor/ director/writer, a three-time Juno nominated singer/songwriter, an award-winning screen actress, a Gemini Award-winning puppeteer and a Toronto Theatre Critics award-winning director. Selected directing credits include: 1939 (Stratford Festival) Where the Blood Mixes and Almighty Voice and his Wife (Soulpepper), Rope (Shaw Festival). Alien Creature at TPM, The Monument (Factory Theatre), I Call Myself Princess (The Globe Theatre) and An Irresistible Urge To Do Something Inadvisable (NTS Graduating class).

Stephanie Bahniuk – Set Designer
Stephanie Bahniuk (she/her) is a Ukrainian-Canadian theatre designer. Originally from Edmonton and now resides in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts in Design program at the Yale School of Drama and a recipient of the Jay Keene and Jean Griffin Keene Prize in Costume Design. Recent credits include production design for Alina, Barvinok and Michael Mysterious (Pyretic Productions), costume and scenic design for Subscribe or Like (Workshop West) and Freewill Shakespeare Festival and costume design for Pride and Prejudice (Yale Drama). Stephanie was also the Costume Department Coordinator for And Just Like That. stephaniebahniuk.com

Jeff Chief – Costume Designer
Jeff Chief is a Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) from Onion Lake First Nation on Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan and currently lives in Saskatoon. Jeff has been a costume stitcher, cutter, and costume designer in theatres across Canada. His recent design credits include Women of the Fur Trade (Stratford Festival), Gaslight (Vertigo Theatre), Sir John A (Globe Theatre), The Fiancée (Persephone Theatre), Iago Speaks (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan), The Rez Sisters (Royal MTC), Flush, Life After Hockey (La Troupe du Jour), Cottagers and Indians (Persephone Theatre), Sky Dancers (Place des Arts), Café Daughter (Blyth Festival), The Gift (GTNT), Being Here: The Refugee Project, The Ministry of Grace (Belfry Theatre), Kronborg: The Hamlet Rock Musical (Confederation Centre of the Arts), Honour Beat (Theatre Calgary), Hedda Noir (Theatre NorthWest), Le Wild West Show de Gabriel Dumont (National Arts Centre), Ipperwash (Blyth Festival).

Ksenia Broda-Milian – Lighting Designer
Ksenia is a set, costume, and lighting designer, educator, Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Professional, and member of the Associated Designers of Canada/IATSE 659 hailing from Winnipeg, Treaty One territory. Ksenia gets excited about creating designs that incorporate transformation and movement, and bringing in her music and dance backgrounds. She trained at the University of Winnipeg (BAH, BSc), University of Alberta (MFA), Banff Centre, and Pratt Institute. Ksenia has designed for theatre and dance from southern Ontario to Vancouver Island and recently exhibited eco-scenography at World Stage Design. She spends her days as the Education and Enrichment Manager at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. She is absolutely thrilled to make her Belfry debut with this stunning team! More at broda-milian.com.

Wayne Kelso – Sound Designer & Composer
Wayne is a Métis composer/sound designer and musician from northwestern Ontario. He has toured throughout North America with a diverse group of performers including José Feliciano, Jimmy Rankin, Michael Burgess, Kim Stockwood, Dianne Heatherington, and Billy Newton-Davis.
As a composer/sound designer, Wayne has created works for numerous plays for both CBC and live theatre. His score for Factory Theatre’s production of The Leisure Society was nominated for a Dora award in 2005. Wayne’s most recent scores include Stratford‘s 2022 production of 1939 and this current season’s Grand Magic. His most recent CD, North of Jazz, was released in February 2022.

Bradley Dunn – Stage Manager
Select theatre credits: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Dear Evan Hansen (Mirvish); Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Crow’s); rihannaboi95 (Young People’s Theatre); Missing (Pacific Opera Victoria); Chicago (Globe Theatre); The Baroness and the Pig, Henry V (Shaw Festival); King Charles III, My Night with Reg (Studio 180/ Mirvish); The Wizard of Oz (The Grand Theatre); The Heidi Chronicles, The Odd Couple (Soulpepper); You Will Remember Me (Studio 180/ Tarragon); It’s A Wonderful Life (Theatre Aquarius). Other: Bradley is a graduate of McMaster University and Sheridan College. Thanks to all my friends and family for their love and support.

Grace Carmichael – Apprentice Stage Manager
Grace has been involved with theatre her whole life but found her niche as a stage manager in high school. This past year she graduated from the University of Victoria in theatre. Grace has recently worked as a Stage Manager on The Last Five Years and The Guardsman with Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre and Spring Awakening at the Phoenix Theatre. Alongside stage management, Grace has a passion for lighting and sound tech and design. Grace is thrilled to return to the Belfry after working as assistant stage manager at the Belfry on Culture Den’s Bury the Hatchet.

Treena Stubel – Intimacy Director
Treena Stubel has been working in theatre for over thirty years as a choreographer, dancer, actor, movement director, and most recently as a director and intimacy director. She has appeared in numerous stage productions and has created physical theatre works for festivals in Canada and abroad. She has choreographed for: Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, Bard on the Beach, The Belfry Theatre, The Caravan Farm Theatre, Atomic Vaudeville, Theatre SKAM and her own company Bounce Performance Works. She was the original choreographer and movement director of the Dora Award–winning musical Ride the Cyclone, which has gone on to US productions, including Off Broadway. She is also a sought-after teacher of movement and holds an MFA in Lecoq Physical Theatre from LISPA in London, UK.

Simon Fon – Fight Director
With over 650 professional credits in TV, Film and Stage and 30 years of experience stretching from Broadway to Stratford, Mirvish, Canadian Stage, and Resident Fight Director at Soulpepper (2002–2020), Simon specializes in all areas: Weaponry, Aerial Flying (NAAFED certified), Unarmed Combat (Eastern and Western). Simon has coached and performed with actors Christopher Plummer, Rachel McAdams, Martin Short, Billy Connolly, and Colm Feore to name a few. Fight Master with FDC (2006–2020). Executive Director and Founder of RIOT A.C.T. earning 17 nominations and 8 awards, including Male Action Performer of the Year 2009 AOF Festival – California. simonfon.com and riotact.ca

Diana Budiachenko – Directing Intern & Cultural Advisor
I am an emerging theatre director from Ukraine who has chosen Canada as my home due to the current conflict with Russia. My training includes a Masters in Performing Arts with a specialization in directing from the Kyiv University of Culture. These studies focused on metaphorical direction—a style which I pursued under my mentor, Director Valeriy Patsunov of the Golden Gate Theatre in Kyiv. My aesthetic also combines dramaturgy, poetry, musicality, and vivid scenery as key aspects of my metaphorical style.
About the Belfry
What to Expect
Bravo
The Belfry Theatre gratefully acknowledges the financial support of The Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, the Capital Regional District Arts Development Office, and the City of Victoria.
Sponsors
Belfry Legacy Circle
The support of visionary philanthropy ensures that the Belfry will continue to flourish as Greater Victoria’s premier contemporary theatre company.


Donors
Bravo! The following individuals have invested generously in support of the Belfry Theatre.
Our thanks to the 111 Friends ($75 – $149) and 203 Members (up to $74).
*Donor increased the amount of their gift
**New donor
+Through the Victoria Foundation
◊ Pass-Through Grants Fund through the Victoria Foundation
As of August 16, 2023