Alexandra (Stella) Isaac | Contributor
Featured Image: Caliolo is fluent in production, playwriting, and acting.| Alexandra (Stella) Isaac
Amanda Caliolo is a fifth-year theatre and professional writing student at York. She is currently stage-managing the theatre production ‘Les Frères,’ directed by U of T student Abigail Whitney. The play will be on stage at the George Ignatieff Theatre from November 29 to December 1.
Caliolo is specializing in devised theatre and stage-manages two other productions. She has had an affinity for theatre ever since her parents signed her up for a sixth-grade after-school theatre program. She has worked under renowned Canadian voice actor Jill Frappier, who has lent her voice to many shows such as ‘Franklin,’ ‘Angela Anaconda,’ and ‘Pippi Longstockings.’
Caliolo’s parents did not anticipate that the after-school program would lead to their daughter’s budding theatre career.
Under Frappier, Caliolo was part of several productions which forced her to step outside of her comfort zone.
One of the first plays she performed in under Frappier was Noel Corward’s ‘Hay Fever.’ She played a very small role with few speaking lines. It was during this experience, however, that Caliolo began to see the possibilities of a career in theatre. The dramatic play allowed her to step into a different world, and a different character.
A few years and a production later, Caliolo was once again part of Frappier’s ‘Hay Fever.’ She was now more enticed and excited with the possibility of playing bigger roles on stage, which her teacher-mentor encouraged.
“You’ve grown so much and I want to see you in a different role,” Caliolo recalls Frappier saying. Her positive encouragement bore fruit, Caliolo notes: “Having her believe in me stuck.”
This time, about three years after her first performance of the play, Caliolo had a much larger role, and became more present on stage.
Following the remainder of her high school years under Frappier, Caliolo decided to apply to York University’s theatre and professional writing programs. She had to audition for the theatre program—the biggest audition of her budding career.
After presenting a monologue she wrote herself, Caliolo was admitted to the program, and later found her niche in devised theatre, where she has practiced every aspect of theatre including production, playwriting and acting.
In 2017, Caliolo was approached by a friend who was writing a show for York’s playGround Festival, and was asked to stage manage. She was hesitant to take on the position as she had never stage-managed before. In the end, however, she took the job and the production was successful. This was a catalyst to many other stage-managing opportunities for Caliolo, including working with Whitney for ‘Les Frères.’
Caliolo and Whitney met through a mutual friend whom they both worked with at the InspiraTO festival. After meeting, the two began devising ideas for ‘Les Frères,’ which was written by New York artist Sandra A. Daley-Sharif. The play follows three brothers of Haitian descent who must deal with their fraught relationship, and their family’s traumatic pasts after they return to New York for their ailing father’s final days.
Caliolo is not only excited to be stage-managing ‘Les Frères,’ but she is also excited to see where her passion, dedication and hard work will take her.
Her joy is palpable and contagious, as she says that: “Everything does happen for a reason. If there isn’t one thing you didn’t get, it’s because there’s something right around the corner.”
