Sarah Joy Bennett (Olive)

Sarah Joy Bennett is a Toronto actor and burlesque performer, and has performed for several years with Odyssey Theatre (Scapin, Il Campiello, Kamalay, Ondine). At last year’s Fringe Festival she performed in an original translation of Moliere’s The Sicilian, and has worked with Brookstone, Alchemy and Drumroll Thunder Pause Theatre. As a burlesque performer she was featured in last year’s “Toronto International Burlesque Festival”, and has just returned for Paris where she performed at “Le Tambour Royal”.

Madesta Buffam (Assistant Stage Manager)

Madesta just completed her first year at Guelph University where she is studying theatre. She acted as stage manager in the P.D.C.I. drama club, competing in the Sears Drama Festival (where she was awarded an outstanding stage management award in 2008). She thrives on continuing to volunteer in community productions.

Michael Dufays (Bill)

Michael Dufays graduated from AMDA (NYC, 1997). His most recent work includes, playing The Officer on the upcoming TV show, Conner Undercover II, Assistant Fight Directing for his 2nd season at the Stratford Festival, and is pleased to be making his debut at the inaugural season of the Classic Theatre Festival this summer! Other favourite credits include, Romeo in R&J (Dallas Shakespeare Festival), Horne in  Forbidden Phoenix (LKTYP/Citadel/MYTP) and being a performance puller in the Dora nominated play, Now we are Brody, Part one of The Mill.

Natalie Gisele (Stage Manager)

Natalie has been working as a stage manager since her studies at Algonquin College (Ottawa) 6 years ago. She has since moved to Toronto. In Ottawa, she has stage managed productions such as: My Name is Rachel Corrie (Vision Theatre), Everyman & Henry V ( Third Wall), and The Rideau Project (Catapulte). She has also apprenticed at GCTC and Factory Theatre, and most recently with Studio 180 (Toronto). Natalie was nominated “Most Outstanding Stage Manager” at the 2008 Rideau Awards.

Krista Leis ( Sally)

Krista is honoured to be a part of the inaugural season of the Classic Theatre Festival. The Stratford Shakespeare Festival: West Side Story (Asst. Choreographer), A Funny Thing..., The Music Man, Fuente Ovejuna, Gigi, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Tempest, West Side Story (1999 production). Other Theatre: Cats, Beauty and the Beast, White Christmas (Neptune Theatre). Film and Television: Missing, Charms for the Easy Life, The Music Man, Hairspray, Roxana, Interstate 60, Eloise at the Plaza.

Ivo Valentik (Set Designer)

Ivo won the 2008 Rideau Awards for Emerging Artist and Outstanding Set Design (Iron). In 2009 he captured the Capital Critics Award for Best Designer and the Rideau Award for Outstanding Set Design (Midwinter’s Dream Tale). His design and building company Antaeus Workshops keeps him busy when not in the theatre.

Lezlie Wade (Director, Sound Designer)

Most recently: Assistant director on As You Like It at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival where she is also member of the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Theatre. Also recently: Resident director/choreographer on The Toxic Avenger / Dancap, assistant director on Fuente Ovejuna / The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, assistant director on Mack and Mabel and Summer and Smoke /Shaw Festival. Other credits: The Yalta Game /Shaw Festival Director’s Project, Dog Sees God/ Rubinoff Productions, Book Of Days/ Theatre Emanation, Elegies and A Man of No Importance (Dora nomination best director) Acting Up Stage. Lezlie is currently the only Canadian lyricist accepted in the BMI Lehmen Engle Workshop in New York, and a member of the Lincoln Centre Director’s Lab.

Kevin Waghorn (Lighting Designer)

Kevin has most recently served as Stage Manager on Children’s Republic (Great Canadian Theatre Company) and has previously worked on Cranked (Green Thumb Theatre), The Optimists, Man From The Capital, A Number, The Fall, Swollen Tongues, Relative Good, The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia?, Mourning Dove (GCTC), Faustus, Miss Julie, Dangerous Liaisons (Third Wall Theatre), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Company of Fools) and on 52 Pick Up (Enigma Productions). Kevin also keeps busy as the Facility and Office Manager at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre and was previously Executive Producer of the Ottawa Fringe Festival.

Sarah Waghorn (Costume Designer)

Sarah has worked in the Ottawa theatre scene for the past 9 years. She started out in New Zealand at the Royal New Zealand Ballet and New Zealand Opera. After 5 years as Head of Props and Wardrobe for GCTC she became a freelance designer of costumes and props. Sarah has been nominated for four Rideau Awards in the past couple of years for both her costume design and set designs. She also had the pleasure of working on the award winning production Countries Shaped Like Stars for Mi Casa Theatre and numerous productions at the University of Ottawa and Ottawa School of Speech and Drama.