Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre-2024/25 Mentees

2024/25 MENTEES

Lee Banaga

Lee began dancing at the age of 14, mainly with SIKAT Dance Company. Travelling across North America and competing in showcases, gaining exposure to numerous performances such as World of Dance (Chicago, San Diego, Orlando & Pasadena), San Francisco’s Urban Paradise and Artist Emerge (Vancouver & Edmonton) to name a few. In 2014, Lee was fortunate to travel to San Diego, completing a 1-on-1 private training session with award winning dance choreographers Keone and Mariel Madrid. Under their guidance and training, Lee has extended his repertoire and has become a more versatile dancer and choreographer. Presently, Lee has accomplished various projects including co-choreographing his first musical Ma-Buhay! Filipinos singing for their lives! directed/created by Joseph Sevillo. As well as choreographing for the CFL Blue Bombers cheer dance team. He maintains mentorship from Sofia Constantini while balancing teaching and instructing the students at L.A Dance Academy. As an instructor, his objective is to inspire future generations by sharing his understanding and appreciation of hip hop. Lee’s aspiration is to establish himself as a versatile and accomplished dancer by continuing to be a student of the art.

Ava Darrach-Gagnon

ROYAL MTC Little Women, Sense and Sensibility, Unnecessary Farce.
OTHER THEATRE The Winter’s Tale/Le conte d’hiver (SIR/Théâtre Cercle Molière); Come Wind, Come Rain (The Free Theatre – Winnipeg); Joe Job (Imaginary Productions); Revenge of the Meek (Thinlizotte Productions); God: A Play in One Act (1042 Productions); Pizza Man (Coffee Guy Productions).
FILM/TV Autumn at Apple Hill, Wintertide, ‘Tis the Season to be Merry, A House on Fire, Burden of Truth, Our Christmas Love Song, Always and Forever Christmas, Washed Away, Journey Back to Christmas, Escape or Die.
TRAINING Graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Acting Honours Program.

Julia Davis

Julia Davis (she/her) is an Inuk actor, singer and composer born in Churchill, currently residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Previous selected credits include Waitress, Little Women (Royal MTC); Miss Shakespeare (WST); Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz (Rainbow Stage); The Sound of Music (Royal MTC/Citadel); Frozen River/Nikwatin Sipiy (MTYP/YPT); and The Yeomen of the Guard (G&S Society of Winnipeg).

Victoria Exconde

Victoria Exconde (she/her) is a Canadian-Filipino theatre performer, aspiring choreographer, and dedicated dance educator. A graduate of the Senior Professional Program at The School of Contemporary Dancers, she holds a BA Honours in Dance and Theatre from the University of Winnipeg. Over the course of her career, Victoria has taught at numerous dance studios and schools, sharing her expertise and passion for the performing arts with students of all ages and backgrounds. Performance credits include: Ma-Buhay!, Mary Poppins (Rainbow Stage); Fame (Winnipeg Studio Theatre); Saplings (One Trunk Theatre); Yofanana, Mapiko (Nafro Dance Productions); Maria and the Mennos (Ode Productions); BOSS Dance Team, and Winnipeg Blue Bomber Cheer and Dance Team. She continues to inspire and uplift her community through her work both on stage and in the studio. Victoria is grateful for the opportunity to participate in the National Mentorship Program with Royal MTC and would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to her husband, Robin Jordan, and all her family and friends for their unwavering love and support. Follow her journey on Instagram: @vexconde

Sarah Flynn

Sarah (she/her/elle) is an award-winning playwright, theatre performer and the Artistic Associate at Manitoba Theatre for Young People. Sarah studied Theatre Performance, Devised Theatre and Classical Societies at the University of Winnipeg. She is a self-taught puppeteer; became a Baby Clown at the Clown Farm; and trained in Suzuki Technique with SITI Company. Sarah has performed in theatres, schools and community centres across Winnipeg, Italy and the Manitoba Interlake. Sarah won the Harry Rintoul Award for Best New Manitoba Play at the 2022 Winnipeg Fringe Festival for her play What Happens After?. Sarah is fortunate to have Ellen Peterson as a playwrighting mentor thanks to Creative Manitoba’s Professional Mentorship Program. Sarah enjoys frolicking in forests, lighting things on fire, and playing with her food. Find out more on Sarah’s website sarahflynn.ca

Monique Gauthier

Monique Gauthier (she/her) is a producer, stage manager, arts administrator and designer in the Winnipeg theatre scene, and is the Production Manager of her independent company JHG Creative. As a stage manager, her most recent credits include Breaking Up With Me, The Mailroom, and World’s Fair (JHG Creative); The Antipodes (The 28th Minute); and The Ultimate Actor’s Nightmare (Club Soda Improv). In 2025, she will be the Apprentice Stage Manager for Blue Beads and Blueberries (MTYP), and the Assistant Lighting Designer for Elevate: Manaaji'idiwin (Royal MTC). When not backstage, Moe sits as the Vice Chair on Theatre Projects Manitoba’s Board of Directors, and is a member of The Sandbox TYA Play Creation Forum at Manitoba Theatre for Young People. Moe has twice won the Harry S. Rintoul Award for Best New Manitoba Play. In all roles, Moe is constantly working to ensure that all marginalized groups have a voice in their community— onstage, and off. She looks forward to this exciting mentorship opportunity!

Devin Lowry

Devin is a multidisciplinary artist based out of Treaty 1, Winnipeg, MB. He is a graduate of The University of Winnipeg Theatre and Film Honours Program in 2019 and alumnus of The Village Conservatory in 2021. Recent credits include: End of the Line (TPM); The Prom (Dry Cold Productions); FAME (WST); The Hockey Sweater (Rainbow Stage). He would like to recognize that he would not be here following his passion without the support of his family and friends.

Hera Nalam

Born and raised in the Philippines, Hera Nalam (she/they) first came to Treaty One Territory at 16 years old. Ever since then she has immersed herself in the local creative platforms all over Winnipeg from music, theatre, film and fashion and is making waves as a true inter-disciplinary artist. Hera attended the University of Winnipeg and acquired her Bachelor of Arts with Honours for Theatre and Film Performance from the University of Winnipeg in 2019. She wowed audiences with her charm when she first performed on school productions at university such as Rosencrantz and Guildenster are Dead, Concord Floral and Time and The Conways (University of Winnipeg). Coming out of University, she was quick to book performances all over the city of Winnipeg in theatres including the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Shakespeare in the Ruins and Manitoba Theatre for Young Audiences. She also dabbles into film and landed gigs including stunt gigs for Escaping The Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story (2019). She was last seen on screen on Winnipeg’s hit Rom-Com of 2020, screening in over 8 theatres across Canada, I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight when she debuted on film as the lead actress. Hera received high praise from critics all over Canada including the Winnipeg Free Press, The Globe and Mail as well as the National Post. Hera’s performance also earned her a spot in iHeart Radio Ace Burpee’s list of Most Fascinating Manitobans of 2020.

Josh Pinette

Josh Pinette (he/him) is an emerging theatre artist with a love for acting and writing born and raised on Treaty One Territory. Recent projects include: Apoptosis (Metanoia Theatre/Winnipeg Fringe Festival); How They’ll Tell It (The Village Conservatory for Music Theatre Staged Reading and a workshop supported by Canada Council for the Arts); and 40 Below (What If Theatre/The Gargoyle Players Staged Reading). Josh has trained at Railtown Actors Studio in Vancouver, BC and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Manitoba.