Double Dose of Panels and Pastries

Panel Brunch: Two Conversations, One Brunch

• Insight with ACTRA – Getting Started in the Industry

Join ACTRA Toronto performers for a discussion about getting started in the industry, including their insight, experiences, and tips. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from professional performers!

• Insight with Deaf Actors – Experience Working on Sets and Films

About

Since childhood, Katarina Ziervogel has been breaking down barriers. As a writer, filmmaker and actor, she is committed to using her platform to enhance the visibility of Deaf and Indigenous representation on screen, becoming the role model and leader she wished she had seen in the entertainment industry as a child.

If you are a Marvel fan, you may recognize her from her debut acting role in Marvel Studios’ miniseries Echo, where she played Taloa, the mother of Maya Lopez, otherwise known as her superhero alter ego, Echo. Ziervogel has appeared in CBC’s Heartland and NBC’s The Irrational. She also co-wrote her first feature film, Finality of Dusk, with Emmy Award-winning director Madison Thomas, which premiered in Canada at the Whistler Film Festival in 2023.

An Anishinaabe-Mohawk woman, who is also part German, comes from the Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. Ziervogel is Deaf and was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, before moving to Winnipeg at the age of 10. Long before her first television appearance, the importance of Indigenous representation in the media played a significant role in her life, as her mother and stepfather, Kim and Jordan Wheeler, both work in the industry.

A self-proclaimed sci-fi enthusiast, writing is her first love. It has always come easily to Ziervogel. She considers herself a shy and conservative person, so being in front of a camera multiple times has pushed her out of her comfort zone. It has also taught her that she can tackle complex and new challenges, encouraging her to grow personally and creatively.

Chris Kenopic is a Canadian actor currently acting as the Clint character on the Ginny and Georgia Netflix series (1 - 4th Season) and is also an advocate in the Deaf community here in Ontario and across Canada. Chris was born Deaf and attended the Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf in Belleville, Ontario after struggling at hearing schools in Renfrew. Upon graduating he then attended to Gallaudet University the only Liberal Arts University in the world where he graduated in 1993 receiving his degree in Communication Arts.  

Returning to Ontario he held various management positions such as the first Executive Director of the Ontario Association of the Deaf, Management in Literacy programs, President/CEO of the Canadian Hearing Society, Settlement Worker and as the Executive Director at the Deaf Literacy Initiative. 

He also served as Board Chair/President of the Ontario Association of the Deaf, the Canadian Association of the Deaf, Chair of the GBC Interpreting Advisory Committee, Chair of the Bob Rumball Centre of the Deaf, and even the Chair of the World Congress of the Deaf of the World Federation of the Deaf held in Montreal in 2003. 

He was married to Laureen Baskerville who is deceased since 2020 and has 4 children with the third one being Deaf and now has three beautiful grandsons. Chris Kenopic’s personality is one as being humble and not seeking recognition for his contributions. He believes empowering others to strive and excel in their lives is paramount in seeing that individuals achieve success in life whether its pursuing employment opportunities or success in acting. 

Gaitrie Persaud-Killings is a Tkaronto-Guyanese-raised Deaf actor, activist, and visionary leader committed to transforming the Canadian arts landscape. Based in Tkaronto, she is the founder of Phoenix the Fire, a dynamic theatre and film community hub dedicated to supporting BIPOC Deaf artists. Frustrated by a lack of infrastructure, she is actively building the critical support structure she finds missing in Canada.

As a multi-talented performer, Gaitrie is an experienced ASL coach and a captivating ASL music performer. Her on-screen presence is diverse and extensive, including roles as a news presenter for Sign 1News (Atlanta, GA),  she was a regular on Nickelodeon Jr.'s Blue's Clues & You as Camilla. She is also on CBC Gem's Silly Paws as Simmi, and a lead role as Ariannaon Squeaky Wheel Canada. Her compelling work as the subject of the documentary film Breaking Characters (AMI) further highlights her impact. Gaitrie splits her time between Tkaronto, Ontario, and Atlanta, Georgia, where she resides with her family.

Brunch Schedule

 11:30am • Brunch Opens

12:00pm - 1:00pm • Deaf's Experience Working on Sets and Films

1:30pm - 2:30pm • Getting Started in the Industry with Actura 

3:30pm • Brunch Closes