Lisa Vasconcelos

Propietor/Instructor

Girls Aloud, Boys Only, Sound Dynamix - Vocal Director

Pop Stars,Primary & Junior Combo Classes (Weds)

Producer: Charisma, Pride of Westman,

Producer/Director: Mecca Community Musicals

Co-ordinator: Sound Motif, Mecca Community Choir, & Mecca Productions Touring Choir

Lisa is delighted to share her passion for, knowledge of and experience in Theatre Arts with young people and the young at heart.  Since her first experience with a full-length community musical in grade 11 with the Strathclair Drama Club, Lisa’s life has been changed for the better.  She has appeared in and/or directed more than 40 full-length and  children’s shows at Neelin High School, the Strathclair Drama Club and Mecca Productions.  Lisa’s focus for each experience is the same: fun, friendship, growth and enjoyment.  This focus has resulted in many wonderful productions and life-long friendships & life-changing experiences. Lisa’s husband David and children Tiana and Lucas make Mecca’s projects a family affair.  Outside of Mecca Productions, Lisa has taught at the high school level since 1994.  For more than a decade she was the leader of Neelin’s Performing and Visual Arts Department and is now proud to be the resource teacher at Elton Collegiate in Forrest.  She was seen on stage as the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical and Maria in The Sound of Music.  She had a great time in her role as The Narrator  of Mecca’s 7th Community Musical Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat in Nov 2008.  She looks forward to directing Canada’s amateur debut of Spamalot in November 2010.

Lisa is delighted to share her passion for, knowledge of and experience in Theatre Arts with young people and the young at heart.  Since her first experience with a full-length community musical in grade 11 with the Strathclair Drama Club, Lisa’s life has been changed for the better.  She has appeared in and/or directed more than 40 full-length and  children’s shows at Neelin High School, the Strathclair Drama Club and Mecca Productions.  Lisa’s focus for each experience is the same: fun, friendship, growth and enjoyment.  This focus has resulted in many wonderful productions and life-long friendships & life-changing experiences. Lisa’s husband David and children Tiana and Lucas make Mecca’s projects a family affair.  Outside of Mecca Productions, Lisa has taught at the high school level since 1994.  For more than a decade she was the leader of Neelin’s Performing and Visual Arts Department and is now proud to be the resource teacher at Elton Collegiate in Forrest.  She was seen on stage as the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical and Maria in The Sound of Music.  She had a great time in her role as The Narrator  of Mecca’s 7th Community Musical Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat in Nov 2008.  She looks forward to directing Canada’s amateur debut of Spamalot in November 2010.  Read Lisa’s Full Bio here.

Ramey holds a minor in drama from the University of Manitoba which she completed while earning a degree in education.  She has always found true comfort and joy when singing along to her favourite musicals and is delighted to share that joy with her musical theatre students.  Ramey is currently employed by Rolling River School Division where she works at Forrest Elementary and Elton Collegiate.  Her love for drama shines in her classes, as does her love for children!  Creative and entertaining, children in Miss Ramey’s classes learn and grow together.  She is the proud mom of 2 budding thespians and married to Tobin Praznik.  She amazed audiences with her performance as “Mayzie” in Seussical and the high-kicking wife in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  

Ramey Praznik Instructor

Instructor: Primary & Junior Combo Classes (Saturday)

Elizabeth Grant

Director - Mecca Productions Community Choir

Director - Mecca Production Touring Choir

John Szabo

Adult Improv/Drama Class

Director - Steel Magnolias

John been involved in local theatre for over 20 years, as an actor, director and producer in numerous local productions.  John was a founding member of Theatre 85’.  Some of John’s past productions include Hay Fever, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Chapter 2, Cactus Flower, Crimes of the Heart, The Wisdom of Eve, Curse of the Werewolf, The Odd Couple, and The Mousetrap.  John is excited to join the teaching staff after having a great experience with Mecca Productions as Horton the Elephant in Seussical.  John thanks his wife Jodine and children Dane and Elly for their support.

Klaus & Susan Brechmann

Set Design & Construction - Mecca Musicals & Drama

Two people who can be counted on to help with any and every job that needs to be done are Klaus & Susan!  Mecca is very fortunate to have them on our team!  Each year, they donate countless hours to building the sets for our community musicals.  With the expansion to our new space, they have also spent a lot of time painting, moving, and organizing! 

Susan Dobson

Properties and Stage Manager - Mecca Musicals

Susan is a woman who can make almost anything (and usually does!).  She is in charge of our props team each fall and also is the stage manager for our musicals.

It has been great to have Kristen join the Mecca team as choreographer for Pride of Westman and Charisma. Kristen is also a regular instructor at Arts Adventures Summer Camp.    Students have loved her uplifting and positive attitude. She is married to her husband Dave and they are enjoying every moment of being parents to Willem & Mila. Kristen has earned a Bachelor of Education Degree from Brandon University and is currently employed by the Brandon and Rolling River School Divisions as a substitute teacher. However, Kristen’s true love lies with dance. She has been teaching at Steppin Time Dance Studio since 1997 and has been the sole instructor of the Virden Dance Club since 2001.  She is also the choreographer for Neelin High School musicals, most recently Sanctuary, Hope for Darfur.  Kristen has enjoyed her past musical experiences with Mecca in Footloose and Music Man and is very excited to continue her work with the talented students involved with Mecca’s performance groups.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Liz (or Mama G as she’s lovingly known) holds an Associate (Piano Performance) Diploma from both the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Maritime Conservatory.  She holds a Bachelor of Music (Voice Performance), a Kodaly Music Educaiton Specialist Certificate, and a Master of Music (Music Education).  Since 1972 she has been the Musical Director and First Presbyterian Church.  She has adjudicated extensively from Vancouver to Halifax, and is a popular clinician at local, provincial and national events.  She is the founding director of the Brandon Conservatory Chorale.  Since 2006, Liz has been the conductor of the Mecca Community Choir.  Members of this group travelled to China, under Liz’s direction with members of the Strathclair Theatre Chorus, the B.U. Choral and various other choral groups in summer of 2008 to participate in the Beijing Olympics Cultural Festival.  Liz and Lisa have already begun to plan the 2011 Mecca Touring Choir’s next international trip to GREECE!

Kristen Yuel

Choreographer - Pride of Westman & Charisma

Arts Adventures Summer Camp Instructor

Stephanie Bessant

Arts Adventures Summer Camp Instructor

Junior Combo and Inner Voices - Thursday

Stephanie is a familiar face to westman audiences, having appeared many times on the WMCA stage over the past eight years.  She has also shared her talent as vocal coach for numerous musicals, including  Mecca’s High School Musical in spring 2010.  Most recently seen as Tzeitel in Mecca’s Fiddler on the Roof, also enjoyed sharing the role of the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in November 2008.  Stephanie completed her BA at  Brandon University, studying voice and music education.  A working mom, she spends every spare minute with her two young sons and husband Devin.

Mecca is very pleased to have Kara as a member of our staff.   A B.U. graduate, she also holds a Masters degree in piano performance.  She is an pianist, vocal coach and adjudicator in high demand across our region.  She has accompanied many groups around western Manitoba, including the Brandon University Chamber Choir and the Westman Youth Choir.  This year will be her third at the helm of Mecca’s most experienced vocal groups.   

Katherine Sherris

Music Director - Spamalot

Music with Me and Pre-Primary Instructor (Weds)

Member - Sound Motif

Arts Adventures Summer Camp Instructor

Music has always been an important part of Katherine’s life and she takes great joy in sharing her love for music and performance with children in Mecca’s after school programs.  An accomplished pianist, Kate can also play a pretty mean guitar;-) Katherine’s experience as an  early-years teacher make her classes fun and exciting.  She is proud to be a member of Sound Motif and was most recently seen on stage as “Ethel” in Footloose (2009). Favourite roles include Gertrude McFuzz” in Mecca’s 2007 community musical Seussical and Elsa in Sound of Music.  Most days, Katherine is an early-years teacher at Riverheights School.  Everyday she is the proud mom of Carter and wife of Greg Sherris.

Kara Dixon

Vocal Director & Pianist - Pride of Westman & Charisma

Arts Adventures Summer Camp Instructor

Kaila Weimer

Accompanist, Mecca Musicals & Community Choir

Music With Me and Pre-Primary Combo Class a.m. instructor (Thurs & Fri)

Arts Adventures Summer Camp Instructor

Wanda Nicol

Pre-Primary and Primary Combo - (Thursday)

Terri Munchinsky

Costumer - Mecca Musicals

Terri and her family are a huge blessing to the Mecca family!  Married to Dean Munchinsky, all five (yes five) of their kids take Mecca classes.  A very busy mom,  Terri’s organizational skills and work-ethic have made her an important part of our production team.

Kaila is a most-welcome addition to the Mecca team!!  Currently completing her Education Degree, Kaila has met many wonderful students while teaching at Hazel M. Kellington Elementary School (Neepawa), Killarney Collegiate and Valleyview School in Brandon and as BU’s Mini-University Instructor for Musical Theatre.  She is the accompanist for the Mecca Community Choir and the BCC Kiddie Choral.  She has impressed the cast members of Fiddler on the Roof, High School Musical and now Spamalot with her work as rehearsal pianist for Mecca Musicals.     She has also played for the Neelin and Weyburn Comprehensive choirs, Sound Motif, and many musicals including Aida, Grease, Annie, Oliver and The Wedding Singer.  

We are delighted to welcome “Miss Wanda” to our teaching team.  An educator for 30 years in Brandon School Division, Wanda has extensive experience in music education and 19 years experience as a kindergarten teacher.  She is an accomplished vocalist who has enjoyed performing as a soloist with chamber groups and local choirs including Brandon Univeristy.  She also sings with Winnipeg-based chamber group Renaissance Music and local women’s group das Femmes.   Most recently she has discovered the joy of musical theatre on stage with Mecca Productions.  She looks forward to sharing her love of music with the children in Mecca’s Thursday classes.