(L – R: Katie Hoppa, Alex Sinclair, Evan King and Larissa Shabaga)

Hello friend,

I’m currently acting in “A Number” at the Royal MTC’s Warehouse Theatre, and not only am I having a blast onstage in a brilliant play alongside one of Canada’s greats, Victor Ertmanis — but backstage, I’m surrounded by some truly lovely and familiar SIR faces: stage managers Katie Hoppa and Larissa Shabaga, technical director Alex Sinclair, head of lights Evan King, and assistant director (and SIR legend!) Sarah Constible.

The other day, sitting in my dressing room, I heard giddy laughter coming from the kitchen backstage. It filled me with joy — enough that I had to snap that photo. Honestly, I felt like a doting dad. Katie, Larissa, Alex and Evan all worked with me at SIR this past summer during one of the most challenging seasons in our history — wildfires, cancellations, smoke, oof — and they were absolute heroes.

And now, just a few months later, here we are again, together, doing something completely different but with the same joy, professionalism, and tenacity. I’m so proud of this team. I say “proud dad” because SIR gave them some of their very first professional contracts, and now they’re thriving at the celebrated RMTC.

It made me think of my own journey. SIR was the first company to hire me, straight out of university in 2007, when I was just a kid with a thick Brazilian accent, acting alongside none other than the brilliant Sarah Constible in “The Merchant of Venice”. And now, somehow, I get to lead the company. I get to collaborate with artists like these — and (this is truly the best part of my job) I get to do what Jack Lemmon called “sending the elevator back down.” Through SIR, I now get to do what SIR once did for me: fostering new voices, emerging artists, and future leaders; giving them their first opportunities.

That’s what SIR is. We are the bridge between training and the professional world.

It is a wonderful responsibility — to support the next generation, to invest in emerging Manitoban talent; to mentor, build, and collaborate with the young artists who will continue to make this province shine across the country.

That is worth protecting. That is worth supporting.

Without SIR, I might never have made it to the RMTC stage — and I certainly wouldn’t have had that sweet moment of hearing laughter from the kitchen, prompting me to capture a photo of these wonderful humans I get to make art with today.

How precious.

Please consider supporting the next generation. Invest in Manitoban talent. Protect the company we love.

Donate today.

Yours, with deepest gratitude,

xo

Rodrigo, artistic director