Meet the creative team

Larissa Mair | Artistic Producer

Born and raised in Barrie, Ontario, Larissa Mair co-founded Theatre by the Bay in 2001 with her husband, Nick Baillie. She is deeply committed to bringing affordable, professional theatre to downtown Barrie and to mentoring young actors and technical crew. Larissa is extremely proud of the many wonderful Shakespeare productions and musicals produced by Theatre by the Bay and thrilled that to be heading into our TENTH SEASON!   She is very excited for the 2011 line-up of William Shakespeare's The Tempest as well as the Young Company production of Treasure Island (The Pirate Musical) by Clark Harris.

Larissa Mair has been involved in the arts on many different levels for over 20 years. She heads her own casting company in Toronto called Larissa Mair Casting & Associates and has a great team of people working for her. Larissa cast the critically acclaimed show  The Bridge for CBS & CTV and the feature The Corridor.  Some of Larissa's upcoming projects are: Wipeout for Global, a new series for Family Channel called What's Up Warthogs, the new CBC comedy series Insecurity (which started airing in January 2011) where she was the Toronto Casting Director, co-casting the feature film Foxfire (Directed by Laurent Cantent) which will air in 2012. She is thrilled about casting the upcoming series called Life With Boys created by the co-producers of Hannah Montana and a series for History Television called It Happened Here.

Thank you to all the incredible sponsors, the volunteers and our members for all their support and time. Special thanks to our Board of Directors for their hard work in helping bring such high quality theatre to our community. And last but not least, theatre cannot exist without its patrons. Thank you for supporting and attending Live Theatre!

Brett Christopher | Director

Brett is thrilled to be a part of Theatre by the Bay’s 10th Anniversary celebration. He performed as Tom Snout in the company’s inaugural A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet, and Orlando in As You Like It before taking over the Shakespeare in the Schools program which he has written and directed for the past seven seasons. Over the last two seasons, Brett has directed our main stage productions, Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew.

As an actor, Brett received both the Masques Award and Mecca Award for his performance in the one-man show I Am My Own Wife at Montreal’s Segal Centre in 2007. Other notable roles include: Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing (CanStage); Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons (Segal Centre); and has worked with innovative and exciting companies like Convergence Theatre, Actors Repertory Company, Buddies in Bad Times, Magnus Theatre, red red rose, and many more.

Brett currently lives in Kingston, Ontario with his wife and two children and is on staff at the Thousand Islands Playhouse.

Nick Baillie | Production Manager

Nick started his acting career in Montreal and now resides in Toronto. He produced his first play in 1996 with Paradigm entertainment in Montreal. Nick co-founded Theatre by the Bay in 2001 with Larissa Mair, and was the General Manager for four years. Nick splits his time in Montreal and Toronto, and Los Angeles and continues to work as a Consulting Producer for Theatre by the Bay.

As an actor, Nick has appeared in numerous stage productions such as Fool for Love by Sam Sheppard, The Shadow Box by Michael Christopher and the critically acclaimed Canadian play Fortune and Men's Eyes. For Theatre by the Bay, Nick played Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as Paris in Romeo and Juliet. Nick has appeared in many TV shows and films over the past 10 years, such as The Dead Zone with Anthony Michael Hall, All the Good Ones Are Married with Daryl Hannah, Durham County II, and Degrassi: The Next Generation. Nick is currently producing and starring in a feature film called Claddagh in Montreal which is due out in 2011.

Nick is very pleased that Theatre by the Bay has become so successful in Barrie, and looks forward to many more exciting years in the new Downtown Theatre.

Jonathan Monro | Composer/Musical Director

Originally from Newfoundland, Jonathan made his professional debut as a classical pianist at Carnegie Recital Hall. However, he followed his passion for acting, and has had featured roles in over 50 productions for stage, TV, and film, including The Producers (original Canadian company), Much Ado About Nothing and The Miser (Broadway), The Music Man and eight other productions at the Stratford Festival of Canada, Heyday (CBC), and 2 Pianos, 4 Hands (7 productions, including 1st National U.S. Tour). He has also musically directed several shows, including the Canadian Premiere of The Light in the Piazza.

As a composer, he has written five original musicals including Variations on a Nervous Breakdown (which won 4 Betty Mitchell Awards), and has created original scores for several more, including Robert Chafe's Govenor Generals Award-Winning Play AfterImage.

Since moving to New York last year, Jonathan has performed lead roles in Fingers and Toes (off-Broadway/NYMF), The Last Interview (Indie Feature), Attachment (Jerry Orbach Theater), and Overruled (Project Shaw). He has just finished work as musical associate on a new musical by Richard Maltby and Charles Strouse. Jonathan is a proud member of the BMI musical theatre workshop, and winner of BMI's 2011 “Harrington Award” for musical theatre songwriter of the year. www.jonathanmonro.com

Christine Barrett | Costume Designer

Christine is delighted to be returning this summer for her third season with Theatre By the Bay. She is a graduate of the Theatre Program at York University where she studied Set and Costume Design. Some of her credits include: Set & Costume Designer: Dani Girl (Talk is Free Theatre), Trees Die Standing Tall (Talk is Free Theatre), Harvest Moon Rising (Talk is Free Theatre), Hansel and Gretel (Theatre Collingwood) and Unsung Cole (Theatre Collingwood). Costume Designer: Taming of the Shrew (Theatre By the Bay), Aladdin and Jasmine's Summer Adventure (Theatre By the Bay), Twelfth Night (Theatre By the Bay), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Talk is Free Theatre). Set Designer: Comedy of Errors (Theatre @ York) Assistant Set Designer & Set Dresser: The Bells of Larkspur (Theatre Collingwood - World Premiere)

In addition to a career in theatre, Christine has ventured into the classroom and is currently teaching in the Simcoe County area.

Lindsay McIntosh | Stage Manager

Lindsay is excited to be returning to Barrie for her eighth season with Theatre By The Bay. Previous seasons include Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, Glorious!, Pump Boy and the Dinettes, Much Ado About Nothing, Comedy of Errors and As You Like It. Other credits include The Drowning Girls (Bent Out of Shape Productions), House of Many Tongues, Bashir Lazhar, The Fall, Wild Mouth, and Benevolence (Tarragon Theatre), Escape from Happiness, Better Living and Apple (Factory Theatre).

Lindsay holds a BFA from the York University Theatre Program. This past year Lindsay married a wonderful man she had meet one summer while working in Barrie for TBTB. She is looking forward to spending the summer with the fantastic people that make up Theatre By The Bay.

Carla Tucker | Choreographer

Carla has been teaching dance for over 20 years in such cities as Toronto, Hamilton and Barrie. She has choreographed many musicals including Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, Seussical the Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar and Big, the Musical (which she received the THEA award for Best Choreographer). Carla has been honoured to be the choreographer for all of Theatre By The Bay's Young Company shows.

Currently, she is a dance educator in the Barrie area as well as an elementary school teacher for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board. Her company, Moving Art, is growing in its 9th year and she loves being able to help people discover their passion for the arts. Carla looks forward to working with everyone on such an exciting project!!

Tim Webb | Set Designer

Muskoka-based artist Tim Webb has been creating murals and decorative artworks for corporate clients since 1993. With upwards of 400 murals and paintings to his credit, Tim’s works now stretch from St. John’s to Victoria and most major cities in between, as well as across the USA and overseas. Regular and recurring clients include familiar names like Second Cup Coffee, McDonald's, Novotel Hotels, Cara Foods, Swiss Chalet, Dunn’s Deli, Sheraton Hotels, Ben Moss Jewellers, Ontario Hydro, and numerous hospitals, casinos, and colleges.

In recent years Tim has also been active in the theatre both in Canada and South Florida and has created stage sets for several prominent theatre companies. This past season, "SofiMag", a prominent Miami Beach design magazine elected Tim one of the city's "Emerging Creative Minds to watch in 2011".

Tim is thrilled to be back with the TBTB family for his 5th year of collaboration with this talented group. Thanks Larissa and Nick! Please visit Tim at www.muralsbytimwebb.com to view a gallery of his past works. P.S. It takes 2!

Simon Fon | Fight Director

Simon Fon has taught thousands of people in stage combat, from coast to coast, over the past 18 years. He is a member of Fight Directors Canada, and holds the title of Fight Master. As a stunt co-ordinator he most recently worked on Disneys Power Rangers In Training. Some recent stunt performing credits include series stunt double (Season 3) for the character of "Jesse" on the TV series Mutant X. Hemingway V.S. Callaghan for CBC, Earth: Final Conflict, Prince Charming-HBO and Tracker for TV/Film. Simon also worked on the Genie Award winning short Hangman’s Bride as Fight Director and Actor.

In theatre Simon has worked at Canadian Stage, Factory Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Passe Mursaille, YPT/Lorraine Kimsa, The Grand Theatre (London), Theatre By The Bay. Simon has also worked on the Dora Nominated Romeo & Juliet Remixed with eXpect theatre/Spark productions, and with Robin Phillips on Mill on the Floss for Soul Pepper Theatre at the World Stage. He teaches at George Brown College, University of Toronto, York University, University of British Columbia, Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Equity Showcase - Players Academy, Rapier Wit Studio, and Fight Directors Canada National workshops (96, 97, 01, 02, 03, 04).

Lorraine Jorden | Head of Props

Lorraine is very pleased to be back at Theatre by the Bay for an eighth season. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Barrie Music Festival Association, the Ontario Music Festivals’ Association, and as Provincial Treasurer of Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association. She is a graduate of the Georgian College General Business course (Accounting Option), and has experience in banking and retailing.

Lorraine thoroughly enjoys being a member of the Creative Team for Theatre by the Bay and doing nothing whatsoever related to her education and business knowledge. Lorraine resides in Barrie and extends her thanks and love to her husband, Jerry, for supporting her in her many enthusiasms.

Paul Boken | Lighting Designer

Paul is thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to be a part of Theatre by the Bay. Paul graduated with a BFA from Ryerson University where he majored in Theatre Production; Paul has also received post graduate Certificate in Architectural Lighting Design from Ryerson University. Theatrical Lighting design credits include: Assistant Lighting Design for A Midsummer’s Nights Dream, Lighting Design for Treasure Island and Robin Hood (Theatre by the Bay). Lighting Design for Mass Exodus (Ryerson School of Fashion) Lighting Design for Deathtrap (South Simcoe Theatre). Other credits include Technical Director for Romeo and Juliet and As You like It (Theatre by the Bay).

Paul is currently working for Mulvey and Banani International as an Architectural Lighting Designer, recent architectural projects include: Windsor Casino expansion, Renaissance ROM, Bay Adelaide Centre, Telus (25 York Street), Peace Bridge (Buffalo) Dubai Marina, (UAE) and Doha City Center (UAE).

Greg Rushton | Sound Designer

Greg is excited to once again be a member of the Theatre by the Bay creative team as his debut role of Theatrical Sound Designer. Greg graduated with honours from the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology in Audio Recording Technology and is designated as a Certified Technology Specialist from InfoComm International.

Greg’s theatrical credits include: Technical Director for Comedy of Errors and Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre by the Bay), audio consultant for Pump Boys and Dinettes (Theatre by the Bay). Selected musical credits also include Technical Director of Barrie Earth Hour Music Festival and album production/engineering for Stacey Jamieson, a local Barrie area artist.

Greg is currently employed by Mulvey & Banani International Inc. as an Audio Visual Systems Designer. Recent projects include: Canadian Museum of Human Rights (Winnipeg), Winnipeg Blue Bombers Stadium (Winnipeg), CI Financial (Toronto), Hershey Centre (Mississauga), and the RBC Centre (Toronto).

Laurie Merredew | Assistant Stage Manager

This is Laurie's first season with Theatre By The Bay, and is very excited to be a part of the 10th Season! Past theatre credits include assistant/apprentice stage manager for two runs of VideoCabaret's The Great War, apprentice stage manager for Soulpepper Theatre Company's The Time of Your Life and Our Town, and several stage management and design credits throughout her years at school.

Laurie is a recent graduate of York University's Theatre Production & Design program, working on Marat/Sade with Leah Cherniak and The Bewitched with Nigel Shawn Williams.

Ann Fox | Assistant Costume Designer

Ann is delighted to be part of the Theatre by the Bay costuming team. Her “little hobby” has grown from helping with the Kempenfelt Community Players production of Seussical the Musical to designing the costumes for KCP'S: The Wiz, Dear Edwina, Anything Goes, Evita, Alice in Wonderland, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Into the Woods.

A parent to four grown children, Ann also works full time supporting adults with intellectual disabilities and teaches part time at Georgian College to encourage newcomers to the same field. Ann is grateful to live in a community that nurtures home-grown creativity and provides so many opportunities for artistic expression.

Brenda Thompson | Assistant Costume Designer

Brenda is happy to be back with TBTB for her third season creating costumes and having fun backstage keeping things on track in the costume department. Brenda is also a board member of Kempenfelt Community Players and has been the lead set designer/scenic artist for about 10 years now.

She recently designed the sets for Alice in Wonderland and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat as well as playing the part of one of the wives in the production. Her day job is with the Maclaren Art Centre coordinating the VanGo in the school programmes. She is blessed to be married to Barry and is a mother and grandmother to three awesome children as well. Life is good!