Monday, June 15th at Factory Theatre 8pm
Three commissioned works, three brilliant playwrights, and a team of formidable artists to bring it to life.
Meet the playwrights
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Lucy Coren (she/her) is a theatre creator, producer and community arts facilitator. She has produced nationally and internationally for venues such as Theatre Royal Plymouth, Tramshed Arts, Native Earth Performing Arts and the National Arts Centre. Past creative work includes Football Fathers (De Grote Post, 2019), Transfers (SummerWorks, 2022) and Watch Me (SummerWorks 2024, Rhubarb Festival 2026.) Lucy has been a Buzz Artist with Theatre Passe Muraille, a member of The Foundry with Factory Theatre, and was an artist-researcher with Project: Humanity and Nightswimming. She is currently the Artistic Producer for Outside the March.
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Irene (Fan) Yi is a bilingual playwright, dramaturg, and performer. She holds a BA in English Literature from Wuhan University, a MA in Arts Administration from Indiana University Bloomington, and a MA in Theatre Studies and Dramaturgy from University of Ottawa. Her work lives between text, sound, projection, and movement, and emerges from sustained engagement with underserved and marginalized communities.
Her recent playwriting projects include I Have a Dream in Chinese, Human Acts, Space Unknown, An Unfinished Portrait of Her, and THE HOTPOT. Her work has been developed or presented through the Advance Theatre Festival, Black Theatre Workshop’s Club Zed Playwright Festival, YuTheatre Toronto, rice and beans theatre’s Polyphonic Residency.
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Jeff Ho is a theatre artist, originally from Hong Kong. As an actor, he has performed on stages across Canada and the United States.
As a playwright, his works include cockroach, Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land), Antigone: 方, and trace.
Upcoming: Prophetess - Tarragon (Fall, 2026) and pastoral - Shakespeare in the Ruff, (Summer, 2026)
Jeff is grateful to have been honoured with the LAMBDA Literary Award; Toronto Theatre Critics Award; finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award; nominated for four Dora Awards.
He is a graduate of the National Theatre School, and holds an MFA from York University, where he is also an Adjunct Professor. He is the Associate Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre.
Meet your hosts
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Nina Lee Aquino is a Filipino Canadian director, dramaturg, artistic leader, teacher, and mentor, and the Artistic Director of NAC English Theatre. She previously served as Artistic Director of Cahoots Theatre and Factory Theatre, and is the founding Artistic Director of fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company. She edited Canada’s first two-volume Asian Canadian play anthology and co-edited an award-winning book on Asian Canadian theatre. Aquino serves on PACT’s Board of Directors, teaches at several theatre schools across the country, and has received multiple honours, including the Ken McDougall Award, the John Hirsch Prize, the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Cultural Leadership Award, and three Dora Awards.
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郝邦宇 Steven Hao is a Tkaronto based artist that- Ok, now that they're no longer reading this. W.T.F? They asked me back to host AGAIN? Even after the Mulan number AND the 9/11 joke that bombed? (Sorry, not bombed! This is the exact kinda insensitivity the audience didn't want. it just didn't land very well...and I guess neither did the planes...) I mean I'm grateful! I think. They did want to assign me a co-host this year though, as an effort to keep me on the leash...I wonder which good for nothing nobody they hired to do that...AND if they think they can contain me, boy they've got another thing coming...
Kitchen Potluck 2026 Company & Creatives
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potluck co-host
Nina Lee Aquino is a Filipino Canadian director, dramaturg, artistic leader, teacher, and mentor, and the Artistic Director of NAC English Theatre. She previously served as Artistic Director of Cahoots Theatre and Factory Theatre, and is the founding Artistic Director of fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company. She edited Canada’s first two-volume Asian Canadian play anthology and co-edited an award-winning book on Asian Canadian theatre. Aquino serves on PACT’s Board of Directors, teaches at several theatre schools across the country, and has received multiple honours, including the Ken McDougall Award, the John Hirsch Prize, the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Cultural Leadership Award, and three Dora Awards.
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playwright/actor
Jeff Ho is a theatre artist, originally from Hong Kong. As an actor, he has performed on stages across Canada and the United States.
As a playwright, his works include cockroach, Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land), Antigone: 方, and trace.
Upcoming: Prophetess - Tarragon (Fall, 2026) and pastoral - Shakespeare in the Ruff, (Summer, 2026)
Jeff is grateful to have been honoured with the LAMBDA Literary Award; Toronto Theatre Critics Award; finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award; nominated for four Dora Awards.
He is a graduate of the National Theatre School, and holds an MFA from York University, where he is also an Adjunct Professor. He is the Associate Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre.
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dramaturge
Tawiah Ben M’Carthy was born in Accra, Ghana, where he was introduced to multidisciplinary theatre, and is now a Toronto-based theatre performer, playwright, creator and director.
As a theatre artist, Tawiah often employs both West African and Western theatre practices, combining the art of storytelling, text, movement and rituals with staging, design and characterization.
He trained as an actor in the Acting Conservatory Bachelor of Fine Arts program at York University and went on to perform in works like Three Sisters (Soulpepper/Obsidian Theatre), Sizwe Banzi Is Dead (Soulpepper Theatre) and Maanomaa, My Brother (Blue Bird Theatre Collective/Canadian Stage).
Tawiah’s practice as a director began in 2016. He continued to develop his directing skills through hands-on mentorship and internship experiences at Obsidian Theatre, Shaw Theatre Festival, and Factory Theatre. Tawiah was also an artistic director intern at Canadian Stage with the support of the Metcalf Foundation. He is the creator, playwright, and performer of the critically acclaimed Dora Mavor Moore Award–winning play Obaaberima, which was developed and produced in residency at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
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actor
Jobina Sitoh 司徒加恩 is an emerging Chinese-Malaysian artist from Vancouver, British Columbia. Since 2021, she has established herself as a theatre artist in Toronto, working with companies such as Theatre Passe Muraille, Open Heart Surgery Theatre, fu-GEN Theatre, Mixed Company Theatre, Riot King, and more. As Philip Akin’s mentee, she served as his assistant director for Canadian Stage’s 2026 production of Clyde’s. Jobina has just returned from revamping her role in Open Heart Surgery Theatre’s Erased in Germany, as part of the Heidelberger Stückemarkt festival. Jobina is also an emerging playwright and founder of Mother Tongue Theatre, a theatre-focused arts collective.
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playwright
Lucy Coren (she/her) is a theatre creator, producer and community arts facilitator. She has produced nationally and internationally for venues such as Theatre Royal Plymouth, Tramshed Arts, Native Earth Performing Arts and the National Arts Centre. Past creative work includes Football Fathers (De Grote Post, 2019), Transfers (SummerWorks, 2022) and Watch Me (SummerWorks 2024, Rhubarb Festival 2026.) Lucy has been a Buzz Artist with Theatre Passe Muraille, a member of The Foundry with Factory Theatre, and was an artist-researcher with Project: Humanity and Nightswimming. She is currently the Artistic Producer for Outside the March.
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playwright
Irene (Fan) Yi is a bilingual playwright, dramaturg, and performer. She holds a BA in English Literature from Wuhan University, a MA in Arts Administration from Indiana University Bloomington, and a MA in Theatre Studies and Dramaturgy from University of Ottawa. Her work lives between text, sound, projection, and movement, and emerges from sustained engagement with underserved and marginalized communities.
Her recent playwriting projects include I Have a Dream in Chinese, Human Acts, Space Unknown, An Unfinished Portrait of Her, and THE HOTPOT. Her work has been developed or presented through the Advance Theatre Festival, Black Theatre Workshop’s Club Zed Playwright Festival, YuTheatre Toronto, rice and beans theatre’s Polyphonic Residency.
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actor
Madelaine Hodges (賀美倫) (she/her) is a Chinese-Canadian queer artist from Scarborough. She is thrilled to be back at Potluck working with fu-GEN! She takes great joy in working on new text and has recently collaborated with theatres including: Crow's, Tarragon, Talk Is Free, Driftwood, and Highland Arts. Selected theatre credits: Pu Songling: Strange Tales (Crow’s Theatre/Theatre Smith-Gilmour), Iris (says Goodbye) (Mixtape Projects), Woking Phoenix (Theatre Passe Muraille/Silk Bath Collective - John Kaplan Audience Choice Dora Award), and The Two Noble Kinsmen (Shakespeare BASH'd - Dora Nom. Best Ensemble). Madelaine has a number of exciting projects in 2027 that will be announced shortly. @maddy_hodges_11
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co-host
郝邦宇 Steven Hao is a Tkaronto based artist that- Ok, now that they're no longer reading this. W.T.F? They asked me back to host AGAIN? Even after the Mulan number AND the 9/11 joke that bombed? (Sorry, not bombed! This is the exact kinda insensitivity the audience didn't want. it just didn't land very well...and I guess neither did the planes...) I mean I'm grateful! I think. They did want to assign me a co-host this year though, as an effort to keep me on the leash...I wonder which good for nothing nobody they hired to do that...AND if they think they can contain me, boy they've got another thing coming...
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dramaturge
Marie Beath Badian is an award-winning playwright based in T'Karonto [Toronto, ON]. Her work across Canada and internationally. www.mariebeath.com
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dramaturge
Crystal Lee (she/her) is a Chinese-Canadian theatre practitioner originally from northern New Brunswick. She graduated from The National Theatre School in their Production, Design and Technical Arts program and has since worked at the National Arts Centre on their production and producing teams. Crystal broke into her independent career as a freelance Production Manager in Toronto where she received a Harold Award for her contributions to the community, and passion for mentorship. In her spare time, Crystal teaches Production Management at Sheridan College and sits on the national board for the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology chairing the IDEA committee and Communications & Advocacy committee. Crystal currently works full-time with Why Not Theatre as their Director of Production and Technical, leading many of their large-scale, international projects.
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actor
Lindsay Wu is an actor currently based in Vancouver, BC. She is a graduate of University of Toronto and Sheridan College. Lindsay has primarily worked across Canadian stages, and continues to be drawn to projects that challenge her, surprise her, and occasionally require her to memorize an alarming number of lines. When she’s not acting, Lindsay teaches yoga, travels whenever she gets the chance, and can usually be found tearing up a tennis court.
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actor
Jeff is a settler on Treaty 13 Territory. He is a Dora nominated actor, theatre divisor, martial artist and sometimes poet. Past theatre work includes: Monday Nights (Theatre Centre/LUMINATO), Antigone (YPT), Vietgone (Royal MTC, fu-Gen, Hope & Hell) Portia’s Julius Caesar (Shakespeare in the Ruff), Measure for Measure (Shakespeare BASH’d), Coriolanus (Skipping Stones Theatre), Picture This (Soulpepper), and Banana Boys (Factory Theatre/fu-Gen). Jeff has also appeared on the television shows Private Eyes, Orphan Black, Nikita, Maday, and voices the villainous Masato Kazami on Bakugan: Battle Planet. When not acting Jeff loves to play and watch basketball, practice martial arts/tricking, and laugh with his partner. Jeff is a graduate of Ryerson University.
fu-GEN Theatre would like to thank
the following organizations for their continued support:
The patronage of these organizations and foundations have allowed fu-GEN Theatre to create work of the highest artistic calibre, and has fostered Asian Canadian artists across the nation. Thank you.