Ray Padua – General Manager

From his coffee mug collection to sheet music catalogue, Ray has a passion for all things musical theatre. White Rabbit grew out of that passion and a desire to support and assist Canadian composers and lyricists in finding an audience for their musicals.

As a co-founder of White Rabbit, Ray is thrilled to have found a way to combine his business degree and love for creativity. Beyond his offstage duties – which include managing finances and dealing with legal and licensing issues – Ray relishes any outpportunity to perform.

With his fellow White Rabbits, Ray is proud to set the stage for the future of Canadian music theatre.

Jeff Kohut – Artistic Director

From the lights and action to the dancing, singing and stories, Jeffrey has always been drawn to the spectacle of music theatre. With roots in Rainbow Stage, MTC, Stage West, The Citadel, University of Winnipeg and various community theatre, workshop and classroom settings, Jeffrey believes music theatre has only begun to establish a role in Winnipeg’s cultural identity.

To Jeffrey, music theatre is more than an art form – it is a community. He co-founded White Rabbit to foster that community – for those who act, sing, dance, sew, build, write and even those who just like to watch – and falls more in love with his duties as artistic director with each project the company takes on.

Jeffrey finds a sense of peace and purpose being surrounded by the like-minded individuals White Rabbit brings into his world.

Simon Miron – Associate Artistic Director

With a Masters degree in performance from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and a diploma from Grant MacEwan College’s Theatre Arts Program, Simon first joined White Rabbit as a performer in 2007. He now brings a professional and creative flair to his role, which primarily finds him in director and creative advisor’s chairs.

During his studies, Simon worked as a choreographer, workshop leader and drama tutor at RSAMD and since his return to Canada has taught Voice and Acting Through Song at the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts. He has also performed with companies across the UK and Canada including: Rainbow Stage, MTYP, Gilbert and Sullivan Society and MTC.

Simon looks forward to the creative and artistic opportunities White Rabbit both receives and has to offer in the coming years.

Annette Kohut – House Manager

Though never bitten by the acting bug, Annette loves music theatre and recognizes anything is possible when it comes to this genre. An avid audience member and supporter, Annette realizes life is all about rhythm, soul and having a couple of damn good stories to tell.

As White Rabbit’s resident organizer and behind-the-scenes superhero, Annette is thrilled to work shoulder-to-shoulder with a group of people dedicated to the possibilities of music theatre and adores the time she spends working to make the off-stage aspects of each show a success.

Like Victor Hugo said, Annette believes music (theatre) expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. And she is proud White Rabbit is able to deliver these expressions.

Ken Perchuk – Technical Director

Ken has worked in and out of theatre for upwards of a dozen years in almost as many cities. Fortunately for Winnipeg as a whole and White Rabbit in particular, this traveling techie has decided to stay put – at least long enough to get his degree in the field he loves, theatrical design and production.

While studying at the University of Winnipeg and working at theatres around the city, Ken lends his considerable technical expertise to the White Rabbit team. He also enjoys reading and cooking and is always up for an occasional pint.

Though Ken specializes in sound and lights, his solid grasp on all backstage wizardry and magic constantly surprises the White Rabbit team.

Ryan Schultz – Multimedia Designer

A webmaster and graphic designer extraordinaire, Ryan is the wizard behind the White Rabbit online curtain. His innovative construction and commitment to upgrade, update and spice up the website keeps music theatre lovers – himself included – clicking on and tuning in.

In addition to his webmasterly duties, Ryan also lends his creative designs to posters, banners, promotional materials and all White Rabbit’s live productions. His rich background visuals and animation add sparkle from the page to the stage.

Ryan is thrilled to be a member of the White Rabbit team and anticipates both the group and this site progressing and growing.

Julie Horbal – Communications Director

A creative, musical and theatrical Jill-of-all-Trades, Julie joined the White Rabbit team in 2008 after reigniting a now-redhot passion for performing in So You Think You Can Be a Music Theatre Idol 2: Skid Row.

With a Bachelors degree in Communications (English and Cultural Studies) and a diploma in Creative Communications, Julie’s passion for all things creative helps her guide White Rabbit’s promotional and media relations strategy. She can also sing, dance, write, play, act, fundraise, market and work wonders with a camera and editing software – and she lends a hand to White Rabbit on all accounts.

Julie looks forward to watching White Rabbit grow and simultaneously growing the passionate, inspiring and boundless music theatre community that calls Winnipeg home.

Alana Penner – Archivist

By day, Alana is a mild-mannered civil servant with a triple Bachelors degree in Sociology, Criminal Justice Studies and Theatre and Film (Production and Stage Management). By night, Alana appeases her fleeting sanity with show tunes and the company of other artists.

In addition to performing with White Rabbit Productions, Alana dabbles in stage management and research and is always willing to lend a hand where required. In her “spare” time, Alana also performs with Kiss the Giraffe, North Kildonan Community Players, Phoenix Productions and the Crosswalk Players.

Alana is so proud of White Rabbit’s accomplishments and looks forward to helping make the dreams of Canadian talents a reality.

Bernie Pastorin – Artistic Associate

Bernie spent the early part of the 2000’s pushing pencils in the cubical jungle and burying his passion for theatre under a pile of paperwork.

But all that came to an end in 2007 when he hit the stage with Theatre By the River’s Oedipus Rex – and never looked back. Since, Bernie has fed his theatrical hunger with the help of White Rabbit (SYTYCBAMTI, The Late Show, Bloodless) and other local companies (North Kildonan Community Players, Leithelle Productions, Canadian Mennonite University) and is now proud to have left the desk job behind permanently for the life of a performer.

Bernie has also returned to school and is pursuing a BA-Theatre from the University of Winnipeg while pioneering the brand-spanking-new all-male a cappella pop group Those Guys.

He is so excited to join the ranks of White Rabbit and looks forward to contributing to the growth of the company that gave him and countless other performers a place to hone their skills.

Robyn Pooley – Administrator/Accountant

Robyn is the newest member of White Rabbit Productions and brings her stellar organizational and detail-oriented skills to her brand new role as administrator and accountant. 

Robyn developed her strict work ethic as a young dancer with the RWB Professional Division, then took her love of the arts from ballet to theatre as a student at the University of Winnipeg. While at UW, a Musical Theatre class encouraged and expanded her already explosive love for musicals old and new.  This class led Robyn to perform with White Rabbit Productions (then CMTDG) in 2006 – and she hasn’t stopped performing since!

 Robyn has since completed the UW Acting Honours Program and will graduate this year with a BA Hon. in Theatre and English.  She considers herself lucky to have appeared in many shows at UW and to have choreographed and performed with companies across the city.

She’s very excited to join a company that has given her so many opportunities and looks forward to the bright, shining, singing, dancing future of White Rabbit.