Awkward Stage Productions (ASP) is a newly formed not for profit society focused on providing real life performance and production opportunities to youth in that awkward transition from play acting to professional employment. Youth members will be involved in all aspects of production, but there will be no program fees, only a small annual $20 membership fee. The Board of Directors will include one youth member, and it will be advised by a Board of Advisors which is primarily made up of youth.
Andy Toth, Cara Tench, Corwin Ferguson are our Artistic Associates who will be directing and implementing all ASP productions.
Andy Toth: a professional actor, director, producer and teacher living in Vancouver. Recent stage credits include The Full Monty (Patrick Street), Company (Arts Club Theatre) and Urinetown, The Musical (Firehall Theatre). Other credits include Balthazaar and the Mojo Star (Hoarse Raven) and directing The Fantasticks (QMTP) both of which were nominated for several Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. Other directing credits: Assassins (QMTP), West Side Story (Chilliwack Academy of Music) and Anne of Green Gables (Kamloops Symphony Orchestra). Andy is always inspired by the work of his students. He continues to have an active interest in integral theory and continues to hone his teaching and his craft accordingly. Andy is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.
Cara Tench: a director, choreographer and teacher in Vancouver. Recent theatre highlights include Into the Woods & Pirates of Penzance (Arts Umbrella), Music Man (RCMT), Crazy for You (TUTS), Secret Garden (Gateway), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Hoarse Raven Theatre), Lucky Stiff & Funny thing…Forum (Triptych Theatricals) and work with the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards Society, United Players and C2Sky Circus. Her choreographic work was presented at The Kiss Project, 12 Minutes Max and fFida dance festivals as well as in film and commercials. Cara trained at the National Ballet School (Toronto) and received her BA from the University of British Columbia. Cara frequently guest teaches and adjudicates around BC; spent 8 years as an Instructor and Artist-in-Residence for the Vancouver School Board; and teaches Dance and Musical Theatre at Collingwood School in West Vancouver.
Corwin Ferguson: Is a graduate of the professional acting training program at Studio 58. He has been working with the Arts Umbrella as an instructor and assistant instructor since 2008 in the Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, and Digital Arts disciplines. He has helped co-direct Arts Umbrella’s Musical Theatre troupe with Cara Tench since 2009. Corwin’s professional theatre work includes acting, directing, projection design, stage management, props design, graphic design, and playwriting. He has worked for many theatre companies in Vancouver including The Vancouver Playhouse, The Arts Club, Studio 58, Electric Company, Realwheels Theatre, Touchstone Theatre, and Neworld Theatre to name a few.
