instructors

about our youth instructors

Fiona Bladon

Fiona has been actively painting sets at the Studio Theatre in Perth since 2011. The idea for set painters is to transform flat spaces – creating the illusion of being real and in three dimensions. Oceans, gardens, forests, living rooms, barns and kitchens are some of the illusions that Fiona along with members of the paint team has created for theatre-goers over the years.

Dave Clark

Dave Clark has been involved in theatre for almost 40 years now. He taught high school drama from 1986 to 1999 in the Port Hope/Cobourg area and continued, until his retirement in 2011, to direct student theatre productions (over 50) in the schools where he worked. He was also an active member of the Northumberland Players in Cobourg where he did pretty much everything from 1985 until 2019: directing, performing, lighting design, set construction, board membership, endless trouble shooting and project manager for the remodelling of The Firehall Theatre in Cobourg. He has performed in four student/adult Shakespearean productions with The Players. He is a published author and playwright. Dave and his wife Mary Liz moved to the Perth area in 2020 and are happy to find such a vibrant theatre community and a new home.

dani corbishley

Dani started dance training as a young child and went on to study musical theatre performance and production at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Since then, she has been working as a therapeutic recreation and arts instructor and has enjoyed working and playing in community productions including her most recent projects as director/choreographer for Working the Musical at Studio Theatre Perth. Among Dani’s choreography credits are Disney’s High School Musical, Grease, Oklahoma, Hairspray, Once Upon a Mattress and Bye, Bye Birdie

dave corbishley

Dave has been working in theatre, onstage (recently in 9 to 5) and offstage, since 2005. He started in stage management and then moved to more technical areas of production; primarily designing and running lighting, with some sound thrown in. He has been part of the Stage Crew at Nepean’s Centrepoint theatre, eventually in the role of Lighting Principal, and then Stage Crew Principal. Four years ago, Dave joined Studio Theatre Productions and has served as Technical Manager there and been the principal tech on many STP shows since.

Mike Irvin

Mike is a retired broadcast production veteran whose 43-year career includes TV & Radio production, along with a 21-year span of teaching part-time in the Algonquin College Radio Broadcasting and Theatre Arts program. His passion for radio performance has garnered several awards and recognition from industry peers and students. As Regional Production Manager at Rogers Radio, he helmed a 6-person team serving the Ottawa, Kingston and Halifax markets. He has directed various productions including commercial and news features, music specials, and podcasts.

grace main

Grace is the new Artistic Director at Studio Theatre Perth. She has been ‘playing’ in the theatre forever. She loves the people she meets backstage, and the chances that are taken with them to discover ways to make a story come to life. She has lots to share from years of study and experience as an actor, writer, director, costumer and set designer and a bit more too.

Diane Coté

Diane has been active in theatre for decades and has plenty of hands-on experience with the many aspects of putting a play on the stage, from actor to writer to director. Not long ago she was at the helm of Kanata’s Tarzan the musical, and recently at the Studio Theatre, she was part of the cast for The Attic, which went on to win two awards at the Eastern Ontario Drama League festival. Diane says her motto is “Life is a Musical” so you can always catch her singing and dancing, like in last year’s Studio Theatre production of “Working, The Musical.

Kiara Coté

Kiara is thrilled to share her passion for the arts with PYP. She has been involved with the local theatre scene for as long as she can remember; at Studio Theatre, most recently, in Tempting Providence and Educating Rita. She continues to pursue her love of theatre in her studies at George Brown Theatre School in Toronto.

allison graham

Allison attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (Los Angeles, California), where she spent two years studying theatre. Following graduation, she was asked to join the Academy ‘Company’, and in collaboration with nine other actors, enjoyed a challenging and rewarding third year performing theatre pieces. She finished her formal education at Pasadena City College, majoring in creative writing. This combination of schooling provided her with an Associate Degree in Theatre Arts and has enabled her to strike a fine balance of working both in front of, and behind a camera. Allison returned to Canada in 2002. She has acted in over forty film and television projects and has just completed co-writing her second television series.

becky sparks

Becky has a varied teaching background which spans thirty years and includes working with youth from pre-school to college level developing and assisting with classroom and school-wide drama productions. Training with Ontario Youth Theatre in her own youth was pivotal for Becky and so she is excited to share her ideas and energy with PYP and looks forward to creating new memories with them in the theatre world.

jane stott

Jane has been directing plays at Studio Theatre for a decade. She has written several plays and thrives in the theatre environment. As a director you’re given a play that you must read several times and are then expected to ‘bring it to life’ on the stage. She believes a good director must become the eyes and ears of the audience – from the very first rehearsal on. Their job is to make the actors look and sound amazing, and to make the audience wildly applaud at end. Jane is the grandmother to five grandchildren, ages 13 to 22, and says she loves the creativity and spontaneity of youth and always looks forward to having fun with young people!

KRISTY TAIT-ANGEL

Kristy has lived and breathed the many aspects of the theatre world for a number of years. She has been a staple in many of the local productions including those of Perth Community Choir, Barn Door Productions, Orion and most recently at the Studio Theatre, where she was part of the frenetically-paced The 39 Steps. She is passionate about sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience with young folks who love theatre too!

VANNESSA TORRES

Vannessa first found her passion for Television when she starred in Restaurant Makeover in her teen years. It lead her to study broadcasting at Niagara College where she graduated with a Broadcasting: Radio, Television and Film Diploma. She also graduated from the Child and Youth Program of Humber College. Over the years she has formulated skills in videography, on-air announcing, radio and television reporting, social media coordination amongst others and because she enjoys working with youth, she has volunteered to work with our Perth Youth Players. Vannessa firmly believes that knowledge is power and wants to pass along some of her knowledge with hopes of inspiring a new generation of broadcasters.

Carolee Mason

Carolee is an experienced theatre educator, director, and adjudicator with student and community theatre groups across Ontario. Carolee trained in technical theatre, design, and drama in education, studying with the Georgian Theatre Company, the University of Toronto Opera School, the University College Drama Program, and Queen’s University Drama Department. Her work in school and community theatre in Eastern Ontario earned Theatre Ontario’s Michael Spence Award. Also, an award-winning teacher noted for her work as an author and workshop leader, Carolee contributed to Ontario’s Ministry of Education drama curriculum at various stages of its development. Working with adults, teens, and children, she has directed and designed more than a hundred productions for community and children’s theatre, and the Sears Drama Festival. She has taught drama at elementary and secondary schools, and at universities including the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Lakehead University, and in the Theatre Department at Brock University.

emily poole

Emily studied at the Versailles Academy of Makeup Arts. She has worked on many different styles (wedding makeup, glam makeup, prom makeup) and techniques using makeup – from neutral / no makeup looks to extremely intense makeup looks, with every colour and variety of glitters, and special effects make-up, like adding scars and wounds to faces and hands etc. She enjoys the challenge of seeing how realistic she can get those special effects to look. She says, “I got into the beauty and make-up industry to make people feel more confident in themselves and to show them that little things can do so much to emphasize their own true beauty.”

janet rice

Janet discovered acting ‘late’ in life after earning money at her real-life job as a technical writer and consultant. Once she set foot on the stage, “That was it – no more earning real money!” Theatre is a great passion for her now and she has been acting for over 25 years with anyone who will give her the opportunity – OLT, Goya, Kanata Theatre, Studio Theatre, Ninth Hour, Toto Too and the Phoenix Theatre. She has also had TV roles, a few smaller background parts as well as some main roles. And she has appeared in some TV ads. She started writing short plays during Covid and has to date completed about 8 or 9 with another 5 or 6 sitting on her computer “haunting me” until they are finished!

Alexis Scott

Alexis Scott is a theatre professional with intensive training in physical theatre and creation. She graduated from the Ottawa Theatre School Acting Conservatory and has studied intensively with clown instructor John Turner at the Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance. Favourite theatre credits include The Pilot in Grounded, MacDuff in MacBeth (Bear & Co.), and The Anger in Ernestine in The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine (Vacant House Theatre – Ottawa, Perth, Bancroft tour). After living in multiple cities, she returned to her hometown in Lanark County, longing to live in nature and convinced she can make a difference here. She has a deep love for community and storytelling. She is currently working on her first full-length play about one of her ancestors.

Reiner Silberhorn

Reiner has been involved in set construction and design for the past 16 years. He started as a member of the building team, then, after a few years, became Head Builder. He took a set design course at Ottawa Little Theatre about 10 years ago and has been designing sets at the Studio Theatre ever since. He never misses an opportunity to study and be inspired by professionally designed sets, and takes backstage tours whenever he’s in Stratford, Niagara-on-the-Lake or Gananoque.

Laurel Smith

Laurel Smith is a theatre director, producer, playwright, teacher, and performer with an MA in Drama and an MBA in arts management. Laurel has directed at Gryphon Theatre, Capitol Theatre, and the Shaw Festival, among many others. Artistic Producer of the Classic Theatre Festival (founded in 2010 in Perth), Laurel was chosen Broadway World Ottawa Best Director for 2022 (“The Fourposter”). This summer she is directing both plays for the Festival’s 2023 season at Arts Court Theatre in Ottawa:
“Affairs of State” and “Sleuth.” Laurel will continue to partner with the Ottawa School of Theatre to provide theatre education and professional development courses in 2023/24. She looks forward to 2024’s 25th anniversary of Burning Passions Theatre (the Festival’s parent company) in 2024.

STUDIO THEATRE PERTH