Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story

Ensemble in The Wind Coming Over the Sea and Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story, O’Rourke in Quiet in the Land

Raised in Goderich and now participating in his 12th season here at the Festival, and third consecutive as a performer. There are few words to express how great an honour it is to work in such an important theatre locally, nationally and globally. To be a part of this company is a dream come true. Thank you to the generosity of the donors and you the patrons who make this all possible. You keep me fed, housed and clothed and for that I am in your debt. Enjoy…we are giving our all.

Shelayna Christante

Jane McConnell Johnson in The Wind Coming Over the Sea
Katie Brubacher in Quiet in the Land
Ensemble in Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story

Shelayna Christante (she/they) is a Dora award-winning actor and singer born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta. She moved to Toronto to pursue her passions, graduating from George Brown Theatre School in 2023. Shelayna is immensely grateful to be returning to the Blyth Festival this season, and is honoured to get to play alongside such good company. Shelayna also wishes to acknowledge the many many many loving, kind, warm hands that have helped her along her path. She can’t wait to share these beautiful stories with you.

Ensemble in The Wind Coming Over the Sea and Radio Town
The Doc Cruickshank Story, Lydie Brubacher in Quiet in the Land

Masae is delighted to be back for another Blyth Festival summer after previously appearing in The Donnelly Trilogy. Based in Vancouver BC, Masae trained at Studio 58 and holds a BMus in violin performance from the University of Victoria. Favourite credits: The Shop Around The Corner (Blue Bridge), Mozart and Her Brother (Geniusettes), The Troll Grandfather (Axis), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Thousand Islands/WCT), and Once (Chemainus). Masae plays fiddle with the indie-folk band LittleFox.

Henry Johnson in The Wind Coming Over the Sea
Yock in Quiet in the Land
Ensemble in Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story

Landon Doak (they/them) is a Dora award-winning actor and composer. They are honoured to be back at Blyth for a second season! Throughout their career, they have been fortunate enough to work with the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, Factory Theatre, Musical Stage, and be featured in the DC Superhero film, Shazam! and in Murdoch Mysteries. They are the Artistic Associate of Bad Hats Theatre, and their composition work for Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Life in a Box have all received Dora awards and nominations. They would like to thank their parents, the Bad Hats, and the Talent House for their ongoing support.

Ensemble in The Wind Coming Over the Sea and Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story
Hannah Bauman in Quiet in the Land

Having been a member of Canada’s nomadic acting profession for the past fifty years, Michelle has performed and resided in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, London, Stratford, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Charlottetown, Wolfville and Nunuvut. But, without a doubt, Blyth remains her favourite “home away from home.” In 2025, Michelle happily celebrates her eleventh season at the Blyth Festival.

Ensemble in Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story

Actor, director, playwright, collaborator, Gil has been with the Blyth Festival in some capacity or other since 1999. Outstanding shows over the years have included: Death of the Hired Man, The Drawer Boy, World Without Shadows, Pearl Gidley, The Nutalls, A Killing Snow, The Pigeon King, In the Wake of Wettlaufer and plenty of Donnellys shows. Gil has been artistic director since 2014, and lives on a little farm in Central Huron with his wife and four beautiful children.

Ensemble in The Wind Coming Over the Sea and Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story
Bishop Frey in Quiet in the Land

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!

Playwright

Nathan is from Saskatoon, now living in Vancouver. Recent Theatre: he acted in Women of The Fur Trade (Globe & Stratford), 1939 (Canadian Stage), and Icemen (TBTB), worked TYA writing muscles in Green Thumb’s Playwrights’ Gym, and his Christmas play, A Christmas Play, was workshopped at Sum Theatre’s First Monday. Upcoming: he’ll play former PM Joe Clark in 1979 at The Belfry. He has an MFA in Scriptwriting from TMU and BFA in Acting from USask.

Director

Directing Credits for Blyth: Jewel. Other: Christmas Comes to Mind (4th Line Theatre), Special Delivery and An Actor Prepares For an Open Ended Run (Videocabaret). Blyth audiences will remember Jack from his acting roles over 8 seasons at the Festival – Saving Graceland, The Trials of Maggie Pollock, The Pigeon King, Our Beautiful Sons: The Matthew Dinning Story, If Truth Be Told, St. Anne’s Reel, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Dear Johnny Deere, Death of The Hired Man, Barndance LIVE! A professional actor for 40 years Jack is also an accomplished musician who most recently appeared in The Highwaymen at Upper Canada Playhouse, a recreation of The Highwaymen concert at Nassau Coliseum. His two country bands, The Cameron Family Singers and Regal Road perform regularly in Toronto. Jack is thrilled and honoured to be back in Blyth to work on Radio Town: The Doc Cruickshank Story.

Set Designer

A veteran set & lighting designer of the Blyth Festival, Glenn is maybe best remembered for his designs for The Death of the Hired Man, He Won’t Come in from the Barn & He Won’t Come in from the Barn II: Barnboozled. Glenn has been designing for theatre all over Canada for decades. Recent highlights include: Estelle Singerman (Harold Green Jewish Theatre), Staircases (Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra), Saltwater Moon (Centre for Indigenous Theatre), Anna Karenina (George Brown Theatre School), and Feu Monsieur Feydeaux and Filles de Roi (Theatre Francais de Toronto). His work has garnered two Dora Mavor Moore awards, The Pauline McGibbon award, and a Harold award.

Costume Designer

Laura is a Toronto-based costume designer, seamstress and all-around wardrobe person. Recent design credits include Gem of the Ocean (Shaw Festival), Into The Woods (YES Theatre Sudbury), Prodigal (Howland Company), La Bete, Sweeney Todd, The Judas Kiss, Into the Woods (Talk is Free Theatre). Laura spent four seasons as an assistant costume designer at the Stratford Festival, and has coordinated costumes and stitched for theatre companies, dance, and operas all across Canada. She doesn’t use social media so don’t look for her there, but you can check out Laura’s work at lauradelchiarodesign.com. Laura last designed for Blyth in 2023 on Chronicles of Sarnia.

Lighting Designer

Louise has designed lights for over 600 productions across Canada. She got her start at the Blyth Festival and is always delighted to return!

Sound Designer

Adam Campbell is a versatile sound designer, composer, percussionist and singer-songwriter. Originally from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Adam has worked as sound designer/composer with Stratford Festival, Blyth Festival, Human Body Expression, Edmonton Opera, Capitol Theatre, Lights On Stratford and more. Adam has toured and performed throughout North America as a percussionist with TorQ Percussion Quartet and Ladom Ensemble, and regularly plays in the pit for musical theatre productions with companies such as Mirvish Productions and Stratford Festival. In 2019, Adam released his debut solo singer-songwriter album, Guess I’m A People Too, featuring a mix of folk, rock and 90’s-tinged original music. Adam currently lives in Stratford, Ontario, with his wife Alice and their cats Ninja and Nazca.

Music Director

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!

Stage Manager

Flávia F. Martin (she/her) is a Portuguese-born Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager and Company Manager based in Toronto. Flávia is ecstatic to be part of the Blyth Festival and thanks the amazing Sandy Plunkett for making this happen. Some recent and not so recent credits include Blind Dates (Theatre Passe Muraille), Anna Karenina (George Brown College), Into the Woods (The Grove Theatre), No One’s Special at the Hot Dog Cart (Theatre Passe Muraille), On the Other Side of the Sea (Aluna Theatre), A Carnival of Munch (George Brown College), Comedy of Errors and Million Dollar Quartet (The Grove Theatre), New (Necessary Angel), Rubble (co-production between Aluna Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille), Two-Sided Mirror (Mixed Company Theatre), Beautiful Renegades (Peggy Baker Dance Projects), Cacao: A Venezuelan Lament (Victoria Mata Productions), Light: A Tribute to Toni Morrison (Luminato Festival), The House of Bernarda Alba (Modern Times Theatre and Aluna Theatre), and Lätt Lûtf (Teatro de Creación Remota).

Assistant Stage Manager

Alicia is thrilled to be returning to the Blyth Festival for a 3rd season! She has previously worked as an Apprentice Stage Manager on The Donnelly Trilogy (Blyth Festival) as well as an Assistant Stage Manager on Saving Graceland, The Trials of Maggie Pollock (Blyth Festival) and Trayf (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company).