Through the Window
a Sum Theatre production
“It was such an intimate show and there were so many magical moments; we are so proud to share that with our community." - Laura Negraeff
It began as a way to reach out to some of our province’s most vulnerable during a very dark time. In 2020, the pandemic sealed the doors of long-term care facilities to keep residents safe, but it also created incredible isolation and loneliness. The Sum Theatre team knew it had to find a way to reach out and it did so by creating Through the Window.
"It was wonderful and so nice to see. The residents really enjoyed the performance. It's something different and something that can be done safely in these COVID times. It boosted morale of our residents." - Lana Seip - Recreation Coordinator at Santa Maria Senior Citizens Home - Regina
The performance was inspired by interviews Sum Theatre artists conducted with long-term care residents. Incorporating music, movement, and story, the artists created a performance that was staged in courtyards, parking lots and streets outside care homes in Saskatoon and Regina in the spring of 2021.
“This project was a love letter to our community, and it feels good to finally be able to share that message with all of Saskatchewan,” - Joel Bernbaum
The digital presentation blends the performance with behind-the-scenes footage of the artistic process including clips of the original interviews with residents. With production videography by Saskatoon's own Little Ox Film Company, you’ll have a front-row seat to the show that brought smiles to so many.
Sum Theatre offers our work free of charge for all, If you would like to support projects like this please consider making a charitable donation.
Cast & Crew
Daniel Knight
Actor
Danny Knight is an actor/musician/comedian and correspondent for the satirical news paper The Feather. He has attended and graduated from GTNT's Circle of Voices program, youth
ensemble, red spirit and fire spirit programs. He held an artist residency at Persephone Theatre where he studied script work, sound design, administration, marketing and acting. His acting credits include; Blow Wind (Station Arts Centre), Alone@home a Rez Xmas (Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre) Thunderstick (Globe Theatre), The Shortcuts Festival 2016 (Hardly Art Theatre), Dominion (GTNT), A History of Breathing (Persphone Theatre) Hawk or How he learned to play his song (Onelight theatre).
Drew Mantyka
Actor
Drew (He/Him) is a Saskatoon based theatre artist. He is an emerging actor, director, playwright, physical theatre creator,the occasional stage manager and wears every other hat he can get his hands on. Drew is extremely excited to be back with SUM Theatre for this incredible project. Previous credits include: The Tempest Online (SOTS). Machinal, The Cripple of Inishmaan, Henry V (Greystone Theatre). As You Like It (Assistant Director, SOTS). Rooftops, U-3523, (Playwright/Director, DSA Productions). What We Reach For, Rooftops (Playwright, DSA Productions). Queen Seraphina and the Land of Vertebraat, The Woodcutter and the Lion, (ASM, Sum Theatre). Drew is looking forward to creating a career bringing exciting theatre like this to audiences in Saskatoon and beyond. He would like to thank his family and his fiancé for supporting him.
Gilles Zolty
Designer
I was moved to tears when Joel shared the concept of "Thru The Window"
So very thrilled and honored to be involved!
Gilles is a Saskatoon-based artist whose credits include: WROL, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Pride and Prejudice, Art, Mary’s Wedding, Hedda Gabler, My Chernobyl, A Man A Fish (Persephone Theatre), The Thin Man (Vertigo Theatre), Merry Wives, Hamlet, Othello, A Midnight Summers Dream (SOS); Exit, Pursued By a Bear, Cinderella, I and You, Around the World in 80 Days, The Secret Mask, The Drowning Girls, The Hounds of The Baskerville (Globe Theatre), Havre, Ma Irma, Et Le Reflet de Notre Lune Dansera, Chambre Blanche (La Troupe Du Jour) Sans Pays (Zone Theatres, Ottawa) Stop Kiss (Embrace Theatre). Gilles received a Saskatoon and Area Theatre Award for Achievement in Sound Design for A Man A Fish. He has scored several films, records, and performs with Zolty Cracker.
Joel Bernbaum
Co-Facilitator
Joel Bernbaum is an actor, director, playwright, journalist and the founding artistic director of Sum Theatre in Saskatoon. He is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and Carleton University, where he did his Master’s Thesis on Verbatim Theatre’s Relationship to Journalism. Produced plays include Operation Big Rock, My Rabbi (with Kayvon Khoshkam), Home Is A Beautiful Word and Reasonable Doubt (with Lancelot Knight and Yvette Nolan). Previously for Sum Theatre, Joel has performed in Alice in Wonderland and The Pied Piper and has directed Walk the Trail, Hercules, Little Badger and the Fire Spirit, Nutana Talks, The Hockey Sweater, Theatre in the Pool: Earth Diver, Queen Seraphina and the Land of Vertebraat and The Young Ones. Joel is currently a PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, where he is investigating the potential of theatre companies to strengthen cities. Upcoming productions include Being Here:The Refugee Project (Belfry Theatre).
Judith Schulz
Co-Facilitator
Judith Schulz (she/her) is a theatre designer and practitioner who has a passion for creating theatre with technology and movement and making stories come to life. Recent credits include: "Playhouse Creatures" (Set, Greystone Theatre), "Rooftops" (Lighting, DSA production), “The Wolves” (Stage Manager, EvilStick/littleBig), “This Is Not That Festival” (Set/Production Manager, 25th Street), “La Vie Apres le Hockey” (Lighting, La Troupe du Jour). Judith is also a founding member of SightLine Designs Inc., a theatre design company in Saskatoon.
Kristel Harder
Actor
Kristel Harder (she/her) is a queer actor, singer and voice teacher who holds a Masters of Arts in Musical Theatre Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and is a graduate of MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program. Kristel is a settler on Treaty 6 Territory and is incredibly grateful to be able to live and perform here. Recent credits include: The Addams Family (Saskatoon Summer Players) I Lost my Husband (SATA: Outstanding Lead Performance) (Persephone Theatre), Fiddler on the Roof (Persephone Theatre), The Penelopiad (SATA: Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Production) (Ferre Play Theatre), As You Like It and Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan), Queen Seraphina and the Land of Vertebraat (Sum Theatre), and her devised, one woman show about navigating the mysterious and often precarious world of mental health care: EmotionLoss.
Megan Zong
Actor
Megan Zong is a Chinese-Canadian theatre artist born and raised in Saskatoon on Treaty 6 Territory homeland of the Metis. Having graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with her BFA in Acting, she has continued to perform and create all over the province. She will be debuting her show Unmasked in the fall of 2021 as an emerging playwright and producer. Select acting credits include: Pride & Prejudice, Boeing Boeing (Persephone Theatre); Mamma Mia, The Hobbit, Chicago (Globe Theatre); Earth Diver, Queen Seraphina and the Land of Vertebraat, The Young Ones (Sum Theatre); Short Cuts Festival 2017 (Hardly Art Theatre).
Peace Akintade
Actor
Peace Akintade is an African-Canadian Spoken Word Artist and interdisciplinary Poet. 2020-2021 Saskatchewan's Youth Poet Laureate. Her debut show "If Love Was an Echo" published with the Saskatchewan Dance Project in 2019. She starred as Tybalt in the 2019 Romeo Project for the Saskatoon Fridge Festival. One of the 21 Black Playwrights chosen for Obsidian Theatre's 21 Black Future Project. Her play "Maddness with Rocks" can be found on CBCArts and CBCGem.
Ricardo Alvarado
Production Manager
Ricardo Alvarado (Production Manager) is a local theatre artist who believes in the power of music, positive energy, diversity, and teamwork. He is the Artistic Producer for Saskatoon Summer Players, the co-founder of Ppl r Ppl Productions, a long-time member of Artists Against Hunger, and he spends his spare time daydreaming and pretending to be a grown-up. This is Ricardo's third season with SUM Theatre and he is grateful for the opportunity to create with such a wonderful group of artists on a regular basis. Past Credits: La Troupe du Jour, Persephone Theatre, SUM Theatre, Ppl r Ppl, SSP, Live Five, Shakespeare on the SK, Greystone Theatre, and Saskatoon Opera. Up next, he's directing and starring as Jeff in [Title of Show] for Ppl r Ppl Productions and getting ready to once again hit the parks in both Saskatoon and Regina with SUM's Theatre in the Park show this summer!
- DAVID GRANGER | DESIGNER
- JUDY WENSEL | ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE
- KRYSTLE PEDERSON | ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE
- LAURA NEGRAEFF | ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE
- MACKENZIE DAWSON | ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE
- YVETTE NOLAN | COMPANY DRAMATURGE
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