Jack and the Beanstalk at Surrey Arts Centre

Kerri is an Actor, Director, Costumer, Producer and sometime Dramaturg. She has an MFA in Acting from CalArts in Los Angeles. Recent Directing credits include Cinderella (RCTC), The Farnsdale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery (RCTC), You Can’t Take It With You (SAMC Theatre), Blithe Spirit (RCTC) and Henry V, (Pacific Theatre – Stones Throw). Up next she’ll be appearing in the world premiere of We Don’t Talk About Book Club for RCTC and directingThe Play That Goes Wrong for Gallery 7.

After watching and acting in Traditional pantomimes since being a wee-child, the still wee Crystal is excited to play the Pixie Princess this year. You may have seen Crystal as Candice: How to Survive the Apocalypse without Really Trying (Capricorn Theatre Prod), Fairy Godmother: Cinderella (RCTC), Fluellen: Henry V (Pacific Theatre), Benvolio: Romeo and Juliet (Shadows and Dreams Theatre Co), or directing Something Borrowed, Everyone Blue. She would also like to thank her husband for his endless patience during this process, especially as she would giggle and reread the jokes she wrote. Enjoy the show!

Argel Monte de Ramos (he/him) is a Filipino-Canadian singer-songwriter, actor, composer and an emerging playwright-producer from Surrey, B.C. He is a graduate of the Musical Theatre program and the Bachelor of Performing Arts program at Capilano University. When he was 15 years old, he moved to Canada with his family to seek a better life and opportunities. As a young immigrant, Argel wants to use the power of storytelling to inspire Filipino youth and other immigrants through his music and theatrical performances. Select performance credits include Eddie in MAMMA MIA! (Theatre UnderThe Stars), Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls (Fighting Chance Productions) and Horton in Seussical! (Align Entertainment). I am so excited to have my RCTC debut this year! I hope you enjoy the music and the show! Website: argelmdr.com

Joel DeStefano is an interdisciplinary artist whose work is informed by the process of listening. He is a graduate of SFU’s MFA program, where he researched acoustic ecology and performance practice. He has since created collaborative work in theatre, dance, radio and film along with independent work inspired by a theoretical and playful inquiry into language, imagery, bodies and sound. He was the co-founder and co-artistic director of Proximity Arts, an interdisciplinary artist collective, and is currently the President of the Vancouver Improvised Arts Society. He works at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts where he creates and develops public programs in theatre, film and creative writing.

Last season, Stephanie properly moved into the position of Technical Director, and Sound Designer, while continuing as Company Stage Manager. As the workload isn’t any lighter this season, is therefore still far too busy building the sets, sourcing props, gathering various comedy noises, and wrangling the rest of the Stage Management team, multiple casts, and assorted production staff, to write a highly detailed bio, for whichever program is before you. Not even quite sure which month, or even day, it currently is. But, whenever you’re reading this, the show you’re about to see is fantastic. So sit back, relax (not that much!), and enjoy!

Jodie is a Douglas Theatre graduate who spends most of her time at The Chorus Studio. This is where she vocal coaches and performs with choirs like YVRPOP, PACIFIC SOUL, and SPOTLIGHT. You may recognize her as Cinderella: Cinderella, (RCTC, Kerri Norris), Ashgirl: Ashgirl (Petras Thrasso and Kathleen Weiss), W/Singing Telegram/Jill: Love/Sick ( Tamara McCarthy), Snow White: Snow White (RCTC, Ellie King), Homeless Girl: Tracks (Denice Warkentin), and Gertrude McFuzz: Seussical Jr. Musical (Jacqueline Johnson). When this Busy Bee is offstage, her favourite activities are juggling while singing, catching up with her friends over a meal, and taking long strolls on piers. She wants to thank every person who has added spice to her life and cannot wait to hear the loudest cheer, boo, and laugh throughout the show!

Nigel began his technical career with a critically-acclaimed turn as ‘Tree’ and ‘Candy Cane’ in “Hansel and Gretel” at age five. More recently (and relevently), he has designed lights for dozens of productions around the Lower Mainland, including many for RCTC and for Peninsula Productions. He is one of the founding members of Shadows and Dreams Theatre Company. He is also on the board of Monster Theatre. In real life, Nigel is a computer programmer, and, oddly enough, does this for “fun”.

Despite having always had an interest in technical theater, Samuel has not pursued it seriously until recently. After thoroughly enjoying his work in previous years on The Woman in Black, Ghost of a Chance and The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, he looks forward to working more and more and creating better and better designs with RCTC.

Cayleigh Elcheshen is a student in New Westminster. She has been performing in pantomimes with RCTC her whole life and is excited to be playing the role of Alice! Some of her previous credits include Gretel in “Hansel & Gretel & The Strolling Players” (RCTC) and “Boy” in Henry V (Pacific Theatre). Cayleigh wants to thank her family for supporting her through this fun process. Lastly, she would like to thank you, the audience, for coming. Enjoy the show!

For as long as Illya can remember she has loved performing and being on stage. She began taking dance classes when she was five years old and quickly became a part of her studio’s professional training program. She danced at her studio for 12 years and became an active member of her school’s Theatre Company. Through her school she had the opportunity to play roles like Anna in Frozen Jr, Belle in Beauty and the Beast Jr, and the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods Jr. Illya’s love for the performing arts expands past being on stage herself as she loves working with kids and even started her own musical theatre summer camp. This previous summer she was over the moon to have joined Shadows and Dreams Theatre Company’s production of As You Like It as Celia, and she is super excited to be jumping in this show as the Baron. She is thankful for the support from her family, friends, mentors, and everyone at RCTC!

Stephen is a Hydrostatic Recertification Technician by day and theatre geek by night. As one of the founding producers of Shadows And Dreams Theatre Co, he can be found in the bandshell at Queen’s Park every summer showing off his Shakespeare. Recent roles include Jaques in As You Like It (S&D) Arthur, Sir Bors, and half the other characters in Spamalot (White Rock), and Wooster in Jeeves Intervenes (G7). When not on stage, he is often called upon as a Fight Choreographer, recently having worked on The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery (RCTC), Tale of Two Cities (Gallery7), and We Are The Body (Pacific Theatre). As always, he’d like to thank his family for their love and support.

Kerri is an Actor, Director, Costumer, Producer and sometime Dramaturg as well as being an Instructor at SAMC Theatre. She has an MFA in Acting from CalArts in Los Angeles and is the Artistic Director for The Royal Canadian Theatre Company. Recent Directing credits include The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery (RCTC), Jeeves Intervenes (Gallery 7), You Can’t Take It With You (SAMC Theatre) & Blithe Spirit (RCTC). Recently she appeared as Mrs. Welsh in Blue Stockings (SAMC Theatre) and is looking forward to a bit of a break in the spring. She is always grateful to her husband and daughters for their endless support and love.

Kerri is an Actor, Director, Costumer, Producer and sometime Dramaturg as well as being an Instructor at SAMC Theatre. She has an MFA in Acting from CalArts in Los Angeles and is the Artistic Director for The Royal Canadian Theatre Company. Recent Directing credits include The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery (RCTC), Jeeves Intervenes (Gallery 7), You Can’t Take It With You (SAMC Theatre) & Blithe Spirit (RCTC). Recently she appeared as Mrs. Welsh in Blue Stockings (SAMC Theatre) and is looking forward to a bit of a break in the spring. She is always grateful to her husband and daughters for their endless support and love.

After many years working in the ‘outside’ world, Mac became part of the Royal Canadian Theatre Company in its infancy. As Front of House Manager she loves greeting old friends and new, and raising funds through 50/50 which directly benefits our mentorship programme. She also works behind the scenes to bring you wonderful shows such as you are about to see tonight. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Crystal started as a volunteer marketing coordinator and now trains a Marketing assistant each summer. Many of the ideas for marketing, posters and more are a team effort and collaboration.

​​Electrician by day and Assistant Stage Manager by night, Jason Bunch has become an important part of the Royal Canadian Theatre Company. Jason started by watching pantomimes, then helping backstage and is now completely immersed himself into the drama world thanks to his wife, Crystal Bunch, and his now panto family. Jason is very excited for everyone to see the hard work he and the crew have put into building this production.