All about Samantha (or, Sam).
Photo credit: Pascal Toba
Samantha Frew has been involved in the theatre scene since taking her very first acting class at the age of eight. In her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, she performed in many community theatre productions (credits include: HONK! The Ugly Duckling Musical, James and the Giant Peach, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol), and in her high school years, she even went on to be an assistant director with Bestkind Productions. Before graduating from high school, Samantha was awarded for her excellence, optimism, and leadership in the Performing Arts Certificate Program, as co-chair.
From East to West, Samantha chose to pursue her BFA in Theatre at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. During that time, she obtained several major roles in the Phoenix Theatre’s programming, including Malvolio (Twelfth Night), Cecily Cardew (The Importance of Being Earnest), and Ilse (Spring Awakening). Samantha’s approach to the work is based on “discovery over prescription” (as described by her professor), and this love of theatre creation would extend beyond the world of acting. Samantha enrolled in playwriting and directing classes in addition to her standard performance curriculum, giving her the tools not only to get work, but to make work. By the end of her four-year degree, Samantha had performed in six mainstage productions, directed a one-act play for the Student Alternative Theatre Company, and was awarded two scholarships - the Dr Marion Porath Legacy Scholarship in Theatre Performance (for a student who has distinguished themselves in a major mainstage production), and the Nigel Leach Memorial Scholarship (for a student who shows outstanding promise in Shakespearean interpretation).
Samantha’s pursuits did not slow after graduation. That summer, she would co-write, produce, and perform an award-winning Fringe show, with Outstanding! being awarded Pick of the Fringe and voted runner-up in all other eligible categories.
Samantha is now based in Toronto, Ontario.