Theatre & Cross Creativity
Inventing Utopia with Desirée Leverenz
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Orillia Opera House
Friday , April 8th, 5pm - 7pm
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• Free of charge, but please reserve your spot.
What if we could imagine a perfect utopia? What does it look like? What does it take to get there? Youth between the ages of 10 and 18 are invited to explore their creativity, imagination, and weirdness through games, writing, music, improv, and more. 7 participants will be chosen for a paid position as a youth consultant at our community discussion on Saturday, April 9th at 1:30!
Wine and Cheese / Artist's Talk
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Orillia Opera House
Friday, April 8th, 7:30pm
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Meet Desirée Leverenz, Simon Malbogat, Iain Moggach, and Zain Campbell for an evening of discussion. Learn more about these extraordinary artists through a panel discussion about artistic practice and its role in positive change for our community.
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In lieu of ticket sales we kindly ask that you make a donation to this event. Please show your emailed donation receipt to a volunteer at the door.
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Where Can We Go From Here?​
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Orillia Opera House
Saturday , April 9th, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
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• Free of charge, but please reserve your spot.
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Please join us for refreshments and a discussion facilitated by Simon Malbogat and Desirée Leverenz. We're excited to plan a new community theatre project and would like your input!
Artist Bios
Desirée Leverenz
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Desirée is a director and creator that won’t ever wash the Treaty 6 soil from beneath her feet. She is a graduate of the MFA theatre program at York University and the BA Drama honours program at the University of Alberta. Desirée created the orange girls, an experimental performance ensemble blurring a lot of lines. Desirée finds abundance and joy in disrupting western artistic traditions in attempts to decolonize herself, her art, and her community.
Simon Malbogat
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Simon co-founded Mixed Company Theatre in 1983 and has been the Artistic Director since 1989. In 1992 Mixed Company Theatre became a CTO (Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed). Simon has over thirty years' experience as a director, dramaturg, teacher, actor, and workshop facilitator. Teaching highlights include University of Toronto, Concordia University, York University, Humber College, Brock University and Queen's University. Simon has facilitated hundreds of workshops for youths and adults in Europe, South America, USA, and Canada and has facilitated over 1,000 Forum Theatre presentations. Simon has led workshops in Turkey, Brazil, Finland, and the Ukraine. In Toronto, Simon has been involved in developing the arts in the community with programmes for families, women, seniors, youth, and persons with disabilities.
Iain Moggach
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Iain is an actor, director, producer, theatre educator, and the award-winning Artistic Director of Theatre by the Bay.
Iain is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School, and was an inaugural participant of Theatre by the Bay's Indie Producers' Co-op. Iain is best known for his work overseeing the transformation of Theatre by the Bay from a classical/musical theatre company to one of Ontario's foremost creators of new work. Under his leadership, Theatre by the Bay (TBTB) has been celebrated for its work and commitment to the Barrie (and Simcoe County) theatre community. This includes being recognized as Barrie's 'Most Innovative Not-for-Profit Organization,' being voted 'Barrie's Best Live Theatre,' along with other awards in the worlds of heritage, tourism, and business management.
Along with his work with Theatre by the Bay, Iain continually finds ways to give back and support the local arts community. Iain has served as a judge for the National Theatre School Festival (formerly Sears Fest), helped to launch the Barrie Arts Alliance - a united group of local performing arts leaders, served on the Barrie Mayor's Covid-19 Task Force as the Arts and Culture Representative, and is the Vice Chair of the City of Barrie's Arts Advisory Committee
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Zain Campbell
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Zain Campbell is a musician and community activist from Orillia. Since the age of 12, Zain has been producing his own music and sharpening his craft by making HipHop/R&B music with the help and mentorship of his Father.
In 2017 he won the Youth Legacy Award for outstanding community involvement, given to him by one of the founding members of the iconic rock band STYX, Chuck Panozzo. The following year Zain won the ‘Community and the Arts’ award for his work with the Valis Sound Recording Studio initiative, a non-profit music studio located at the Orillia Youth Centre.
Now he serves as the marketing rep for HXMESWEETHXME, a multi-purpose brand that focuses on mental health awareness through creative expression.
Zain is currently working on a new album set to be released by the end of 2022 with amazing new songs for your listening pleasure.