Creative Team

Playwright

For Blyth: Death of a Hired Man, The Outdoor Donnellys, Hippie, In the Wake of Wettlaufer, Cottagers and Indians, The Perilous Pirate’s Daughter. Former Artistic Associate; Audience Development .

Kelly is a nationally recognized theatre artist and leader whose work is rooted in storytelling, community, and connection. Leadership roles include Caravan Farm Theatre and the Stratford Perth Museum, where she is Managing Director. A recipient of the K.M. Hunter Award for her impact on theatre in Ontario, she is grateful to this extraordinary team, the Kroehler Girls, and her daughter Nell, who brought music to the 2021 production — and taught her mom the game.

Playwright

For Blyth: Debut

Andy is thrilled to be here. Past credits include Coach/Chick in Kroehler Girls (Here for Now Theatre), Swing/Ensemble in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Mirvish Productions), Amos Diggory/Severus Snape/Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (1st National US Tour), Wayne/Frank in Liars at a Funeral, MacDuff in Macbeth (Driftwood Theatre), Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, several seasons at the Stratford Festival. Enjoy the show!

Playwright

For Blyth: Debut

Stacy Smith is a Genie-nominated performer, educator, and acting coach with 25+ years in theatre, TV, and film. She teaches at Fanshawe College’s Acting For Screen and Stage Program and Drayton Youth Academy. Stacy offers online on-camera training through her coaching business and recently worked as an acting coach on the upcoming TV series The Next Step: Cheer!  She wants to thank her Kroehler Girl Co-Creators and the KG community for sharing their incredible stories. 

Director & Playwright

For Blyth: selected acting: Local Talent, Seeds, Chronicles of Sarnia. Directing: Beyond the Farm Show, Team on the Hill, The Pigeon King, Wing Night at the Boot, Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz, Quiet in the Land.

An award-winning director, Severn is also a writer, actor, dramaturg, and Associate Artistic Director for Blyth Festival who has worked in theatres across the country. Recent directing includes: Candida (Shaw Festival), Comedy of Errors (George Brown), Everybody (Dalhousie U.), The Alchemist (TMU), and Alligator Pie (Soulpepper, Dora Award). Shoutout to her family and the annual Thompson reunion ball game for teaching her how to play

Playwright
For Blyth: Debut

JUNO Award–nominated artist Dayna Manning has spent 25 years as one of Canada’s most compelling folk singer-songwriters. A performer, producer, mentor, and community arts leader, her 2026 album Field Notes continues her storytelling rooted in everyday  Canadian life. Holding a Master of Arts in Community Music from Wilfrid Laurier University, she is the author of Many Moons, with a foreword by Chris Hadfield. Dayna thanks Derek Downham for his contribution to “A Dream Lives In Your Heart.”

Music Director Curveball: The Fast-Pitch Ladies from the Factory Floor

For Blyth: Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story; Quiet In The Land; The Wind Coming Over The Sea; A Huron County Christmas Carol; John Ware Reimagined; Mr. New Year’s Eve: Guy Lombardo; The Pigeon King

Other Theatre (Selected): Lear, Measure For Measure, The Winter’s Tale (Groundling),

Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare In Love, The Taming Of The Shrew, Pirates Of Penzance, The Grapes Of Wrath, As You Like It, Jacques Brel… (Stratford Festival), Once (Neptune Theatre). RECORDINGS: Another Street, Late, The Easy Straight, Recent Songs. PREVIOUSLY: Quartetto Gelato (1996 NPR Performance Today Debut Artist of the Year). More information at meanwell.ca. George is delighted to be returning to Blyth!

Choreographer
For Blyth: The Hulse Boys

Tim is elated to be part of the Curveball Team at the Blythe Festival. He has called Stratford his home for the past 35 years and has worked as a Choreographer, Director, or performer for Drayton Entertainment, The Grand Theatre, and the Stratford Festival. His career has taken him across Canada, including as Resident Director for Mirvish Productions on The Producers, Dirty Dancing, and Dear Evan Hansen. For fans of Murdoch Mysteries, he was the Choreographer for the musical episode “Why Is Everybody Singing?”.

Set & Costume Design

For Blyth: Quiet in The Land

Sean is a designer based in Ontario whose work has been showcased across Canada, the U.S., and Central America. Selected companies include The Stratford Festival, The Grand Theatre, Canadian Stage, Drayton Entertainment, The Shaw Festival, and Neptune Theatre. Past awards include three Robert Merritt Awards (TNS), Best Group Costume Design (Pride Toronto), and the 2020 Laureate of the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design (OAC/OAF). Sean is a member of ADC/IATSE 659. www.seanmulcahydesign.com

Set & Costume Design

For Blyth: Over 20 productions including the first production of Quiet in the Land and last season’s production of the same play.

I’m delighted to be returning to Blyth Festival…where my career started many years ago. Since then I have had the good fortune to design lights for over 600 productions from coast to coast and in the U.S. 

Sound Design

For Blyth: The Wind Coming Over The Sea, Radio Town, Huron County Christmas Carol; Resort to Murder; Huron County Christmas Carol; John Ware Reimagined

Originally from Summerside, PEI, Adam has worked as sound designer/composer with Stratford Festival, Blyth Festival, Human Body Expression, Edmonton Opera, Here For Now Theatre and more. Adam has toured throughout North America as a percussionist with TorQ Percussion Quartet and Ladom Ensemble, and regularly plays in the pit for musical theatre productions with Mirvish Productions and Stratford Festival. Adam currently lives in Stratford, Ontario, with his wife Alice and their cats Ninja and Nazca.

Production Stage Manager

For Blyth: Quiet in the Land, The Farm Show: Then and Now, Resort to Murder,  The Donnelly Trilogy, The Drawer Boy, Berlin Blues, Ipperwash, (Blyth Festival)

Recent Credits: Boys with Cars, (Nightswimming/YPT). Disney’s Frozen, (The Globe Theatre).

Sandy is the great-grandson of Morley Plunkett of the almost forgotten WW1 Canadian Vaudeville Troupe, The Dumbells.

Upcoming: Mosque Heights (The Globe Theatre) 

Sandy is the great-grandson of Morley Plunkett of the almost forgotten WW1 Canadian Vaudeville Troupe, The Dumbells.

Assistant Stage Manager

For Blyth: Liars at a Funeral, Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story, Powers and Gloria 

Emma Marcy is a recent graduate of Brock University’s Dramatic Arts Program. She is thrilled to be returning to the Blyth Festival this season after working as a Production Assistant on Powers and Gloria and Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story last season. Her selected ASM credits include: Nobody’s Children (Yellow Door Theatre Project), Liars at a Funeral (Blyth Festival), The Devi Triptych (Red Beti Theatre), and Scorched (Brock University).