John McKenzie

John McKenzie attended the Fanshawe College Theatre Arts Program and successfully graduated in 2006. Before getting into the program, John was living in Cambridge and was involved in community theatre activities. John looked at the programs at Fanshawe and thought that the Theatre Arts Program sounded interesting. Today, he looks back to his audition and remembers that the teachers that he met were amazing and fun. "I knew once I got the acceptance letter that I had to go."

After graduation, John jumped in with both feet and started his own theatre company in London, ON called 'The Verve.' "We do not operate like your typical theatre company, in the fact that we do not use directors. Everything that is presented by the Verve is done in a collaborative environment. It has worked out well for us, as we have earned a couple Brickenden Awards (like our local Tony's) for productions over the years." The Verve has been the official theatre company of Pride London Festival for the past 3 years and hopes to work with some of the other theatre companies that are in town in the coming years. "Outside of The Verve, I have also been part of several community theatre shows here in London: Hamlet, I is Another, Cosi, Inherit the Wind. It's been a great ride."

John describes his fondest memory of the College and program as the following, "The Theatre Arts Program at Fanshawe was the best 2 years of my life. I left Theatre school a different person, than I came in. More confident, more aware and surrounded by a group of people, who all knew me and wanted to help me to do whatever I wanted."

The Theatre Arts Program instructors and guest artists helped shape John's career path. "The faculty worked together as a unit to make sure that we were getting exactly what we needed when we needed it. What I will say is that the Program at Fanshawe, was the motivation behind me starting my own Theatre company. The way that we all worked together as a collaborative, was truly an inspiring experience and that is what The Verve is trying to keep alive."

One of the acting instructors at Fanshawe College had a couple of phrases that will always echo in John's head: "Actors are smart people." "Choose to be Brilliant." "That's how I like to approach any role that I am playing. By being smart: Doing my research, knowing everything that I can about the person, time period, etc. and by making the choice to not just do what I can do, what is easy, but to step outside of the comfort level and try my hardest to be the best that I can be."