Child and Youth Acting Instructors
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.
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.
Ken Godmere
Ken studied improvisation in Toronto at The Second City with Allan Guttman and at Theatresports with Mark McKinney. He has been performing for over 30 years in more than one hundred stage, corporate video and television productions for companies including Stage Centre, Theatre 48, Invisions, Kevin Sullivan Productions, the New RO, and Mountain Road Productions. He also produced and directed a short independent film, The Fantom of the Firehall with Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie. His directing credits here in Ottawa include On The Spot Improv, Laff Lines, and Capital Indiscretions (The Institution); I Love You You’re Perfect Now Change – for which he earned the Capital Critics Circle award for best professional director, and The Last Five Years (Zucchini Grotto Theatre Company); and assisting Marti Maraden with Love’s Labour’s Lost (N.A.C.). Ken has been teaching in Ottawa for ten years including Improv workshops at The Institution; Theatre and English Communication courses at Educarium; and Open Acting, Improvisation, and Acting for the Camera at The Whitham School for the Performing Arts.
David Hersh
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. 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.
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.
Tara Porter
Tara was brought up in a diverse community of artists and musicians - setting the stage for her life long passions. This environment allowed for many opportunities to deepen her studies and involvement with dance, music, theatre, visual arts and yoga. Tara is a trained vocalist through the Royal Conservatory of Music and has sung under the direction of some of Nova Scotia's finest musicians and experienced directors; is a certified Kripalu Yoga Dance teacher and has over 5 years experience instructing various styles of dance. Theatrically - Tara has played leading roles in Cobequid Educational Centre's productions of "Footloose - The Musical", "Barry Manilow's Copa Cabana" and "A Chorus Line"; taking advanced, interactive and engaging theatre courses and partaking in the creation of collaborative community theatre projects in Nova Scotia and Central Canada. Being a certified Sivananda Hatha Yoga teacher - Yoga has allowed her to unite the strength of connection between body and movement,mind awareness and voice, and spirit and creativity. She is honored to be a part of the OSSD team.
James Richardson
James is the founder and Co-Artistic Associate of Third Wall Theatre Company. A graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland’s theatre department in 1998, he put his dreams of becoming an actor in Scotland on hold to try and give a boost to Ottawa’s theatre community. Eight years later and he is still here. He has worked in many aspects of the theatre in Newfoundland, where he was a founding member of the Gros Morne Theatre Festival, as well as working in Paris, Brockville and of course Ottawa. His hobby is Orienteering.
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.
Kate Smith
Kate Smith has worked at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama since 2007. She graduated from the acting program at Dalhousie University in 2006 with a B.A. (Honours). She has since worked with Shakespeare by the Sea (Halifax), as well as A Company of Fools, Third Wall Theatre, SevenThirty Productions, Odyssey Theatre and Salamander Theatre. Kate is working on the 'Our Stories' project at the Debra Dynes house this semester, and is currently in rehearsal for 'Conservatives in Love' with the Leave the Pants at Home Equity Co-op.
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.
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.
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.
Emmanuelle Zeesman
Emmanuelle graduated from the University of Windsor in 2004 from the Musical Theatre Performance Program. Selected Theatre Credits: 'Lady MacBeth' in MacBeth (Slamander Theatre), 'Titania and Hermia' in A Midsummer Night's Dream (A Company of Fools), 'Morvan' in Beckett's Shorts (G.C.T.C. Late Night Series),'Spirit' in Tales of Hoffman (Opera Lyra), 'Referee' in Never Swim Alone (People's Choice Winner), 'Lead Volcalist' at La Rochelle Festival (France) and 'Dancer' in the 2006 Rolling Stones Video. 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. Don't miss Emmanuelle as 'Olivia' (choreograoher and musical director) in A Company of Fools' Twelfth Night touring parks this summer. 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!