Child and Youth Acting Instructors
Katie Byrne
Katie has a BA (honors) degree in Drama in Education from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa. She has extensive experience doing children’s programming including Camp Director at the Michele Heights Community Centre, and at the YMCA in Windsor. She has also directed for the Perth & District Collegiate Institute and for Perth Youth Theatre Workshop. She currently teaches grade 2 full time for the Ottawa-Carleton school board.
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.
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.
David Hersh
David is an actor, director, writer and teacher who has worked in the city for the past 12 years. He graduated from Concordia University with a Major in Theatre; Specialization Drama in Education. He was Artistic Director of the Orleans Young Players Theatre School for six years and continues to teach drama workshops in the schools with Salamander Theatre for Young Audiences. David has taught professionally for 16 years and in that time he has written more than 30 plays, directed more than 70 plays and produced over 150 plays for young people. He taught in the adult program at OSSD last year and worked with six to ten year olds this summer. David also performs with Salamander Theatre; he is in the touring show A World of Stories which tours elementary schools and he plays Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth for high school students. David directed and performed in the play What Goes Around… at this year’s Ottawa Fringe Festival. He has worked and performed with a Company of Fools, Third Wall Theatre Company, and the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival. David has written a play, entitled Jessica’s Monkey, that will be work-shopped by a Company of Fools and is creating an original theatre piece called The Well as a core member of The By the Well Collective. He has written and directed six short films and has worked with young people in-front of and behind the camera.
Stacey Kilrea
Stacey has been involved in theatre as a singer, actor, director and producer for over 15 years. Her training includes an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama Studies from the University of Toronto, a Performance Diploma from Sheridan College, holds a Bachelor of Education from Queens University where she graduated with honours from the Artist in Community Program, and has earned her Honours Specialist in Dramatic Arts through OISE in Stratford, Ontario. Stacey has also trained privately in voice with John Karr, Marie Baron and Yoriko Tanno-Kimmons. Stacey has directed musicals in various schools in the Toronto region, as well as in Monterrey, Mexico. She was Assistant Director to Patricia Hamilton in the production of The Women, with Theatre Erindale -- a highlight in Ms. Kilrea’s directing experience. Feature acting roles include Kim in Bye Bye Birdie with Brampton Musical Theatre, for which she was awarded the 2004 Bloom Award for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Female Actor by the Association of Community Theatres of Ontario (ACTCO), Maria in West Side Story and Maria in The Sound of Music with New Star Theatre Co., Shy in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Orpheus Musical Theatre Society, Mabel Tidings in Pride’s Crossing and Myrhinne in Lysistrata with Theatre Erindale. Stacey co-starred in a Rogers Cable/YTV television show called “Hey Kid!” for 2 seasons, and starred as Judy Jetson in The Jetson’s Space Blast with Paramount Canada’s Wonderland.
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.
Amanda Lewis, Artistic Director
AMANDA LEWIS has combined careers as a writer, theatre director, calligrapher, book artist and instructor. For ten years, she was the Artistic Director of the Perth Arts Workshop, a summer arts training program for young people aged 10 - 18. Amanda has also directed Youth Theatre Workshops for the Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg), and has taught various workshops for the National Arts Centre, The Ottawa School of Speech & Drama and The School of Dance. Originally trained at York University, Amanda 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. Amanda is also a professional calligrapher, book artist and writer and has exhibited her artwork in numerous group and solo shows. She has taught workshops in theatre, visual arts and writing for students in schools and universities 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 OSSD Amanda lives in the woods outside of Perth, Ontario, with her husband, writer Tim Wynne-Jones, and their family.
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.
Maureen Smith
Maureen most recently appeared in the CanPlay production of Talking With. Additional selected credits include, Swollen Tongues, The Last Liberal, Feelgood Well (for NAC), The Comedy of Errors (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Co.), On the Verge Festivals (NAC,GCTC), and The Drowning Girls (Let it Land Theatre). Maureen holds a first degree black belt in Taekwon-do (ITF) and practices aerobics, and yoga. She is kept on her toes daily, and works to hone her skills of persuasion and patience through her children, Alison (4 years) and William (1 year). , The Forest and The Begats (for GCTC), Twelfth Night, and All’s Well that Ends
Adam Smith
Adam has worked in theatre since he can remember. Adam heralds from Queen’s University with an honours degree in theatre arts and production and an education degree. Currently Adam works with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board as a high school drama teacher. He has instructed, acted, and directed in the community for many years, working such groups as Sock N Buskin, Driftwood Theatre Co., and the Ottawa Fringe Festival among others. He has been an actor, an instructor, a director and is now attempting his hand at playwriting. He has enjoyed every minute working with the talented staff and students at OSSD.
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.
Christie Watson
Christie Studied Acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London England. Christie also works at Great Canadian Theatre Company as an assistant director and producer of various play development projects. Christie creates his own experimental shows here in Ottawa with his company The Cycling Club. He appeared in No Great Mischief at Great Canadian Theatre Company in 2005 and will perform in the National Arts Centre’s upcoming production of The Snow Show. Recent film and television appearances include Shania, Mind Over Murder, Unspoken and Stalked by a Madman.
Kristina Watt
Kristina relocated to Ottawa after training and working in the U.S, England and South America. She currently teaches at OSSD, has served a Director of The Young Actors' Space, and instructs both theory and practice at the University of Ottawa. She recently acted in Love's Labour's Lost (National Arts Centre), The Real Inspector Hound (Third Wall Theatre Co.), and Picking Up Chekhov (Magnetic North--On the Verge). A career highlight was working with Judd Hirsh and Eva Marie Saint in Death of A Salesman (North Carolina). Film/TV credits include One Life to Live, Bull Durham, and Rescue 911. She plays the flute, and loves dancing and horse-back riding.
Jennifer Wilson
Now the grandmother of two, Jennifer Wilson founded the Creative Arts Programme at the Good Morning School in the Glebe in the early nineties. She also substituted at Arts Under One Roof in the Glebe. Jennifer spent her career in the Nursery School movement as a teacher and Director, as well as a paediatric specialist in the OT Department of the Civic Hospital.
Jennifer studied Drama in Vancouver, and Painting and Sculpture in London U.K., and the Ottawa School of Art. She is a seasoned performer at the Ottawa Little Theatre, and has performed with the Orpheus Society and Opera Ottawa, among other groups. She is honoured and delighted to be part of the team at OSSD.
Beverley Wolfe
Since graduating with a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Ottawa, Beverley has worked extensively in various theatres, including the National Arts Centre, Great Canadian Theatre Company, the Ottawa Shakespeare Festival, Odyssey Theatre and Upper Canada Playhouse. Credits include performances in local radio, film and television. Classically trained in piano and flute, Beverley belongs to the acappela trio Three Sheets to the Wind, who have performed across Canada and internationally.
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.