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Monday 15 July
Tuesday 16 July

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Copyright 2024 Music Theatre Futures
The Creative Potential of Conscioius Casting
Casting Consultant and Producer Benjamin Samuel hosts a panel discussion with industry experts exploring the creative possibilities with conscious casting in musical theatre. 

The panel will delve into the transformative power of conscious and inclusive casting, exploring how it can breathe new life into beloved musicals. Discover how embracing diversity can spark innovative and enriching interpretations, amplifying the resonance of our timeless stories. Stay tuned as we unveil our lineup of panelists. 

BENJAMIN SAMUEL
Ben is a musician, educator, and producer - from New Zealand and proud to be a part of the creative community in Melbourne. A Greenroom Award nominated Musical Director, and the Head of Acting & Music Theatre at JMC Academy, Ben has extensive experience as a creative and academic. Within the Creative Industries, he has taught at various schools and arts programs across Australia, and is the Creative Director of Soundworks Group Pty Ltd. He also has extensive experience in organisational change management and Human Resources, recently working as a People & Culture manager for an ASX 200 listed company. 

His recent work as a theatre-maker & producer includes presentations of 13 the Musical, Urinetown, Camp Rock, Songs for a New World & Parade. He is a consultant for new theatre works in development, and advocates for diversity & equal representation in theatre. As a casting consultant (Conscious Casting), Ben has partnered with various independent theatre organisations in Melbourne to support their talent recruitment and casting processes.  

A recipient of The Music Theatre Guild Award for Best Musical Direction (OCPAC’s In The Heights), Ben is a 2024 Green Room award nominee for best musical direction. The shows presented by his theatre company, Soundworks Productions, has also been nominated for multiple Green Room awards in 2024 (best production, best ensemble, best design, best direction).  

Ben is also an examiner for the Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB). He is currently presenting a remount of the Broadway musical PARADE at the Seymour Centre in Sydney, following a sell-out season at Chapel off Chapel in Melbourne. 


CLARY RIVEN
Clary Riven (she/her) is a director from Caracas, Venezuela. Clary is a graduate of Monash University Bachelor Of Performing Arts degree, where she trained to become a theatre maker. Her recent credits include: Resident Director of '&Juliet' with Michael Cassel Group (2023-2024), Associate Director of 'In The Heights' with JRP (2024), Director of ‘Rebel: A New Musical’ (2019), Autonomous Inventions’s ‘Protein’ (2021-2022), ‘Drew Downing’s Ultimate 90’s Playlist’ (2019), ‘God Only Knows: Songs of Brian Wilson’ (2018 – 2019), ‘Tinder Tales: A New Musical’ (2018), ‘Beautiful Things: A new musical Workshop’ (2018), and has performed the role of assistant director on productions such as Stageart’s ‘Memphis’ (2017), ‘Bare’ (2018) under Dean Drieberg, and Watch This’ ‘Into The Woods’ (2022). Clary is the current Artistic Director of Second Level Productions. 


BRANDON PAPE
Brandon Pape is a producer, director, and designer currently based in Melbourne, Australia. He is the founding Artistic Director of Antipodes Theatre Company, where he directed the Australian Premiere of 'Ghost Quartet' (two 2020 Green Room Award Nominations, return season in 2021) and co-directed with Trudy Dunn their immersive re-imagining of ‘Guys and Dolls’ at Chapel Off Chapel (thirteen 2024 Green Room Nominations including Best Director). Other Antipodes credits include 'Passing Strange' (Australian Premiere, five 2023 Green Room Nominations), 'And She Would Stand Like This' (Australian Premiere), Sam Martin's 'Sam I Am' (sold out season at La Mama, Victorian Premiere) and the Winter Lab - Antipodes' annual development accelerator for new work and bold ideas. Antipodes presented their first production originating from the Winter Lab in November 2023 with ‘Orlando’ at fortyfivedownstairs, and are currently developing a number of previous Winter Lab projects. 

Other Melbourne credits include 'Bowie Ball' (Midsumma Festival, The Night Cat), 'Heroine' (Alex Theatre), 'Contagious Cabaret' (online event during Melbourne lockdowns), numerous shows with the duo Mel & Peppy (Brooklyn Runaways), 'Mad World: An Immersive Experience' (David Butler Studio), and 'From: New York, For: Him' (Butterfly Club, Adelaide Fringe). 



RHYS VELASQUEZ 
Rhys Velasquez (they/them) is an artist, advocate and award-winning casting director, known for their passion in creating a more inclusive and equitable performing arts industry. Rhys began their professional journey studying musical theatre at the Arts Academy in Ballarat, graduating in 2013.  

Starting their career as a performer and choreographer, Rhys has worked around the globe, performing in major commercial productions through to independent theatre, cabaret and live music. Career highlights include Swing/Dance Captain in Shrek the Musical (GFO), Agwe in Once on This Island (Altitude Theatre); Swing/Dance Captain & Associate Choreographer for Paw Patrol Live (Nickelodeon/Life Like Touring) as well as credits with The Production Company, StageArt and many more. 

Rhys founded Evolution Casting in 2021 to become a positive force of change in the performing arts industry and beyond. Since its launch, Evolution Casting has fast become a celebrated industry-shaker, known for creating exciting and contemporary casting designs.  In 2023, Rhys won the CGA Award for Best Casting in a Theatre Production for their work on Choir Boy (NTofP). Rhys’ other notable casting credits include In the Heights, Little Women, City of Angels & Bonnie & Clyde (JRP); Flat Earthers: The Musical (Hayes Theatre Co./Griffin Theatre Co); as well as additional casting credits with Melbourne Theatre Company, Belvoir; Darlinghurst Theatre Company; Antipodes Theatre Company and many more! 

Rhys is the current Casting Manager at Malthouse Theatre and is a proud member of the Casting Guild of Australia (CGA). They are also a founding board member of Stage A Change, as well as passionate about mentoring and fostering the next generation of performers and creatives. 

Rhys is passionate about creating an industry that is a source of pride for all and hopes to one day expand their expertise into education, programming and artistic direction.


EFFIE NKRUMAH  
Effie Nkrumah is an energetic and charming multi-hyphenate cultural creative of Ghanaian descent. A contributor in Maxine Beneba Clarke’s Growing up African in Australia anthology, and a proud Western Sydney artist, Effie holds an MA in Arts Politics from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Driven by the concept of challenging the single story of Africa through stories of continental Africans in diaspora, Effie creates content that is entertaining, aesthetically pleasing and discussion prompting. Her installation series See What I See has been performed in Sydney, New York, and Accra. She was a swing in the Australian cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and this year, has directed two new Australian plays by local writers of African descent with two more set to premiere at the Malthouse and 45 Downstairs.  

Her mission is to ensure people living at the pinpoint of complex intersection, can find a sense of grounding and pride in who they are and renewed curiosity about who they can be. She identifies and fill gaps, pushing for the authentic, using creative mediums to communicate from her specificity to the world’s universality.  

She is currently cast in Future D Fidel’s La Belle Epoque, premiering at Theatre Works in July. 
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