Our 2021 Sun Dog Theatre Festival would have taken place in March 2021, but was cancelled due to Covid-19. In its place, we are programming an online pop-up Monologues Festival from May 17 – 22, 2021.
Participants have been asked to prepare a recording of a 1 to 5 minute monologue from their favourite play, movie, or television show, or something they have written. The recordings of the monologues will be posted on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and will be free for the public to view and enjoy. The postings will be staggered, with a few posted each day at 5 pm and available online for five days. Each participant will also receive a small honorarium.
Meet the Artists
Anthony Leclair is the Founding Creator of Leclair Studios. A writer, musician, photographer, actor and director, Leclair has spent nearly 20 years building a life in the arts, sharing not only his work but the works of many others in order to shine some new light on the world, whether through artistic perspective, escape or detailed commentary.
Ethan Chapman is a Toronto based actor, and a graduate of both Canadore College and Randolph College for the Performing Arts. Since finishing school in 2017, Ethan has been working hard to dip his toes in as many experiences as he possibly can, from performing in musicals and cabarets to working in film and tv both as an actor as well as part of the production crew. Ethan is excited to be part of the Sun Dog Monologue Festival, and would like to thank everyone who played a part in making it happen.
Garrett M. Ryan is a Canadian playwright, director, and actor. As an emerging theatre maker, his works have been produced in Canada, the United States, and Singapore. As a playwright, his pieces There was a Great Big Moose and Pigeon! were both published in 2018 by Off The Wall Plays and Samuel French. As a director, Garrett has worked on Connor Williamson’s Off The Ground, which went up at the 2020 PlayGround Festival at York University, and both 100 Million Leagues Under The Sea and Now You’re Acting! in Northern Ontario, the latter of which won the Audience Choice award at the ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival in 2018. In 2021, he worked as an assistant director on York University’s main stage production of Mortified, directed by Mandy Roveda. As an actor, he has appeared in multiple productions produced through his theatre company Bird On Stage Productions, portraying roles such as Kurt in Penguin!, Mother in Pigeon!, and himself in Swing!. In April 2021, Garrett completed the BA program in Theatre: Performance Creation at York University, where he specialized in playwriting. In the fall, Garrett will be returning to York University in order to pursue his MA in Theatre & Performance Studies. He is very grateful for the opportunity to perform once again amongst so many other incredible artists!
Jennifer Carroll is a professional actor, producer and member of the Proscenium Club. She lived and worked as an actor and producer in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, including work in her second favourite fringe festival (behind ON THE EDGE Fringe, of course), the Dublin Fringe. Selected acting credits include Beverley in Barefoot on the Moon, Shirley in The Life and Death of John the Milkman, and her one woman show chronicling the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery in rural Ontario, Maud of Leaskdale, has toured across the country.
Jim McCaskill is an actor working out of North Bay, ON. He has appeared on stage in Rep21’s I Live With Him Every Day: The Tragedy of David and Dave, Gateway Theatre Guild’s production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Watershed Shakespeare Festival’s Romeo & Juliet, his original one man ode to Cthulhu Final Log, performed an adaptation of the Book of Job, and Sun Dog Theatre Festival’s The Crucible. In 2020 he made a brief appearance in the film Delia’s Gone and is currently working on several new projects, and surviving the current global apocalypse.
Joe Drinkwalter is an actor, director, writer, and 3rd-year student in the Performance: Acting program at Ryerson University. Joe misses his local theatre family dearly, and he is very excited to tune in, grab some snacks, sit back, and admire all of the incredible local performers showcasing their talent at the Pop-up monologue festival this year. Break a leg everyone!
Joshua Bainbridge is an actor, writer, director and the Artistic Director of The Proscenium Club touring theatre company. He regularly works in film and television and is the northern OSLO ACTRA representative. Josh also teaches various courses including Acting for the Camera at Canadore College’s Acting for Stage and Screen Program.
Jules-Pierre Fournier, member of the inaugural graduating class of Laurentian University’s “Arts d’expression” honours program in 2003, has been a qualified high school theatre teacher for 17 years. As a local actor, signer, musician, host and all around performer, in both official languages for over 25 years, and now teaching in the Ottawa area, J.-P. is pleased to continue to contribute to the North Bay theatre and cultural community through this festival.
He offers a monologue written by one of his favorite writers and from Aaron Sorkin’s 1990 original Broadway production of A Few Good Men, as well as the subsequent 1993 film of the same name.
Can you handle it ?
Kaitlyn Stewart is an actor based in North Bay, Ontario. After graduating with a theatre arts diploma from Canadore College, she joined a group of passionate, like-minded artists to perform in local productions such as The Man in the Iron Mask, People Grieving, Poison Ground, and Dracula. This venture evolved into a professional touring company, The Proscenium Club, that produces original Canadian works performed across Ontario (I Live with Him Every Day: The Tragedy of David and Dave, The Life and Death of John the Milkman, Sit, James, and Barefoot on the Moon.) She will also appear in the 2021/2022 Proscenium Club production of Happy Jack’s Motel. Other notable roles include Rosalind in As You Like It and Benvolia in Romeo and Juliet. Kaitlyn has also worked in a number of student films with Canadore’s Digital Cinematography program and is a credited actor for television and film.
In addition to performing, she works as a Festival Coordinator for ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival each summer and as the scenic/set painter for The Proscenium Club.
Born in Pembroke, Ontario but calls London his hometown, Keegan MacNeil-Kettle moved to North Bay Ontario in 2015 to work in the arts. Previous stage credits include Antipholus of Syracuse in GTG’s The Comedy of Error, Jeremi Scott in House in Virginia (ON THE EDGE Fringe 2019), Simon Stimson in Our Town, and Donka Rue in One Man, All Woman (Winner of ON THE EDGE Fringe – Outstanding Production 2018). Film credits include The Matron and Minutes with Canadore College, Carter on CTV Drama and the tv series The Trickster, which aired on CBC.
Marla McHardy has been involved in the arts in many different capacities over the years. A graduate of Canadore College’s Theatre program, she’s been involved in several community theatre productions in North Bay as well as the ON THE EDGE Fringe festival. She’s also one half of the musical duo The Long and Short with Anthony Leclair, as well as being involved with Leclair Studios’ YouTube Channel’s “Get the Fun Outdoors”, “Crude Canadians”, and the “Swept Up” music podcast. She now hails from Deep River and is excited to be a part of this project.
Matt Lishman is a multi-faceted artist with his main focus being acting. He has played Malcolm in Macbeth (ON THE EDGE Fringe 2017), Cassidy in The Bonds that Hold Us (ON THE EDGE Fringe 2017), Bobby in Tough (ON THE EDGE Fringe 2016), and Philip in Sanctuary (ON THE EDGE 2015). In winter 2017 Matt appeared as Peter in the Watershed Shakespeare Festival Collective production of Romeo and Juliet. Some of Matt’s Television/Film credits include parts in: Goalie, TVO’s Hard Rock Medical, CTV’s Cardinal, the Netflix original film The New Romantic, as well as the film Astonishing Tales of Terror. At ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival 2019, Matt made his directorial debut with Dragged, which earned a best of fringe nomination for viewers choice, while also appearing in the world premiere of Stephanie Kast’s new play The Cavewoman. Matt worked as Stage Manager and assistant carpenter on Proscenium Club’s 2018/2019 show, The Life and Death of John the Milkman. For the 2018/2019 touring production Matt played the lead role of Jim in Sit, James. Matt portrayed Herrick in the Sun Dog Theatre Festival production of The Crucible. At ON THE EDGE Fringe 2019, Matt wrote and Directed The Tragedy of Errors, Winner of Best of Fringe: Outstanding Production.
Maureen Cassidy is a professional stage and television actor and has appeared in over a hundred national & international television commercials. Stage credits: Eighteen Degrees (North Bay & SpringWorks Festival, Stratford), Elizabeth Proctor – The Crucible (Sun Dog Theatre Festival, North Bay), Matilda – Zastrozzi (Paper Bag Productions, North Bay), Mother Abbess- Romeo & Juliet (Watershed Shakespeare Festival, North Bay), Second Witch – Macbeth (OTEFF, North Bay), Gonerill- King Lear (Watershed North Bay & Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto), Ms. Fischer – A Picasso (Word Toast Transport, North Bay), Sheila- An Inspector Calls (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Lulu – The Lulu Project (Equity Showcase Theatre). Directorial credits: 3..2..1, Nunsense, Waiting for the Parade, Laundry and Bourbon, Hope Op, Curved, Vicious Circles, Twelve and co-direction of Slam. Maureen has been part of the Acting for Stage and Screen faculty at Canadore College since 2007.
Maxwell (Maxx) Giffen graduated from Canadore College’s Theatre Arts Program in 2015 and wrote and performed a one-man show in North Bay’s 2016 ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival. He has been working as a professional portrait photographer in Toronto since 2016 and is excited to return to the North Bay theatre community through the magic of digital media. Thank you for supporting your local theatre community and artists during this difficult time!
Michelle Jackett has been a professional artist for over 25 years. She studied at Sheridan College in their prestigious Music Theatre Performance program receiving an advanced honors diploma. Favorite theatre credits include Me and My Girl, 42nd Street, Dames at See, Nunsense, The King and I, Romeo and Juliet, Hair, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Film and television credits include Mum’s the Word, Stage Fright, Death Comes to Town, Hard Rock Medical, V-wars, Unsettled, Cold Strings, Northern Rescue, Castle in the Ground and Christmas in Grand Valley. Michelle has been an artist in Education and Jury member for the Ontario Arts Council and worked as a regional Dance Outreach Coordinator for Ontario Dances for 8 years. Michelle has been a director, choreographer and workshop artist in Northern Ontario for the Gateway Theatre Guild, Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre, Theatre Ontario, Theatre Outreach on Stage, and ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival. She is the founder of Can-do Theatre and co founder of The Dressing Room Collective. Currently, Michelle is the Program Coordinator/Faculty at Canadore College’s Acting for Stage and Screen Program.
Morgan Bedard is a professional actor working out of North Bay. Morgan played the Musketeer Porthos in all three chapters of the D’artagnan Romances, Will Donnelly in The Donnellys, Roy in Lone Star, and Justin in You Are Here. He shared the win for Best Ensemble at the Theatre Ontario showcase for his portrayal of John Williamson in Glengarry Glen Ross. In fall 2014 he played the title character in Robin Hood: King of the Outlaws. In fall of 2016 he portrayed Mark in the Proscenium Club debut production I Live With Him Every Day: The Tragedy of David and Dave as well as playing the title character in Dracula. In winter 2017 Morgan starred as Romeo in The Watershed Shakespeare Festival Collective production of Romeo and Juliet. Morgan directed Final Log, at the ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival and also appeared as Macduff in Macbeth. He spent his 2017/2018 on tour with the Proscenium Club in The Life and Death of John the Milkman. He then played Walter in Sit, James, the Proscenium Club’s 2018/2019 touring production. Morgan appeared as Rev Hale in the Sun Dog Theatre Festival production of The Crucible in March of 2019 and then as Agostino in Artemisia at ON THE EDGE Fringe 2019, and as Howard Bailey in the Club’s 2019/2020 tour of Barefoot on the Moon. Morgan appeared on the television show Paranormal Witness on the Space Channel. Morgan had a multi-episode guest role in Hard Rock Medical as well as the Netflix series V-Wars. He appeared in the feature films Spare Parts, Anti-Birth, Mary and Joseph, Mums the Word, Frat Pack, Lead with Your Heart, Goalie, James vs. His Future Self, The Bet, Country at Heart, Astonishing Tales of Terror, and USA/NBC series Eyewitness. Morgan is working as Set Designer and Lead Carpenter on Proscenium Club’s most recent show, Happy Jack’s Motel in which he will also appear.
A former acting instructor and Coordinator for Canadore College’s Acting for Stage and Screen program, Nancy Thompson spent five years as an actor and founding General Manager with Nipissing Stage Company, where she produced four shows each summer and performed in some of her favourite roles, including Rosalind in Moon Over Buffalo, Claire in Rumors, and Norah in Wrong For Each Other.
She appeared with her students in the 2011 Rep21 production of Waiting for the Parade and had the honour of originating the roles of Mere in the Gateway Theatre Guild’s production of Kristen Shepherd’s play Hope Op in 2013, and Gillian in Joshua Bainbridge’s play Paper Dolls, or the Way to the Way Up at the 2015 ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival.
Nancy played Rebecca Nurse in the 2019 Sun Dog Festival production of The Crucible, reprised the role of Mere in the 2020 Pat The Dog Theatre Creation live Zoom production of Hope Op, and most recently appeared as the Shaman in the 2020 short film The Valravn.
Nick Babin is a York University student going into the Devised Theatre stream. In 2019 he got the privilege and pleasure of working as an intern for the ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival where he and the other interns put on Cold Storage. That same year he also had the privilege of performing in House in Virginia. He cannot wait to return to the stage, and hopes you all enjoy the monologue festival.
Rob McCubbin has worked as an Actor on Stage, in Television, and in Film. He has loved treading the boards, since first playing Shepherd # 3 in his Grade 1 Christmas play. He has been a High School Drama Teacher/Director for over 25 years, and is now the Agent/Manager for The Nexus Talent Group.
Robert Leitner is a Jewish American/Canadian actor currently attending York University’s Acting Conservatory. Robert has acted with many local companies such as Dreamcoat Fantasy Theatre, Mustard Seed Productions, Bird on Stage Productions, Gateway Theatre Guild, and Paper Bag Productions. He has been heavily involved in theatre since he moved to North Bay in 2014, directing and performing in numerous plays. Robert has been involved in the ON THE EDGE Fringe festival prior, having performed in Garrett M. Ryan’s award winning shows, Now You’re Acting! and Pigeon!. Both Now You’re Acting! and Pigeon! won the Audience Choice award, with Pigeon! also winning the Adjudicators award. More Recently, Robert has acted in Braden Henderson’s Pigeon Play which was performed at the 2020 PlayGround Festival at York University. Robert is super excited to perform in this Monologue Series, and can’t wait to watch everyone else’s pieces! Happy Fringing!
Rod Carley is the Artistic Director of the Acting for Stage and Screen Program for Canadore College. He recently directed All in the Timing for Theatre Canadore. His latest novel, KINMOUNT, was one of ten books long-listed for the 2021 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medallion for Humour. For the ON THE EDGE Fringe, Rod directed Maureen Cassidy in her one-person show Eighteen Degrees (2016 Best of Fringe), acted in Josh Bainbridge’s Poison Ground, has done readings from his writing, and served on the fringe jury. Film/television acting credits include 3 seasons on Hard Rock Medical (TVO), Cardinal (CTV), Carter (Sony Pictures), Joseph and Mary, Frat Pack, A Dark Truth, Algonquin, The Savage Tales of Summer Vale and Harold and Lorna. Stage acting highlights include Mr. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life (Trinity Arts – 2019), Agent Marshall/Mr. Fly in Barefoot on the Moon (Proscenium Club – 2019), Deputy Governor Danforth in The Crucible (Sun Dog Theatre Festival – 2019), Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (Watershed Shakespeare Festival – 2017), Renfield in Dracula (GTG), Ricky Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross (Outstanding Ensemble Acting – 2014 Theatre Ontario Festival), Pablo Picasso in A Picasso (Word Toast Transport), Owen Musser in The Foreigner (GTG), Harry Cooper in Night of the Living Dead and Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers (J2 Productions), and Pozzo in Waiting for Godot (2011 Theatre Ontario Festival Winner). Rod has directed over 125 productions to date, both nationally and internationally, ranging from the classics to the development of new Canadian work.
Scott Marleau is a Comedian, Storyteller, and Actor hailing from North Bay. He’s recently been working on film sets in the AD department as well as script supervision. He now lives in Toronto and is not sure why anymore. He’s a bedroom DJ, and is currently the artist in residence at his apartment, near where the couch is.
Shawna Edward began her career as an Actor and has since been working in the film industry as a sought after Script Supervisor, based in Toronto. She also spends her time as a Podcaster (The R.I.P. Podcast), Comedian and Amateur Paranormal Investigator. She likes to tell stories and make scary movies, and she feels very lucky to have been able to build a career out of her two passions.
Stephanie Kast originally from Dorchester ON moved to North Bay to work in the arts. She’s appeared in Dracula in North Bay, and I Live with Him Every Day: The Tragedy of David and Dave, as Alex in both the Canadore College production and The Proscenium Club’s tour in 2016. In 2017 she appeared as Balthazar in Romeo and Juliet. She directed her original script The Bonds That Hold Us in the 2017 ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival and played Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. In the Proscenium Club’s 2017/2018 tour she appeared as Joan Marshall in The Life and Death of John the Milkman. At the 2018 ON THE EDGE Fringe Festival she directed One Man, All Woman as well as The Cavewoman. Stephanie played Mercy Lewis in the Sun Dog Theatre Festival production of The Crucible. She then played Beth in Sit, James in the 2018/2019 Proscenium Club tour. Stephanie wrote and directed Artemisia in 2019 at ON THE EDGE Fringe, and appeared as Teresa in 2019/2020 Proscenium Club’s production of Barefoot on the Moon.