Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion

Bobby Rabbit in Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion
Menno Miller in Quiet in the Land
Darryl in Powers and Gloria

Blyth Festival Debut
An actor, fight director and a Certified Fight Instructor with Fight Directors Canada. Richard is thrilled to be making his Blyth Festival debut and to help tell these beautiful stories. Theatre credits include Women of the Fur Trade, Liars at a Funeral (Magnus); 1939 (Canadian Stage); King Lear, Much Ado, 1939 (Stratford); 1939 (YES! Theatre). This one’s for you Dad. Miigwetch for being the best mentor, teacher, friend and father I could have ever hoped for!

Sir John A Macdonald in Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion
Christy Bauman in Quiet in the Land
Edward Powers in Powers and Gloria

Blyth Credits: James Donnelly & Company (The Donnellys: A Trilogy), Angus (The Drawer Boy), Scrooge (A Huron County Christmas Carol), Stompin’ Tom (Stompin’ Tom). Many roles over eight seasons including directing Resort to Murder and Heat Wave. 13 seasons at the Stratford Festival. Randy has played leading roles across Canada, including many shows at Drayton Entertainment, Tarragon, Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, Theatre Passe Muraille, Necessary Angel, and Crow’s Theatre in Toronto. He has performed in Mexico and the United States. Randy has been nominated for eight Dora awards, three Vancouver Jessie Awards, three Edmonton Sterling Awards, one Calgary Betty Mitchell Award, one Gemini, and two Broadway World awards, and was awarded one of each.

Anya in Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion
Martha Brubacher in Quiet in the Land
Gloria in Powers and Gloria

Blyth Festival Debut
Madeline Elliott Kennedy is a Niagara-On-The-Lake raised creator with focused training in Suzuki, Viewpoints and site specific devising. She enjoys riddles, critter friendships, and eating kimchi right out of the jar. Previous works include Bernie in Bees Knees, (The Theatre Centre) and Slalo in SAMCA (Spindle Collective/Riot King). She is invigorated by new Canadian voices, and unendingly eager to uncover mysteries hiding in the text. Thank you always to Mom, Dad, and Gabriella.

Hugh in Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion
Zepp Brubacher in Quiet in the Land
James Powers in Powers and Gloria

James Dallas Smith is a performer with Oshweken Mohawk (Turtle Clan) & Scottish (McKinnon) heritage and more than twenty-five years of performing experience on stages across Turtle Island. He’s overjoyed to be returning to Blyth for his fourth season. J.D. grew up in Port Elgin but now lives in Toronto with his wife, beloved kitten, and small, barbarian child. He continues to be supported by his favourite sister, Kim, and remarkable parents Dwight & Joanne.

Playwright

Drew Hayden Taylor is an award winning playwright, author, filmmaker and journalist. Born and raised on the Curve Lake First Nation, he has done everything from performing Stand-up comedy at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., to serving as Artistic Director of Canada’s premiere Indigenous theatre company, Native Earth Performing Arts. Currently his 36th book, the play Open House, was published by Talonbooks, and he’s writing a history of Indigenous theatre.

Director

Vinetta Strombergs has directed everything from Shakespeare to musicals to original Canadian plays. Her directing credits include many regional theatres, summer theatres and local stages large and small. Most recently she directed The Thanksgiving Play for the Off-Mirvish season. For many years she helped develop First Nations writers and actors through working with Debajehmujig Theatre on Manitoulin Island and Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto. She has directed many plays by Ojibway writer Drew Hayden Taylor and Cree writer Kenneth T. Williams. Her production of 60 Below for Native Earth garnered 7 Dora Nominations. She has taught and directed at almost every post-secondary theatre training program in Ontario, helping to prepare the next generation of theatre professionals.

Set & Lighting Designer

For Blyth: Set, lights and projections for: Innocence Lost: A Play about Steven Truscott, The New Canadian Curling Club, Test Drive and Billy Bishop Goes to War; Set and light design for: The Drawer Boy, The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom, Queen Milli of Galt, The Pigeon King, If Truth Be Told, and A Huron County Christmas Carol. Lighting design for: Pearl Gidley, Stag and Doe, The Wilberforce Hotel, Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad; Set design for: Seeds. Since 1987 Steve has designed award winning sets and lighting for more than 500 productions of theatre, dance and performance art. His work has toured extensively and has been seen in 27 countries around the world. Steve has received several awards including five Dora Awards for his designs. He has also been nominated for several of Canada’s most prestigious awards including the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre and thirty-six Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations.

Costume Designer

Theatre: Assistant to Head of Wardrobe at Grand Theatre for past two seasons, Seamstress: Pride & Prejudice, Controlled Damage, Elf: The Musical, Grand Ghosts (Grand Theatre), Assistant Costume Designer: Wedding Band (Stratford Festival), Design Consult for Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts, Film: Design Assist: Tenth Generation, Education: Fanshawe College. Dedication: For Eddie Leigh and Demitro Choma, for giving me my love for theatre and the work ethic to get here.

Sound Designer

Lyon Smith is a Toronto based artist. He has enjoyed a creative relationship with the Blyth Festival over the years as both sound designer and actor. Throughout his career he has worked with the Shaw Festival, the Tarragon Theatre, Soulpepper, Theatre Passe Muraille, Aluna, the Grand Theatre, Obsidian Theatre, Canadian Stage, Modern Times Stage Co and the NAC among others.

Stage Manager

With over 30 years in the entertainment industry Crystal has been blessed to work across Canada and Internationally. Mostly you can find her touring with Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes. Crystal’s Stage Management Career started in Blyth with the production of Mail Order Bride in 1988. Her career has flourished in many different capacities and she is thrilled to be directing her first show with the Livery in June of ’26

Assistant Stage Manager

Amanda is a multi-passionate theatre creator, performer, and stage manager. She’s a graduate of Brock University’s Dramatic Arts Program. Amanda is thrilled to be back at the Blyth Festival for her third season! Her Selected Stage Management Credits: The Golden Anniversaries, Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: The Farmerettes, Chronicles of Sarnia (Blyth Festival), Mommy Shark (Lumen and Jupiter), Wally’s Café (Upper Canada Playhouse), John School (Essential Theatre Collective), Robin Hood, Newsies (Yellow Door Theatre Project). Child Supervisor: White Christmas (Shaw Festival). Her Selected Acting Credits: The Vagina Monologues (Gillian’s Place, 2018, 2020), Legally Blonde (Garden City Productions). Film/Web Series: Both Sides of the Curtain (Lumen and Jupiter), Red Letter Day (Yellow Door Theatre Project).