MEET THE CAST OF 'A GREAT ROUND WONDER' -- AND THE PHILOSOPERS THAT INSPIRED THE STORY

A Great Round Wonder
By Barry T. Brodie

The Cast

FAY LYNN as Beck

FAY LYNN is Creative Director at Post Productions and co-owner/operator of The Shadowbox Theatre in Windsor, Ontario. As an actor, notable roles include Inez in No Exit (Post Productions), Macbeth in Macbeth (Korda Artistic Productions), and Captain Gladys Barker in Letters to Grace (Waawiiyaatanong Feminist Theatre). She considers it an honour and a true privilege to be working with Barry Brodie (as well as the rest of the talented cast and crew) on this unique and striking work of art.

ALYSSA DOHERTY AS pHOENIX

ALYSSA DOHERTY is a touring vocalist, model, stage and television actress. Alyssa has grown up on stage as an entertainer performing to audiences since the age of three. She is a trained vocalist and actress who has appeared in many live shows including live Toronto productions starring in such lead roles as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and Annie in Little Orphan Annie. In 2016, Alyssa continued to expand her range with her first film and international television roles in shows such as Broke and Famous and See No Evil. She is happy to return to the live stage with the role of, Phoenix in A Great Round Wonder. Alyssa is currently acting as a comic book model for Mary Jane Watson in upcoming Spider-man comic magazines. She is also writing and starring in the musical production Snowglobe, which will be touring Europe in 2023.

BARRY T BRODIE AS MILLS

BARRY T. BRODIE is a poet, playwright, actor, director and teacher.  He has written two books:  The Language of the Star – Journals of the Magi and Tom Thomson – On the Threshold of Magic (Black Moss Press).  His poetry has appeared in Amethyst Review and The Orchards Poetry Journal. He was a co-founder of Shō Arts Studio and was Chair of Religion and the Arts at Assumption University.  He currently teaches a course on the creative process at the University of Windsor.  Barry was a founding member of the Earth-Stage Actors, an ensemble that worked closely with Kenneth Mills in bringing his poetic and philosophical work to the stage.  The film adaptation of his play, The Thousand Colours of the Morning, about Johannes Brahms and Robert and Clara Schumann, is slated for production summer 2023.  He is on the editorial staff of Scratchpad, a new literary magazine.

DEAN VALENTINO as SUZUKI

DEAN VALENTINO is very honoured to be part of this intriguing and unique production. You may know him from his numerous stage roles with Ghost Light Players, Korda Artistic Productions, Sho Art, Spirit & Performance, and Theatre Windsor—or as a musician in the pit orchestra of copious musicals (latest being the drummer in Spring Awakening). His latest role was as Helicanus in the Korda production of Pericles (under the direction of Jeff Marontate). Dean would like to thank Dr. Brodie and all the cast and crew for making this production so rewarding.  

SHAYLA HUDSON AS MUIR

SHAYLA HUDSON is a Windsor born actor/creator and a (not so) recent graduate of the University of Windsor's BFA Acting program (2019). She is extremely grateful to be making her post-Covid theatre comeback with these inspiring artists and transformative play. Elsewhere: Claire in Proof (Bloomsbury House); Maggie in Hidden (Rōōt Arts Collective), Helena in Imaginary Lines (Shō Studios); Odysseus in The Penelopiad (University Players); Malcolm in Macbeth (University of Windsor); Jenny/Lisa in Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play (University Players). For my Meme, with all my love.

MAGGIE MARCHENKOWSKI AS EMERSON

MAGGIE MARCHENKOWSKI is incredibly excited to be a part of bringing this beautiful collage of words and ideas to life. She is thankful to work with this group of inspiring artists who made every step of this process fulfilling and constantly engaging. She would like to send a big thank you to Katherine for allowing us to explore and use this gorgeous property. Special shout-out to the tree for being so climb-able.

THE PHILOSOPHERS

KENNETH G MILLS

KENNETH G MILLS (January 25, 1923 - October 8, 2004) was a Canadian metaphysical/philosophical speaker and author. An exponent of the oral tradition, he gave spontaneous lectures and poetry for over 37 years. At the same time, he became noted for his accomplishments in music, particularly as the conductor of the choral ensemble The Star-Scape Singers. He excelled at composing, painting and design and has been described by some as a New Age man, a man for all seasons, and a Renaissance man.

DAVID SUZUKI

DAVID TAKAYOSHI SUZUKI CC OBC FRSC (born March 24, 1936) is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster, and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department at the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001. Since the mid-1970's, Suzuki has been known for his television and radio series, documentaries and books about nature and the environment. He is also well known for criticizing governments for their lack of action to protect the environment.

john muir

JOHN MUIR (April 21, 1838 - December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States of America. His letters, essays, and books describing his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park, and his example has served as an inspiration for the preservation of may other wilderness areas.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

RALPH WALDO EMERSON (May 25, 1803 - April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and his ideology was disseminated through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.

THE COMPOSER

Benjamin Goldstein

BENJAMIN GOLDSTEIN is a summa cum laude graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He is an associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ontario. He is the winner of the Solomon Composition Award, the Juried Music Competition of Ontario, and the Ontario Concerto Competition. He has been performing and teaching for twenty years across North America and in Europe. Highlights include the world premiere of "Symphony of Life" with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducting the West Court Quartet in New York, and music directing over thirty shows, both community-driven and professional. He is grateful, as always, to be working with Barry Brodie.