The UpStart festival is a juried one-act play festival hosted by the University of Waterloo Theatre and Performance program. All these plays are written, directed, designed, and performed by students. They will be presented March 19th-22nd in the Theatre of the Arts. The UpStart festival is part of the 2025 Capstone project, with five senior Theatre and Performance majors making up the core of the creative team.
THPERF 244 Class
Carpentry/Paint
Kayla Burmaster
Jaime Connors
Sophie Koroman
Yijia Sun
Sarah Weber
Wardrobe
Priscilla Asare
Kate Brown
Ethan Nevills
Julia You
Lighting
Marshall Kocher
Leo Ridpath
Olivia Rossel
Bella Ortiz
Renee Walker
Props
Sarah Kelly
Daniela Milicevic
Work Studies
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Paula Bornacelli – Carpentry Shop Assistant
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Daniella Djomga - Assistant Box Office Manager
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Hanna Freitas – Wardrobe shop Assistant
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Petrina Lee - Assistant to the Technical Coordinator (HUM)
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Ryan Chen - Assistant to Technical Coordinator (TofA)
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Hailey Kennedy – Assistant to the Technical Coordinator (TofA)
Performances: March 19 - 22, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Creative team
Festival Artistic Team
Melanie McNeill - Set Designer
Hailey Kennedy - Lighting Designer
Lilian Lam - Sound Designer
Jay Havens - Design Coordinator
Noah Feaver - Lighting Mentor
Lyon Smith - Sound Mentor
Paul Cegys - Video Mentor
Alix Sideris - Acting Coach/Directing Mentor
Utopia Artistic Team
Joshua Barroso - Playwright
Hanna Freitas - Director
Anna Whitehead - Stage Manager
John Stapleton - Costume Designer
Siobhan Richardson - Fight / Intimacy Director
Paula Bornacelli - Beatty
Marshall Kocher - Johnny
Lia Mendonca - Mary (March 20)
Becca Zadorsky - Jasmine Ward
Charlotte - Mary (March 19, 21, 22)
The Waiting Room Artistic Team
Roza Tasneem - Playwright
Jasmine Rajaballey - Director
Quinn Andres - Stage Manager
Nadine Grant - Costume Designer
Erin Keaveney - Dylan
Shirley Ma - Aamir
Katie Yuan - Tee
Hell Weeks Artistic Team
Kye Stevenson Hatayama - Playwright & Director
Talia Dmitrienko - Co-Playwright
Molly Mück - Stage Manager
Abhishek Bommali - Video Designer
Nadine Grant - Costume Designer
Lex Podrats - Olivia
Leo Ridpath - Duke
Sasha Takoo - Mia
David White - Theo
Production team
Janelle Rainville - Production Manager
Shaw Forgeron - Props Coordinator
Christopher Greenhalgh - Carpentry Supervisor/ Technical Director
Melissa Zarnke - Front of House Manager
Emma Alderman - Lighting Supervisor/ Technical Coordinator
Morgaine McEvoy - Publicity & Outreach Associate
Rheea Maistry - Publicity Assistant
Stephanie Svenson - Publicity Assistant
Festival Dramaturgs
Sorouja Moll - Supervising Dramaturg
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Joshua Barroso
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Gill Brook
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Elsa Chen
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Diana Czarnota
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Talia Dmitrienko
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Raquel Fiaes
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Hailey Kennedy
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Jasmine Rajaballey
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John Stapleton
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Roza Tasneem
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Angelique Wellington