Skule Nite

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Skule Nite 0T9 Opening Act

Skule Nite is a sketch comedy musical revue run entirely by Engineering students at the University of Toronto. It is put on annually at Hart House, and is a professional-level production done entirely by volunteers.

History[edit | edit source]

Early History[edit | edit source]

The origins of Skule™ Nite can be traced back to the early years of the 20th century. At that time, there was no show as such, but frequently students and professors would perform short skits and musical ensembles at social events during the year. In 1920, the Engineering Society appointed a Stunt Night Committee to bring together all these scattered dramatic efforts into one show. There was so much interest in this idea that it was decided Massey Hall should be rented for the performance. At 8:30pm, on Wednesday, March 2, 1921, a entitled “Ngynyrs in SPaSms” was performed there with overwhelming success. The show contained eleven skits, ranging from "the Toronto Dislocation Commission" to "the Adventures of Chloreen". The show was accompanied by a student band called the "Toike Oikestra". The show was such a success that it was repeated verbatim the following year, with attendance of over 2000.

Early Hart House Era[edit | edit source]

In 1923, the show was moved to Hart House. At the time, Hart House was only open to male students due to the stipulation of its founder, the Massey Foundation. However, Hart House could be opened to both genders for special events, so in order to “bring the lady friends into the House to enjoy all the facilities that it had to offer,” the Engineering Society organized "Faculty Night", a comprehensive showcase of displays and events put on by engineering students and departments of which the theatrical presentation was only a small part. At the same time, a new format of Skule Nite, combining a variety of theatrical reviews and displays, competitions and dancing, was established, and continued as such for over twenty years. In 1940′s, as the show evolved into the extravagant evening of theatre known today, so much time and effort was being put into production of the theatrical portion of Skule Nite that no time or support was left for the other events. The 'Revue', as it was referred at the time, became Skule Nite.

At the close of World War II, during which Skule Nite had been cancelled once (in 1942) and displaced to the Royal Ontario Museum (in 1944), the show was moved to the fall and for the first time began to have an entire year of production behind it. Every aspect of the show was ramped up and the professionalism of the acting, singing, dancing and effects escalated. This trend continued for twenty years, until attendance at Skule Nite began to drop off in the mid-1960's. As a result, in 1968 the Engineering Society decided to put on a Broadway musical, "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off", in place of Skule Nite. The show flopped and EngSoc was left stuck in debt from the production costs, leading to the cancellation of Skule Nite for the foreseeable future.

Modern Era[edit | edit source]

Skule Nite 2T5

Four years later in 1973, as a tribute to the hundredth anniversary of the faculty and the fiftieth anniversary of the show, Michael Stanek resurrected Skule™ Nite, originally intended to be one time only. The success of that show, however, supported by an enthusiastic coterie of enthusiasts of the theatre, has resulted in a unbroken run of theatrical delights since that time. In 2000, the production moved to current format of 5 shows in 4 days.

Skule Nite Directors and Producers[edit | edit source]

2020s[edit | edit source]

Year Director(s) Assistant Director(s) Producer Assistant Producer
2024-25 Michael Cortese Mech 2T2+PEY Kate Stephens

Julia DiMarchi		 Mech 2T2+PEY

Civ 2T3+PEY 		Vedant Gupta NΨ 2T5+PEY Jimmy Ji TrackOne 2T8
2023-24 Thomas Dell NΨ 2T1+3 Rhythm Loomba NΨ 2T3+PEY Cat Ye Civ 2T3+PEY Caley McNeill Indy 2T5+PEY
2022-23 Anya Banning

Emily Macdonald-Roach		 Mech 2T1+PEY

Che 2T1+PEY 		— — Deniz Uzun ECE 2T3+PEY Nathalie Cristofaro Mech 2T2+PEY
2021-22 Stephanie McDonald Mech 2T0+PEY+1 Jacqueline Amoranto NΨ 2T1+1 Michael Cortese Mech 2T2+PEY Mackenzie Seward NΨ 2T1+1
2020-21 Sofia Tijanic ECE 1T9+PEY — — Nicholas Popowich ECE 2T0+PEY Maya Dai Mech 2T1+PEY

2010s[edit | edit source]

Year Director(s) Assistant Director(s) Producer Assistant Producer
2019–20 Jenny Graydon Indy 1T8 Julia Lobo Che 1T8+PEY Seif Sarofim ECE 2T0+PEY Jonathan Norman MSE 1T9+PEY
2018–19 Johnny McGroarty Che 1T7+PEY Sean Pitre NΨ 1T8+PEY Angela Ma Che 1T8+PEY David Pech Mech 1T8+PEY
2017–18 Emma Sexton Indy 1T6 Nikola Andric Bio MEng 1T7 Linda Leung Indy 1T8+PEY Kevin Vincze Che 1T7+PEY
2016–17 Justin Hugh Mech 1T3 — — Alex Perelgut NΨ 1T6+PEY Savannah Forest Civ MASc 1T9
2015–16 Michael Manning NΨ 1T3+PEY Kevin Hugh CSC 1T6+PEY Patrice Boisclair-Laberge

Massimo Gordillo		 ECE 1T5+PEY

Indy 1T5+PEY 		— —
2014–15 Sean Sit Indy 1T2+PEY Michael Manning NΨ 1T3+PEY Shashwat Sharma NΨ 1T3+PEY Laura Burget Che 1T6
2013–14 Navid Nourian NΨ 1T2+PEY Sandra Sousa ECE 1T3 Jad Knayzeh NΨ 1T3+PEY Patrice Boisclair-Laberge ECE 1T5
2012–13 Christopher Sun

Scott Whitty		 NΨ 1T3+PEY

NΨ 1T3+PEY 		— — Amanda Bell

Ian Parker

Chunkei Tang		 Indy MASc 1T4

Min 1T2+1

Che 1T4 		— —
2011–12 Jonny Sun NΨ 1T1+PEY — — Wayne Lin Indy 1T1+PEY Ian Parker Min 1T2+1
2010–11 Mason Lau Che 0T8 Chris Tuff Che 1T0 Katerina Daginis Che 1T1 — —

2000s[edit | edit source]

Year Director(s) Assistant Director(s) Producer(s) Assistant Producer
2009–10 Daniel Marquez Indy 0T8+1 Mason Lau Che 0T8 Katerina Daginis Che 1T1 Alvin Ho Elec 0T9+PEY
2008–09 Kian Marandi Mech 0T7+2 — — Rossana Rodriguez

Steven Szeto		 Indy 1T0+1

Indy 0T9 		— —
2007–08 Jordan Silverman Mech 0T7 — — Steven Szeto Indy 0T9 — —
2006–07 Chris Peressotti NΨ 0T1 — — Don McAuslan

Carolyn Hicks		 NΨ 0T4

Civ 0T7+PEY 		— —
2005–06 Leona Smith MSE 0T6 — — Alice Xu Arts 0T5 — —
2004–05 Jon Hoss NΨ 0T4+PEY — — Matthew Szeto Comp 0T3+1 — —
2003–04 Jane Lam Chem 0T2 Chris Langley NΨ 0T2 Carrie Smith NΨ 0T3+PEY Matthew Szeto Comp 0T3+1
2002–03 Agnes Jedrzejewski Comp 0T2 — — Donovan Pollitt Min 0T3 — —
2001–02 Mike Wood Min 0T2 — — Tiffany Conroy NΨ 0T1+1 — —
2000–01 Chris Langley NΨ 9T8 — — Glenn Hauck ? — —

1990s[edit | edit source]

Year Director Producer(s)
1999–00 Aryn Pyke COMP 9T5 Wilfred Lam NΨ 0T0
1998–99 Kern Lewin NΨ 9T7 Xavier Galvez Comp 9T9+PEY
1997–98 Trevor Mills NΨ 9T8+PEY Kristin Hofstee NΨ 9T8
1996–97 Alex Hatzivassilis Elec 9T4 Trevor Mills NΨ 9T8+PEY
1992–93 Lydia Van Der Veen Che 8T8 Karri Paradi Ind 9T4
1991–92 Ed Bonner BSc (Math) 9T3 Michelle (Radford) Barnes

Jason Pilon		 MMS 9T1
1990–91 Donna Cieszynska Indy 9T0 Andre Angelantoni Civ 3rd year

1980s[edit | edit source]

Year Director(s) Producer(s)
1989–90 Franco Minatel Mech 8T6 Hayley Ohlig Ind 9T0
1988–89 Jovanni Sy Ind 8T8? Kenneth Kiang Ele 9T0
1987–88 Alec McTavish NΨ 8T7 Tom Meadowcroft NΨ 8T8
1986–87 Jerome Madden Physical Geography 8T7 Larry Breakwell NΨ 8T9
1985–86 Ron Williams

Lynette Fairweather		 NΨ 8T4

Mech 8T5 		Ron Dizy Ind 8T7
1984–85 Steve Roberts BSc(Psy) 1T7 Lee Verhoeff Civ 8T6
1983–84 Wayne Levin Ind 8T4 Lee Verhoeff Civ 8T6
1982–83 Rob West Che 8T1 Ira Rotenberg Ind 8T6
1981–82 Parvez Patel NΨ 8T1 Judith Vosko NΨ 8T4
1980–81 Jan Piekoszewski Civ 8T0 Nancy Brown NΨ 8T1

1970s and Earlier[edit | edit source]

Year Director(s) Producer(s)
1979–80 Peter Nelson NΨ 7T9 Graham Skells

Pierre Gagnon		 NΨ 8T1

7T9
1978–79 Mark Ewen Mech 7T8 Graham Skells NΨ 8T1
1977–78 Paul Baker NΨ 7T5 Graham Skells NΨ 8T1
1976–77 Jim Podolak Civ 7T5 Bruce Dodds Mech 7T7
1975–76 Deborah (Waddell) Morris Che 7T7 Mike Henry Mech 7T6
1974–75 Stephen Cress ELE 7T5 Michael Cox ELE 7T5
1973–74 Sylvia (Gibb) Young

Sheryl Prowse		 Ind 7T5

A&S 		Rick Fletcher Mech 7T3
1972–73 Michael Stanek Ind 7T3 John Vanneste NΨ 7T3
1965–66 Fred Benzaquen ELE 6T8 Andris Skuja NΨ 6T6
1963–64 Andris Skuja NΨ 6T6 Joseph Gilling Mech 6T5
1961–62 Brock West Grant Coffey Civ 6T2
1948–49 Garth McDowell Bill Walker
1920–21 C.T. Carson

J. McKnight		 — —

List of Skule Nite Shows[edit | edit source]

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