Artistic Director

 Sina A. Suren is a multidisciplinary performance artist, specializing in writing, directing and acting. Born in Iran to a doctor family, he had the opportunity to experience the many professional fields such as programing, chemistry and biology but he vigorously followed a profession in performance arts. Feeling repressed in that community and seeking the best training possible, he and his family migrated to Canada where he continued his education and received his technical degree in professional acting from John Abbott Theatre program. He followed his training by spending multiple semester studying acting in Sheridan College and English literature at University of Toronto. He finished his Bachelor degree at University of Concordia in Performance Creation.

Sina is an avid and passionate fan of history and a believer in the strong capacity of performance artist and storytellers in bringing social change. He is an author of multiple social essays, fictional stories and plays, short and full-length, with his play “Gracchi” becoming a finalist in Infinitheatre Write-on-Q competition. He has had the chance to direct theatres and short films of multiple genre, in multiple languages and international texts, with his projects gaining international recognition. After graduation, Sina founded the Rise Theatre Company, with the goal of offering visibility to new performance artist and allowing them to showcase their talents in the many disciplines of theatre. Currently he spends his professional time acting as the artistic director of Rise Theatre Company as well as collaborating with different artistic groups across the island of Montreal and writing.

Costume Designer

Adrienne Gantenberg is a costume designer and recycled fur artisan who is passionate about creative reuse. She studied Fashion Design in her hometown of Chicago before moving to Brussels where she worked for a fashion label, exhibited her visual art, and made costumes for student films at the Institut des Arts de Diffusion in Louvain-La-Neuve. In 2017 she came to Montreal to further pursue her costume career through the Design for the Theatre program at Concordia University graduating in May 2020. She has worked as a costume designer and wardrobe technician on many theatre productions throughout Montreal. In 2018 she won the Montreal Broadway World Regional Awards for Best Costume Design for the Addams Family (WISTA), and again in 2019 for her work on Bonnie and Clyde (Contact Theatre).

Light Designer

You Chen Zhang is a scenic designer with an MFA from UCLA and a BFA from Concordia University, specializing in immersive storytelling through dynamic sets. Known for work on productions: Something Rotten! and Natasha (Freud Playhouse), Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Freud Playhouse), The Opposite of Love (Hudson Theatres), and Keffiyeh/Made in China (UCLA’s 1340 Theater), You Chen blends technical precision—mastering tools like Vectorworks, Maya, and Unreal—with a playful, inventive approach honed through years as a magician and street performer. Fluent in English, French, and Mandarin, his designs often bridge cultural narratives, whether for theater, films (Bank Yung, Grey Cascade), or experimental projects, creating spaces that are as visually striking as they are emotionally resonant.

Performer

Michael’s motto is, “Believe in yourself and others will BELIEVE in you!”  This belief has carried this native Montrealer through these last few years where he has unleashed his passion for the arts. A few of his roles in theatre include Theatre NDG’s production of “Hunting Moon” (2017) by Ryan Madden. Acts to Grind Theatre’s production of Brad Fraser’s True Love Lies (2018) as Kane, and David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, as George Aaronow. In 2022, Michael performed again for ATGT in David Gow’s, “Cherry Docs”, where he played the formidable role of Danny Dunkleman. In 2019 and 2023, Michael had the privilege to perform at the Montreal International Fringe Festival in Shane Nichol’s original production, “The Get Together” and T’was the 1 st Xmas in July after Covid. Michael is a voice over artist who has narrated corporate videos for Pepsi Canada and other major companies in Europe and visual artist, Adamo Macri. Michael is also the voice of Megatron, part of a YouTube series from Downfall studios and has also performed in a few short films. Michael is very appreciative and thankful to all those special people who have supported him on this journey. He is looking forward to performing with a great ensemble cast of passionate actors in THE KEEPER, from The Rise Theatre Company, written by Sina Suren.