The Team Behind "Just Friends"

Amilia Fehr is a jack of all trades, and a master of some. A bassist, guitarist, pilot, graphic designer, and photographer, Amilia is petrified of living a stagnant life. Amilia got her start as a bassist in her middle school jazz band, and has since played with various Manitoba ensembles, including jazz quartet Mellow Mood, alternative rock band Cloud Croft, duo boo boo kitty, and the Southern Manitoba Community Orchestra. When not playing music, Amilia spends her time photographing bands in concert and at local festivals.

Madly Friesen is a pianist, music educator, and conductor based in Winnipeg. They hold degrees in music from the University of Toronto, the University of Manitoba, and Canadian Mennonite University. Madly teaches elementary performing arts, and enjoys teaching children to line dance and play boomwhackers. They are the Voices:Columns Editor of Anacrusis, Choral Canada’s national journal, and conduct local ensembles, such as the Winnipeg Physician Choir. As a musician, Madly enjoys working with Manitoba composers and songwriters, highlighting the incredible art that comes from the prairies. Madly plays keys in local bands Linzle and boo boo kitty, and hopes to one day play the keytar.

Oak is incredibly excited to be a part of Just Friends and the opportunity to work in the RMTC. They recently worked with the Village Conservatory as the lighting designer for Inhibition/Exhibition (2023, 2024), and toured with the RWB on their On The Edge tour in 2023. Oak studied Drama at Bishops University (Sherbrooke, Quebec) studying a variety of roles on and off stage. For fun, Oak can be found swing dancing, biking, or napping.

Ava Wray Glendinning is a musician and educator based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She has played guitar, bass, and synth in numerous groups whose genres span folk, country, rock, new-wave, pop, and jazz. With her indie duo, Bicycle Face, she has recorded music videos, toured Western Canada, and released two EPs and an outer-space-themed concept album. Ava holds a B.Mus. in Jazz Performance from Brandon University. A passionate teacher, she has taught guitar lessons since 2008, and volunteers as a guitar and band instructor for We Rock Winnipeg, a summer music camp for female, trans, and nonbinary kids.

Dan is a middle years educator in the Seven Oaks School Division and has been part of its musical theatre family since 2003. He has directed shows such as Lion King Jr, Shrek, We Will Rock You, and Rock of Ages(Middle School Edition) at École Seven Oaks Middle School. He has directed In the Heights, Chicago, and Footloose with Recycled Talent Productions (RTP). This is Dan’s first Fringe show as Stage Manager.

Esther Koepnick (she/her) is a theatre maker living on Treaty One territory. She is a multidisciplinary artist whose pursuits include acting, singing, songwriting, playwriting, and costume design. Select acting credits include, Untethered (The Village Conservatory) Fiddler on the Roof (Grande Prairie Live Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (GPLT), The Amish Project (Dark Glass Theatre), An L. M. Montgomery Christmas (RSA).

Jill is a multidisciplinary artist who has called Winnipeg home since 2020. They completed their MA in Applied Drama at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2016 and founded OnTRAC, a theatre company dedicated to teaching and producing theatre with incarcerated individuals. Jill teaches high school choir and performing arts in Winnipeg School Division and is the founder and Artistic Director of Lavender Theatrical Productions. Previous credits include A New Brain (Met School - Director), Mustard (OnTRAC - Director), Seven Stories (OnTRAC - Director), Slip, Knit, Purl (MindPlay Festival - Writer/Director), and Bloom (Hamilton Fringe Festival - Writer/Director).

Amber Landry graduated from the Canadian College of Performing Arts in 2017, studying intensive musical theatre performance. After years of  acting and performing on the west coast, Amber shifted to songwriting and recording their own music under the name Amby. Their music focuses on queer love, heartbreak, and Big Feelings. Just Friends is Amber’s debut as a composer, and their re-emergence into acting. 

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IG @scamberlandry

Kelsey is a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator who taught music all over the prairies before landing in Winnipeg in 2016. She has provided music for a number of stage productions and is excited to return to the theatre community to be a part of “Just Friends”. Kelsey received her B. Mus and B. Ed from Brandon University and now teaches early years music in Pembina Trails School Division. She is a founding member of the FAF Marching Band, who are known for bringing raucous music and chants to local rallies and community events, making noise in the name of social justice.  

Carly Rackal is a queer intimacy professional and actor of Trinidadian-Canadian descent currently living and working on Treaty 1 Territory in Winnipeg, MB. She is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Acting Honours program, holds a BAH in Performance and is currently completing her Intimacy Director certification with IDC. Carly loves celebrating queer joy on stage and is very excited to be working on this beautiful story.

Phil Rogalsky is a musical theatre artist based in Winnipeg. Phil is an actor, singer, instrumentalist and composer. Select credits: Untethered (Village Conservatory), Little Shop of Horrors (Winnipeg Fringe), Footloose, Next to Normal (Recycled Talent Productions), SpongeBob the Musical (Studioworks).

Halley Ritter is an artist, curator, and educator based in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Treaty 1 territory. A long time lover of theatre, Halley has always been involved with performance in one way or another; taking on many a one-line ensemble role in high school musicals, writing and directing countless summer camp productions, volunteering behind the scenes for her students’ plays, and always getting a bit choked up in the audience when an overture starts to play. This is Halley’s first official foray into the staging and production side of theatre, and she is just tickled to be a part of Just Friends.

Tara Streilein is excited to return to Winnipeg Fringe. She’s a multidisciplinary artist with a love for acting, music, dance, and visual art. Select theatre credits include Footloose (Recycled Talent Productions), The Launchpad Project (Sarasvati Productions), Journey to Kalcedon Island (Winnipeg Fringe), Little Shop of Horrors (Garden City). Film credits include Sunshine Slayings, Finally Caught, Death of the Party, and Rich Kid. 

IG: tara_streilein