On My Way To Nashville

Created and Performed by: Ce-Lee

Short Performance part of the Winnipeg Digital Fringe Festival

Streaming July 16 at 8pm

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On the way to following her dreams, an aspiring musician finds herself living on the streets in a strange city. Stranded and hopeless she accepts her fate. Forever changed by her circumstances, April shares how she learned to survive through storytelling, music and satire. 

Inspired by real stories and accounts, “On My Way to Nashville” is a larger project almost two years in the making. Initially planned as solo theatrical production, it is now being developed into a film. This introductory excerpt strives to be a hybrid between the initial concept and the film-to-be.

Starring: Ce-Lee

Written and Directed by: Ce-Lee

Music and Lyrics by: Ce-Lee

Director of Photography: Reisha Hancox

Editor: Reisha Hancox

First Assistant Director: Bianca V. M.

Sound Assistant: Boma Cookey-Gam

Consultant: Matthew Mwaura

A special thank you to all those who shared their stories.

Play On #WpgFringe

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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.