Rumpelstiltskin

The Miller family lives an ideal life complete with a beautiful house, a white picket fence, and an adorable new-born baby. But, when they're thrown into an impossible situation that threatens to change their lives forever, a mysterious figure emerges and presents them with the opportunity to turn their fortune around. Is this mystery man the solution to their problem, or will he just make matters worse? Don't miss Alberta Opera's exciting and original take on the classic tale, "Rumpelstiltskin," to find out!

Cast and Crew

Farren Timoteo

Artistic Director/Playwright/Director 
Farren is an actor, writer and director. He became an Artistic Director of Alberta Opera in 2006, and has since co-written and directed a number of productions for the company, including Little Red Riding, Hansel and Gretel, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin. Other directing credits include Songs for a New World at the 2005 Edmonton Fringe Festival; Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for the Mayfield Theater; Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s and The Infinite Shiver for Teatro for La Quindicina (both of which he wrote the lyrics for); and Pippin for The Young Company at the Citadel Theatre. Acting credits include Spamalot for the Citadel Theatre; Marvelous Pilgrims, The Scent of Compulsion and A Rocky Night for His Nibs for Teatro la Quindicina; Waiting for Godot for Wishbone Theatre; Early Bloomer for Concrete Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors for the Mayfield Theatre. Farren has been honored by the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards on a number of occasions, most recently for his performance in Spamalot, and two years prior for his direction of Pinocchio. Farren resides in Edmonton with his incredible wife, Patricia, and his beautiful four year-old son, Leonardo.
 

Jeff Unger 

Artistic Director/Composer/Musical Director 
This season mark’s Jeff’s 21st consecutive year with Alberta Opera. During this time he has established himself as an important creative voice in Alberta, entertained millions of students and adults across Western Canada, and watched the company grow into a major force in school touring. He has co-authored and composed music for more than a dozen original fairy tale adaptations including Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Rapunzel, Puss in Boots, The Red Shoes, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin. His musicals, and efforts as a Musical Director, have been recognized by the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards many times, and in 2012 he received the award for Outstanding Score for his work on Pinocchio. In 2010, after more than a decade touring his works, Jeff became an Artistic Director of Alberta Opera. Rumpelstiltskin will be his sixteenth original score.
 

Larissa Pohoreski

Mrs. Miller & Ensemble 
Larissa is beyond thrilled to be a part of Alberta Opera’s Rumpelstiltskin! She is an artist, designer and performer, and a recent graduate of MacEwan’s Theatre Arts Program. Design credits include: The Wild (Not Just Lucky); Dogfight(ThreeForm Theatre); Candide (Opera Nuova); Death and the Maiden and The Changeling (University of Alberta); Viter in Concert, The Dream, Fusion: Harmony in Motion, Sad Memories of Childhood, Pioneer Suite and Seasons of Culture (Viter Ukrainian Dancers and Folk Choir). Favorite performance credits include: Dogfight(ThreeForm); The Light in the Piazza, Young Frankenstein, Carrie, Bernarda Alba and Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind (MacEwan); and any show that she has performed with Viter over the past 10 years. Larissa has performed internationally, and is excited to now be touring across her home province with such a talented and fun team!
 

Mathew Bittroff

Mr. Miller & Ensemble 
Mathew is a Grant MacEwanTheatre Arts grad and an Edmonton based actor, writer, and DJ. Mathew plays a growing list of instruments including trumpet, drums, guitar, piano, recorder, and the triangle - so as you can imagine he couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of Alberta Opera's musical production of Rumpelstiltskin. Writing credits include:  The Popular Principles of Hypnosis, Lost Boy, and rooms//apart (Best show at Fort McMurray's InterPLAY Festival). Acting Credits include:  Scrap Paper (One Sick Puppy Theatrics),  Honk! (Grindstone Theatre),  Camp Squealy Moo, True Pirate Fashion (Kompany Family Theatre), and The Hoof and Mouth Advantage (Teatro LaQuindacina). He also appeared in and produced the fringe-hit  BoyGroove in 2011 which won Volunteer's Choice at the Edmonton Fringe as well as being nominated for an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes award for best independent production. 

Bill Brown 

Skip Goldman & Ensemble 
Bill Brown is from Sherwood Park, Alberta, and has grown a passion for musical theatre through Festival Place Theatre located in town. As a boy, Bill was involved in many child productions (including Peter Pan and Seussical) and continued to partake in many shows through high school. In 2008, Bill moved to Georgetown, Prince Edward Island, where he performed in a few productions (such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) at the Kings Playhouse. After spending two years on the island, Bill returned to Alberta to pursue more theatre. Bill Brown has achieved a Diploma in Musical Theatre at Grant MacEwan University. Enjoy the show!

Talesa Caufield

Accompanist 
Talesa Caufield has been involved in music all of her life. Playing piano for 20 years of 24 and singing as well, she has been a part of many musical endeavours in her lifetime, including: music festivals, church, school and community performances and/or functions where music is needed, theatre productions, solo and group performances, collaborations, choirs, bands, piano accompanying work, etc. Talesa has been involved in piano accompanying work particularly quite a lot, and has come to find she really enjoys this route as a career. Also, having been so immersed and passionate about music and performance, she finds it fits her well. Talesa has achieved as high as her Grade 10 piano in the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations, and recently finished a Music Diploma majoring in Jazz and Contemporary Piano Performance at the Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. Having joined the Alberta Opera Touring Association last year in their 30 year celebration production of Aladdin, she is very excited to be joining them again this season in the coming performances of Rumpelstiltskin. Talesa is again thankful for the opportunity to perform and work with such fine, talented individuals!

Desiré Poulin

Stage Manager -- Westbury Theatre performances

Desiré Poulin is a Stage Manager and an EXTREME theatre enthusiast! She is extremely ecstatic to be Stage Managing Alberta Opera’s Rumpelstiltskin and to be working with some of the greatest folk in the theatre community. Being a recent graduate of the MacEwan Theatre Production program, Desiré has an extremely strong passion for stage management and theatre design. Recent adventures include; Stage Managing Theatre Prospero's Medea, and Grant MacEwan’s The Light in the Piazza, and Maa & Paa Theatre’s Bible Bill: The Gospel Musical. She has also apprenticed at the Edmonton Opera on Salome. Other credits include: Young Frankenstein, Spring Awakening, & A Little Night Musicwith MacEwan. One of her next adventures includes a writing collaboration with Maa & Paa Theatre for a show to be released during the Fringe Theatre Adventures in 2015!