ARTISTIC TEAM

No Strings Theatre's artistic team is lead by

established industry professionals.

DENISE WILLIAMS

Founding Artistic Director | Producer | Voice Instructor

Denise Williams is a professional singer, music educator and facilitator. She holds an ARCT in Singing Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, a Masters in Community Music from Wilfrid Laurier University, and studied Arts and Entertainment Administration at Ryerson University. Her 30+ year international solo performance career has put her at home on the concert, opera, and theatre stages, working with, to name a few national companies, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, The TSO, TMC, Mirvish Productions, Eastern Front Theatre, Theatre Northwest as well as international appearances. Denise concentrates her time on performance education, and 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. She has been a private voice teacher for over 25 years, as well as RCM examiner and national adjudicator for over 15 years. She teaches Vocal Tutorials at Sheridan College’s Music Theatre department, is a a certified advanced voice teacher for the RCM and voice professor for the Canada Christian College. Professional memberships include President of The Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association (ORMTA), executive of the National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS), and the Canadian Actors Equity.

ANDREA MCLEAN

Education Outreach AffilIate

youth worker, animator, singer, creative writer

Aware that education is essential to social transformation, Andrea has spent many years working with young people in schools and community contexts. She spent four months in Haiti at the Centre for Learning, Training and Transformation (CAFT) working as a project coordinator for a learning process that uses alternative methods of discipline to motivate children in the classroom. Her work at the School of Nations in British Guyana involved training youth to serve as mentors to their younger peers. She has worked as a child and youth program coordinator for camps and conferences, a voice and dance teacher to young children, and as an early childhood educator. She is currently completing a diploma in Montessori Education - Early Childhood and working toward completing a Royal Conservatory of Music Associate Diploma (ARCT) in Singing.

Andrea McLean considers herself a student of her own craft. She studied music performance at the University of Waterloo and is currently studying with Denise Williams and Darryl Joseph-Dennie at Voices of Colour Music.

As a young student, Andrea’s performances include collaborations with various choirs and the most notable being the North York Festival Singers with conductor, masterclass teacher, and lecturer, Doreen Rao. Andrea has been a member of the University of Waterloo Chamber and University choirs, and the Common Thread Community Chorus as well as with the Edmonton, London and Toronto Baha'i choirs.

As a young adult, Andrea founded Nancy Campbell Academy Children's Theatre Workshop and coordinated and performed at Art and Soul fundraisers in partnership with the Steven Louis Foundation in London Ontario. She travelled throughout the north, central, and south Americas as a dance theatre performer and workshop facilitator contributing to social transformation and community development.

Andrea’s commitment to working with children is commendable. She sees creative and performing arts as fundamental to life. They are a gateway to knowledge of self, self-expression, and a vibrant community. She believes that each child has the capacity and potential to engage meaningfully through exposure to and acquisition of various art forms.

PAST ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES

SCOTT HURST

Directing Associate | Acting Instructor

Scott is an actor, singer, director and acting coach with nearly 40 years of experience in the industry. A veteran of five seasons at the Stratford Festival, he's also performed at the Charlottetown Festival, National Arts Centre, Thousand Islands Playhouse, St. Lawrence Centre, Elgin Theatre, Blyth Festival, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Huron Country Playhouse, Globe Theatre, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Citadel Theatre and the MDM in Moscow, Russia. As a director Scott has staged nearly forty musicals, revues and non-musicals, but none more dear to his heart than his continued work on Andrew Prashad's One Step At A Time. Scott lives in Barrie with his partner Rob and their two fur babies, Dora and Ripley.

COLLEEN TAFFE

Wellness Director

At times feeling rejected and ridiculed, Colleen Taffe has used laughter as medicine to help heal the pain of life’s traumas, mistakes, and disappointments. She is an energetic and passionate performer who knows that “the joy of the Lord is her strength”. Whether on stage doing comedy or facilitating workshops in a classroom, Colleen is known to delivers positive,
insightful and encouraging messages of hope. She is also an actress and a playwright who has written, directed, produced and acted in the 2007 production of “Under One Roof”, a hilarious stage play that follows the life of a family through their ups and downs. Her second play “Smilin’ Inside Out” opened in April 2008 and spoke about the dangers of gang violence. June 2010 her third play opened “In A Perfect World” and tackled tough topics such as teenage pregnancy, abuse and suicide. In 2011 she completed production of her fourth play “My Date with Bozo”. A hilarious comedy that takes you on a journey alongside some zany characters and their roller-coaster ride to find love. Colleen has also written her first Christmas play “Josiah and the Wiz Kidz” which debuted in Mississauga December 2014. In October, 2017 the play “Piece of Mind” opened during Mental Health awareness week. It told the unbelievable journey of one man’s strength in a time of his greatest weakness. This thought provoking performance
will inspire audiences to be challenged by the unforeseen world of mental illness and its damaging effects of stigma, quite tangible in the black community. This production taps into man’s aptitude for resilience and determination while demonstrating the courage and faith to survive and overcome the traumas of one’s life. In March of 2018 The love story “The
Commitment” opened that told the power of LOVE through the eyes of a man desperately trying to hang on to the one his soul loves. Colleen’s latest work titled “Beauty for Ashes” is an adaptation from the book: “13 Seats The Women Who Dared to Testify”. This piece, currently touring follows the lives of 12 women whose faith during a post-apocalyptic time is tried and
tested.

Colleen captures her audience with the art of story-telling that keeps a broad spectrum of audiences engaged and roaring with laughter. Her shows are free from coarse jokes and offensive language and audiences leave feeling educated, empowered and entertained.

In addition to her work on the stage, Colleen has also worked with community agencies & partners to facilitate Creative HeARTs and workshops. These HeARTs camps and workshops have been used to help youth and individuals living with mental health, additions and trauma experiences heal and bring words and meaning to their experiences.

Colleen Taffe
Playwright. Director. Producer. Emcee. Comedienne.
For booking information contact
Colleen Taffe at 416-558-3860 or by email colleen@colleentaffe.com
www.pieceofmindplay.com

DONAVAN LENABAT

Music Director

Donavon LeNabat is a Toronto-based Musical Director, accompanist and piano entertainer,He has played in the pit orchestras for Drayton Entertainment and the Dancap Production of Jersey Boys. Credits include…

Music Director of “The Last Five Years”, Big Benn Productions Spring 2014
Music Director of “Recurring John” (Song cycle by Kevin Wong), Summerworks 2014
Music Director of “Liza and Barbra… Together at Last!”, Angelwalk Productions, Fall 2013
Music Director/Music coach at Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, Fall 2013-present

In addition to these credits, He also runs his own band and perform several nights a week for public and private events.

KATE CARVER

Music Director | Vocal Coach

Kate Carver is based in Toronto, and is in great demand as a private vocal coach and accompanist. She has worked as repetiteur and coach with the Canadian Opera Company, the University of Toronto’s Opera Division, and Opera York. She has been on staff in the voice program at the Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua, New York, as well as the University of Montreal, and has played for many masterclasses with world class visiting artists.

After receiving her Bachelor and Masters degrees in Music from McGill university, Kate spent several years in London, England, where she studied with master voice coaches Martin Isepp and Graham Johnson at the Britten-Pears School, received a Vocal Coaching/Repetiteur Diploma from the Guildhall School of Music, and was sponsored by the Friends of Covent Garden Bursary to attend the prestigious National Opera Studio, where she continued her studies with Martin Isepp among others. Kate was attracted back to Canada by a position as Apprentice Coach with the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble program.

SHAKEIL ROLLOCK

Choreographer

Shakeil Rollock is a Toronto based dance artist. Starting dance at the age of seventeen, he mainly trained in urban styles. Later, he was influenced to train in both classical techniques -including ballet- and modern techniques. Now a graduate from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, Shakeil has greatly appreciated working with choreographers such as Louis Laberge-Cote, Allen and Karen Kaeja, Sharon Moore, Draico (Step Up Franchise), Newton Moraes, Christopher House, Kevin Ormsby, Julie Perron (Cirque du Soleil) and Debra Brown (Cirque du Soleil). To date, Shakeil has performed for events such as the Pan Am Ceremonies, Panamania, Summerworks Festival, Much Live, Rhubarb Festival and Ontario Dance Weekend Over the past year, Shakeil is more than fortunate to have performed for many companies in and beyond Toronto's borders. He has also toured internationally to countries such as the United States of America and Jamaica, and will be touring British Columbia and England later this year. Also, Shakeil is the Artistic Director of his own collective, Impromptu Movements, which has been performing throughout the GTA this past year. Some of Shakeil's musical choreographic credits include: West Side Story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Grease and Anne of Green Gables (with personal accolades from original cast members). Beyond performing, Shakeil choreographs and teaches throughout the province, and has been an annual lecturer at Wilfrid Laurier University.

PATRICK MAUBERT

Past Associate Director | Acting Instructor

Patrick Maubert, a native to Fredericton NB, began his career as a musical theatre performer completing his undergrad training in MT-performance at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of New York City. As a performer, Maubert worked internationally in an array of cross-genre platforms from musical to physical theatre. Select international performance credits include: Me and My Girl, NYC Off-Broadway revival; Cinderella, Camp Broadway U.S National Tour; Wizard of Oz, UK National Tour; The Diamond Horse Shoe Revue, Tokyo Disneyland; The International 12 Tenors, European Tour. He has since completed his MA in Directing at the Arts Educational Schools of London, where Andrew Lloyd Webber is patron and mentor. Select international directing credits include: Another Day, Site-specific for AFOAF Productions and Southwark/London Arts Council; The Installation, Site-specific at the Hide Gallery for AFOAF Theatre; You Say Tomato!, London Southbank Centre for the LGMC; Heaven Help Me!, ArtsEd for Perfect Pitch; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Secombe theatre; Heart&Music, Charlotte Street Arts Centre; Oliver!, UK Regional Tour for Polkadot Pantomimes; Hairspray, for Voyager Academy. Assistant/Movement directing credits include: The Domino Heart, Finborough Theatre; Blood Wedding, Courtyard Theatre for Aria Entertainment; The Road to Qatar, Ctoo Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe; Passport to Pimlico, Site-Specific for SouthWest Fest; Legally Blonde, Andrew Lloyd Webber Theatre for ArtsEd; The Wonderful World of Dissoica, for ArtsEd; Feel Good, Theatre New Brunswick. Patrick is Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director of London’s A Friend of Friend Productions and is part of the Young Vic Director’s genesis program.