The Familiar Podcast

Cast & Crew

Season 1 Cast & Crew

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maggie sulc

writer, producer, director, creator

Maggie Sulc is a writer hailing originally from Tennessee and Texas. After her fourth grade teacher read her first short story aloud to the class, Maggie explored fiction, poetry, and nonfiction until finding her main voice as a scriptwriter. Since completing her MA in Theatre and Performance Studies at York University, she has worked with Tarragon Theatre, the Shaw Festival, Storefront Theatre, and completed two residencies with Indy Convergence. Her plays have been produced in Texas, Michigan, Toronto, and Edinburgh. Her favourite writing and dramaturgy projects involve haunted antique dolls, werewolves, and the first lesbians in space.

Sadie johnston

producer, creator


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Young man with glasses and shirt brown hair stands in front of a white brick wall and behind a white sofa wearing a dark gray t-shirt, black pants, and black shoes.

darren marranca

DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, VOICE ACTOR (MAN IN EPISODE 5)

Once a cabinet maker, now a writer, sometimes a director, always a musician. He also likes Star Wars. A lot.

Sebastian Biega

Audio Engineer

Sebastian has worked in many different audio arenas including composition, voice direction, music supervision and audio engineering. In his downtime, Sebastian enjoys playing guitar in his band and working with local artists on records and podcast alike.

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Levi Considine

sound designer

Small town kid trying to make it in the big city with a passion for Sound Design and thirst for work. If I’m not spending my time off working on my craft, I can be found online playing my favourite games.

aniqa dear

original music

Hailing from Toronto, Ontario Canada, Aniqa Dear is an exceptional electro-pop band who created the theme music for The Familiar.

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steven preisman

logo design

Art Director, Illustrator, all around great guy.

Hayley pace

narration workshop director

Hayley Pace is an actress from Kitchener, Ontario. She is most known for her appearances in Schitt’s Creek (CBC), In The Dark (CW), and The Expanse (Amazon Prime). She is a graduate of the Devised Theatre & Design programs at York University, Magna Cum Laude. Because career in acting is hard, she keeps active by doing scenes and coaching her fellow colleagues from her kitchen studio every Monday.  

She is the founder of Toronto's first marching band theatre company, The Teeny Tiny Music Show, having self-produced her storytelling shows with the company for three years in various festivals throughout Ontario.

Hayley is also an award-winning Production Designer for film and television having designed for various emerging and established Canadian and American production companies stationed in Toronto. You can see more of her work at www.hayleypace.com.

Hayley Headshot2089_EDIT
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raechel e. kula

leo - narrator in all episodes

Raechel E. Kula grew up in Honolulu and emigrated to Canada in 1999. She is extremely grateful to have moved away from an IT career by studying Theatre and Computational Arts at York University where she is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Digital Media. Raechel creates digitally enhanced set, costume, sound and video designs including numerous productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and an audience engagement project, EdFest Quest since 2018. She also provides live video art for Desi-rock band Sirens of Shanti and appears as a dancer with Spirit of Aloha Ohana Hula. She is currently collaborating with Alexandra Caprara on Threadbare, an interactive installation exploring assault survivor stories through clothing.

episode 1 - Zombies or snoring?

leia warren

Olivia

Leia Warren is a Toronto based artist. Between from sculpting and felting and working with plants and flowers, she enjoys cartoons, podcasts and a good ol' musical. She'll be participating in local arts market throughout 2020. Find her on social media @witch.vs.bitch

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nicholas surges

jim

Nicholas Surges is an actor, writer, and eccentric now living in the nation's capital. A graduate of Sheridan College's Performing Arts Preparatory program and Algonquin College's Theatre Arts program, his writing has largely focused on exploring contemporary themes through a period or fairytale framework. His stageplays include "The White Stag" (a surrealist, homoromantic horror about the Spanish Flu), "The Cave", and "The Uglies", while screenwriting credits include "The Toothbrush" and the soon-to-be-released "Mummy Brown". Now living in Ottawa, he is now tackling his next project: launching a staged reading series for new works.

episode 2 - TAilless

elizabeth rose morriss

tailless

Elizabeth Rose Morriss most recently played Josephine Strong in Urinetown (We Are Here Productions), Emma in the one-woman musical Tell Me On a Sunday (Civic Light Opera Company), and Mrs. Thorwald in The Rear Window (Bygone Theatre). A fan of old MGM musicals, last year she created and performed her own cabaret I Woke Up Singing: the Jane Powell Songbook. She has degrees in Music Theatre (Acadia University) and Education (Nipissing University) and is on Bygone Theatre’s Board of Directors. On film, Elizabeth played the Mother in A Single Bound, which was a selection of the 2018 Toronto Short Film Festival. She appears in episodes of web series Teens 101 and (upcoming) Here’s Ginger. She's thrilled to be making her audio fiction and podcast debut in The Familiar! Keep up with Elizabeth online: Twitter & Instagram @lizrosemorriss, and facebook.com/elizabethrosemorriss.

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celeste koon

bucky

Celeste is a fun and creative filmmaker known for her unique mixed-media style. She has written, directed, and produced a number of short films which have gotten into film festivals across the globe. Through the success of her films she was commissioned to write, direct, and design, two short segments for PBS’s Sesame Street’s 44th season. Most recently she was commissioned by CBC Short Docs to write and direct an animated documentary entitled Love Letters From Everest which she is absolutely ecstatic to share early February 2020. 

Celeste is newer to acting but loved being a part of The Familiar and playing the role of Bucky. She looks forward to (fingers crossed) doing more voice work in future. 

Contact: celeste@pennyfarthingpictures.com

episode 3 - Patterson's time

chris peterson

pat

Originally from the U.S., Chris Peterson performed and studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC before taking a decade break. Since returning to acting 5 years ago in TO, he’s been in a number of stage and film/tv productions. Credits include Proof (Theatre Unblocked), August: Osage County (Alumnae), His Girl Friday (Bygone Theatre), and Sorry, Wrong Number/The Hitchhiker (Plain Stage). Other podcast credits include the recently released The Program (programaudioseries.com). More at chrispeterson.me.

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DJ SYLVIS

EARTH

D.J. is one of the founding members of Monkeyman Productions, Toronto's geekiest media company. They currently write / edit / produce fiction podcasts including the sci-fi drama Moonbase Theta, Out; occasionally still write for the stage; and even more occasionally does some voice acting. They live in Toronto and have two partners, two cats, an apartment full of Halloween decorations and oddities, and a truly impressive collection of tattoos.

erin alladin

lorna

Erin Alladin was discovered as a young introvert and raised by a colourful series of community theatre groups in North Bay, Ontario. Realizing that performing for people was much easier than conversing with them, she went on to lead camps, conventions, and workshops on a wide range of topics. Today Erin runs a community permaculture garden, edits children’s books, and speculates about rearranging her schedule to spend some more time on the stage.

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Krystyna hunt

mrs. patterson

Krystyna Hunt has been performing for film, TV and theatre, or writing her entire adult life. Now, for the second time, she is acting only with her voice. The first time was in 1968, in No Exit for CBC-Radio Winnipeg. She has had pivotal roles in Canadian feature films Mentamorphosis and Modern Classic. A stage play of hers, War and Peace: A Family Story was performed at Alumnae Theatre's New Ideas Festival in 2016. But most of the time she acts onstage as part of the Act 2 Studio company diverging occasionally with The Village Players and The Irish Players.

episode 4 - balloons

daniel coo

nolan

Dan taught secondary school English and Drama for over 30 years. He holds degrees from Toronto, Western and Nipissing universities. He lives in the serene village of Cookstown, and plays bass for his church choir. His favorite roles have included spry grandfathers, sentimental grandfathers, and grumpy grandfathers. He has no grandchildren. Yet.

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meghan de chastelain

polly

Meghan de Chastelain is a Toronto-based actor-creator. Select credits: Assistant Director (Judith Thompson’s Watching Glory Die); Assistant Director (Stratford Shakespeare School), Eliza Doolittle (Pygmalion), Cecily (The Importance of Being Earnest), Desdemona (Othello), Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Tess (Bluestockings), Milli (Queen Milli of Galt), Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) and Chris (Dancing at Lughnasa). Meghan co-created Bus Stop To (K)nowhere and is expanding her one-woman show The Monster Experiment.

Georgia Grant

Red

Georgia is thrilled to lend her voice acting skills to The Familiar Podcast. At home on the stage, either in musicals or straight plays, some of her favourite roles to date include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Grace Farrell in Annie, Dionne in Hair, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Lady of the Lake in Spamalot. As always, thanks to my son, Angel for letting me play.

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Andres Aguilar

Frustrated Man


Ryan fox

encouraging boy

A seasoned creative professional with a passion for travel, an obsession with cars, and the ability to resist everything but temptation. In his spare time, Ryan, can be found working inspirational Oscar Wilde quotes into short actor biographies.

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dan marranca

uncertain boy

Dan is a 32 year-old Torontonian, born and raised in Stoney Creek, ON. Before settling down in the big city, he toured and played drums full time in various metal bands. He loves heavy music, vegan food, old Simpsons episodes and befriending any and every animal he can meet.

episode 5 - arrivals driver

caroline sawyer

woman

Caroline Sawyer is an Actor, Singer, and Dancer based in Toronto. Recent credits include: FILM: Lead in ‘Psycho’ (Dir. Tom Sokalski); Principle role in ‘Believers’ (Dir. Bob Ziel); Amy Walker in ‘Murder U’ (Dir. Brian Rice); Julie in ‘American Grace’ (AngelHeart Productions); B5C Dance Co. in the ‘PanAm Closing Ceremony,’ (CBC); THEATRE: Jezebel in 'The Hungry' (Unit 102 Actors Co); 'Guys and Dolls' (First Act Productions); ‘Lovelash: The Musical’ (Entr’Acte Studios); Featured Dancer in ‘Gunshot’ (ReActive Theatre); CHOREOGRAPHY: "Multiplicity"; "The River Nymph"; "International Friendly"; and "To Void the Thought." Adjudicator for the 2015 IAWTV Awards for Best Female Performance in a Comedy.

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Murad bashir

driver

Murad Bashir is a Toronto based Pakistani voice actor. He has taken an interest in voice acting and audio editing since high school, and hopes to continue developing his skills in the industry. Although his signature sound is in the lower range, he's capable of a wide range of voices. Murad appreciates this opportunity and is thankful to the team of The Familiar Podcast.

episode 6 - tally thrasher

blythe haynes

tally thrasher

Blythe Haynes holds her BFA from the University of Alberta, but calls Toronto home, where she is an actor, award-winning voice artist and producer. She is a co-founder of Gangway! Theatre Co., a collective that focuses on Canadian, female-based stories. Select Voice Credits: “Incident On and Off a Mountain” (Campfire Radio Theatre), “We Are New(s)” (APEX Magazine), Six Stories, Told At Night the Audiodrama (KT Bryski Productions) Recent Theatre: An Atlas, A Necktie & Other Concerns (Period. Productions/Toronto Fringe), Six Stories, Told At Night (Gangway!) and A Canticle of Light (Missed Metaphor Productions). Upcoming Theatre and Voice: The Clockmaker (The Edge Productions & Gangway!) and The Characters: Acts I & II (Untitled Arts Society).

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carly macisaac

rachel brents

Carly MacIsaac is a Toronto-based creator with an endless curiosity for human behaviour, visual storytelling, and emotional connection. Born and raised in the prairies, she grew up on stage as a theatre actor before pursuing a career in film. Carly wrote and starred in the web-series Easy V (Natalie Novak Films) which made its festival rounds at Vancouver Web Fest, LA Web Fest, Rio Web Fest, Sicily Web Fest, before landing on the female filmmaker Youtube channel "Then She Said". Most recently Carly wrote and produced the short film P!GS with Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, which stars Canadian powerhouses Karen Robinson, Christine Horne, Tony Nappo, and Andrew Moodie (dir. Chala Hunter). Her collection of poetry, one thousand matches, can be found at Indigo/Chapters/Coles.

tiffany witcher

Mrs. brents

Tiffany Witcher has been acting for the past fifteen years and for the past two has been a voice actor. Originally from Washington DC, she now lives in the Ontario area voicing for indie video games, animations and podcasts. She enjoys meeting new people and voicing new projects. On top of being a voice actress, she's a dedicated charity working for the Lupus Foundation to help raise money and awareness for the disease.

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alaina walker

good samaritan

Alaina is a performer with over a decade in the entertainment industry. Growing up in Chatham, Ontario she was raised in a home production studio where her father created "Street Sport Television" previously "Old Autos Television") for syndication across various networks as well as regional commercials under the "Maverick Multimedia" brand. This gave her the opportunity to fill many roles both on and off set, but her favourite was always in front of the camera or microphone. She still regularly provides voice talent for commercials produced by Maverick. When it came time to pursue a career, Alaina turned to Fanshawe College in London, Ontario where she received a diploma in Theatre Arts and appeared in local productions. Now living in Toronto and pursuing a career in film and television, she also performs burlesque as "Dottie Champagne". This persona embodies her bubbly personality and shameless self-expression.