Peter Balkwill is one of the founding Old Trouts.  He holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Washington in Seattle (2000), as well as a BFA in Theatre from University of Victoria (1997). He has served as the head of movement at the University of Victoria (2001/2002) and has led workshops extensively in Canada and the U.S. Peter has worked nine summers and four full seasons at the Rocky Mountain YMCA, Outdoor Centre, instructing groups through environmental education. Peter would like to thank his family, Nan and Walker (little Pityu) for their unwavering support of his artistic practice.

Jen Gareau is happy to be back at the madness of costuming puppets for the Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Jen has worked on most of the Old Trout shows, designing and building costumes for all sorts of characters, and most recently got to try her hand at creating some of the puppet bodies for Ignorance. When not sewing ridiculously tiny clothing, Jen is trying to figure out what to be when she grows up.

Pityu Kenderes is one of the founding Old Trouts. Pityu is a sculptor and painter and puppeteer, in live theater and for film. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Nova Scotia College of Arts and Design, and a Graduate degree in Fine Arts from the University of Calgary.  

Ignorance marks Trevor’s first production with The Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Selected theatre credits include: Richard III (The Shakespeare Company), Speed the Plow, The Pillowman, American Buffalo, Trout Stanley (Ground Zero Theatre), Becky’s New Car (Theatre North West), Rebecca, Columbo 02 & 08, Wait Until Dark, Strangers on a Train (Vertigo Theatre), PlayRites 02,04,05,06,07,08, Peter Pan, Zadie's Shoes, Who Has Seen The Wind, Billy the Kid, Keely & Du (Alberta Theatre Projects), Doubt: A Parable (co-production with the Manitoba Theatre Centre & Theatre Calgary), All My Sons, Counsellor at Law, Sherlock Holmes (Theatre Calgary), The Wars (co-production with the Vancouver Playhouse & Theatre Calgary), GLENN, Apple (Director), Lawrence & Holloman, Being at Home with Claude (Blacklist Theatre Project), Lion in the Streets, Bent (Sage Theatre), The Hobbit, A Streetcar Named Desire (Atlantic Theatre Festival), over 20 productions with Theatre Junction including: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Henry IV, Possible Worlds, 10 productions with Shakespeare in the Park including: Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, As You Like It. Film and TV: Hell on Wheels, Green, Everest, Trouble, North of 60, Lonesome Dove. In 2011, Trevor was nominated for a Betty Mitchell Award for his interpretation of Shakespeare’s Richard III. He has been nominated three times for Betty Mitchell Awards in the past and has twice been awarded the Most Outstanding Supporting Actor Award. Trevor studied with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC and completed his BFA at The University of Calgary. www.trevorleigh.ca

 

Cimmeron Meyer’s first production with the Trouts was Famous Puppet Death Scenes for which she designed the lighting and toured to twenty-four venues across Canada and the US.  Cimmeron received a Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Lighting Design for Sailor Boy (Ghost River Theatre and Czapno Productions) and Confessions of a Paperboy (Ghost River Theatre). She has also worked on Ground Zero Theatre’s Reasons to be Pretty (lighting), Urinetown, the Musical (set and light design with T. Gunvordahl), Writer’s Block (lighting) and The Full Monty. More recent credits include: set and lighting for Macbeth and Richard III for the Shakespeare Company. Cimmeron would like to thank her beautiful daughter Eve Marie. 

Jamie Nesbitt designs across North America and Europe. His resume includes: The Old Trout Puppet Workshop, The Canadian Stage, the NAC, Soulpepper, The Vancouver Playhouse, Theatre Calgary, Bard on the Beach, The Arts Club, The Electric Company, Kidd Pivot, Pi Theatre, Why Not, Neptune, The Belfry, The Actors Repertory Company, Cahoots, Touchstone, Theatre Network, Company 14, Birdland Theatre, The Yukon Arts Centre, and many more. A graduate of Studio 58, he is the recipient of seven Jessie Richardson Award Nominations and one Jessie Richardson Award, the 2008 Mayor Arts award, the 2007 Sam Payne award, and the 2006 Earl Klein Memorial Scholarship. www.jamienesbitt.ca.

Judd Palmer is one of the founding Old Trouts. He attended Trinity College at the University of Toronto where he received a degree in philosophy, God help him.  He also writes and illustrates children’s books, including a series called Preposterous Fables for Unusual Children and, most recently, a book called The Umbrella. He's about to get married to the woman of his dreams in April.