Written and Performed by Shaemus Swets and Enya Watson
Directed by Bryn Kennedy
Music Direction by Chris Tsujiuchi
Dramaturgy by Sarah O’Brecht
Every year since 2012 The Musical Stage Company has worked with two exceptional musical theatre performers and showcased their extraordinary abilities at an annual cabaret showcase. Each year Toronto musical theatre fans have come to the cabaret as an opportunity to get to know the stars of tomorrow and earn the right to say “I saw them when…”
This year’s project has been produced, conceived, written, and directed by these incredibly talented artists. Our 2023-24 RBC Apprentice Artists should be on your radar – they are poised to take our sector by storm!
Shaemus Swets, Enya Watson The Musical Stage Company’s 2023-24 RBC Apprentice writer-performers, are proud to present Love You (On One Condition), an expressive cabaret performance and passionate self-investigation of personal roots, creative expression and the journey of two incredible artists. This 12th anniversary showcase is led by 2023-2024 RBC apprentice Director Bryn Kennedy, with dramaturgical support from Apprentice Artistic Director Sarah O’Brecht, and features exciting musical selections, performed by Shaemus Swets and Enya Watson themselves.
THIS OPPORTUNITY WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE PRIVILEGE. IT WAS, IN MY OPINION, THE FINEST WAY OF BEING INTRODUCED TO THE TORONTO THEATRE SCENE.
KALE PENNY, 2019-20 BANKS PRIZE WINNER
THIS EXPERIENCE HELPED ME REFINE AND HONE NEW SKILLS AS A MUSICIAN, ARMING ME WITH KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL SERVE ME FOR THE REST OF MY CAREER.
EVA FOOTE, 2019-20 BANKS PRIZE WINNER
THE RBC APPRENTICE PROGRAM HAS TRULY ENHANCED MY CAREER AND OPENED MORE DOORS FOR OPPORTUNITY THAN I COULD HAVE DREAMED POSSIBLE. HAVING THE SUPPORT OF MUSICAL STAGE CO VALIDATED MY JOURNEY INTO DIRECTING AND BOLSTERED MY REPUTATION AS A COMMUNITY LEADER.
VANESSA SEARS, RBC FREEMAN APPRENTICE DIRECTOR 2020-21
Shaemus Swets and Enya Watson – Writer/Performer
Shaemus Swets
RBC Apprentice Writer/Performers
Shaemus Swets is a curious actor born and raised on the land of the Lekwungen, Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, colonially known as Victoria, British Columbia. He recently graduated from Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor of Musical Theatre Performance Program. Now, he is thrilled to dive in, and swim around in this industry. Shaemus has an unyielding love for acting, music, the natural world, and creating theatre that challenges one to live their life (even a little bit) differently after consuming it. He is particularly curious about both modern and contemporary plays and music, and/or reimagining them. Recent credits include: AN INCOMPLETE LIST… (Makers Ensemble/TO Fringe), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, TURN THE PAGE, AN INCOMPLETE LIST, (Theatre Sheridan) KENSINGTON (First Drafts – Theatre Sheridan + The Musical Stage Co). Up next, you can catch him in The Musical Stage Co’s New Works Festival, in AFTER THE RAIN, and COWBOY TEMPEST CABARET.
I send infinite thanks to my dear friends, my family, and my partner Tk, that make my life as an actor possible (and really super fun). Love you! @_Shaemus
Enya Watson
RBC Apprentice Writer/Performers
Enya Watson is a Toronto Based Artist born and raised in Northwest British Colombia on the unceded Territory of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Her love for theatre eventually brought her to the National Theatre School of Canada. Since Graduating in 2022 she has appeared in PETER PAN THE MUSICAL (Mansfield Ent), EVIL DEAD (M Ent) and toured around Ontario performing the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber. She is currently a Performer/Writer apprentice at The Musical Stage Company.
@enya_watson | www.enyawatson.com
Bryn Kennedy – Director
Bryn Kennedy
RBC Apprentice Director & Kathleen C. Freeman Development Fund Recipient
Bryn Kennedy (she/her) is a theatre director, sometimes actor, emerging producer and reluctant writer. She is a scrappy, independent theatre artist whose favourite directing credits include a new interpretation of VITALS by Rosamund Small (Nominated Outstanding Solo Performance, My Entertainment Awards), new play BENEATH THE BED by Gabriel Golin (sold-out site-specific run at the
Toronto Fringe Festival), SCHILLER’S MARY STUART (Stratford Directors Workshop Projects), and JANE by Camille Intson (Tarragon Greenhouse Festival), a new, speculative fiction drama in development. She assistant directed A BEAR AWAKE IN WINTER (Canadian Stage Workshop & Next Stage Theatre Festival) and HAMLET (Stratford Festival). She was a member of Nightwood Theatre’s Young Innovators Unit, Paprika Festival Directors Lab, and Directors Lab North 2021. In 2022, she was a member of Tarragon Theatre’s inaugural Greenhouse Residency and Stratford Festival’s Langham Directors Workshop, winning the Jean Gascon Award for Emerging Director. She is proud to be in her second year as Artistic Associate with Directors Lab North, building community between directors from around the world. She credits years of belting showtunes in the car with her Dad for her love of musical theatre.
Chris Tsujiuchi – Music Director
Chris Tsujiuchi
Chris Tsujiuchi’s performance credits include LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Capitol Theatre Port Hope), AN INCOMPLETE LIST (Toronto Fringe), BOX 4901, RECURRING JOHN (Summerworks Festival), and THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Hart House Theatre). Musical Direction credits include ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE (Theatre Calgary), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Bad Hats / MTYP), INTO THE WOODS (Talk is Free Theatre / Winter Garden Theatre), PARADE (Toronto Musical Concerts), THE LAST FIVE YEARS (YRG Productions), ONEGIN (Musical Stage Company/National Arts Centre/Arts Club Western Canada Tour), and ANY DREAM WILL DO (Angelwalk Theatre & Theatre Collingwood). Chris has worked as an accompanist and teacher at Sheridan College, TMU, Randolph Academy, and George Brown College. He has toured extensively with Sharron Matthews, and can also be seen performing in Asian Riffing Trio (aka ART) and his own “Chris-terical” series of Cabarets at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
Sarah O’Brecht – Dramaturge
Sarah O’Brecht
RBC Apprentice Artistic Director & Kathleen C. Freeman Development Fund Recipient
Sarah O’Brecht is a Toronto-based performer, emerging producer, director and writer from Saint John, New Brunswick. Her theatre credits include 1979 (TNB), NOISES OFF, MAMMA MIA (Neptune), NO MAN IS AN ISLAND (Atlantic Rep), ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, MAMMA MIA, ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (Charlottetown Festival), JERSEY BOYS, CHICAGO (Stage West), GUYS AND DOLLS (Segal Centre), JOHNNY BELINDA (Smile Theatre). Sarah assistant directed BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Globe Theatre) and LUCY MAUD & ANNE (Smile Theatre). On screen, she appeared in MOTHER OF INVENTION, LADY DARB, ADULTING, GOOD WITCH, and WAREHOUSE 13. Sarah wrote, produced, and starred in GOOD WITH HER, a short film directed by Sheila McCarthy. Her writer/director debut short, SHE HER HIM, appeared at the Reelworld Festival. In 2021, Sarah co-produced Theatre Making Movement, a musical theatre development symposium, featuring keynote speaker Susan Stroman. In 2022, Sarah was a guest artist at the Watershed Festival at Queens University and produced RACE CARDS (in Two Acts) for Prime Mover Theatre Co. She is a member of the Monster Collective. @sarahobrecht | www.sarahobrecht.com