Our Mission Statement

No Strings Theatre is a non-prfit organization aimed at providing the opportunity for youths ages 13-21 to be involved in musical theatre and develop their performance skills in all aspects of a professional stage production.

Our Inspiration

One afternoon during a voice lesson the idea occurred to us that there are a limitted number of professional musical theatre community programs for teens in the Toronto area. So what was our solution? Create one ourselves. We knew many teenagers in the Toronto area who loved to perform but hardly get the opportunity or find that they want to improve on their skills in the less hectic summer months. We, therefore, started a program where teens can improve on music theatre skills and learn to work with a team to successfully put on a co-operative production. This program would not have been possible without the help of dozens of teenagers who taught us that there is nothing better than giving someone the opportunity to take a bow.

Our Co-Founders

Denise Williams

Denise Williams is a professional singer, actress, and music educator. She has an international performance career encompassing the concert stage, opera stage, theatre stage, television, commercials and is currently in the cast of Mirvish's North American Premier of The Sound of Music at the Princes of Wales Theatre. Denise has founded No Strings Theatre with a desire to aid youth in developing their skills in music theatre as well as grow in their team skills for life. As a music educator, she has directed children and youth choirs for the Toronto District School Board, Royal St. George's College School, Suzuki and Thornhill Music Camps, and many other community organizations. She has also led several choral workshops for the Canadian Amateur Musicians (CAMMAC) and was an assistant director for The Royal Conservatory of Music's Repertory Chorus. Denise has been a private voice teacher for over 15 years.  She is a member of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists (ACTRA), Canadian Actors Equity  Association (CAEA)National, the Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS), The Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association (ORMTA), the Royal College of  Conservatory Examiners (RCM).

 

Kelly Bedard

Kelly Bedard is a student at Boston University studying Television Production in the School of Communications. She has experience in all aspects of theatre; on stage and off. Kelly’s recent onstage credits include the roles of Reagan in King Lear and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing with Boston University Shakespeare Society. Her experiences offstage range from directing As You Like It for a Shakespeare competition in New Zealand to stage managing Twelfth Night in Boston to work with the BSS/UCC Company and Toronto Youth Theatre here in her hometown of Toronto.

Kelly is a classically trained violinist, cellist and singer with a focus on musical theatre voice. Favourite credits include the roles of Katisha in The Mikado, Mad Margaret in Ruddigore, Mrs. Partlet in The Sorceror, Lady MacDuff in Macbeth and Dinah Murray in the world premiere production of Blind Bend which toured Ireland in the summer of 2004. She also appeared in The Taming of the Shrew, Oliver Twist, HMS Pinafore, and various school productions. She was a regular participant in Centauri Summer Art and Suzuki Kingston More the Music Programs for many years and has appeared in a number of workshop productions. Kelly has 10 years of dance experience ranging from ballet to hip hop, lyrical and jazz. She has performed in pit bands for numerous musical productions including her favourites, Blood Brothers and Anne of Green Gables.

Her next project will be directing Romeo & Juliet this fall in Boston. Kelly is also the managing editor of http://www.mytvblog.ca where she is the head writer and podcast host/producer. She is thrilled to see her vision of a summer musical theatre program in Toronto come true.

Our Board of Directors

Denise Williams, President

Margaret Gillis, Vice President

Glentis Samuel, CEO

Alehia McIntosh, Secretary

Louise Davies, Treasurer

Jeannette Richards, Fund-raising Co-chair