2023-24  Participants  

ADRIAN CHOONG – Direction

Adrian is overjoyed to be back at Neptune, this time diving into Assistant Directing with the Chrysalis Project! He is a Malaysian-born actor, writer and aspiring-director who graduated from The Fountain School of Performing Arts in Halifax. Some of his Theatre highlights include Shakespeare in Love (Neptune Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Theatre New Brunswick), The New Canadian Curling Club (Festival Antigonish), 2 seasons at Shakespeare by the Sea, and has collaborated with Theatre du Poulet, Zuppa Theatre and Halifax Theatre for Young People. He recently just got back from his hometown Malaysia, where he worked with Theatre giants there Kuala Lumpur Shakespeare Players on Macbeth, and the prestigious KLPAC on His Story. For film, he’s been on 4 Episodes of Let’s Get Physical (Pop TV), The Good House sharing a scene with Sigourney Weaver (Tribeca Films), Trapped with Singapore-acclaimed Director Kelvin Tong (Boku Films), and recently wrapped a Malaysian Feature Film Raintown (Current Pictures), that’s hitting cinemas this fall. He was a recipient of the Best Actor award at the 2019 International Film Festival in Bangkok. Follow him on Insta: @adrianchoong

BRITTNEY WHITAKER – Sound Design

Brittney (she/her) is a local theatre creator and settler in Kjipuktuk (Halifax). She graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Acting where she uncovered a deeper love for the creation of theatre. Since graduating, Brittney has worked as a performer, stage manager, musical director, and sound designer.

She most recently finished working on Life’s a Drag, a one night celebration and educational showcase of queer history and culture as a sound designer and musical director. 

Brittney is very grateful for the opportunity to learn and work among theatre creators she respects so much! 

KATRINA (KAT) JONES – Set Design

Kat Jones is an interdisciplinary artist and academic originally from Victoria BC. After completing her master’s degree in Film Studies at Concordia University in 2022, Kat moved to Nova Scotia and began working in theatre.

Kat has experience in producing, media management, building, sound design, lighting and audio tech. In the past year interdisciplinary has taken on a new meaning as Kat has worked in a wide array of roles.

In 2022 she was the Media Coordinator for Shakespeare by the Sea and the Sound Designer and Production Assistant for Mulgrave Road Theatre’s Shadows in the Cove. In 2023 she worked as the microphone technician for Neptune YPCo’s Spongebob the Musical and spent her summer broadening her technical knowledge as Ship’s Company Theatre’s Venue Technician in Parrsboro NS.

Kat also works as a fiction and script editor for Long con magazine and has had her poetry and fiction published in literary zines such as Salt&Citrus and Neartown Zine.

Kat is grateful for the opportunity to work with seasoned professionals at Neptune to further her education as an emerging theatre maker.

MACKENZIE CORNFIELD - Projection Design

MacKenzie Cornfield (she/her) is an emerging theatre and video artist based in K'jipuktuk/Halifax, with a focus in video/projection design for live performance. Since graduating from the technical theatre and stage design program at the Fountain School of Performing Arts (FSPA), MacKenzie has been exploring how to help build and tell stories in theatre, dance, music, circus, and film. She is eager to find and create more ease and joy within these disciplines, through a mindful and compassionate approach to challenge. MacKenzie is so grateful for this opportunity to connect with and learn from brilliant artists at Neptune Theatre. Select projection design credits include Downed Hearts (Ship’s Company Theatre, 2023), Crypthand (Gale Force Theatre, 2022 & 2023), Memories Beyond the Grave (Independant, 2023), Refraction (Breaking Circus, 2022), Spring Tide Circle (Ship's Company Theatre, 2021), and Frequencies (HEIST, 2021). Samples of her work can be found at mackenziecornfield.com

MAEGHAN TAVERNER – Choreography

Maeghan (she/they) is a disabled and chronically ill actor, dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Kjipuktuk. She graduated with a BA combined honours in Theatre and Sociology from Dalhousie University. Since graduating from their program, they have been expanding their knowledge in accessibility for theatre and dance performance. She currently works with Kate Stanforth Academy of Dance, based in the UK, where she teaches and choreographs inclusive dance and advocates for disability inclusion within the arts. They are extremely passionate about youth arts education and hope to create accessible and inclusive spaces for disabled artists in the future. Maeghan is looking forward to expanding her arts practice through the RBC Chrysalis Project and is grateful to get to learn and grow with the Neptune Theatre team. 

REEQUAL SMITH - Choreography

Reequal Smith (she/her) is the Founder/Artistic Director of the notable Black Dance Company Oshun Dance Studios, in Prince Edward Island. A multidisciplinary artist originally from the Bahamas, now based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. She is an alumni of Holland College’s School of Performing Arts majored in Dance Performance and holds a BA in Marketing from her hometown. Thus, she has performed in multiple hotels for more than 8 years in The Bahamas and Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival with elite artists for three years. Reequal currently continues her dancing career as an independent artist, fire dancer, choreographer and educator in Charlottetown. Further taking part in Festivals, events, collaborations, and Recreational Arts in the Schools locally and regionally; collaborating with many talented artists in music videos, documentaries and television shows. In addition, Reequal has recently performed her first solo  “Unfold” under partnerships with Mayworks, Live Art Dance and Prismatic Festival in Halifax 2023. 

Reequal is also the program and events coordinator for The Black Cultural Society of PEI for seasonal projects, has been the Volunteer Coordinator/ Visual Artist  for Art in the Open in PEI for three years and the Administrator/Outreach Coordinator for Canadian Women of Colour Leadership Network in Ottawa. 

In addition, Reequal loves to be a part of the community and arts industry where she is currently on the board of The Fringe Festival in PEI and Fusion of Charlottetown. She continues to express her art by workshopping and training with artists fusing cultural patterns together as one; creating something beautiful and wishes to bring more excitement and Caribbean flavour to the PEI Community. 

Performance/Art Director credits: DiverseCity Festival, River Clyde Pageant, Kings Playhouse, Stratford Fall Festival, Social Distancing Festival (Toronto), Intersect (Liliona Quarmyne, Halifax, NS),  The Guild, Art in the Open ( Kemi Craig ‘Bearing Witness’ 2022), Island Fringe Festival’s Pounding the Pavement 2020. Music Videos: Alicia Toner “Have it All”, Tanya Davis “The Web”. Visual Art credit: Featured artists in the “ While Black Exhibition” curated by Charles Campbell (BC). Film/Television- The Community Players ( Produced by Luc Trottier), Millefiore Clarke “Grandmothers”, Washington Black (dancer), Diggstown (cast booking assistant). Self Produced Dance Productions: Calypso Secrets (2020), Euphoria: Rainbow in the Sky (2021), Journey to Paradise(2022).

Socials: @oshunsdance/ @lill.lee

RILEY REID – Sound Design

Riley (he/they) is an actor, writer, and music producer living in Punamu’kwati’jk (Dartmouth).

As a recent graduate from the acting program at Dalhousie University, Riley incorporates his self-taught passion for sound and music into his own performance and creative process. Throughout his secondary education, he learned to create and record music in a wide variety of genres from Ambient, Hip-Hop/Rap, to even Rock before going on to receive his formal education in Theatre where he was given the opportunity to produce various soundscapes and tracks for The Science of Joy and 7 Stories Fountain School productions.

Riley creates art that's financially accessible and speaks to low-income communities, hoping to also support the voices of minority groups and otherwise marginalized people in the process. 

TARAN KIM - Direction

Taran Kim (he/him) is a multidisciplinary performer based in Toronto. After an abrupt end to his education in Musical Theatre due to the pandemic and a quiet 2 years post-graduation, he has been lucky enough in the past year to share the stage with some of Canada’s finest performers and creatives with companies such as The Shaw and Charlottetown Festival, the Grand Theatre and most recently in “Rock of Ages” at the Elgin Theatre. He absolutely adores being a part of an ensemble and has had the pleasure of dancing in some iconic shows such as Anne of Green Gables, Newsies! and White Christmas, while also contributing to new Canadian work such as Grow and The Stars of Mars; both of which were workshopped in the CMTP program of his alma mater Sheridan College. While still excited about the performing opportunities ahead, his true passion lies in being a part of the next generation of leaders in this industry and as he is a mover by nature, dreams of becoming a prominent director/choreographer in Canada and beyond. He has choreographed for Bravo Academy and Associate Choreographed for productions of Bittergirl (Thousand Islands Playhouse) and Grow (The Grand Theatre). He is so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible program like the RBC Chrysalis Project and is so excited to be working on The Play That Goes Wrong coming this Fall.