Our Team

MEET OUR STAFF

Jimmy Blais - Artistic Director

Jimmy is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation; he is of Plains Cree and French settler heritage. Born and raised in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal, Jimmy graduated from Concordia’s Theatre Performance Program. He is a seasoned stage and film actor. He has worked professionally for over 10 years, for companies like The Stratford Festival, The Centaur, Geordie Productions, Porte Parole and La Licorne. Jimmy’s most notable tv role was playing Watio for five seasons in APTN’s hit series Mohawk Girls. Jimmy is also a writer, director, mentor, and coach. He was the Indigenous Artist in Residence for the 2016 Students On Ice Expedition to the Arctic. Jimmy successfully completed the Indigenous Artist In Residence at The National Theatre School of Canada in 2019. He is the Incoming Artistic Director of Geordie Theatre.

Kathryn Westoll - Executive Director

Person responsible for the protection of personal information

Kathryn Westoll is a seasoned leader in the arts and culture sector with over two decades of experience shaping the future of theatre in Canada. Currently serving as Executive Director of Geordie Theatre, Kathryn has a proven track record of strategic leadership, financial acumen, and a deep commitment to fostering vibrant, inclusive artistic communities. 

Kathryn began her career behind the scenes, discovering her passion for stage management while studying Drama at Queen’s University. She further honed her skills at the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS), graduating from the prestigious Production Program in 1998. Her career blossomed in Toronto, where she spent 17 years as a stage manager and Managing Director of the Toronto Fringe Festival. In recognition of her dedication to the theatre community, Kathryn received the esteemed Harold Award in 2013, celebrating her contributions to Toronto’s independent theatre scene. 

In 2014, Kathryn joined Geordie Theatre in Montreal, first as General Manager, then Managing Director, and ultimately as Executive Director in 2021. Under her leadership, Geordie Theatre has grown as a dynamic force in the arts, attracting diverse audiences and fostering meaningful connections through compelling storytelling. Kathryn’s expertise in financial management, governance, and human resources has been instrumental in ensuring the organization’s long-term sustainability and resilience. 

Kathryn is known as a collaborative and empathetic leader, celebrated for her ability to navigate complex challenges with grace and poise. An active listener and skilled problem solver, she excels in building consensus, inspiring teams, and maintaining a focus on strategic goals even in high-pressure situations. Her dedication to professional growth extends to her role as an educator at NTS, where she teaches and mentors in the field of stage management. 

Kathryn’s extensive volunteer leadership includes serving as Board Treasurer for three years at the International Association for Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY), six years as Quebec Region Representative for the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), two years as Chair of the HR Committee and her current role as Chair of the PACT Board of Directors. She has also contributed significantly to the Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee and the Quebec Drama Federation’s Board. 

Kathryn’s vision, expertise, and steadfast commitment to the arts have made her a trusted leader and advocate for the performing arts community. As a proud mum and passionate champion of the next generation of artists, Kathryn’s leadership ensures Geordie Theatre continues to thrive as a cornerstone of creativity and cultural connection. 

Jessica Abdallah - GTS Creative Director

Jessica is a theatre director, creator, and educator based in Tio’tia:ke/Montréal. She is a graduate of John Abbott College’s Acting Program, Concordia University’s Theatre & Development Program, and the University of Alberta’s MFA in Directing. Favourite directing credits include Eurydice (McGill University), Other Worlds (Geordie Theatre), What Rough Beast (Theatre Ouest End/Tantalus), Squawk (Geordie Theatre), the French and English versions of TUMIT (Akpik Theatre), and Sedna: Goddess of the Sea (Tableau D’Hôte Theatre). Jessica regularly teaches public classes at the National Theatre School of Canada, directs teens in their school play at St. George’s High School, and sits on the Membership Committee at PACT. Jessica is a firm believer that everyone can benefit from a little theatre in their life which is why she loves working with people of all ages, all backgrounds, and all experience levels. 

Bevin Dooley - GTS Community Liaison

Bevin Dooley (she/they) is a playwright and dramaturg who is thrilled to be back making art in her hometown of Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Their plays include Nyctophobia/Here There Be Night (Workshop West Playwrights ’Theatre); IN CAMERA (parts&labour/CGAS/ Found Festival); and Slack Tide (Blarney Productions/part&labour/Edmonton Fringe Festival) for which they received a Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award nomination. Readings of her work have been presented by Infinithéatre, SkirtsAfire, Script Salon, and the Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival. Bevin has worked as a dramaturg and mentor with the University of Alberta New Works Festival, NextFest Festival of Emerging Artists, and Alberta Playwrights ’Network. If they’re not at the Geordie office, Bevin can be found café-hopping, watching the latest horror film at Cinéma du Parc, or hiking up Mont-Royal. Learn more about Bevin and her work at www.bevindooley.com

Murdoch Schon - Schools Engagement Associate

Murdoch Schon (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary director, dramaturg and digital innovator. Born and raised in Treaty One Territory (Winnipeg), they have been involved in the Tiohtià:ke (Montreal) English theatre scene for over a decade. As a multidisciplinary theatre maker, they use puppetry, movement and technology to build unique and immersive worlds.

Hanesa Banks - Schools Liaison

Hanesa Banks is a writer living in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal). She holds a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Concordia University. Hanesa has been a performing spoken word artist since 2016. Her most notable shows include an International Women’s Day show for Sofar Sounds (2018), and a United Way Gala (2018). In April of this year she completed a Horror Writer’s Residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. She’s excited to be joining Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal for their 2025-26 Young Creators Unit. Her speculative horror stories explore a future-now in which people experience oppression as old patterns of colonization, white supremacy, and dominance digitize or become more layered while re-enforced by technology.

Amena Ahmad - GTS Coordinator

Amena is a Montreal based actress who is excited to be joining Geordie as coordinator of the Geordie Theatre School.

She is a graduate of the acting program at Concordia and became passionate about performing as a student at F.A.C.E high school. Amena is looking forward to bringing the GTS magic to kids and teens!

Annika Wegerle - MarComms Co-Lead

Annika grew up in Germany, but has called Montréal her full-time home since 2022. She studied General and Comparative Literature in Berlin and Paris, and has worked as a marketer in the music industry, for her own business, and as a consultant. A fan of great storytelling and the transformative power of fiction, books, plays, and movies are her constant companions. She’s extremely excited to be joining the Geordie team as co-lead of the Marketing and Communications department to help make Geordie’s important mission shine across Québec, Canada, and beyond.

Elsa Bolam - Founding Artistic Director

Elsa Bolam is the founding Artistic Director of Geordie Theatre. Elsa was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, where she began her career working in different capacities at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford and London. After directing freelance with many English theatre companies, she became a television director at the BBC in London. She then came to Canada, where she taught at the National Theatre School, helped found the Centaur Theatre, and continued to direct at theatres such as Theatre Calgary, Theatre Plus in Toronto, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Magnus Theatre, the Globe Theatre in Regina, and others.

In 1980 Elsa founded Geordie Theatre and was artistic director of the company until 2006. She found it very rewarding to bring theatre to young audiences, and received several awards for her work, including membership in the Order of Canada , and an Honorary Doctorate from Concordia University.

Anna Burkholder - Development Manager

Anna (she/they) is a theatre creator and performer, originally from B.C. They now live in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal), where they are writing their first play. Anna has performed in productions at The National Theatre, Southwark Playhouse, multiple seasons with The Classic Theatre Festival and in various film and TV productions. Dedicated to building sustainability in the theatre sector, Anna has spent seven years developing strategic plans and community initiatives for non-profits across the country. She is thrilled to join Geordie Theatre and support the team in bolstering community, nurturing young audiences, and paving the way for sector change.  When not involved in theatre activities, you can find Anna rollerblading, hanging twinkly lights or drawing puns. (burkyco.com)

Violette Kay - Associate Producer

Violette Kay is a sound designer, composer and multidisciplinary performer who studied acting at John Abbott College and violin performance at the Conservatoire de musique de Gatineau. A former violin teacher, she is very happy to be a part of the Geordie team and continue bringing together children and art. Past projects include Adoration (Tantalus/Studio Porte Bleue), A Joy that’s Mine Alone (Art Apart, National Theatre School of Canada), From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (Geordie Theatre, Outstanding Emerging Artist at the Montreal English Theatre Awards), Therapy was a Mistake/I Want to Love the World (Penina Productions), Counter Offence (Teesri Duniya Theatre) and Caravan (Tableau D’Hôte Theatre). Violette is also on the board of directors of Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture and hopes to help create accessible and anti-ableist work environments whether it be onstage, behind the scenes, or behind an office desk.

Richard Matthews - MarComms Co-Lead

Richard is delighted to have recently joined the Geordie team! British-Canadian, the majority of his experience is in London (UK) where he has worked in marketing and communications for a wide range of theatres and touring theatre companies, including the UK’s leading disabled-led theatre company Graeae, where he led on marketing and audience development for seven years prior to moving to Canada. He has a particular passion for ensuring the arts are accessible to all, and he can’t wait to help bring Geordie’s work to as wide an audience as possible. 

MEET OUR BOARD

Kim Fuller - President

Kim is the Founder & CEO of Phil. Her experience working with local, national and international charities combines over 25 years in marketing and fundraising, with a lifelong passion for volunteering in the community.

Kim consulted with Geordie for over 5 years before joining the Board and has been a Geordie fan for twenty years, taking her kids to see shows when they were little.

Theatre is in her blood (literally) coming from a long line of thespians, dating back generations. Her grandparents had a local theatre school for children nearly a century ago!

Award-winning social entrepreneur (Top 50 Women Leaders of Montreal, Top 50 under 50 Concordia University Alumni), host of the Philanthropy in Action podcast, international speaker and author of many articles on leadership and the social sector, she is always looking to learn more and share more.

Keith Serry - Vice President

Keith is a father, husband, writer, performer, teacher, producer, journalist, and, when called upon, lawyer based in Montreal. As a writer and performer, Keith and his work have appeared on stages in Montreal, Boston and New York City; and on PBS television and CBC radio. His first solo show, The List, was nominated for two Frankie Awards at the 2024 Montreal Fringe Festival and will tour festivals in New York, Winnipeg and Edmonton in 2025. He is currently writing his first multi-act play entitled Funeral Season. In his other professional lives, Keith has spent more than 30 years doing strategic communications and government relations for clients ranging from Canada’s largest biotechnology company to the RCMP. He is also a founder or co-founder of several non-profits and has had stints as a courtroom litigator and a lecturer in commercial law at his alma mater, McGill University.

Ndaku Mazhude - Treasurer

Ndaku has been working in the financial sector for about 9 years now after graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s university in Halifax Nova Scotia in 2013. 

Before this he was born and raised in Zimbabwe and was a musical theatre kid to the core. Ndaku was in several productions over the years at Reps Theatre in Harare Zimbabwe ranging from Godspell, The Kind and I and Mama Mia to name a few. He pursued theatre full time in the year before moving to Canada to undertake a business degree but in university he was still heavily involved with multiple productions with the university’s drama society. 

Ndaku is excited to get a foot back into the world of theatre and help with its accessibility to the next generation as it played an integral part of him being able to find his voice and even in finance, he finds himself relying on those public speaking skills quite frequently. 

Gillian Nycum - Secretary

Gillian is a coach, facilitator, and consultant with experience in the culture industries as a former artist manager and as an artist herself. She is also a mom to a theatre-loving teen and as a facilitator she highly values the transformative power of theatre arts. In addition to being a licensed lawyer in the province of Quebec, Gillian has executive level and board experience in the higher education sector, as former Registrar and Executive Director of Enrolment at McGill University and having served on the board at Vanier College. She brings to the board an appreciation for theatre, and education via the arts, alongside a wealth of experience in organizational governance. A licensed lawyer in the province of Québec, Gillian brings extensive leadership and governance experience, having served as Registrar and Executive Director of Enrolment Services at McGill University and as a board member at Vanier College. As Secretary of the Board at Geordie Theatre, she contributes her expertise in governance and organizational development, grounded in her commitment to emotional intelligence, inclusion, and the power of the arts to shape more conscious communities.

 

Julie Tamiko Manning

Julie Tamiko Manning is an award-winning actor and theatre creator from Tiohtià:ke / Montreal. Selected acting credits include From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in The Sea (Geordie Productions), Jonathan: a seagull parable (Surreal SoReal), Paradise Lost (Centaur Theatre), Jean Dit (Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui), Butcher (Centaur Theatre) and Othello (Scapegoat Carnivale/Segal Centre). 

Maude Levasseur

Maude is an artist, facilitator, consultant and arts administrator.
In addition to her studies in film, literature, and international law, Maude Levasseur was part of the Cultural Leadership Program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She has initiated artistic projects in various communities and co-directed pan-Canadian labs on the topics of beauty and creation to break isolation. She worked for many years at the National Theatre School of Canada as Director of Community Programs.

As an artist, her practice is rooted in participatory approaches and small gestures, she co-founded La Société Textile, a community textile creation space.

Maude is a member of the FRQSC Research Chair in Creative Economy and Well-being for the Arts and Health axis.

Carol-Ann Hoyte

For more than 20 years, Carol-Ann Hoyte has worked in the Canadian children’s book industry. Her various roles held in the field have included that of bookseller, book reviewer, library circulation clerk, and school librarian. Since 2022, she has worked as the events and program manager for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Carol-Ann is a published children’s poet whose work has appeared in U.S. anthologies and School Magazine Australia.

 

She is also an avid papercrafter, who in the fall of 2024, transformed her passion for crafting into a small business hosting craft parties.

 

In an effort to keep connected to the theatre world beyond Geordie, Carol-Ann has volunteered for the METAs (Montreal English Theatre Awards).

In 2023, she was nominated for the METAs Unsung Hero of Theatre Award for her contributions to the city’s English theatre community.

Alarey Alsip

Alarey Alsip is a Canadian actor, director, and teacher. She is an alumni of the acclaimed Second City in Chicago, as well as Concordia University, in Montreal, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with Distinction.  

Fresh out of school, she was cast in a two-play tour by Geordie Productions, featuring productions of Joan MacLeod’s The Shape of A Girl and an adaption of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The tour ran for 9 months and had performances across Quebec, New Brunswick and Toronto. She continues to act in theatre, film, and television. She splits her time between the Eastern Townships and Montreal, where she is represented by Glenn Talent. 

Stephanie McKenna

Stephanie is a theatre professional and performer active in Montreal’s professional and independent arts scene. Currently the Sales and Marketing Specialist at the Segal Centre, she also brings experience in front-of-house, development, and audience engagement. Stephanie has performed in a range of productions, including The Importance of Being Earnest with Persephone Theatre and multiple runs of The Rocky Horror Show with MainLine Theatre. She is also a MainLine Theatre executive board member, supporting governance and community-driven initiatives in the non-profit sector. With a background in both performance and arts administration, Steph blends creative vision and practical skills, making her a dynamic advocate for accessible, vibrant theatre. Her commitment to inclusive programming and her hands-on experience in both performance and marketing make her a valued contributor to Montreal’s cultural landscape.