Nina Lee Aquino

Artistic Director

Nina Lee Aquino is a director, dramaturge, playwright, the outgoing artistic director of fu-GEN Asian-Canadian Theatre Company, and an artistic associate of Factory Theatre. She is also the editor of Canada’s first Asian-Canadian drama anthology titled love & relasianships (Playwrights Canada Press, Spring 2009). Other credits include awards for directing (Ken McDougall Award 2004, Canada Council John Hirsch Prize 2008) and Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for outstanding direction (Singkil, fu-GEN Theatre Company 2007; People Power, Carlos Bulosan Theatre 2008, lady in the red dress, fu-GEN Theatre Company 2009). She has also been nominated for the Ontario Arts Council’s Pauline McGibbon Award, John Hirsch Director’s Award and the K.M. Hunter Artists Award. Nina co-wrote Miss Orient(ed) and her monologues have been published in Beyond the Pale (Yvette Nolan, ed.) and She Speaks (Judith Thompson, ed.).

Sandra Lefrançois

General Manager

Originally from Montreal, Sandra is a graduate of McGill University and of Humber College's Cultural Management programme. She has also studied at UC Berkeley, Concordia University, and l'Université de Montréal. She was the Associate Producer at Mammalian Diving Reflex, Nightswimming and DVxT for three years, the General Manager of BirdLand Theatre, and has also worked with Theatre Ontario, Factory Theatre, The Company Theatre, Aluna Theatre and Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble. Sandra is currently the Manager of the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and is on the Board of the Small Theatre Administrative Facility and the President of the Board of Directors of fu-GEN Asian-Canadian Theatre Company.

Derek Kwan

Incoming Associate Producer

Derek Kwan is excited to be joining Cahoots Theatre Company as incoming Associate Producer. While living in Bangkok, Thailand, Derek pursued a Master’s Degree in Cultural Management at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University. Derek spent many years living, working and studying overseas during which time he has had the pleasure to work with theatre and opera companies in such far-flung places as Shanghai, China (East West Theater), Bangkok, Thailand (Bangkok Opera, NUNi Productinos) as well as in his native Toronto. In Toronto Derek was seen as Mike Chao in fu-GEN Theatre Company’s Banana Boys and in 2006 was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role in a Play or Musical as part of the ensemble cast. He has also sung with Toronto Operetta Theatre, Opera in Concert, Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, and Opera York.

Marjorie Chan

Crossing Gibraltar Program Director

Marjorie is an award-winning theatre artist based in Toronto. Trained as an actor at George Brown Theatre School, Marjorie garnered a nomination for the Dora Mavor Prize in her first appearance onstage.  She is the recipient of a Dora Mavor Moore Award in performance as well as the prestigious K.M. Hunter Artists’ Award. As a playwright, Marjorie’s debut drama China Doll was nominated for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Production Doras as well as the Governor General’s Award. Her other full-length plays include a nanking winter (available from Playwrights’ Canada Press) and most recently, The Madness of the Square.  Along with playwright Damien Atkins, she adapted Hisashi Inoue’s celebrated play about Hiroshima, in the garden, two suns which was commissioned to coincide with 60^th Anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs. As a librettist, Marjorie’s operas include Mother Everest, Sanctuary Song (both with composer Abigail Richardson) as well as the short operas (various composers from the UK and the US), One Night One Bell, Dance ‘Till the Sun Sets, and sleep, sleep. Abigail and Marjorie were recently recognized with a Dora Award for Outstanding New Opera for Sanctuary Song. Other writing includes text for the multidisciplinary dance piece Nanking Monologue, sound art Pants on Fire; Liar, Liar as well as numerous radio dramas.

As an arts administrator, Marjorie was Associate Artistic Director for Cahoots Theatre Projects from 2006 – 2009. Marjorie has previously been Playwright-in-Residence for Theatre Direct Canada as well as Cahoots Theatre Projects.

Jason Maghanoy

Ontario Arts Council Playwright in Residence

Jason Maghanoy is a professional playwright represented by Great North Artists. He is a graduate of McGill University, The National Theatre School of Canada's Playwriting Program, and was a member of the 2006 Banff PlayRites Colony. He has received grants for his work from the Ontario and Toronto Arts Councils, and his plays have been directed by some of Canada’s leading directors including Guy Sprung and Sarah Stanley. His most recent production dust, was selected as an Outstanding New Play and Production by NOW Magazine and it was published (along with his play The Corner) in the Spring 2009 issue of the Canadian Theatre Review.

Donald Woo

Artistic Associate

Donald Woo was born and raised in the Montreal area and he attended the National Theatre School’s Playwriting Section (1998-2000). Donald dropped out of theatre school after his second year to travel and work in London and Paris. He spent several years working for the federal government in various offices including the High Commission of Canada in the UK as well as other equally obscure offices in Montreal and Toronto. In the 2008-2009 season, Donald had the privilege to be a part of fu-GEN’s 6^th Annual Kitchen playwriting unit. Thanks to an OAC grant, Donald then became fu-GEN’s playwright-in-residence for the 2009-2010 season. A staged reading of his play Wong’s Garden (working title) will be read as part of fu-GEN’s 7^th Annual Potluck Festival in May 2010. Another lifetime ago, Donald won a Frankie Award for ‘Best Text’ at the Montreal Fringe Festival in 1998.