Company Bio
Hot Thespian Action began in 2006 when the three female members of the group (Shannon Guile, Jacqueline Loewen and Jane Testar) took a special studies class in Advanced Mime and Improv at the University of Winnipeg under the tutelage of Rick Skene. Over time, the class changed to fit the interests and aptitudes of the learners, and broadened from just mime to comedy writing.
By the end, the ladies had an in-depth knowledge of physicality and comedy, as well as a catalog of hilarious sketches. With the addition of fellow U of W students Garth Merkeley and Ryan Miller, the group rounded itself out and began to work on its 2006 Fringe show Hands On. The show featured a stripped down minimalist esthetic, inspired by the group’s mime roots, along with a penchant for the physical and witty.
The critically celebrated sold out show gave way to 2008’s massive hit Hands Off which garnered Hot Thespian Action five stars from the Winnipeg Free Press and an interest from many parties, including the CBC, who subsequently asked HTA to appear in the 2009 CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival.
HTA has performed yearly at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival since, garnering 5 star reviews, packed houses and "Best of Fest" designations every time.
HTA's relationship with CBC radio has grown over the years, resulting in HTA writing and performing in an hour long radio play Pitching the Turkey, which aired nationally on Thanksgiving, as well as writing and performing several sketches that aired on the national radio show Laugh Out Loud.
The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Fest has invited HTA back to their festival every year since 2009, upping the stakes each time, starting in 2009 as a 20 minute set as part of a larger show, growing to a full hour long headlining show in 2010 (which, incidentally, was the first act of the festival to sell out) and in 2011, a headlining show AND a set in one of the nationally televised gala performances alongside a cast of Canadian comedy icons like Andrea Martin and Cathy Jones.
On top of their yearly commitments at the Winnipeg Fringe and Comedy Festivals, HTA performs continuously for fundraisers and social events and in 2009 was asked to travel to Toronto to participate in the Toronto Sketch Fest, performing with North America's best sketch groups.
Now HTA has their sights set on making the leap to TV and will be planning, writing and producing a pilot for a half hour long comedy series, starting this fall. (Click here for details)
Shannon Guile
Shannon fell in love with physical comedy when she took a mime course at the University of Winnipeg. She was inspired and sought to produce a mime comedy troupe, which later morphed into Hot Thespian Action. Not confining her talents only to HTA, Shannon has also graced independent and professional stages around Manitoba, including Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s Death of A Salesman, Manitoba Theatre Centre's The History of Manitoba… and Foolish Wit's The Mirror. Always physical, Shannon has recently fallen for an additional love, stunt performing, where she worked on several film and TV productions including Space Network’s Todd and the Book Of Pure Evil, feature film The Divide and most recently Universal Studio’s Beethoven's Christmas Adventure. When not performing, Shannon is using her theatrical skills to teach mime, improv and creative drama workshops across Manitoba.
Jacqueline Loewen
When not working with Hot Thespian Action, Jacqueline also performs in various independent and professional theatres around Winnipeg (selected: Top Girls (Manitoba Theatre Centre), Macbeth (Shakespeare In the Ruins), Surf (Prairie Theatre Exchange’s Carol Shields Festival)). Jacqueline can also be seen in the films Taken in Broad Daylight (Lifetime), Capture of the Green River Killer (Lifetime), and The Plague (Sony)). Jacqueline diversifies in the artistic field by also working as a stunt performer on such movies as The Assasination of Jesse James (Warner Brothers), and The Lookout (Miramax), as well as both seasons of Less Than Kind (HBO Canada), and has been the fight choreographer for shows at Manitoba Theatre Centre, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Little Opera Company, Shakespeare In the Ruins, and Manitoba Opera, to name a few.
Garth Merkeley
Garth has been acting for most of his life and has already accumulated a long and varied resume. Apart from his involvement with Hot Thespian Action, Garth's work has included such diverse endeavours as TV acting (Taken in Broad Daylight and The Christmas Hope, Lifetime Network), film acting (Full Of It, New Line), stunt work (The Haunting in Connecticut, Lionsgate, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Space Network and The Divide) and professional theatre. In his spare time Garth works as a graphic designer, designing things like... Well.... Everything you're looking at right now.
Ryan Miller
Ryan first started training at Manitoba Theare for Young People when he was 7 years old. After graduating from the University of Winnipeg with a degree in Theatre, Ryan became a founding member of Commedia Dell’Arte troupe Foolish Wit Incorporated. With Foolish Wit, Ryan has produced and performed two bilingual touring shows as well as an educational DVD for French Immersion schools. He can also be heard as a voice talent for Warehouse One, University of Winnipeg, and The Canadian Museum for Human Rights. In addition, Ryan has been acting at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival to critical acclaim for his performances in shows like ‘dentity Crisis, Heart’s Desire, and Hot Thespian Action productions.
Jane Testar
Jane is a multidisciplinary comedian, regularly performing both improv (with Outside Joke) and sketch comedy (with Hot Thespian Action). Jane is also a member of the theatre ensemble, Foolish Wit, who perform Commedia Dell’arte and have created and toured two original bilingual children’s shows for Canadian Parents for French. She has appeared in productions with Prairie Theatre Exchange (Little Munsch on the Prairie) and Théâtre du Grand Cercle (De Bouche à Oreille). Jane can also be heard every week on CBC Radio One with her etiquette advice column, Miss Conduct, and in radio sketches and podcasts for CBC’s Comedy Factory.