YEAA MARITIMES - ACTRA Maritimes

YEAA MAritimes
Winter 2016, Issue 1
Meet This Year’s Co-Chairs and Kid Reps!
KOUMBIE Currently splitting her time between Halifax and Toronto, Koumbie is busy working as an actor,
writer, filmmaker, and volunteer. While perhaps most known for her role as Sheila on the hit comedy show Mr
D, she is also proud to be part of the ensemble cast of CBC's Studio Black. A passionate believer in the importance
of youth in the arts, Koumbie is thrilled to bring YEAA to the Maritimes.
LISA HACKETT became interested in acting over her four years performing in the Canadian Improv Games,
where her team placed 3rd in Canada. Currently, Lisa volunteers with the Canadian Improv Games and performs
with Make ‘Em Ups Improv Co. When she isn’t performing, Lisa is working on her degree in Medical Sciences
at Dalhousie. She hopes to one day be a real life Mindy Lahiri. Through July and August, Lisa runs a First Nations
youth program in Northern BC. Lisa’s hobbies include canoeing, hiking, cracking science jokes and singing show
tunes.
MADELINE TOAL is a Co-Chair for YEAA Maritimes this year. She has been involved in film for the past five
years, and has worked on a variety of local productions both in front of the camera and behind it. Madeline has
acted in productions such as Mr. D and Haven, and has also written and directed her own short films. In her free
time Madeline enjoys improv, hiking, and basketball. She is looking forward to helping make YEAA Maritimes
an awesome place for local youth, and is excited to get to know this talented group!
ARIA PUBLICOVER Aria has been acting since she was ten years old and has been in multiple television shows
and films including Mr. D, Haven, Seed, Trailer Park Boys: The Big Dirty, and most recently Nineteenseventysomething.
She has also participated in Halifax Grammar School’s productions every year since 2006. Notably she has played
Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, and Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes. In 2013 she attended Stratford’s Musical
Theatre Course, and in 2014 she spent a month studying acting at New York Film Academy.
FIONA FORSYTHE is an eleven-year-old actor who has been acting professionally since the age of six. Aside
from being an actor, she is a girl guide and plays basketball for the Prospect Bulls. She plays cello and saxophone
and loves hanging out with friends. Her credits include Bag of Bones, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and Christmas with
Holly. Recently, Fiona has also begun acting on stage. Fiona is a great conversationalist and loves ice cream.
GABI TRUDEL is twelve years old. This year she is a Kids Rep with YEAA Maritimes. Gabi is fluent in French
and English. Gabi is very involved in the dance community. She spends most of her time outside of school
dancing and competes in competitions every spring. She became an ACTRA member last year after acting in The
Lizzie Borden Chronicles. She loves acting because it’s fun to pretend to be someone else and it’s a great way to get
out of her head. Gabi is very excited to be involved in YEAA.
Lorem Ipsum
Save
the Date !
SKATING AT THE OVAL
February 21 | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The Oval Skating Rink at The Commons
All ACTRA youth and parents are invited
to join YEAA for a fun evening skate at the
Oval! This informal event is a great
opportunity to meet other young actors
and practice your skating skills. There may
even be hot chocolate!
CANADIAN IMPROV GAMES NOVA
SCOTIA ANNUAL COMPETITION
February 16-19
Finals: February 20th
Come out and see high school students
from all over the province show off the
improv skills they have been developing all
year. They will be making up scenes with
suggestions from you, and competing to
perform at the national tournament in
Ottawa. More information can be found
at: http://improv.ca/regions/halifax-ns/
Filming of King’s Cup, this October. Directed by Koumbie and produced by Emmanuel Albot
Tips and Tricks for keeping sharp throughout
the off-season
1.
Get involved in your school’s activities!
School offers a wide variety of activities for you to maintain your abilities. Most
schools have an annual play or musical. While not professional, you can still hone
your skills and meet other peers who share similar interests. Your director or
drama teacher may also be a possible contact. Some schools also offer the option
for an improv team. Improv is an awesome and fun way to further your education
in acting, and the added competition can make it extra fun!
2.
Go to the Library and read!
Libraries offer a fantastic selection of books ranging from theory to plays to
biographies of other actors. Going there and picking a few choice monologues to
keep in your back pocket is a great way of staying sharp in the winter months.
Who knows what will pop up! Books that discuss acting theory are also interesting
and informative. The more you read, the more you can apply yourself.
3.
Contact the YEAA Maritimes Co-Chairs
for answers to your questions:
YEAAMaritimesCommittee@gmail.com
Make your own material!
Writing plays, shorts, films, and planning documentaries are fun ways to beat the
winter blues. Getting creative is the best way to learn and play at the same time.
There’s no stopping your own imagination; you can write for you, on issues, for
other people, and if you get that far you can always….
Continued on the next page à
ACTRA MARITIMES HAS A NEW CAMERA!
This fall, ACTRA Maritimes has made a new Canon Vixia HFG20 available for
members to use. The camera is ready to use in the ACTRA office, along with a tripod,
plain black backdrop and a Macbook Pro for editing. Bring along your own SD
memory card and edit in the office or at home. Contact Richard Hadley to reserve
time with the camera and contact Chris Cuthbertson for further advice on its use.
3
Behind the scenes of Family Tree
On the set of You Know What I’m Sayin’…?
MIP Projects this Fall
Get the word out about
Family Tree is a new ACTRA Diversity short that was filmed in Halifax this
your upcoming MIP Project
November. The film, written by Mary-Colin Chisholm, stars YEAA Maritimes
member Aaliyah Arab (Beethoven's Treasure) as a curious student with an
incredible family history. Directed by Gordon Patrick White, the cast and crew
had a great two days filming together.
King's Cup is the first short film with an all YEAA Maritimes cast. Directed by
YEAA M's Chair, Koumbie (Studio Black!), the cast includes Matt Tolton (Mr.
D) Lisa Hackett (Noon Gun) Taylor Olson (Your Money or Your Wife) Simon
Paul (Undone) and Christina Spruin (You and Me).
If you know of, or are a part of any low
budget film projects involving YEAA
Maritimes Members, please let us know at
YEAAMaritimesCommittee@gmail.com
so we can include your project in our next
newsletter.
Know What I'm Sayin'...? is new feature film directed by YEAA Maritimes
member Taylor Olson. The film features many notable members including Josh
Cruddas (Rookie Blue), Rebecca Wolfe (Mr. D) and Paige Smith (Afraid to
Speak).
Tips and Tricks for Keeping Sharp Throughout the Off-Season … Continued.
4. Make a MIP with your friends!
ACTRA members technically cannot be in a film that is not ACTRA regulated. But, if you apply for an MIP (Member Initiated
Production), and control 2/3 of the product, you and your friends can make whatever you want. An MIP let’s you continue to
act if there’s no work available, gives you an activity to do with your friends, and lets you have creative control over what YOU
want to do! You can see the creative process of a director and writer, understand what they go through, and maybe even
discover a new passion for yourself.
5. Go to an upcoming YEAA event!
Throughout the New Year YEAA will be hosting workshops, events, and other fun stuff that all youth ACTRA members are
welcome to join. You can make friends, learn more about the Maritime film industry; learn new skills such as make up,
directing, auditioning, and so much more! Each month your YEAA committee thinks of new and fun things for the youth of
ACTRA to get involved in. By going to these events you can keep your acting abilities sharp, and have fun while participating.