Students Past & Present

Jenny Young: Jenny has many credits in theatre. She has toured Canada and the U.S. with Joan MacLeod’s successful play entitled The Shape of a Girl, which was performed for the Prince of Wales. Recently Jenny appeared in: Stratford, England in a play by Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad; a solo appearance in The Syringa Tree and plays Pat ‘Coach’ Kinsella on CBC’s Afghanada. She has appeared in many productions including: Molly’s Veil, The Anger in Ernest & Ernestine and Mary’s Wedding. Jenny is the recipient of many awards: the Jessie Richardson (Vancouver) and the Betty Mitchell (Calgary) as well as being nominated twice for the Dora Mavor Moore (Toronto). She currently co-runs tiny bird theatre in Toronto. Jenny will be appearing at the Shaw Festival as ‘Josie’ in Eugene O'neil's A Moon for the Misbegotten as well as in Noel Coward’s, Ways of the Heart.

Jonathon Young runs his own theatre company in Vancouver--The Electric Theatre Company and has several film, television and theatre credits, most recent among them: The Sanctuary (‘Nicola Tesla’) and Stargate Atlantis (‘Dr. Parrish’). He co-wrote the play and film, The Score, and is now on tour with Serge Bennathon’s play, The Invisible Life of Joseph Finch.

Ashley Plomp~

Ashley Plomp is currently attending the Musical Theatre Diploma programme at Grant MacEwan. Recently, Ashley was in Lady M (which is MacBeth, performed in an hour by 5 women), playing the parts of Lady MacBeth, Malcolm and Second Witch. As well she co-wrote and acted in The Adventures of the Famous Five and will appear in A Connecticut Yankee.

Past experience includes: “WITT” in Grand Hotel, and “Louise” in Road by Jim Cartwright; a trapped water nymph named “Mnimninmni” in Stewart LeMoine’s The Addlepated Nixie. In past years Ashley has played the role of “Viola” from Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare as well as “Juilet” from Good Night Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet. This year Ashley has also had the pleasure of discovering her inner clown through a class by Jan Henderson.

Most of Ashley’s acting training has come from Antony and Kay Stamboulieh of the Vernon School of Speech and Drama. They provided Ashley with a solid foundation of training for which she is extremely grateful.

James Ingram and Dominik Dlouhy have both received National Exhibition Awards from Trinity Guildhall for highest achievement in North America, Caribbean and Bermuda.

Stephanie Phen, a student of the Vancouver School of Speech & Drama, recently won gold at the all China National Children and Youth Talent competition in Beijing and appeared on China Central Television’s New Year Concert. Stephanie lives in Shanghai and attends the Vancouver School of Speech and Drama weekly via Skype. In the 2008 Trinity Guildhall exams Stephanie achieved 98%. In 2009 Stephanie won the Trinity Guildhall Exhibition Award for outstanding achievement in China.

MariaLuisa Alvarez is in the theatre programme at the University of BC where she recently played Millie/Christine in William Inge’s Picnic; Hecuba in Trojan Women; Pantalone in Servant of Two Masters and the lead role in the play, Medea, at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts. She will be appearing as Leather girl in The Idiot's Karamatzov, by Christopher Durang and Albert Innaurato. Marialuisa has graduated from UBC with her BFA and is now studying in Europe iin both England and Paris.

~Aaron Sholomenko

After training at the Vernon School of Speech and Drama, Aaron Sholomenko was accepted into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Upon completing conservatory he was invited to join the prestigious Academy Company as its youngest member, which just concluded its 125th season. His favorite roles in the Company were: Medvedenko in The Seagull, Norman in Suburbia, Roderigo in Othello, and Dave in Jump/Cut. He's been featured on television in such shows as NBC's Eureka:Once in a Lifetime, and Lifetime Network's Augusta Gone. He will also appear in HBO's In Treatment starring Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Vanity Fair) and two-time Oscar Winner, Diane Wiest. He now lives in New York and is acting full-time. He is hugely grateful to Antony and Kay and the Vernon School of Speech and Drama for the superb support, foundation, and training that they provided him!

Matthew Shewchuk

Matt first developed his love for the theatre in Grade Ten and then went on to study at The Vernon School of Speech and Drama, achieving Trinity Guildhall Grade 8 Speech and Drama. He is now studying theatre at the University of Victoria, where he is finding the training he received at the Vernon School of Speech & Drama has given him an extensive background. Matt has been elected as the Student Alternative Theatre Representative for the Phoenix Theatre, where he has had the opportunity to crew a main stage production of Romeo and Juliet all within his first semester. In the future Matthew hopes to further his acting career, but he knows he would not be where he is today without the concrete acting foundation that Tony and Kay have given him.

Danby Felker

Nobody would've guessed 5 years ago that Danby would eventually be Top Teen of Canada. After the death of her mom in 2000, Danby realized her passion for writing and her need to make a difference in the world around her. Although the recent years have been filled with many challenges (struggles with Clinical Depression, an eating disorder and living on her own), these life experiences have furthered Danby's maturity and life-knowledge.

In the future, Danby hopes to be a photojournalist, traveling the world, meeting new people and at the same time making a difference. However, this upcoming year will be focused largely on Top Teen of Canada and inspiring people (especially youth) to get involved in charities or whatever interests them.

“A special thank you to Tony and Kay Stamboulieh: You both have always been there for me through the hardships I've faced. The many years of Speech and Drama training have made Top Teen of Canada possible.

I’m looking forward to a busy and life-altering year!”