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Julie Lumsden

 

Beverly Ndukwu

Directing Mentorships

Julie Lumsden & Beverly Ndukwu

The PTE Directing Mentorship program was created for emerging and/or mid-career Winnipeg-based IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) directors to have the opportunity to be mentored by Thomas Morgan Jones (director of Post-Democracy by Hannah Moscovitch), and Jones and Cherissa Richards (directors of VOICE by Ismaila Alfa). The program is made possible with the support of Canada Life.

The purpose of this paid mentorship is both to share experience and knowledge to the director, but, most importantly, to empower their individual voice through conversation, using these two projects as case studies to discuss some of the ways in which theatre can be created.

While the mentorship will provide some insights into the process of directing in rehearsals and in pre-rehearsal meetings/design processes, this mentorship is meant to give the director not only experience, but perspective on the craft of direction from a very specific viewpoint. The perspective on directing for the stage will be shaped, framed, and informed by the conditions of the productions:  PTE as a theatre (our structure, size, production team, administrative staff), working on a thrust stage, working on new plays, working with these particular directors, casts, design teams, and stage management. There are so many ways to create plays, and part of the conversations during the mentorship will be identifying why and how these conditions impact the work itself.

Beverly Ndukwu - VOICE

Beverly Ndukwu is a local artist who has been acting for 10+ years. Some notable Film and Television credits include but are not limited to Night Hunter, Tales from the Loop, Love in Design, and On the 12th Date of Christmas. In the theatre world, she has recently graced the stages of MTC in Bang Bang, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s production of Intimate Apparel and more. As 2020 has brought so much change to the world and forced the evolution of live theatre on stage, this actress has graciously pivoted into a new role. Beverly is excited to embark on a new journey as an awarded recipient of the Director Mentorship Program at PTE. This mentorship sparks specialty with newly-commissioned work from local legend Ismaila Alfa. She feels honoured to not only learn from two artists to whom she looks up, but also to work on a piece that’s inspiring and culturally speaks to the moment we live in with the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. “I can’t wait to return to PTE in a different capacity, and work on a play that celebrates black voices.”

With the support of