Heathers: The Musical

I have loved this musical for a long, long time. I would argue the musical is better than the classic 80s film, because as opposed to writing era-appropriate tunes of the late 80s, the music transcends, focusing on the inner emotionally charged worlds of the characters. It captures the gutsy, teenage-angst of it all, with a driving, contemporary rock score. The story of Heathers is not for the faint of heart. It goes there and stays there and is relentless in its unabashed quest for what’s right. And by the way, everyone does think they’re doing what’s right. Heathers: The Musical forces us to wrestle with, laugh at, love and accept our inner mean girl. It’s complex and ridiculous and hard and heartbreaking and funny as all hell. Literally. It’s surviving high school with every ounce of dark humour and courage.

I can’t write these director's notes without paying a heartfelt tribute to the late Courtenay Dobbie. Courtenay and I began talking about this show over the pandemic, she wanted to know what I thought - I raved about the music and the darkness and the edge and how I think it’s a perfect show for college students to attack. She and I share a love of dark, gutsy musicals – when she finally programmed it and I was on board, I was so excited to have her witness the work - from the first stumble through right up until opening night. Courtenay, I know you’re with us and I know you’re guiding us from above, I hope we’ve made you proud.

There are so many people to thank. First, thank you to David, Raes, Shiz, Ruth, Kevin, Halla and everyone at Studio 58. To the designers – thank you for pushing beyond the typical Heathers musical so we could find what was distinctly ours. Pam, Alaia, Jono, Riley, Lisa, Kovac – your work is divine. To my collaborators, my team, my brain and arms – Sean, Eliza, Tiana, Ivy – can’t wait to do it again. Thank you thank you thank you. And finally, to all of the students – the cast, the design assistants, the crew heads and every single one of you that contributed to this show, thank you for your dedication. And to you, the audience, live theatre can’t exist without you, thank you for taking the time.

Let’s pick it up from "f*** me gently with a chainsaw.”

In alphabetical order by character:

Boy 1 - Geek – Juno (any)
Boy 2 - Preppy Stud – Alek Toledo-Cisak (he/him)
Boy 3 - Hipster – Hernán Alonso Adrianzén Abanto (he/him)
Coach Ripper/Student – Tresha Thamilchelvan (she/her)
Girl 1 - New Wave – Michelle Molina (she/her)
Girl 2 - Stoner Chick – Izel De Lara (she/her)
Girl 3 - Young Republican – Ellie McCullough (they/she)
Heather Chandler – Philippa Ryder (they/them)
Heather Duke – Carys Watts (she/her)
Heather McNamara – Carol Chu (she/her)
J.D. – Evan Andersen Sterns (he/him)
Kurt Kelly – Aidan Currie (he/him)
Kurt's Dad/Veronica's Dad/Student – Clayton Melanson (he/him)
Martha Dunnstock – Stella Jack-Rennie (they/she)
Ms. Fleming – Kathryn Kerby (they/them)
Principal Gowan – Chhavi Disawar (she/her)
Ram Sweeney – Gus Setala-Gay (they/them)
Ram's Dad/Big Bud Dean/Faculty – Dylan McNulty (he/him)
Veronica Sawyer – Saidi Mader (she/her)
Veronica's Mom/Student – Ella Wood (she/her)

Studio 58 offers professional theatre training for actors and production personnel. The six terms of practical training consist of intensive classroom work as well as performance and backstage experience in productions. Production students and third term acting students operate sound, lighting and video and act as running crew and stage management.

Stage Management
Assistant Stage Managers – Keely Coleman (she/her), Lucy Mclachlan (she/her)

Set
Assistant to the Set and Props Designer – Mayara Nobre (she/her)
Crew Head – Alex Christie (he/him)
Crew – Umer Hanif (he/him), Linden Kienzle, Samaya Pankanea (she/her), Liam Pritchard (they/them), Bryan Tran (he/him), Jocelyn Wale (she/her)

Paint 
Crew Head – Ava Knight (she/they)
Crew – Aurora Maher (she/her), Abby Zacharias (she/her), James Zyd LeSage (he/him)

Props
Crew Head – Daniel Marte (he/him)
Crew – Jacob Joseph (he/him), Haylee Raby (she/her), Bryce Tanton (she/her), Jilian Tolzmann (she/they), Christo Zouzoulas (he/him)

Costumes
Assistant to the Costume Designer – Anne Constance (she/her)
Crew Head – Irene Lozano-Garcia (she/her)
Crew – Ayaulym Adilkhan (she/her), Kaliyana Denham-Rohlicek (she/her), Hazel Ogden (any)

Sound
Crew Head – Joel Bakajika (he/him)
Crew – Kobe Lim (he/him)

Lighting
Crew Head – Emma Tow (she/her)
Crew – Sam Armas Gough (he/him), Dre Zachary-Mattias Ayisi-Nyarko (he/him), Kay Foord-Catterall (they/them), Destiny Renne (they/them), James Yue (he/him)

Extreme
Crew Head – Alexander Markovina (he/him)

Marketing
Crew Head – Evan Makowecki (he/him)
Crew – Payton Gowdar (she/her), Taylor Weeks (they/she)

This is Julie’s third show for Studio 58 and her first time directing! Previously, she choreographed 42nd Street and Urinetown. Julie grew up in Vancouver, spent her performing career in New York City, is now based in Toronto and works across Canada putting up musicals at the top regional theatres in the country. Favourite credits include: Once (TIP), Jersey Boys (Arts Club), 9 to 5 (Citadel), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Chemainus), The Full Monty (Neptune), Million Dollar Quartet (The Grand), Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville (Theatre Calgary), Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Globe), Mary Poppins (Persephone/WCT) and We Will Rock You (Magnus). She is a Jessie and Dora Award winner for Outstanding Choreography and a former Radio City Rockette. Up next: Movement Director for Anne of Green Gables and Sense and Sensibility at the Stratford Festival. For more: julietomaino.com. This production is dedicated to the incredible Courtenay Dobbie.

Select theatre credits include: Hamlet and Twelfth Night (Bard on the Beach); Someone Like You, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Little Shop of Horrors (Arts Club) which landed her an OVATION! and Sterling Award; In My Day (Zee Zee Theatre Company); Beautiful Man (Pi Theatre); Orlando (RMTC); East Van Panto: Pinocchio (Theatre Replacement); and A Chorus Line, Urinetown, Antony and Cleopatra and Cabaret (Studio 58). Ivy was awarded the Hnatyshyn Developing Artists Grant (English Theatre) 2019 while attending Studio 58. Select TV and film: So Help Me Todd (CBS), Mixed Baggage (Hallmark), Mahalia (Lifetime) and as Novelette in Novelette is Trying (OUTtv). Ivy is excited to be back at Studio 58!

Tiana is honoured to be the Assistant Choreographer on this production! She is a professional stage, screen and voiceover actor and holds a BFA in Drama/Music Theatre from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Past choreography credits: New York, New York (NYU Commencement Ceremony at Yankee Stadium) and Assistant Choreographing Very Good Eddie (NYU Tisch, Brian Hill). Recent performance credits: Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Jeeves at Sea (Chemainus Theatre Festival); Jersey Boys (Arts Club); Cabaret (Raincity Theatre), Psi Cops (AdultSwim/Corus) and So Help Me Todd (CBS). Thank you to Julie for asking her to be on this project and to the cast, crew and Studio 58! tianajung.com @tianamjung 

A descendent of Ukrainian, Austrian and British immigrants, Sean grew up and currently resides on the ancestral and unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples (Burnaby). 

Having grown up in his father's piano studio, Sean made his orchestral debut at 16 with the White Rock Symphony and at 18 performed as a soloist with the VSO. He received his BMus from UBC and MMus from Rice University (Houston) on full scholarship studying with Dr. Jon Kimura Parker, who encouraged him to explore genres beyond classical music. 

Returning to Vancouver in 2006, Sean began music directing and playing in bands and has co-written several albums and has more than 30 theatre productions worth of experience so far. 

He currently represents 20% of Leisure Club (indie rock/pop) and 50% of DAñSE (improvised electronic dance). Recent theatre includes Oliver! (Gateway), CATS (TUTS) and Parade (Raincity Theatre). 

Eliza De Castro is a music director, vocal coach and performer, originally hailing from Brisbane, Australia. Eliza has been a music educator for the past 10 years and has a strong enthusiasm for mentoring young performers and emerging artists from all backgrounds and abilities. Prior to moving to Vancouver, she led the Queensland chapter of the Australian Girls Choir and travelled with the not-for-profit organization Girls from Oz to deliver performing arts programs to children in remote Indigenous communities around Australia. She is currently the Music and Voice Director at Vancouver Performing Stars. Select music directing credits include School of Rock (Theatre Under the Stars), The Prom (TUTS), Into the Woods (Studio 58) and Spring Awakening (Millennial Productions). 

Born in Vancouver BC, Brynna has always had a love for theatre, graduating from Studio 58’s Production Program (2019) and years later completing Studio 58’s Acting Program (2024). Previously, she was Stage Manager for Carousel’s The Tempest (2021), Child Minder for Arts Club’s Kinky Boots (2022) and Elf: The Musical (2023); and ASM for Pacific Theatre’s Middletown (2024). Coming back to Studio 58 to stage manage Heathers: The Musical has been such a dream! She feels very grateful to be a part of such a wonderful team through this process. It keeps her heart so full to work with other fellow artists who love theatre as much as she does. 

Since graduating from Studio 58 as an actor in 1980, Pam has designed over 350 shows. She has worked across Canada, from Montreal to Chemainus. Internationally, her shows have been seen in Melbourne, Glasgow, Bangkok, Chicago and New York. She has won several Jessie Richardson awards for outstanding set design, as well as a PACT Career Achievement Award. Pam was the resident designer at the Vancouver Playhouse for 24 seasons. She continues to freelance for Bard on the Beach, Arts Club and the Shaw Festival. She was the Head of Production and the set design instructor at Langara College until her retirement. She continues to mentor young talent while her freelance design career carries on. 

Emma Knox is a fabrication artist and props designer based out of Vancouver, BC. Before moving, she was Head of Props for Storybook Theatre and a mascot maker in Calgary, AB. She holds a BFA in Technical Theatre & Design from the University of Lethbridge and currently works as a Venue Technician for Gateway Theatre. 

Props Designer: Linck & Mülhahn, Into the Woods (Studio 58). Props Builder/Buyer: Lionel Bart's Oliver! (Gateway Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Pearl Fishers, and HMS Pinafore (Vancouver Opera). Head of Props: Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Gateway Theatre), The Neverending Story, Curious George, Sister Act, Return to Treasure Island, The Giver, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Goosebumps the Musical, Junie B Jones and Into the Woods (Storybook Theatre). 

Alaia is a Vancouver theatre designer originally from the Gulf Islands. Recent projects she has worked on include costume design for Measure for Measure (Bard on the Beach); Miracle on 34th Street, Million Dollar Quartet, Sexy Laundry, The Cull, Beneath Springhill, The Birds and the Bees (Arts Club); The East Van Panto: Robin Hood, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid (Theatre Replacement); HMS Pinafore, Carmen Up Close and Personal (Vancouver Opera); costume design for Beautiful Man (PI Theatre); set design for Midsummer Night’s Dream (TWU); The Hobbit, Middletown, A Case for Existence of God, God Said This (Pacific Theatre); and Seventeen (Western Gold). She has worked on a variety of smaller shows throughout Vancouver and has a passion for costuming dance. Alaia is a graduate of the UBC Theatre Design program in 2017 and holds an English literature degree from 2012. 

Assistant costume design: Jersey Boys (Arts Club); Hamlet (Bard on the Beach); East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast, Robin Hood (Theatre Replacement); Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Gateway Theatre); Stupid F*cking Bird (The Search Party); Starwalker (Urban Ink). Costume design: Maps of Utopia (the frank theatre). Head of wardrobe: FourPlay 2024 (Studio 58); How Black Mothers Say I Love You (the frank theatre). 

Riley Hardwick is an actor, improviser and Jessie Award-winning sound designer. He has worked with The Arts Club, Green Thumb, VACT, Savage Society, Rumble, Globe Theatre and more. Riley is a graduate of Studio 58 and performs regularly at The Improv Centre. 

Jonathan, better known as Jono, is a Korean-Canadian lighting designer who currently lives and works on the unceded, stolen and ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories (Vancouver, BC). He is a graduate of Simon Fraser University's Theatre Production and Design program. Recent credits: Into the Woods (Studio 58); CHILD-ish (Pacific Theatre); Jade Circle (rice & beans theatre); Red Velvet (Arts Club); Family Room (The Falling Company); Take Form (Ballet BC); Eyes of the Beast (Neworld Theatre); Agrimony (Sophie Dow & Laura Reznek); Ridge (The Fugitives); The Hobbit (Pacific Theatre); Kim's Convenience (Theatre NorthWest); and Miracle on 34th Street (Arts Club). 

Lisa Goebel is an interdisciplinary artist working as an actor, choreographer and intimacy director. Recent credits include performing in Middletown (Sticks and Stones), intimacy direction for Die Fledermaus (Vancouver Opera) and movement consultant for Miracle on 34th Street (Arts Club). She completed her Intimacy Certification through Intimacy Directors and Coordinators and is a graduate of Studio 58. 

A certified fight director and instructor with Fight Directors Canada, Mike is also active in the film and television scene in Vancouver and across Canada. In between teaching stage combat at places like UBC, Capilano University and TRU (among others), Mike has a habit of getting beaten up in various forms of stage and screen. 

June Mirochnick is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Winnipeg, MB, on Treaty One Territory. June has been playing music professionally for three decades and has performed live, recorded and toured internationally with numerous artists in Canada and the US including Veda Hille, Great Aunt Ida, Neko Case, Sarah Jane Scouten, William Prince, Jakob Dylan, Patsy Klein/Tony Wilson Band, Christine Fellows and many more. They have also performed in many musical theatre productions in Vancouver and across Canada. Theatre highlights include Super Seniors (Western Gold Theatre); Parade (Raincity); As You Like It (Grand Theatre, London, ON); Onegin (Arts Club); King Arthur’s Night (Neworld); and East Van Panto (Theatre Replacement/The Cultch). June currently lives in Vancouver on traditional territories of the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam and Squamish nations. 

Christian is a musician and guitarist from Vancouver. He is very excited to be playing guitar in the Studio 58 band for the first time. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music from UBC, and for the last few years he has been actively playing guitar for local musical theatre production companies such as Theatre Under the Stars, Vagabond Players and CTORA. 

Monica is a Vancouver-based bassist who graduated from Capilano University, receiving a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies - Music Education. Versatile in different genres, she has performed in over 50 musicals over the last decade as well as performing with big bands and orchestras throughout the Lower Mainland. Recent theatre involvements include Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol (Arts Club), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (CTORA – Assistant MD) and CATS (Theatre Under the Stars – Music Director Fellow). Unending thanks to her husband, sons, family and friends for the constant love and support – none of this would be possible without you. 

Jennifer is a versatile reed musician who has been part of Vancouver's musical theatre community for more than 17 years. She holds a Diploma of Music from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and is excited to join Studio 58 for Heathers: The Musical. Past credits include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (CTORA), Heathers: The Musical (Sherwood), CATS (TUTS), The SpongeBob Musical (Capilano University) and Beauty and the Beast (Align). She would like to thank her family and friends for always being supportive of the arts and entertainment! 

A big thank you to the following people and companies for supporting Heathers: The Musical:

• Jonathan Ryder, Jessica Chambers and Chris Crud at Bard on the Beach
• Andie Lloyd and Christian Ching for lighting support 
• Rob Moser
• Arts Club Theatre Company
• Teagan Klancnik – Lead Scenic Painter
• Emily Dotson – Scenic Painter
• Robin Richardson
• Sarah Fett
• Green Thumb Theatre 
• Jamez Goodon – Audio Engineer and Mixer