OSSD Instructors
Over the course of 20 years, OSSD has built a great team of instructors. Professional actors, directors, writers, singers and dancers all find homes teaching at OSSD, as do specialists in drama in education, voice coaches, technical theatre and drama teachers.
Please take the time and read the bios of our instructors.
For a list of THe OTTAWA THEATRE SCHOOL (OTS) Instructors. click here
OSSD Instructor List Sorted in Alphabetical order.
| Amanda Lewis | Dana Uzarevic | Mary Harvey |
| Bruce Bissonnette | Eliza-Jane Scott | Melody Louie |
| Amèlie Langlois | Emmanuelle Zeesman | Natalie Fraser Purdy |
| Andrea Black | Isabel Remus | Nick Miller |
| Andy Massingham | James Richardson | Nikki Carriere |
| Bary Blake | Jesse Wang | Patrick Gautier |
| Barry Karp | Kate Smith | Paul Dervis |
| Brad Long | Kris Joseph | Pierre Brault |
| Chris Ralph | Kristina Watt | Sherry McPhail |
| Colleen Sutton | Kristine Karpinski | Sue Yendall |
| Courtney Mason | Kristy Allen | Sylvia Larass |
| David Hersh | Laura Ratcliffe Farley | Theresa Clarke |
| Mary Catherine Jacks | Wendy Berkelaar |
Amanda Lewis, Artistic Director (OSSD)
AMANDA LEWIS has combined careers as a writer, theatre director, calligrapher, book artist and instructor. Currently the Artistic Director at the Ottawa School of Speech & Drama, Amanda has spent her career working in the arts and arts education. In her theatre career, Amanda has taught various workshops for the National Arts Centre, the Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg), The Perth Arts Workshop, The School of Dance and various schools and universities throughout Ontario. Originally trained at York University, she has worked in a number of theatres including Factory Theatre Lab; Tarragon Theatre; the Blyth Festival; the NAC; the Perth Summer; and the Perth Theatre Project.
As a professional calligrapher and book artist, Amanda has exhibited her artwork in numerous group and solo shows. She has taught workshops in visual arts and writing for students throughout Ontario. Amanda is the author of 5 books for young people: WRITING, A Fact and Fun Book; LETTERING; MAKING MEMORY BOOKS; THE JUMBO BOOK OF PAPER CRAFTS; and ROSIE BACKSTAGE (co-written with Tim Wynne-Jones). All are published by Kids Can Press.
When she is not at The Ottawa School of Speech and Drama, Amanda lives in the woods outside of Perth, Ontario, with her husband, writer Tim Wynne-Jones, and their family.
Bruce Bissonnette, Artistic Director of Ottawa Theatre School (OTS)
Bruce is a Professional Actor, Director, and Teacher in the Performing Arts. He is the Director of The Ottawa Theatre School as well the Director of Adult Programs for the Ottawa School of Speech & Drama where he develops the curriculum and course content for all adult courses. He started his career in 1986 studying Acting at George Brown Theatre School and Directing at The Canadian Film Institute. His selected Directing credits include: The Triumph of Judith Shakespeare, Spider Juice, Work! Jobs in Progress, Our Town, The Duplex, 7 Stories, Blade and An Acre Of Time. His selected Acting credits include: Bordertown Cafe (Gryphon Theatre), Transit of Venus (Magnus Theatre), East of Elvis (Sudbury Theatre), The Mousetrap (Showboat Festival), Aladdin (Limelight Theatre), The Best Present (Carousel Players), Patria 1 (Canadian Opera Company). Bruce's Film and Television credits include: Jake and Phyllis (Canadian Film Centre), Street Legal (CBC), Kids in the Hall (Broadway Video), and Family Passions (CBC).
Amélie Langlois
Collaborative pianist Amélie Langlois enjoys the busy life of an accompanist. She received her bachelor’s degree from Sherbrooke University and went on to study at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she was the first to graduate with a Master’s degree in collaborative Piano from this institution. Her teachers throughout that period included Allison Gagnon, Michel Fournier, Marie Fabi and Brigitte Poulin. Amélie was the pianist for the National Youth Orchestra in 2000 and has participated in a number of music festivals, including the Brevard Music Center in 2001. In the summer of 2002, she took part in the Cours International de la Musique in Morges, Switzerland, for which she received a grant from the Canada Arts Council. This year, she is active with music studios at Carleton University and Ottawa University, and she has been the accompanist for Le Choeur Classique de l'Outaouais from 2004-2007. Over the past few years, she has performed across Canada, the United States and Europe. In 2007, the duet Donkin/Langlois won a second prize at the International Bradshaw and Buono Piano Competition and was invited to play in the winners concert in November 2007. In 2008, the duet won a first prize at the same competition. This past September, the duo played in Norway as semi-finalists at the International Grieg Piano Competition.
Andrea Black
Andréa is thrilled to be back for her 3rd year as an instructor of musical theatre at OSSD. Throughout her childhood in the Ottawa area, she has trained extensively in jazz, tap, hip-hop, modern, and ballet and is a proud graduate of Arts Canterbury High School. Andréa has also had years of classical vocal training and has appeared in many community theatre productions with the Orpheus Musical Theatre Society, TheatreWorks, and the Company of Musical Theatre. Favourite credits include Crazy for You, Bye Bye Birdie, The Who’s Tommy, A Chorus Line, Grease, and most recently, Fame. In 2001, Andréa spent her summer training and performing as a member of the Young Company for the Charlottetown Theatre Festival in PEI. Andréa is a professionally-trained educator, holding degrees from both the University of Ottawa and Queen’s University and she spends her days teaching junior kindergarten at Ganon Preschool. She is very much looking forward to sharing her knowledge and love of musical theatre with your children at OSSD this year.
Andy Massingham
Andy Massingham has performed across Canada at such venues as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, West Vancouver Cultural Centre, the Yukon Arts' Centre, the National Arts' Centre, Odyssey Theatre, LKTYP, Tarragon, Soulpepper, the Banff Centre and many others. His most recent roles in Ottawa were the title role in "Peer Gynt" (Third Wall/Ottawa Theatre School) and Frank Foster in "How the Other Half Loves" (Gladstone Theatre), for which he received a Rideau nomination. His wordless, solo play "Rough House"(commissioned by nightswimming Theatre) was nominated for five Dora Mavor Moore Awards, receiving two, including Outstanding Performance. The play subsequently toured Canada in 2008. Andy has been teaching acting, movement, voice and physical theatre for twenty years to actors of all ages and experience.
Barry Blake
TSTW Instructor Barry Blake: Barry is the senior instructor for The Screen Training Works’ Acting for the Camera programme, and teaches the Acting for the Camera series offered in association with TSTW. Between 1998 and 2009, Barry taught Acting for the Camera at the Canadian Screen Training Centre’s (CSTC) Summer Institute of Film and Television (SIFT) and Taking it to the Screen (T2S) Film and TV Training Workshops. He has also taught Acting for the Camera at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama, and ACTRA Ottawa’s Acting for the Camera Master Class.
Barry has been acting in the Canadian and international film and television industries for more than 30 years. With hundreds of roles to his credit, he is best remembered as the President in the long-running and highly successful Fido cellular advertising campaign. His recent film and television credits include The Border, The Debbie Smith Story, Challenger: Countdown To Disaster, Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis, Mind Over Murder, Live Once, Die Twice, Platinum Rush, Dr. Bethune, Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Varian’s War and Wrong Number. Fluently bilingual, Barry is also well known for his work in such French language productions as Elvis Gratton II: Miracle à Memphis, André Mathieu, Urgence, Lance et Compte, FranCoeur, Asbestos and Le Sorcier.
In 2006, Barry was named the first recipient of ACTRA Ottawa’s Award of Excellence (the Lorraine Ansell Award) for his distinguished contribution to Ottawa’s film and television community.
Barry Karp
Barry Karp began his acting career in Toronto with “The Studio Lab Theatre” over three decades ago. Since then he has conceived and produced a number of successful theatre training programs for young adults in Canada and the USA. He was the artistic director of The Studio Children’s Theatre which represented Canada at the Venice Biennale. And he has explored the creative aspects of conceiving, directing, writing and producing in the worlds of theatre, Native education and dance. More recently he has been heavily involved in directing the multidisciplinary works of R. Murray Schafer in Canada and Brazil.
Brad Long
Brad Long is a graduate of the Humber College School of Performing Arts and is a Rideau Award nominee for Emerging Artist, 2009. Since moving to Ottawa in 2008, he has had the pleasure of working with many wonderful local theatre companies on an exciting assortment of plays including The Pillowman, in which he played the role of Tupolski and A Company of Fools’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which he played the roles of Oberon and Theseus. He is also a member of Kadozuke Kollektif (www.zuke.ca), a Toronto based theatre company that develops and produces large-scale experimental work rooted in classical themes.
Chris Ralph
Actor/ playwright Chris Ralph trained at the National Theatre School of Canada, and holds an MFA in Acting from York University. In 2007 and 2008, Chris taught York University introductory voice and acting courses. As an actor and playwright, he has worked with some of Canada’s best-known directors, including Sarah Stanley (Theatre Passe Muraille), Lise Ann Johnson (Artistic Director, GCTC), Eda Holmes (Associate Director, Shaw Festival), and Jim Warren (Southpepper Theatre). Chris recently won a Capital Critics Award for Best Actor for his roles as Nathan Detroit in “Guys and Dolls” at Orpheus and as Rudy in “Wrong for Each Other” at OLT in 2007. As a playwright, Chris has served as playwright-in-residence at Centaur Theatre in Montreal, and won a Los Angeles Critics Circle Award for his black comedy “Doing Something for Sally.” Three of his plays have toured across Canada as part of the national Fringe Festival circuit, and won several Fringe awards. Chris recently appeared as Freddie in “Noises Off” at the Gladstone Theatre, directed by John P. Kelly, and is currently developing a solo show called “The Vanier Mouse” with the generous support of a GCTC / Ontario Arts Council Theatre Reserve Grant.
Colleen Sutton
Colleen has an extensive and varied history with OSSD. Since 2003, she has taken several classes in the adult acting program, worked as an administrator in the office and graduated from The Acting Conservatory Program. In the short time since her graduation from Ottawa Theatre School in 2007, Colleen has performed in numerous professional productions with several of Ottawa’s professional companies including Third Wall Theatre, The Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC), SevenThirty Productions and The Gladstone. Colleen has also appeared as the narrator in the world premiere of Maya the Bee with the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy. Colleen is a member of Third Wall Theatre’s Shakespeare Ensemble and has received two Rideau Award nominations for Best Emerging Artist. An occasional teacher with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board since 2005, Colleen is absolutely delighted to be teaching at OSSD.
Courtney Mason
From a young age, Courtney was exposed to the magic of theatre by her parents who started a drama program at the secondary school in which they taught. Through this program, Courtney was immersed into the world of collaborative drama, with casts of up to 40 high school students taking part in children’s theatre and Canadian drama, as well as the world of technical theatre. Eventually Courtney became an actor and choreographer in these productions, and after graduating from high school, volunteered extensively as a choreographer and assistant director. Courtney is a graduate of The Randolph Academy, where she trained in singing, dancing and acting. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brock University, where she was an instructor and participant for Brock Dance. Courtney will complete the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Ottawa this year. She is very excited to be a part of the OSSD team!
David Hersh
David Hersh graduated from Concordia University with a degree in Theatre; specialization Drama in Education. David has been teaching drama professionally for more than 18 years and has worked with people young and old; from two year olds to 92 year olds. David is the past Artistic Director of the Orleans Young Players and presently works as a professional writer, actor and director. Theatre companies he has performed with include: a Company of Fools, Third Wall Theatre, Salamander Theatre and mutatis mutandis. David has delved more into writing. His most recent play ‘I’, which he wrote and directed, will premiere at the Gladstone Theatre in November 2010. David had two Rideau Award nominations; “What Goes Around…” which he directed and “A Leave of Absinthe” in which he performed and co-wrote.
Dana Uzarevic
Dana Uzarevic grew up in Zagreb, Croatia, where she spent twelve years of her life as a member of an amateur theatre. After moving to Canada, she graduated from University of Ottawa’s Theatre Department where she was involved in all aspects of theatre production. Even before graduating, Dana started working as an Apprentice Stage Manager at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, and soon after at the National Art Centre. She is currently working as the General Manager of Odyssey Theatre and is thrilled to be an instructor at the OSSD.
Eliza-Jane Scott
BIO goes here.
Emmanuelle Zeesman
Graduate from the University of Windsor in the Musical Theatre Performance program, Emmanuelle is an actor, singer, dancer and choreographer. She has recently been seen in Guys and Dolls at the National Arts Centre, touring North America with Platypus Theatre and as Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers for which she won the Capital Critics Award for best actor. Favourite theatrical highlights include: A Midwinter's Dream Tale (A Company of Fools/The Gladstone), The Snow Show (N.A.C.), La Vie Parisienne (Theatre Lyrique), 'Lead Vocalist' for the New Rochelle Festival in France and a dancer for Collin Mochery's Comedy TV show Getting Along Famously. Musical Theatre credits include; 'Adelaide' in Guys and Dolls, 'Narrator' in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 'Mrs. Walker' in Tommy, 'Witch' in Into the Woods and 'Julie Andrews' in Forbidden Broadway. Emmanuelle would like to thank her beautiful family, all the wonderful people at O.S.S.D. and especially the amazing kids who make teaching so much fun and help bring her dances to life!
Isabel Remus
BIO goes here.
James Richardson
James is the founder and artistic director of one of Ottawa's leading theatre companies - Third Wall Theatre. A graduate of the theatre program at Memorial University he has a history of being a part of the founding of many theatre projects including the Gros Morne Theatre Festival and a summer theatre youth program in Corner Brook, NF. While trained as an actor he has since become a director and sound designer and composer. Some of the shows he has directed For Third Wall are Peer Gynt & Tartuffe both in association with the Ottawa Theatre School, as well as Old Times, The Chairs, The Importance of Being Earnest, Everyman, and Murder In The Cathedral. As an instructor he has taught for two years at the Ottawa Theatre School and is in his 4th year of directing the Senior Acting Company. For recreation he plays piano drums and is involved in the sport of orienteering. In his spare time he enjoys life with Kristina and their animals: Pascal, Masha, Luke & Lucifer.
Jesse Wang
BIO goes here.
Kate Smith
Kristina Watt
Kristina is an award-winning actor with a passion for engaging youth in theatre. She grew up in Scotland, Colombia and Ottawa, holds a BA and MFA in acting and began her career in the US and England. In Ottawa, she works with all the major theatres and her company 100 Watt Productions, has facilitated the Playwrights’ Guild of Canada’s UthInk project, creates original theatre with youth at The Museum of Nature, teaches at the University of Ottawa & OSSD, and brings to the stage life-stories of disenfranchised youth. Ongoing professional development pursuits take her to Europe and New York.
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Kristine Karpinski
Kristine Karpinski is a certified Yoga & Yogadance teacher, trained in numerous traditions, and is a member of both Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. In addition to teaching movement methods based in somatic approaches, she is the owner of The Clinic Upstairs - Massage Therapy and Wellness Centre – where she practices as a registered massage therapist and yoga therapist with a specialized interest in body dynamics for the performer. She studied theatre and psychology in university and has collectively trained in, and taught various healing modalities, movement methods and dance styles for over 30 years.
Kristy Allen
Kristy is a graduate from the University of Ottawa with a BA in theatre. She has also received her certificate from the Vancouver Film School Acting Program. She has been teaching at Ossd for the past 4 years and loves working with children and their limitless imagination. She is an actor within the Ottawa and Vancouver communities most notably with the Orpheus Musical Society and the Ron Maslin Theatre in Kanata. She is also and an accomplished dancer with 22 years of experience behind her including ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, modern, and choreography.
Laura Farley Ratcliffe
Laura is thrilled to be an instructor in the children’s program at
OSSD. Laura has enjoyed theatre and music since she was a child,
having sung in choirs since the age of six and performed in plays and
musicals throughout her high school and university years. Laura
earned her M.A. in Drama from the University of Toronto, and her
undergraduate degree from Queen’s University in Drama and Classical
Studies. Laura is passionate about sharing the joys of drama and music with
children of all ages. As well as teaching at OSSD, Laura is an
instructor with the City of Ottawa and a co-Director of KidSingers
with the Leading Note Foundation. At home, Laura spends her days
singing and imagining with her two young daughters.
Mary Harvey
Mary is excited about joining the OSSD faculty this year to teach Improv – something she is passionate about. Mary studied Musical Theatre at Sheridan College and Improvisation with Second City in Toronto. She was invited to join the Second City Touring Company in 1975... and never looked back. As Andrea Martin’s understudy, Mary had the pleasure of performing with John Candy, Dan Ackroyd, Catherine O’Hara, and Gilda Radner, to name a few. Mary has performed on stage, in television, film, and corporate video over the past thirty years. She has written and directed for the stage and video as well. In addition to her theatrical pursuits, Mary runs corporate workshops in public speaking, meeting facilitation, and Improv for non-actors.
Mary Catherine Jack
Mary Catherine Jack is a graduate of the University of Waterloo Fine Arts program as well as the School of Dance Modern Dance Training program. Mary Catherine has performed with Opera Lyra, with the Ottawa Impressions In Jazz Orchestra and has performed her own work at various Ottawa venues as well as at the Guelph Comtemporary Dance Festival. Mary Catherine teaches dance in Ontario public schools as an independent artist and in collaboration with the Learning Through the Arts. Mary Catherine is also a Pilates instructor.
Melody Louie
Melody is a graduate of York University where she completed her BFA in Theatre Design and Production and her MA in Theatre Studies. Since her return to Ottawa, she has been working as a stage manager and as a lighting designer and technician. Recent theatre credits include: Inséparable (Arts Court Productions), Romeo and Juliet (Salamander Shakespeare Company), Red Kite Blue Sky (Chicago Children’s Theatre, MASC, OSSD), Who You Callin’ Sweetheart? (Lead Pencil Productions), and The Death of Tybalt (Salamander Shakespeare Company). This is Melody’s third year at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama where you may see her wearing a multitude of hats: from technical director at OSSD’s summer camps to piano accompanist for some of OSSD’s musical theatre classes. Melody has been playing piano for more than twenty years and is happy to share the love of music with others. Musically, she works as an accompanist and as a performance coach. Melody also recently stage managed The Pirates of Penzance, The Wind in the Willows, and My Fair Lady and did the lighting designs for Crazy for You and for They Chose Me! as part of OSSD’s 2010 Spring Showcase.
Natalie Fraser Purdy
Natalie Fraser-Purdy has a degree from Concordia University in Theatre Performance and has had specialized training in directing, English literature and technical theatre. She has been performing, teaching and coaching professionally in Ottawa since 1995, working for companies all over the city. Trained in voice, dance and emotional development, Natalie also utilizes theatre to teach workshops on leadership, professional development and anger management.
Nick Miller
Teaching drama and physical theatre is an important part of Nick’s life. He has taught and performed coast to coast, including Neptune Theatre School in Halifax N.S. and Kaleidoscope Theatre in Victoria B.C. Other great opportunities included teaching at London England’s Circus Space, Ottawa’s Spring Action, Festival Antigonish’s Summer Workshops and London Ontario’s International Children’s Festival. Nick feels fortunate and privileged to be a part of the OSSD team.
Nikki Carriere
Nikki has danced competitively since the tender age of ten years old. Her dancing and performing experiences are varied, including festivals, television programs, galas, and fashion shows. To further round her dance experience, she has also obtained a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Algonquin College; and, has also participated in teachers' intensive courses at the National Ballet of Canada, Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and at the Dance Commons School of San Francisco. She is highly enthusiastic to be part of the Pre-School Program at the OSSD teaching drama, Gotta Dance, and instructing in adult dance classes.
Patrick Gautier
Patrick Gauthier is an Ottawa based director and playwright, and the Artistic Director of local creation-company Gruppo Rubato, for who he recently wrote and directed Airport Security. Other recent credits include directing Someone For Everyone (Nighthowl Productions), Countries Shaped Like Stars (Mi Casa Theatre), and a site-specific production of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw (Screwdriver Collective). As a writer, Patrick's recent work includes Tourist Things 8 Words That Ruined My Relationship (Brave New Playwrights), and Gruppo Rubato's The Churchill Protocol (w/ Kris Joseph), which won the 2007 Prix Rideau Award for "Best New Creation." Patrick holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Ottawa, and an MFA in Directing for the Theatre from the University of British Columbia. He is the recipient of the 2010 Council for the Arts in Ottawa RBC Emerging Artist Award.
Paul Dervis
Paul returns to OSSD after a year's sabbatical in the States. He spent the season writing film reviews for the Somerville (Mass) News, directing the New York premiere of Michele Markarian's "PARENTS OF AVERAGE CHILDREN" at the American Globe Theatre in Times Square, and finishing his latest play "THE LAST DISCIPLE OF ABRAHAM'. Paul's plays have been produced throughout the US and Canada. "MAKING TRACKS" was awarded "Best Plays" at the 1986 New York One-Act Play Festival on Theatre Row. Other New York credits include "POKEY" which had an extended run at the Paul Mazur Theatre in 1990. "ON ANY MONDAY NIGHT" was listed on the Ottawa Sun's "Best Plays" list in 2000. As a director, Paul has won numerous awards, including "Best Play" 1980 from the Boston Herald for the world premiere of Peter Parnell's "SCOOTER THOMAS", Boston Magazine's "Best Play" in 1986 for David Mamet's "EDMOND", the Boston Globe's "Best PLays" in 1988 for Tom Eyen's "WOMEN BEHIND BARS" and 1998 for Israel Horovitz's "FREE GIFT". He is the artistic director the New Ottawa Repertory Theatre.
Pierre Brault
Sherry McPhail
BIO goes here.
Sue Yendall
Having recently retired from teaching English and Drama at International Schools in Moscow, Bangkok, Jarkarta and Islamabad and for the Ottawa Board of Education, Sue returned to OSSD in September 2002 to continue her love of teaching Drama to young people. Sue designed and established Drama programmes for the Bangkok International School (1989-93) and The Anglo-American School of Moscow (1999-2002) and is an associate member of The International Theatre Schools Association based in London, England. Since returning to OSSD she has been involved as director of the Young Actor's Company and devoting her energies to Acting Techniques and Voice.
Sylvia Larrass
Sylvia grew up in France and Germany where she began her music education in piano, dance and voice. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and holds a diploma in vocal performance, as well as the Silver Medal of excellence from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto.
Sylvia`s passion is to bring out people`s voices, whether spoken or sung, and this for the past 15 years. Her voice and presentation training has been appreciated in Ottawa`s public service and private sector, as well as the US, and France. Sylvia also performs actively as a soloist, credits including appearances with Opera Lyra, Bytowne Opera, Tourmaline vocal ensemble, as well as the New York Metropolitan Opera chorus at Carnegie Hall. She recently returned from a successful concert in Munich, Germany.
Theresa Clarke
Selected credits include serving as the Musical Director for GOYA Theatre Productions, The Ottawa School of Speech and Drama, and Act Out Theatre for the musicals “Oliver!”, “Vaudeville”, “Menopositive”, “Cabaret”, “War Brides”, “Dads in Bondage”, “West Side Story”, “Guys and Dolls“, “Pajama Game”, “Anne and Gilbert”, "Gabriel the Musical", “Hello Dolly”,“Seussical the Musical”, "My Fair Lady", and "Pirates of Penzance". Theresa is currently the Piano Accompanist for the Ottawa Bach Choir, the Atlantic Voices Choir, the Ottawa Gay Men's Chorus, the Organist at Emmanuel United Church, and the Musical Director for the OSSD Spring 2011 productions of "Anne of Green Gables" and "Beauty and the Beast".
Wendy Berkelaar
