What is invisible box*?

Welcome to invisible box*! We are a collective of likeminded professional artists and performers that share the same passion and drive about arts education for children and young people. Our group consists of actors, singers, dancers, musicians and visual artists who love sharing their talents in order to cultivate imagination, critical thinking and storytelling to children so that they can apply what they have gained through arts education to their eventual destinies. The artists at invisible box* use their skills to nurture creativity through action and movement focusing on process more than product. Each child is unique and brings to the class something different and special. We at invisible box* feel that it is crucial to allow children to express themselves in their own way, never asking conformity but at the same time providing structure so that their own personal voices and identities can be discovered and in turn led to meet their full potential. Not every child will grow up to be an artist, but every child needs the opportunity to examine their imaginative and creative minds. Creativity is found in all walks of life and in all journeys. Those of us at invisible box* provide activities, games and guidance for our students to reach into their infinite minds and create through imagination, thus developing their own ideas about themselves and each other and consequently positively changing the world around them. Thank you for inviting invisible box* into your school, facility, and home. We are proud of the work we do with children and hope that you will see the growth that we so carefully strive for in the hearts and minds of your kids. So put your finger and your thumb together, place them on the side of your head and turn on your imaginations. This will be a fun ride!

Ryan Kelly

Ryan has been working in the entertainment business for over 20 years. He is an honours graduate from Sheridan College's esteemed Music Theatre Performance program. He has had the opportunity to perform on the stages of most theatres in Toronto including the beautiful Elgin Theatre and the historic Royal Alexandra. From musicals to plays Ryan has impressed audiences and critics both with a vast variety of characters and roles. Favourite theatre includes: Mamma Mia (Mirvish), Here Lies Henry (Common Roof),Avenue Q (Citadel Theatre), Rocky Horror Show (Sudbury Theatre Centre), & Elf (The Grand) The House of Martin Guerre (Canadian Stage Company). Ryan has been nominated for two Dora Awards (The Normal Heart & JT LeRoy) and earned one. He is the proud recipient of a Harold Award for his work in the theatre and with children. He has been seen in many tv productions including: Queer As Folk, Murdoch Mysteries, Warehouse 13 and Breakout Kings. He has been nominated for a Genie Award (Best Film - The Dog Walker/TIFF), a Canadian Comedy Award (Best Ensemble - Almost Audrey/Comedy Network) and was one of NOW magazine's Top Ten Theatre Artists in 2012. He has also worked alongside the Cronenbergs: Brandon (Broken Tulips- Best Film/Enroute Film Fest) & David (Cosmopolis/Cannes). Ryan has appeared in over 30 commercials. When not contracted Ryan divides his time between working on new and volunteer theatre productions and teaching young people. Ryan has been a part of the Toronto Fringe Fest, Summerworks or Co-op productions nearly every year since he became professional. Favourites include: Living with Henry (Best of Fringe/Off Broadway), Cordelia (Rhubarb!) Craplicker (Best of Fringe) Gash!(Summerworks) A History of Summer (Summerworks Concert Series) Chair (Edward Bond Fest) Crush (Optic Heart) & Twelfth Night (Gromkat Prod). Ryan has worked with a variety of companies that bring theatre and performance arts classes to children including: Arts Express, The Stage Door Academy, Studio 180 Workshops, Beyond Boundaries, and The Centre For Art and Soul. Through freelance opportunities Ryan has taught at the Salvation Army Kids Programs, Harbourfront Centre, Schools and Daycare Centres across the city. He has directed full musicals such as: Honk (Stage Door) and Once on This Island (Acting Upstage's Emerging Artist Programme) as well as original work written especially for children and young people. Ryan also coaches preparation for children and professional actors alike. He is thrilled to be leading this collective of professional artist teachers and is excited about sharing with more children his passion for creativity and imagination.

Laura Caswell

Caswell in an award nominated actor and choreographer who has performed, directed and choreographed all over Canada. She works primarily on stage and has a Masters in Performance through Mountview Academy in London, UK. Laura has also trained at AMDA (NYC), Second City Toronto, Yale International Cabaret Conference, Humber Puppetry Intensive, and Instant Comedy in Vancouver. She has taught for over a decade at schools and after-school programs throughout the GTA and Peel District.

Mandy MacLean

Mandy (Humber Theatre, 2012) is an artist from a military family on the east coast. Her recent work includes: hiraeth (with Varrick Grimes), the Young Innovators Lab for Nightwood Theatre, Experiencing Chekov with Brenda Bazinet, and #WeddingMusical. Her works as a director includes: assistant to Ted Witzel on the workshop and full production of Yukonstyle (Canadian Stage), Assistant Director on Till Eulgespiegel under Varrick Grimes and the Dora Nominated Honesty under Jordan Tanahill (Suburban Beast). She has trained in Composition with SITI Company (NYC), Suzuki and Viewpoints with Thomas Morgan Jones (Theatre New Brunswick), Pluralized Creation (bluemouth inc.) and Music Theatre with David Dunbar. She has held the role of Artistic Intern at Canadian Stage and has a degree in Theatre from Univ. of NB.

Gabi Epstien

Gabi is a DORA nominee, one of Canada’s top stage and cabaret performers, and a proud graduate of McGill University's Faculty of Music. Most recently, Gabi was seen as the standby for “Girl” in the all-Canadian company of the Tony-award winning musical “ONCE” (Mirvish). Selected other credits include: Fanny Brice in Funny Girl: In Concert, Oolie/Donna in City of Angels (TBTB), To Life -- DORA nomination- Outstanding Performance by an Female in a Musical (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (Stage West), Blood Brothers, The Sound of Music, Perfect Wedding, Cowgirls (Drayton Ent.), Diana in I Love You Because (Angelwalk), Dani in Dani Girl, Napoleon, Bye Bye Birdie (Talk is Free Theatre), Edges (Acting Up Stage), Snow White, The Panto of the Opera (Moonpath Prod.), Rona in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Easy Street Prod.), and an original company member of Toy Story: The Musical (Disney Creative Ent.). As well as a stage performer, Gabi is an accomplished concert/cabaret artist having performed her famous “Gabarets” across North America including New York City where the Times Square Chronicles named her show “Top Cabaret” of the year in 2012. Her critically acclaimed CD, “Show Off” was released in 2010 and is available on itunes and her website. Gabi has been working with young people for the past 15 years. She was the head of music at Showtime Musical Theatre Day Camp, was a facilitator for a series of workshops conducted by company members of "Once", has performed as a princess for many birthday parties, and has her own private voice studio in Toronto where she teaches students ages 9-30 fundamental singing technique as well as audition prep. Please visit gabiepstein.com for more info!

Ramona Gilmour-Darling

Ramona Gilmour-Darling is an actor, singer, director, choreographer and teacher based in Toronto. A music education graduate from McGill University in voice (Honours in Music for Children, and Choral Music), she has spent ten seasons at the Thousand Islands Playhouse, and has performed at Young People’s Theatre and Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon. In 2006, Ramona took over the role of ‘Loonette the Clown’ on TV’s Big Comfy Couch. She directed Nobody’s Idol (Toronto Fringe), Weightless (New Ideas Festival), and co-directed and choreographed Forever Plaid (Victoria Playhouse Petrolia). Ramona also choreographed Little Shop of Horrors and Suds, both at the Thousand Islands Playhouse. Ramona has taught drama, voice, choir, and dance to both children and adults in Toronto and Niagara Falls over many years. In the summer of 2014 she directed forty children in two productions of Aladdin Kids in Oakville, and looks forward to directing fifty children the following summer in The Jungle Book. Ramona teaches drama, performance practice, and musical theatre at Pegasus Studio, Voice and Drama at Turning Pointe Academy, runs a youth choir in the east end, directs three choirs for the East End Music Project, and is a Resident Artist Educator for Y.P.T. Ramona also works as an Artist Educator around the city in various schools. – It is a tremendous joy having the opportunity to create with children, get to know them and share a positive experience. I like to create a supportive environment where everyone feels encouraged, respected, and artistically engaged.

James Daly

James Daly is an artist from St. John's, Newfoundland. He left the rock to study acting at the National Theatre School of Canada, and since then has been working consistently as an actor/musician around Ontario and is currently working at the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake. Before he left St. John's he spent one summer teaching acting at a children's camp called Camp Hollywood and two summers teaching at a music theatre camp called Newfoundland to Broadway. During the summer after his second year at school he was a member of 'The Barefeet Project' where he travelled to Lusaka, Zambia with two of his classmates to offer a 3 week drama camp to a group of children and teens at a shelter called Fountain of Hope. At the end of the 3 weeks they entered their creation piece into the Barefeet Theatre Festival. Since coming to the Shaw Festival he has gotten involved with the education programs the festival offers to high school groups. He has visited many high schools to teach post-show workshops to the students who have seen shows at the festival. He is a young, energetic, enthusiastic actor who loves to perform and also loves to teach, learn from, work and play with children and youth

Sarah Butler O'Brecht

Sarah Butler O'Brecht is an actor, dancer, singer, teacher, and choreographer. After training at Tisch School of the Arts' program CAP21 and American Theater Dance in New York City, Sarah received her BA in Honours English and French and BEd. from the University of New Brunswick before moving to Toronto. Her performance credits include Tillie Boulter in Anne of Green Gables and Larkspur in Alice Through the Looking Glass (Charlottetown Festival), Belinda in Johnny Belinda (Smile), Mona in Chicago (Stage West), Ophelia in Hamlet, Little Sally in Urinetown (Stageworks), and Guys and Dolls (Segal Centre). Sarah's television credits include So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Reign and Warehouse 13. In addition to performing on stage and screen, Sarah is passionate about sharing her love for the arts and storytelling with students of all ages! As a teacher and choreographer, Sarah has worked with The SPACE Toronto, The Stage Door Academy, Arts Express, Gala Ballet Company, InterAction Children’s Theatre, and many other organizations and institutions. She can't wait to see you in class!

Justin Bott

Justin Bott is a Toronto based performer who is passionate about good honest storytelling. Work has taken Justin all over the country and all the way to Osaka Japan. He is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and has worked professionally in musicals big and small, contemporary plays as well as Shakespeare. Justin has taught classes and workshops for ages 17 and under with JRP Acting School as well as The Classical Theatre Project. For maore about Justin and has recent work go to www.justinbott.com or follow him on Twitter @jeybott.

Emily Vick Agnew

Emily Vick Agnew is a singer, dancer and teacher originally from New Jersey. She holds a Bachelor of Music and a Masters in Elementary Education as well as a certificate in cabaret performance from Yale University. In addition to teaching music to young children, Emily has performed all over the world. She was a dancer and puppeteer with New York City's LaMama Theatre Company, Loco7 working in both Manhattan and in South America. She worked with Nickelodeon as Dora the Explorer touring Canada, US, Asia and New Zealand. Emily has sung at the Kennedy Center and the White House and has participated in numerous originally recordings. Additionally she has produced her own shows in The NY Fringe Festival, The Lower Ossington Theatre, and the Markeim Arts Center. She is a proud mom to two young children and believes music and drama class has the potential to not only be fun and engaging, but also an amazing opportunity for growth and learning.

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