Professional Cast
Katherine Hope Basile
(Dwalin) is a multidisciplinary creator, educator and Antigonish resident. A frequent member of the Festival Antigonish team, she is currently coordinator of the F.A. Theatre School and is thrilled to make her acting debut with the Company in The Hobbit. Recent credits include: It Happened During the Quarantine (dir. Henrique Santsper), Burned (creator), not_ALL.?filetype:Unknown (dir. Shayna Robinson), Puppet School (dir. Mike Peterson), and Odd Ones Out (dir. Herbie Barnes).
Patricia Cerra
(Bard, Ensemble) is an award-winning artist with an extensive multi-faceted national career. Her vast experience has taken her to theatres across Canada, where she has worked on over forty productions. Recently, she was recognized with the Sterling Award for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role, Comedy. She was the Intern Artistic Director with Neptune Theatre in Halifax. She is now the Artistic Programs Associate with Musical Stage Company in Toronto. She is also a member of the producing team with the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) & Vita Brevis (Montreal) on the upcoming 2-part production Fall On Your Knees touring to Canadian Stage, Neptune Theatre, the NAC, & The Grand Theatre. Upcoming: Patricia will be appearing in A Christmas Carol, and assistant directing The Royale, both at the Citadel Theatre. Learn more at: patriciacerra.com
Simon Henderson
(Thorin) Born and raised in New Brunswick, Simon has been a performer for 20+ years and is delighted to be part of this Antigonish adventure. His previous credits include Shakespeare in Love at Neptune Theatre; Kabeljaukrieg with German company Das Letzte Kleinod; the long running Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Shakespeare on Trial alongside Jeremy Webb; as well as performances with Two Planks, Zuppa Theatre, Live Bait, Irondale Ensemble Project and Shakespeare by the Sea. Simon currently resides in Toronto and thanks FAST for giving him the chance to summer in the Maritimes.
Rachel Lloyd
(Gollum, Ensemble) is excited for her third season at Festival Antigonish, and to be playing Gollum alongside this stellar cast! Select Theatre credits include: Marian in Robin Hood: The Great Escape, Crystal in Ben Hur (Festival Antigonish); Steve Jobs in Shakespeare’s Time Machine, Gretel in Hansel und Gretel, Pedringano/Ghost in The Spanish Tragedy, Julia in The Duchess of Malfi (The Villain’s Theatre); Wendy in The Bitterest Time, Anna in Slut: The Play, Dawn in Les & Dawn (LunaSea Theatre), Brundibar in Brundibar, multiple roles in 9 Compositions/Art Atakk, Liz in Redfish, Petey in Two in the Coop (Halifax Theatre for Young People), Herman puppeteer in A Herman Tale, Corrie in The Damsel in Distress Who Saved Herself; The Little Boy in The Space Between (Theatre New Brunswick). Thanks to her parents and husband for their constant support and for being her biggest fans!
Kya Mosey
(Bilbo) (she/her) is an actor and puppeteer located primarily in Halifax, with sporadic stints in Toronto. Select theatre credits include: collaborating on the Connections: Zeno Box with Hyperloop Theatre and Eastern Front Theatre, How The Light Lies (On You) (New Pants/EFT Stages), two North American tours of blacklight puppet show The Rainbow Fish (Mermaid Theatre of NS), Mike Malloy: Kid Detective! (Sinking Ship), Macbeth (Steady Theatre Co.), Joyride (Matchstick), Shakespeare in Love (Neptune), and she was featured as Joey del Marco in Slut: The Play (Lunasea). Film/TV credits include: Diggstown (CBC), Dawn, Her Dad, and the Tractor (Crave), Escaping the NXIVM Cult (Sony TV: Lifetime), and These Woods Are Haunted (Ocean Magic TV). Training: Fountain School of Performing Arts (Dalhousie), ANIMOTION Puppetry Intensive (Mermaid Theatre of NS). Big thank you to my family for making their own adventurous trek here from Ontario, and to Colin for doing a great Gollum voice in my self-tape audition.
Christian Murray
(Smaug, Ensemble) is an actor and writer based in Halifax, he has a long history at FAST, including such shows as The Hound of the Baskervilles, Hope and Gravity, Funny Money, Two More Solitudes, Stage Kiss etc. He is thrilled to be at the Keppoch and performing The Hobbit with a wonderful bunch of folks. Christian was a founding member of Jest in Time Theatre and Frankie Productions, a member of The National Arts Center’s acting company, and a winner of a Gemini and two Canadian Comedy Awards for his writing. This fall he will travel to The Grand Theatre in London Ont. to perform in Grand Ghosts directed by Jillian Keiley.
Emma Vickers
(Elven King, Ensemble) (she/her) is an actor and singer based in K’jipuktuk/Halifax and is so excited to be returning to Festival Antigonish! Emma holds a Bachelor of Music from StFX and a Performing Arts Diploma from The Canadian College of Performing Arts. Previous theatre credits include: Seeds of Change (Neptune Theatre TourCo), Mind The Light (Halifax Fringe), Wizard of Oz and The Rocky Horror Show (Capitol Theatre Moncton) and If You Could Wear my Sneakers (Festival Antigonish Young Company). Film and TV credits: Kids Vs. Aliens (OuterSpace Pictures), Diggstown (CBC). Thank you for being here!
Jeremy Webb
(Gandalf) When not being Gandalf, Jeremy has a day job: the twelfth Artistic Director in Neptune Theatre’s history. For FAST, Jeremy has appeared in The Hound of The Baskervilles, Stage Kiss, The Woman In Black, Sleuth, Humble Boy, amongst many others. He has directed a number of shows over a number of wonderful summers in Antigonish. For Neptune he has directed The Rocky Horror Show, Alice In Pantoland, Fully Committed, The Woman In Black, Peter Pan, Mamma Mia, Shakespeare In Love, Cinderella, Noises Off, Little Thing Big Thing and Calendar Girls. Up next he’s directing Billy Elliot, Misery & ELF. His one-man version of A Christmas Carol has been a great success since 2003, touring Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the USA, in schools and theatres since then. For more info go to offtheleashhfx.com If you ask him, he’ll tell you he is most proud of two ‘productions’ Dylan (7 years) and Samuel (10 years.)
Abby Weisbrot
(Dori) (she/they) is a queer theatre artist of settler ancestry based in K’jipuktuk [Halifax]. A recent speech-language pathology graduate, Abby hopes to combine her passions for performance, voice, speech, and language to help folx facing barriers in communication. Other Theatre: Til Death Do Us Part (Kick at the Dark Theatre); The Station (BARE Theatre); My Home (50 Things with Zuppa Theatre and EFT); Listen to the Wind, Macbeth (Steady Theatre); If You Could Wear My Sneakers (Festival Antigonish); I and You (Outlook Theatre).
Aquila Wibisono
(Gloin) (he/him) is grateful and excited to return and perform as Gloin in this summer’s production of The Hobbit. He is an emerging actor and writer based in Vancouver, BC. Last year, he performed in Festival Antigonish’ production of Robin Hood: The Great Escape as Friar Tuck. Recent credits also include performing in FSPA’s onstage production of Mary Stuart (Lord Burleigh) and online productions of Machinal (The Lover) & Concord Floral (John Cabot). In his spare time, Aquila enjoys cooking and taking pictures of the beautiful Antigonish scenery. He would like to give special thanks to his beloved friends and family for their immense support.
The Creative Team
Andrea Boyd
(Artistic Director) is a director, playwright and theatre educator. As Artistic Director of Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre, her directing credits include Robin Hood: The Great Escape, The Goodnight Bird, Stage Kiss, Hope and Gravity, Ben Hur and Burnin’ Love. For Theatre Antigonish, she directed Girls Like That, The Ash Girl, Eurydice, and Sunshine on Leith, among others. She has also directed at The Grand Theatre, Theatre Lac Brome, NotableActs, Keyano Theatre and the University of Alberta.
Ingrid Risk
(Production Manager) has enjoyed a richly varied production career which has led her to take on a variety of roles such as stage manager, designer, technical director, production manager, prop builder, technician, and carpenter. Ingrid has helped shaped venue design, curated arts-theatre spaces, taught theatre stagecraft courses at StFX University, and mentored young professionals. She has toured extensively, taking productions to venues nationally and internationally, from Labrador to the Yukon to NYC, including several stops at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and the Cultural Olympiad at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Mathieu Murphy-Perron
(Assistant Director) is an award-winning theatre creator, digital media artist and political organizer from Tiohti:áke, colonially known as Montréal. Mathieu co-founded Tableau D’Hôte Theatre in 2005 and currently serves as its Artistic and Executive Director. His practice has recently shifted towards outdoor creations, and is grateful to Andrea and Festival Antigonish for the adventure. Mathieu cycles year-round, often dreams up more projects than one can handle and labours daily for a fairer, kinder world.
Jean-Michel Cliche
(Fight Director) (he/him) is a theatre artist of Lebanese and French settler descent based out of Fredericton, NB. He is the Co-Artistic Director of Solo Chicken Productions’ the coop and the Artistic Director of Hyperloop Theatre. Jean-Michel is a fight director and violence designer, and is a certified member of Fight Director’s Canada. Select fight direction credits include Heroine (Theatre New Brunswick), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Theatre New Brunswick), Newsies (St. Thomas Musical Theatre), As You Like it (Bard in the Barracks), and Richard III (Bard in the Barracks). He is also a theatre educator and currently teaches drama at the University of New Brunswick and improv through Solo Chicken Productions.
Carolyn Curry
(Music Coach) is Music Coordinator for St. James United and teaches songwriting and the a cappella ensemble at St. Francis Xavier University in her hometown of Antigonish. In 2019 her work Firebird:The Musical was produced at the Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax (Terra Novella Theatre). Earlier this year she presented her one-man, one-act musical Technical Difficulties at Theatre Antigonish’s Open Stage Festival, which she will be performing again in Halifax’s Fringe Festival this fall. Carolyn has a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas, and earned her Bachelor of Music at St FX. Her tenure in Halifax (2014-2020) saw her performing in various music circles ranging from choral, jazz, funk and pop. Other productions she has musically directed include Somebody to Love (Grafton Street Dinner Theatre 2022), A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play (Theatre Antigonish 2021), and Spring Awakening (Side-by-Side Productions 2017).
Sarah O’Brien
(Stage Manger) All projects are for Dad, but this year is particularly for Dad. Jerry O’Brien was a son of New Brunswick, a graduate of St. F. X., class of 1963, a Dal Master’s student, and a huge afficionado of the theatre. He’s been seeing plays in Antigonish since the Canadian Players performed Twelfth Night on the Auditorium stage in the early 60s, and imbued me with a deep love for this artform and the Bard. He saw a ton of shows on the Bauer stage over the years, and studied metaphysics with Father Bauer during his time at X. He was a supporter of many theatres I worked for, and a bunch he found on his own. I will always do my shows for Dad, a discerning audience member and genuine caretaker of the arts. And the best Dad ever.
Kate Hennigar
(Assistant Stage Manager) Kate’s selected credits include assistant stage manager for Robin Hood: The Great Escape (Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre), Charley’s Aunt, Sex, The Glass Menagerie (Shaw Festival), A Huron County Christmas Carol (Blyth Festival), Under the Stairs (Young People’s Theatre); apprentice stage manager for Middletown, The Magician’s Nephew (Shaw Festival), Middletown (Crow’s Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Young People’s Theatre), TomorrowLove (Outside the March), Rose (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company), The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Repercussion Theatre). TRAINING: BA and diploma in Performance and Communications Media, Memorial University of Newfoundland; National Theatre School of Canada’s production program.
Cassie Westbrook
(Apprentice Stage Manager) is delighted to be making her debut with Festival Antigonish this summer, as The Hobbit’s apprentice stage manager! An alumna of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and a current student of Dalhousie University (FSPA)’s technical theatre program, her most recent stage management credits include: Tea Time Creation Co’s A Midsummer Night’s Wet Dream (SM), and FSPA’s The Crucible (ASM), The Dog in the Manger (ASM), and Mary Stuart (ASM). She is so happy to be here, making theatre for you all, and hopes you enjoy the show! (@casswestb)
Leigh Gillam
(Set Designer) held an LTA as Chair of the Art Department at StFX University 2020-2021 where she now teaches Materials & Methods and Introductory Animation. She completed a joint major in Painting and Sculpture at Concordia University and is also a theatre maker (costume, set, production) and media + animation artist. She completed a Visual and Media Arts MFA at Emily Carr University of Art + Design where her work utilized a range of media, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration for stage and interactive media installation. She is happy to be doing set design for The Hobbit.
Laura Stinson
(Puppet Designer) crafts images from both found and traditional materials. These creations become narratives, characters and atmospheres in a variety of theatrical spectacles. She began her career in puppetry with Bread and Puppet Theater in 2016 where she apprenticed under Peter Schumann. In addition to studying puppet animation in Nova Scotia with the Mermaid Theatre she also studied bunraku puppet building techniques with the Swedish master Thomas Lundqvist, puppetry performance with Joan Baixas of Barcelona and textile construction and puppet mechanics with Compagnie Coatimundi of Châteaurenard, France. After four years working as a touring member and subsequent resident puppeteer for Bread and Puppet, Laura co-founded The North Barn Theatre Collective in 2020. She currently lives and makes art in Mi’kma’ki.
Ron Newcombe
(Production Support) is a Nova Scotia based performance artist, appearing on stage and screen since his early youth.
Marie France Labbé
(Costume Designer) After eight summers at Festival Antigonish, Marie France took a long break from costume design to explore different avenues and travel the world. She missed theatre so much that she could not pass on the opportunity to join the production of The Hobbit. She is delighted to put her 30 years of experience in theatre and film at work for the success of this adventure.
Diego Cavedon Dias
(Head of Wardrobe) (he/they) is a Brazilian Costume and Graphic designer based in Kj’ipuktuk/Halifax with experience in different kinds of costumes and productions, from stage theatre to mascots and cosplay. After working in productions in Brazil, Ontario, PEI and Halifax, Diego is excited to join the Festival Antigonish team this year as the Head of Wardrobe.
Hollie Spicer
(Wardrobe Assistant) is a third year student at StFX, originally from Cape Breton. She is currently studying history and got involved with Theatre Antigonish as an actress in 2021. She’s excited to spend her first summer in Antigonish working as part of the wardrobe team for The Hobbit.
Andrea (Andy) Pumphrey
(Head of Props) is a multi-faceted visual artist with a life-long goal of promoting creativity. She has explored the worlds of graphite drawing, acrylic and oil painting, polymer clay and 3D multimedia art, and most recently prop creation for theatre. She has taught art programs for children, youth, and adults across North America and has been commissioned for realism portraits, wall murals up to 40 feet wide, and multimedia murals with 3D embellishments like “Larry the Lobster” at the Antigonish Department of Fisheries and Oceans. If you can dream it, Andy can help bring it to life!
Ethan Sabatella
(Production Assistant) is one of the Production Assistants on the Hobbit crew and part of the front half of Smaug. Hailing from the United States, he has been involved with theatrical productions for almost two decades. He has also worked as a counselor in Live Action Roleplaying educational camps. Outside of theatre, Ethan attends StFX as a Celtic Studies graduate student, focusing on early Gaelic warfare and language. He also writes and reads fantasy stories like the epic works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard.
Savannah Borden
(Production Assistant) (she/they) is a playwright, and theatre enthusiast. She had grown a love for theatre during the last years of her high school career. This summer she is one of the Production Assistants at Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre. From taking on this role, she has recently worked with Lil Villains Theatre on Dinostories. She also participated in Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School’s production of Concord Floral as (10) Bobbie James. In the last two previous years, Savannah has also written two ten minute playlets; Yours Truly (2022) and Times Flight (2021), both were directed and produced, and can be viewed on Theatre Nova Scotia’s channel. Writing Credits include Times Flight, directed by Francine Dulong, and Yours Truly, directed by Laura Vingoe Cram. Both produced by Theatre Nova Scotia.
Front of House Team
Michael Gillis
(Front of House Manager) is excited to return to the Front of House team for another summer of Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre. He has been involved in many Theatre Antigonish projects over the past few years both backstage and on itm most recently playing Hector MacQueen in our winter production of Murder on the Orient Express, with other credits including Twelfth Night, and Metamorphoses. Michael is excited to be continuing on the path to a career in the theatre industry
Mitchell Sajatovich
(Patron Relations Assistant)(he/him) is a new member of the FAST team this year. He has been involved with theatre since 2017 where he volunteered as a lighting technician before branching off to other backstage responsibilities. After a 2-year hiatus from working in theatre because of COVID, Mitchell is back and has moved from backstage to front of house as a Patron Relations Assistant. On an average day at the theatre you can find Mitchell folding envelopes in the Bauer, being a lead usher at The Hobbit, or most often happily helping with everyone’s daily tasks.
Katie Penney
(Box Office/Patron Relations Assistant) (she/her) has been involved with Theatre Antigonish for years. She has been a High School Representative for their Board of Directors for 2 years and has volunteered with numerous shows. She continues her work with the theatre with her first summer employed by Festival Antigonish as their Patron Relations Assistant. Katie preformed in the 2019 Theatre Antigonish Production of Twelfth Night and has also preformed multiple musical theatre and performance art pieces recreationally and competitively within Atlantic Canada. Katie has been a dancer for 15 years and continues to train at Morrell Dance Company. Katie enjoys volunteering and giving back to the community she has grown up in.
Elsa Risk
(Merchandise Sales Rep.)This is Elsa’s first year working for Festival Antigonish and is part of the Front of House team. She has spent many years volunteering on various productions and is super excited to be a part of this summer’s show!