Are you an aspiring actor hoping to gain insights from successful professionals on ways to enter and navigate the entertainment industry? In "Career Pathways in Acting," our guest artists Lara Arabian, Kaleb Alexander, and Louisa Zhu will explore the multifaceted opportunities available to those aiming to pursue a career in acting. They'll cover everything from stage to screen, voice-over work to motion capture, and much more! These versatile acting professionals will share invaluable advice, practical tips, and personal experiences that will inspire you to forge your own path toward a fulfilling and sustainable career in the dynamic world of performing arts. Join us for an enlightening conversation about the possibilities awaiting those passionate about the craft of acting.
Date: Tuesday, March 26
Time: 5pm-7pm
Location: Room AA 304
Register via clnx.utoronto.ca > Log in > Events & Workshops > UTSC - Arts, Culture and Media > Select the event
Guest Artists bios:
LARA ARABIAN
Lara is a trilingual Toronto-based artist by way of Beirut, Lebanon, upstate NY, and Paris, France. A Dora nominated actor, she’s worked with companies across Canada including: Citadel Theatre, Modern Times, Aluna Theatre, Neptune Theatre, Canadian Stage, Theatre Passe Muraille, TfT, Studio 180, Cahoots, Pandemic Theatre, Nightswimming. Recent TV/Film credits include: The Handmaid’s Tale, Kim’s Convenience, Assassin’s Creed, Rabbit Hole, Paris, Paris, Ghostwriter, Murdoch Mysteries, Taken, Dark Matter.
As a writer, she’s been a member of the Banff Playwrights Unit and Nightwood Theatre’s Write from the Hip program. She’s been twice nominated for a Dora Award for Outstanding New Play (Youth Division) as part of the writing team for Les Zinspiré.e.s 8 and 10 (Théâtre français de Toronto). Her latest play, ‘Convictions’ received its world premiere at the Festival Les Zébrures in France this fall before kicking off the season for Théâtre français de Toronto. Lara was recently named the inaugural recipient of the Joël Beddows Playwrighting Prize. Upcoming: a remount of Lara’s one-woman show, Siranoush, at the Next Stage Theatre Festival in Toronto.
Lara is also a passionate arts educator and is on the faculty at both George Brown and Sheridan College. At Sheridan, she is the chairperson of their Expanding the Lens series, dedicated to centering historically marginalized voices.
KALEB ALEXANDER
Kaleb is an artist of mixed Caribbean and Canadian decent, he has grown up in Scarborough and Northern Ontario. He studied theatre at York University and has since been involved in many new and classical works with companies and performed across North America.. Some notable productions that helped shape the artist he is today have been Angels’s in America (Buddies/That Theatre), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mirvish), Adventures of a black Girl in Search of God (NAC, Black theatre Workshop, Centaur), Pass Over (Obsidian Theatre), Trouble in Mind (Shaw Festival), Alphonse (Theaturtle), All’s Well that Ends Well/Hamlet (Canadian Stage), Hercules (Canadian Opera Company) to name a few. Working on and creating work that broadens the landscape of diverse voices in this country is the goal and the mission.
LOUISA ZHU
Louisa Zhu is a Dora and ACTRA Award-nominated actor and performance combat artist based in Toronto. She started her career in theatre before expanding her work into film, television, and voiceover. Recent credits include: THEATRE- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Canadian Stage), Lady Sunrise (Factory Theatre), The Silver Arrow (Citadel Theatre). FILM/TV- Relax, I’m From the Future (WANGO Films/Universal), series regular on Rising Suns (OMNI), recurring of Endlings (CBC/Hulu). ANIMATION- series regular on Transformers: BotBots (Netflix), recurring on Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes (Disney+) and My Little Pony G5 (Netflix and Youtube). Louisa is also a recent graduate of the Penguin Randomhouse Audiobook Narration Mentorship, narrating 8 audiobook titles since completing the program in June.
Outside of their performance work, Louisa is passionate about creating safer and more equitable spaces in all areas of the industry and recently finished a 2-year term as a Vice-President and Councillor of ACTRA Toronto and a National Councillor of ACTRA National. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Training for Fight Directors Canada for 4 years. Louisa currently teaches on faculty at George Brown College in both the Theatre School and Acting for Media Program.