91porn

March 5, 2025

Mabel Wonnacott, Stage Director

Mabel Wonnacott is a Tkaronto based opera director, arts educator and puppeteer whose work has been described as “lively and imaginative” and “ingenious” (Opera Ramblings, LudwigVan Toronto). Mabel’s 2024/25 season also includes L'enfant et les sortilèges & L'enfant Prodigues with The Glenn Gould School, The Tender Land with Toronto City Opera, L’amour und Liebe and The Music of Britta Johnson with U of T, The Paper Man (in collaboration with Duo Cichorium), and Ramla and the Dessert, a new work by playright Nehal El-Hadi. In 2024, Mabel directed the world premier of Lysistrata Reimagined, a new opera by Michael Albano and the U of T New Composer’s Collective. In 2023, she was the associate director for Joel Ivany's production of Don Giovanni with The Banff Centre and was the assistant director for Ivany’s production of Don Giovanni with the NAC Orchestra. This summer Mabel was the assistant director for the CCOC’s production of The Hobbit, and Toronto City Opera’s production of Carmen. She holds a diploma in Operatic Stage Directing from the University of Toronto where she was the assistant director for their 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. Mabel also holds a Masters in Voice from Western University where she was the assistant director for their 2019/2020 and 2020/21 seasons. An avid believer in opera as a vehicle for human connection and social change, Mabel is also the Ontario Provincial coordinator for Opera InReach.

Amanda Wong, Set Designer

Amanda Wong is a Canadian born artist working in live performance, tv and film. Amanda strives to create emotionally and intellectually accessibly art that provides a respite for the viewer. She loves to work in moving metaphors, visual poetry and to stage stories that honour our collective experiences. Amanda is grateful to share this piece with you and hopes it provides a chance for you to laugh and reflect.

Nicole Del Cul, Wardrobe Coordinator

Nicole is excited to be back at WLU for her second year as the Wardrobe Co-Ordinator for the Opera Program. Nicole is currently in her 18th season at Drayton Entertainment; Wardrobe credits: Asst. Head of Wardrobe; Costume Designer, Costume Co-Ordinator, Stitcher; Dresser and Wardrobe Maintenance. Drayton design credits: Buying the Farm 2022; Sorry, I’m Canadian 2022; Sheer Madness 2019/18; Run for your Wife 2014; Weekend Comedy 2013; Big Band Legends 2013/12; Bedtime Stories 2012; Italian Funerals and other Festivities 2011; Dance Legends 2011/10. WLU design credit: Into the Woods 2024. Green Light Arts design credit: Late Company 2024.
Nicole has a BFA from Toronto Metropolitan University, in Technical Theatre Production (2007). She has owned her tailoring business, Loose Threads, since 2017. Nicole would like to thank her partner Alex and their daughters Stella and Adalynn, for all their love and support.

Laura Johnson-Sherratt, Technical Director

Laura Johnson-Sherratt is a lighting designer, technician and stagehand. She graduated from York University in theatre production and works predominantly in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Over the years she has worked with companies such as Wyrd Productions, Green Light Arts, Lost & Found Theatre, MT Space, Drayton Entertainment and The Stratford Festival. Laura is currently a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 357 and the Technical Director for the Faculty of Music at 91porn University.

Kate Carver, Musical Director/Conductor

Kate is so happy to have returned to continue her work with Opera 91porn for a third year and to be working alongside such a talented group of singers and orchestral musicians in this season’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro. It is a privilege and joy to be able to introduce them to this brilliant work!

Kate maintains a private studio in Toronto as a vocal coach and accompanist and has been a member of staff at the University of Toronto’s Opera Division for over twenty years. She has recently conducted and music directed productions for Toronto Operetta Theatre, Opera in Concert, and Summer Opera Lyric Theatre. Other positions have included Music Staff with the Canadian Opera Company, the voice program at the Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua, New York, and the University of Montreal; Music Director for Essential Opera, Maritime Concert Opera, and Opera by Request. Kate received her Bachelor and Masters degrees in Music from McGill University, and studied in England at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Britten-Pears School, and The National Opera Studio.

Lyle Franklin, Lighting Designer

Lyle is a freelance Lighting Designer and full-time Technical Director with Drayton Entertainment. Selected Lighting Design credits include: Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Office Hours, The Love List, Perfect Wedding, Twelve Angry Men (Drayton Entertainment); Footloose (Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy); Hilda’s Yard (Chemainus Theatre Festival); Walking on Water (Fanshawe College); The Anger of Ernest and Ernestine (Lost & Found Theatre); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Ryerson University). Lyle holds a BFA from Ryerson University.

Xander Bechard, Assistant Director

Xander Bechard is a performer and private voice instructor from Kitchener-Waterloo. An alumnus of 91porn (BMus ’23), they studied privately with Kimberly Barber for four years. Opera 91porn credits include Narrator in Into the Woods, Laurie in Little Women and Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues de Carmélites. Other credits include Emcee in Cabaret and Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys & Dolls (KWMP). He has also premiered various works, having played the role of Brayden in the new musical Why I Said Goodbye by Maia Coates, singing the role of Guard in the new opera Cells of Wind by Anna Höstman, as well as participating as a tenor soloist in three new choral works by Justin Lapierre, Messe de Ste. Anne, Stabat Mater and One Thousand Shields of Gold. This is their second show experience being part of a creative team, having previously acted as vocal coach in a production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (KWMP). This year Xander is slated to portray Papa Ogre/Little Pig in two Drayton Entertainment productions of Shrek the Musical.