samca
by natalia bushnik and kathleen welch
This strange, musical, horror play will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen at the theatre!
Tread lightly...for the woods can hear you.
Combining original music written by Welch, dance, and digital design, 'SAMCA' shares the story of two sisters, Miha and Prava, as they come to terms with their innate sexuality, and the impact this has on their lives growing up in rural Romania in the late 1800’s. When the younger sister, Miha, becomes pregnant following a sexual assault, the two are left to grapple with how this new found motherhood changes their relationship, their perspective on the world, and ultimately themselves.
Spindle Collective and Riot King present 'SAMCA', a contemporary, horror folktale by Natalia Bushnik ('The Bathtub Girls - Critics Choice 2017 Hamilton Fringe') and Kathleen Welch. Under the direction of Brendan Kinnon, ‘SAMCA’ features an incredible cast including Natalia Bushnik, Kathleen Welch, Madeline Kennedy, Andra Zlat̆ar, Camila Farah, Jenna Geen, Sydney Nicholson, Beatrice Kwan, Elif Coşkun, and Kay Vukelic.
Samca at the Springworks: Tapashta Digital Festival
We created a 'prologue' to SAMCA as a digital short for the 2022 Springworks 'tapashta' Digital Festival. Filmed remotely in both Toronto and Ireland, it was directed by Brendan Kinnon, featuring performances by Natalia Bushnik (‘Samca’, voiceover), Madeline Kennedy (‘Young Woman’), Kathleen Welch (‘Samca’). Music composed and performed by Kathleen Welch. Sound Design and editing by Jonathan Brown, with Video Editing by Natalia Bushnik.
press for Samca
Here are 10 shows you’ve gotta catch at the 2022 Hamilton Fringe by Michael Kras
7 shows to check out at Hamilton Fringe Festival by Mike Pearson
FRINGE 2022 Preview Series - SAMCA by Steel City Girl Reviews
Mythology and Music Bring Dark Tale to Life in SAMCA by Beyond James
Near & Now: #HamFringe Trends 2022 by Stephen Near
reviews for samca
FRINGE REVIEWS 2022 - SAMCA by Steel City Girl Reviews
Hamilton Fringe Festival Reviews 2022 by Rozz Woodcock and Brian Morton
Fringe Review: SAMCA by Michael Bedford
SAMCA - Hamilton Fringe Festival 2022 by Istvan Dugalin
‘SAMCA’ has been in development since 2021. In that time, ‘SAMCA’ was a Top Ten Finalist in the 2021 Wildfire National Playwriting Competition, won First Place at the 2022 Hamilton Fringe New Play Contest, has received funding from the Ontario Arts Council as recommended by Nightswimming in 2022, Why Not Theatre in 2023 and from the Toronto Arts Council Project Fund in 2023. In July of 2023, a scaled down version of SAMCA was presented to sold-out audiences at the ‘In the Soil’ Festival as a special site-specific/roaming presentation in Burgoyne Woods.
The first creation workshop of SAMCA was held at the Red Sandcastle Theatre in Tkaronto in March of 2022. Directed by Brendan Kinnon, the workshop featured Kathleen Welch as 'Prava', Natalia Bushnik as 'Mihaela', and Madeline Elliot Kennedy, Xanath Fuentes, Andra Zlătar, Fae Alexander, Sydney Nicholson, and Charlin McIsaac as 'The Zâne'.
‘SAMCA’ is intended to be a site-specific roaming piece and we look forward to its continued development. Stay up to date with the show by following @spindlecollective or click our social links below!
creative team
Natalia Bushnik (she/her)
playwright, performer, producer
is a multidisciplinary artist and Dora Mavor Moore-nominated playwright based in Toronto, and founder of Spindle Collective. She is fascinated by immersive experiences that examine morally grey territories and unnerve audience members in their complicity. As a writer, her play, Just Across the Causeway, was produced through the National Theatre School’s #ArtApart Program, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council. A live version of Causeway was performed as a staged reading in the UK through Little Lion Theatre Company. Select theatre: PING! (Tarragon Theatre); SAMCA (Spindle Collective); I'll Be Back Before Midnight (Bruce County Playhouse) The Bathtub Girls (Kairos Theatre). Select film: Revenge of the Black Best Friend, peopleWatching (CBC Gem).
Kathleen Welch (she/her)
Playwright, Performer, Composer
is an actor, writer, composer, and founding member of Spindle Collective. She previously composed the music for Natalia Bushnik's play Just Across the Causeway, and is currently writing and composing her new play Bluebeard's Wives for Spindle Collective. Kathleen is a multidisciplinary theatre artist passionate about blending genres and incorporating things that are deeply uncomfortable into her work. She is one of the founders of the Dark Crop Festival, an all night camping theatre festival where artists from various disciplines come together to share new work. She recently directed and composed the music for Riot King's production of Suddenly Last Summer, and she loves playing with how sound and music can influence a story. In her limited spare time, Kathleen enjoys baking, embroidery, and mcgriddles. Select Acting Credits: SAMCA (Spindle Collective), Foul Play (Mysteriously Yours), The Three Little Pigs (Enchantment Theatre), Widow's Wedding Dress (OPIA Theatre Collective).
Brendan Kinnon (they/them)
director, producer
is a queer, non-binary theatre performer, producer, and director who is inspired every day by the beauty of the natural world. They have produced a variety of projects across the country including new-Canadian plays, audio dramas, short films, and festivals! They have worked as a producer with the Paprika Festival and Theatre of the Beat. Brendan is passionate about new play development and loves to work with writers and directors to bring a story to life for the first time.
skye rogers
CHOREOGRAPHER
andra zlǍtar
VESTITIA
BEATRICE KWAN
SINA
JENNA GEEN
GLUVIANA
SYDNEY NICHOLSON
VALNOMIA
ELIF COŞKUN
NECAUZA
KAY VUKELIC
AVEZUHA
CAMILA FARAH
TIHA
MADELINE KENNEDY
SLALO