As one of the original cast members of Monster, Alexis is honoured to be working with DTC again. Her recent theatre credits include Parade (Raincity Theatre), and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (CTORA), which was the recipient of Outstanding Community Production at the 2024 Ovation Awards and earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

The Calgary-born actress and VanArts alum is also a producer, director and writer, dedicated to creating work that highlights Black joy and womanhood. She is the co-founder of Girls That Giggle Productions, and her plays have premiered in Toronto and Vancouver.

She owes everything to God.

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Blake Sartin is a Singer/Dancer/Actor based in Vancouver and is excited to be working on this charming project.

Since graduating from Capilano University's Musical Theatre diploma program, Blake has gotten to perform in amazing shows such as "Singing in the Rain" (Royal City Musical Theatre), and "42nd Street" (Theatre Under the Stars).

You can find him on social media @BlakeSartin

Troy Banks is incredibly thankful for the opportunity to work with Monster's incredible cast and creative team. He is a Steveston-born performer and a recent graduate from Capilano University’s Musical Theatre program. Troy is currently working on many projects such as: Directing Into the Woods Jr. (CTORA Academy) and Assistant Producing Weat Side Story (CTORA).

Some previous credits include: SpongeBob the Musical (Blueshore Theatre), Carrie the Musical (Blueshore Theatre) and Cabaret (Arbutus Studio). He hopes you enjoy this amazing show and have as much fun watching it as he is having on stage!

Aerhyn is elated to be a part of another new musical in Vancouver.

It is such an honour to be a part of something new and vibrant.

A stage veteran of 20+ years, Aerhyn has had a chance to perform for audiences all across Canada.

He also sings with New West acapella group Quayside Voices, and self produces an Acapella Advent Calendar every December (Aerhyn.bandcamp.com)

He’d like to thank his wife Jac, and his daughter Juju for their continued support.

Immerse yourselves in our story, cause it’s going to be one helluva show. 

Laura (she/her) has worked professionally on-screen and on-stage, with notable TV/Film productions including Navigating Christmas (Hallmark Channel), Family Law (Global TV), The Attraction Test (Reel One Entertainment), and A Million Little Things (ABC Studios).

Previous Theatre credits include: Rest Hour (Or Festival), Learned Ladies (Exit 22).

Laura extends her gratitude to Direct Theatre for this opportunity and is excited for audiences to experience the brilliance of writers Jill Raymond and Florence Reiher.

Lauren is incredibly excited to be joining the Monster team as Clio: The Muse of History.

An actress, singer, director, writer and theatre instructor she is an all around musical theatre enthusiast always looking for ways to get involved.

Recent theatre performance credits include Paulette in Legally Blonde (FVS) and Rusty in Footloose (Stage 43) while recent directing credits include Anastasia for Theatre in the Country.

She hopes you enjoy the show!

Lauren Marshall is absolutely thrilled to be a part of this production of Monster.

It is her first show with Direct Collective Theatre and she’s had the most wonderful time singing and creating theatre with such amazing people. 

When she isn't pretending to be other people for an acting role, she teaches middle schoolers how to pretend to be other people. She also plays D&D where— you guessed it, she pretends to be other people.

Ainslee Dalzell is a Vancouver based actor and singer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and a recent graduate of the CapilanoU Musical Theatre Program. Some recent performing credits include The SpongeBob Musical and Weasel (Blueshore Theatre), June, July, August, and Cabaret (Arbutus Studios).

When not performing, you’ll most likely find her reading terrible books (and never shutting up about them!) Since appearing in the summer workshop of Monster, she couldn’t be more thrilled to continue working on this stunning show!

@ainsleedalzell_

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Natalie is a Vancouver-born performer who grew up doing theatre and somehow always manages to find a way back to it.  Previous stage credits include War of The Worlds (Ioco Players), 7 Stories (Spark Productions), Detroit (Vagabond Players), Bad Girls (Dramanatrix Productions), SUDS (Deep Cove Stage). 

It’s been an absolute delight to once again work with such incredibly talented women as Jill and Florence, and the entire cast of Monster.

Mel Kahan is thrilled to be a part of Monster! Mel just finished a second tour of Love Bomb with Shameless Hussy Productions. Before that, she performed in Classic Country Roads with The Chemainus Theatre Festival.

In 2019, Mel was awarded best actress for her portrayal of Anne in NTG’s festival production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Mel has voiced several children’s audiobooks and worked on Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.

Mel is also a singer/ songwriter, her music can be found on all streaming platforms under Melifawn.

Gabriela Good is an Ecuadorian-Canadian actor based in Vancouver, BC. She is thrilled to make her debut with Direct Theatre Collective alongside the amazing cast of Monster.

Prior to this, Gabriela has worked on a few student productions, mini web series and has performed Broadway, Disney and classical music with a number of choirs.

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Florence is a composer, writer and actor. Music has been her passion since adolescence and she's always been keen on exploring the ways in which music can express different aspects of humanity and elevate story-telling. She wrote and starred in her first original musical Worth the Weight (Ben Bilodeau Productions) in 2017. She's been part of Direct Theatre Collective's family since performing in the award-winning second iteration of Hysteria (2019).

She is thrilled for the continued growth and development of Monster since its debut at the Vancouver Fringe Festival 2023 and is deeply grateful for all involved and all who attend!

A Jill of all Trades, and a master of hopefully at least one of the things you see listed above, ideally more. 

An import from the UK, Jill has been performing, writing, and creating for a long long time, and has many proud moments along the way - but this show? *This one*? Has taken more from, and given more to, her than anything she has done before.

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She is so excited for you to share in this latest itteration of MONSTER, and is eternally grateful to her creative partners  and collaborators Florence Reiher and Isa Sanchez, without whom she would quite literally not be here. 

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NB: Due to unforseen circumstances Jill is standing in for the role of Erato.

When he's not teaching K-7 music in West Van, you’ll find Peter composing, improvising, directing, or performing music somewhere around Metro Vancouver.

He's currently composing for two new Canadian musicals with local collaborators. Favourite productions include Something Rotten! and Matilda with TUTS, a special charity concert of Dear Evan Hansen with Laughing Matters Theatre, 9 to 5:

The Musical at Capilano University, and the Ovation nominated 2019 Vancouver Fringe hit, Amélie, with West Moon Theatre. Peter has attended Chicago's Second City Training Center and frequently flies to the Broadway Teachers Workshops in New York City.

Anne is a multi-disciplinary artist, musician, songwriter, and designer whose love of learning propels her into new challenges daily.

She’s been singing and writing music for 30 years and has played guitar, bass, piano, and synths in several Vancouver-based bands, while also thriving in a career as a graphic designer helping other clients in the arts.

She loves beautiful colour combinations, ugly music, complex patterns, weird questions, and sweet people.

Brody Rokstad is a local Vancouverite who is more or less obsessed with music.

 

He plays drums, guitar, he sings, and he’s currently learning the piano. This is his first time drumming for a live musical, and he’s loved the novelty and challenges that have accompanied being a part of this production.

 

He’s concealed behind the curtain tonight, but he’s grateful for that. He’s happy back there and he has plenty of water.

For Direct Theatre Collective: “Ver·i·si·mil·i·tude,” “Hysteria,” “Monster I,” and “Monster Workshop”

Other recent: “Ballad of Georges Boivin” - Bouche; “YES!? AND?!,” “Eviction-Conniption” - DCJ; “Smash Up,” “Imogen Flight” - Fabulist; “Super,” “Journeys,” “Polaris,” “Mosaic” - Triumph Circus; “Don Carlo” - Heroic Opera; “Freedom of the City,” “Under Milk Wood,” “Changed Utterly” - Vital Spark; “No One Special” - JFK; “Troika,” “No Man’s Land,” “An Inspector Calls” - Smoking Gun; “Mozart & Her Brother” - Geniusettes; “Finishing” - SUM; “Beirut” - CleverBird; “Gianni Schicchi” - Opera Mariposa; “Unsettled,” “Being Animal” - Terrific; “Jerusalem,” "Suppliant Women," "Nell Gwynn," "Pitmen Painters" - UP; “Box of Freedom” - Sonias; "WYSPA," "Amber" - GenHot; “City of Angels” - PIT; “Alma” - EastVan Opera; “Any Night” - Pacific

Isa is a Co-Founder and serves on the Board of Directors for Direct Theatre Collective.

She grew up in Mexico City, where she began her career in theatre production. Isa then pursued Stage Management at NIDA in Sydney, Australia. In 2016, she moved to Vancouver to become an actress, studying at the William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study at VanArts.

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Her credits include two productions of Hysteria (Cultch Historic and Havana Theatre), Verisimilitude (Waterfront Theatre), De Donde? (Revue Stage), and Love/Sick (Havana Theatre).