Four youngsters. All under the age of eight. All with genius IQs. Enter a substitute teacher in over his head. What could possibly go wrong?
"I was asked to write a children's play and wondered what would happen if it wasn't for children, but about them." - Steve Ross Don't miss the world premiere of Steve Ross's new play – the smash hit of our 2025 reading series!
WORLD PREMIERE | COMEDY
Early Genius
Summer Season
July 29 - August 9, 2026
Opening July 31
NOW EXTENDED TO AUGUST 12
Approximate Run Time: 75 min
CAST
Percy Simmons – Aidan deSalaiz
Beatrice Fielding – Madeline Elliott Kennedy
Sub – Kevin Kruchkywich
Harriet Gray – Naomi Ngebulana
Anthony Monaldo – Andrew Perun
CREATIVE TEAM
Playwright – Steve Ross
Director – Sheila McCarthy
Lighting and Set Designer – Darren Burkett
Sound Designer – Adam Campbell
Stage Manager – Charlotte Peters
Associate Lighting Designer - Sam Snyders
Costume Designer – Jennie Wonnacott
Early Genius is supported by these wonderful people:
Show Sponsor: Arlene Jillard
Production Supporters: Patrick Smith and Peter Coleridge, James Cressman, Karen Fleming and Kathryn Fleming, Jean Anne McLeod and David Stones, Chip and Barbara Vallis
Bettianne Hedges, Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty
Meet the Cast
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Raised running through theatre towns, Madeline Elliott Kennedy is so thrilled to be making her Here For Now debut. An actor and playwright with a focused training Viewpoints and site specific devising. She enjoys riddles, critter friendships and eating kimchi right out of the jar. Previous credits include Gloria in “Powers and Gloria” (Blyth Festival) and “Huron County Christmas Carol” (Blyth Festival)
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Having improvised in a field in 2020 (Instant Theatre) and directed the inaugural production in the new space last year (Stick Around), Kevin is excited to be back at HFN for his third go ‘round.
A veteran of Canadian theatre, he has worked back and forth across this country; from Victoria to Halifax and most stops in between. He’s done six seasons at the Stratford Festival, toured southern England and South Africa, and spent time doing a Canadian play in Munich, Germany.
Some Highlights: Paradise Lost,12 Angry Men, Death of a Salesman, Rough Crossing, Respectable, The Aberhart Summer, The Philadelphia Story, The Taming of the Shrew, Boeing Boeing, Falstaff, Guys and Dolls, The Red Priest, and of course…Look, No Hans!
Love to SJ and Fran
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Naomi is a Toronto-based actor from Calgary. She’s performed in theatres across Canada and the States.
Theatre credits: DRACULA: A Comedy of Terrors (Segal Centre), As You Like It (Bard on the Beach/Theatre Calgary/Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington D.C.), The Tempest: A Witch in Algiers (Shakespeare in the Ruff), Educating Rita (Watermark Theatre), Fall on Your Knees (CanStage).
She trained in musical theatre at Randolph College and got her Acting MFA from the Guildford School of Acting in the U.K.
When she’s not living the dream, you can find her on her yoga mat, biking everywhere, or eating ice cream. Haagen Dazs. The vanilla one with the chocolate-covered almonds.
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Andrew is ecstatic to be making his Here For Now Debut and getting to play in class again. Otherwise you'll find Andrew making lunches and trying to get his plants to grow in Rockwood where his family and ever-growing cavalcade of pets live their quietly busy lives.
Selected theatre credits: Test Drive (Festival Players); Midnight Madness (Dave Carley); Shrew (RedOne Theatre); Co-writing and performing in Nine Mile Portage (Theatre By The Bay) that ran for 3 seasons.
Selected TV/Film: Welcome to Derry (HBO); Spiral (Lionsgate); The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu); The Boys (Amazon), Murdoch Mysteries (Shaftsbury); Madame CJ Walker (Warner Bros./Netflix).
Many thanks to his patient and supportive family, his incredible wife Alycia, and his wonderfully inspiring son Gryffin for lending his dad to this play for a bit.
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Aidan is thrilled to be making his Here For Now debut! Theatre (Selected): Into The Woods (Dora nom + Winter Garden, New Zealand tour), Company (TIFT), Cock (TIFT: International Tour), Seven seasons at Stratford Festival; The 39 Steps (Chemainus); The Best Brothers (Western Canada Theatre/TNW); The Last Five Years, Having Hope At Home (Neptune); A Christmas Carol (Grand Theatre); Spamalot (Drayton); Red, The Mousetrap (Aquarius); The Wedding Singer (Stage West - Calgary Critics nom); Sherlock Holmes (MTC); Lies My Father Told Me (Segal Centre). Film/TV/Voiceover: Mayday, Goosebumps; Deus Ex Mankind Divided; The Virgin Cure. Training: Toronto Metropolitan University (BFA - Theatre); Birmingham Conservatory (Stratford).
Meet the Creative Team
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Steve is in his 23rd season at The Stratford Festival, appearing in Guys & Dolls and Something Rotten. He has had the good fortune to perform around the country at most of the regional theatres. As a writer, he has had three of his plays produced at Here for Now (goldfish, Life Without and 12 Dinners) and is thrilled to continue his work with this great company. Last summer, another of his plays (Mechanically Inclined) had its world premiere at The Foster Festival in St. Catharines. Huge thanks to Fiona for all her support.
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Sheila was born in Toronto and started her musical career at The Charlottetown Festival. She has gone on to perform at many theatres across the continent including The Stratford and Shaw Festivals. She has also directed at many theatres from coast to coast including most recently Sugar Road in Gananoque. This is her third play for Here For Now after directing Myth of The Ostrich and The Rules of Playing Risk. Selected film credits include two Best Acting Awards for I’ve Heard The Mermaids Singing and Lotus Eaters, the Actra Award for Best Actress in Cardinals, and recent releases are Oscar nominated Women Talking, The Well, Anything For Jackson, Voices Of The Mother and Dancing On The Elephant. Some TV credits include Emily of New Moon for which she won Best Actress, Little Mosque On The Prairie, Umbrella Academy, Star Trek, The Miniature Wife, Copenhagen, and most recently completed YAGA which will premiere at The Toronto International Film Festival in the Fall.
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Sam is an emerging theatre artist from Mitchell, Ontario, glad to be back for his third season at Here For Now. Previously at HFN, Sam stage-managed Apples in Winter, Humour Me, Stick Around, The Saviour, and Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome, and sound-designed The Rules of Playing Risk. No stranger to the Rose McQueen Stage, Sam also played Aaron in last year's Forget About Tomorrow. Other acting credits include Boris Trigorin in The Seagull (Strands of the Night), Pierre in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 (AUTS McGill), Jason in Medea (Player's Theatre) and Moe in Pomona (Moyse Hall). Sam recently graduated from McGill University with a BA in English: Drama & Theatre. Thank you, always, to his family and friends for their constant support.
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Darren is thrilled to be back for the whole summer season at HFN! Previous Design work: Apples in Winter [Set, Lighting and Costume], Dinner with the Duchess [Set in a co-pro with Crows Theatre], 12 Dinners [Set], Life Without [Set and Costume], The Fox [Set] (Here For Now), Legally Blonde [Set] (Metro Theatre), Wizard of Oz [Set] (Pulse Productions), Something Rotten, Seussical The Musical [Set], Mamma Mia! [Set and Lighting] (Secondary Characters), and multiple set and lighting designs for dance and theatre schools in Vancouver. As an actor, he has worked across the globe. Many thanks to the whole HFN team for the unwavering trust in me, and his family, friends and especially Hunter for their never ending love and support!
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Adam Campbell is a Dora-nominated composer, sound designer and musician. Originally from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Adam has worked as sound designer/composer with Stratford Festival, Blyth Festival, Human Body Expression, Tarragon Theatre, Canadian Stage, Here For Now Theatre, Edmonton Opera, Capitol Theatre and more. Adam made his Here For Now debut as sound designer and composer for 2025’s Reproduktion, and is thrilled to join HFN for several productions this season. Adam has toured and performed throughout North America as a percussionist with TorQ Percussion Quartet and Ladom Ensemble, and regularly plays in the pit for musical theatre productions with companies such as Mirvish Productions and Stratford Festival. In 2019, Adam released his debut solo singer-songwriter album, Guess I’m A People Too, featuring a mix of folk, rock and 90’s-tinged original music. Adam currently lives in Stratford, Ontario, with his wife Alice and their cats Ninja and Nazca.
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Charlotte Peters (she/her) – Here for Now Theatre debut! Elsewhere: Snow White and the Seven Tenors, Back Home for the Holidays, Elf: The Musical, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto (Drayton Entertainment); Wedding Band (Stratford Festival); This is How We Got Here (Green Light Arts); Sweeney Todd (Talk Is Free Theatre); Constellations (Cosmic Fishing Theatre); A Belly Full (Theatre Aquarius) and numerous workshops for new Canadian plays. Charlotte holds a BA in Drama and Creative Writing from Bishop’s University and an MA in Folklore from Memorial University. Thanks to the whole HFN crew for welcoming her. Enjoy the show!
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Jennie has enjoyed a two-decade theatre career as a costume cutter and tailor, designer and professor. As a theatre professional that takes joy in the success of her peers, Jennie recently made the switch to a career in art administration to assist in facilitating what artists do best! Select design credits include 12 Angry Men and Steel Magnolias(Drayton Entertainment), and The Magic Flute (UWO). Jennie has surpassed 24 seasons at the Stratford Festival in wardrobe production. She is the 2016 recipient of the Pauline McGibbon award, and recently completed an MA is Arts Leadership from Queens University.
GALLERY
Photos by Ann Baggley
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"Early Genius received development support from and was first produced by Here For Now Theatre Company in 2025/2026."
Early Genius is produced by permission of the Steve Ross”