Suzie Martin
– Artistic Director
Suzie (she/her) is an 8th-generation descendant of Pennsylvania-Dutch Mennonites who settled on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Neutral, and Haudenosaunee peoples in what is now called Waterloo County, Ontario. Based on the Prairies since 1999 she gratefully lives and works as a theatre artist in win-nipi/Winnipeg on Treaty One territory.
A director and dramaturg to her core Suzie is obsessed with the mechanics of storytelling. She works in theatres and in non-traditional spaces to re-interpret classics, stage contemporary plays, develop new scripts, and facilitate collaborative devising processes. She was nominated for a Sterling Award for Outstanding Direction of a Fringe play in 2018 and holds a teaching award from the University of Alberta. Before returning to Winnipeg in 2020 (after 6 years mostly based in amiskwacîwâskahikan/Edmonton) Suzie was the Associate Season Director of Edmonton Fringe Theatre. She was part of the inaugural Dramaturgy Lab cohort at the Citadel Theatre and recently participated in the Future Prairie Theatre Research project. She is currently directing and dramaturging the development of a tri-provincial collaboration for Small Matters Productions and was delighted to join the dramaturgical team for One Trunk Theatre’s 2022 Hot House program.
Suzie’s work stands on the shoulders of the excellent teachers and mentors she studied with during her MFA in Directing from the University of Alberta and her BA-Honours in Acting from the University of Winnipeg. She has also been fortunate enough to assistant direct for Ardith Boxall, Anne Hodges, Christopher Brauer, Daryl Cloran, and Mieko Ouchi—all of whom generously shared their expertise and supported her development as an artist.
Directing work includes Pitch Please, Citadel Theatre [Esc] Series, People Places and Things (guest director, University of Winnipeg – project cancelled before opening due to COVID); Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. (guest director, University of Alberta Studio Theatre); Baba Yaga (Alberta Musical Theatre Company); Tragedy: A Tragedy (Blarney Productions); Fetch (Interloper Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (guest director, Citadel Theatre Young Acting Company); Over Her Dead Body (Small Matters/Edmonton Fringe Theatre); Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi (Manitoba Underground Opera); God’s Ear (Studio Theatre); The Object of Constellations (Small Matters); The Cherry Orchard (Theatre by the River & little ECHO theatre); Artichoke Heart, The Gas Heart (Theatre Outgrabe/Winnipeg Fringe).
Contact – suzie@theatreprojectsmanitoba.ca
Key Caguioa – Communications and Patron Experience Manager
Key (she/they) is a queer artist who has a special kind of love for directing, stage management, and performing.
As a second-generation immigrant born and raised in Winnipeg (Treaty 1 Territory), she is particularly drawn to exploring her Filipino-Canadian identity through theatre.
She holds a BA Adv. in English and Theatre from the University of Manitoba and is a proud Black Hole Theatre alumna!
Stage Management credits include: Macbeth (BHTC – ShakespeareFest), MA-BUHAY! The Road to Rainbow Stage (Winnipeg Fringe Festival), The Mountaintop (MTC)*, MA-BUHAY! A New Musical (Rainbow Stage)*.
Directing credits include: Prince Gomolvilas’ The Theory of Everything (BHTC), King James by Rajiv Joseph (MTC)*.
Other production credits: Props Apprentice / Assistant Production Manager for The Prom (Dry Cold Productions), Production Assistant for Tuesdays with Morrie (WJT).
TV: Script supervisor, director, actor, and production assistant (Maria and the Mennos).
Outside of theatre, Key is an aspiring author and runs a hockey podcast! You can often find them worldbuilding for their fantasy novel, playing Dungeons & Dragons / Baldur’s Gate 3, or yelling at the Winnipeg Jets to shoot the puck.
* Apprentice.
Headshot by Faith Marcial.
Contact – key@theatreprojectsmanitoba.ca
Zanifa Rasool – Communications Associate
Zanifa Rasool (They/She) is a queer multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Winnipeg. They are a graduate of the Honours and Devised program at the University of Winnipeg, and trained primarily in directing and acting.
They’ve been doing independent marketing and design for a few years now and have been able to combine theatre and admin together. Their most recent marketing role was for Enigma Performance Company’s production of Seasons of Love.They worked as a resident artist for the One Trunk Theatre residency program. They have also participated in the Creative Manitoba Mentorship with Cherissa Richards, and the RMTC National Mentorship with Jacquie Thomas. They have also been working with the Fringe Festival for the past 3 years.. They were previously an Arts Leadership Intern at Theatre Projects Manitoba, but are now the Communications Associate!
Acting Credits include: Art Walk in the Park, Knock Knock Ginger (One Trunk Theatre), What’s So Funny (Carousel Players), Flourish (YoursQueerly), 365 Days, 365 Plays, Truth Reconfigured, Re:Vision (UofW) The Human Test (Sarah Struthers), Ack Now (Theatre and Play), Kateryna and Havrylo (Celee Productions), Boo at the Zoo., and I Found You in a Dream (the Nocturne Collective)
Directing credits: Burning Mom (RMTC *), Flourish (YoursQueerly), This Pandemic is a Drag, We Need Queens to Fix It (One Trunk Theatre)
*Apprentice
Contact – zanifa@theatreprojectsmanitoba.ca
Thank you to Ian Hodges for his work as Bookkeeper/ Payroll for TPM.