Ce-Lee (she/her) is an Actor, Director and Writer. She specializes in Devised Theatre, often self-producing much of her own work. Ce-Lee has a formal education from the University of Manchester, UK where she earned a Master of Arts in Theatre & Performance. Previous to her time abroad she studied at the University of Winnipeg receiving a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Theatre & Film. In addition to her University education, Ce-Lee has gained practical experience through a combination of working under established theatre and film artists as well as through self-navigation. She has worked as an Assistant or Associate Director with Royal MTC, WJT and especially with Sarasvàti Productions. Some of her independent Directing credits include Fractured Expectations, Jim Forgetting and Mother, a la carte. As an Actor most of her work has been on independent productions many of which she was also a writer; some of these credits include Persona, Insomnia, RED and Tourology: A Mindy and Marge Adventure. Ce-Lee has recently stepped into the film world, where she has primarily acted in indie productions. Some of her leading roles include Flamingo House, Leave Me Want Me and Family Business.

As a passionate and self-motivated artist, Ce-Lee endeavours to constantly better herself as an artist, always setting new goals and taking risks. She actively pursues opportunities relating to theatre and film. She currently lives in Winnipeg, Canada but aspires to have an international career.

The Company

Ce-Lee Productions is the official new company created and run by Ce-Lee (Rachel Smith). The company was created after the stage name Ce-Lee was adopted as a way of merging all of Ce-Lee’s artistic initiatives. Although still collaborating with other companies and often working as a freelance artist, any projects primarily produced by Ce-Lee will be run under Ce-Lee Productions. 

The Name

Rachel Elizabeth Smith is a very common name and in an industry dependent on name recognition, the intention of adopting a stage name was in the works for several years. Seeley was the middle name of one of Rachel’s grandmothers. Not only did the name stand out to Rachel, but she felt it was a wonderful way to honour her ancestors. The spelling was changed to add her own twist and make it more unique. 

The Intention

Stories are the root of all the work Ce-Lee does. Her intention is to create in whichever medium and genre best suits the story that needs to be told. Although stemming from a background in theatre, her work extends to film, music, and prose (having recently begun her work on a novel). Her inspiration arises from the history of performers: travelling from town to town telling stories as an oral storyteller, a musician or an actor. Stories are at the heart of humanity. It’s how we pass on history and lessons, how we evoke our imaginations, how we entertain and how we connect to one another. Ce-Lee’s goal is to find innovative ways of creating artistic works while honouring the heart of the story. 

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Rolling with the Times

In the spring of 2020, Ce-Lee expected to put on a one woman show for the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival. Once the first lockdown happened and all festivals were cancelled, she expected to further develop her initial idea and create a solo show for the following summer, for this year’s 2021 Fringe Festival. Unfortunately, the festival was cancelled again this year.

Rather than waiting until 2022, Ce-Lee decided to change her idea for a solo theatrical production into an indie film. Ce-Lee is still in the beginning stages of script development and filming details but she already has some collaborators on board.

Check out the On My Way To Nashville page for further info and upcoming developments!

Unexpected Journey

Ce-Lee has recently begun work on a novel. The idea of writing a novel was never something Ce-Lee planned or expected to do. She woke up one morning from a vivid dream and knew the story had to be written down. She spent the rest of the day working on building the story from the dream and realized it had to be a novel.

There is no expected date of completion. At this time she is enjoying the process and relishing the opportunity to create in a new medium.

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