By Vern Thiessen

Theatre by the Bay

November 2023

If you would have told 20 year old Iain that he would be directing the world premiere of a new play by Vern Thiessen based upon an idea he had, I think his little theatre nerd brain would have exploded.

I have been a fan of Vern’s work since I saw Shakespeare’s Will at the Stratford Festival. At the time I remember thinking “a one woman show about Shakespeare’s wife? How good could this possibly be?” only for it to be my favourite show of that season (and I saw a fair few) and launched a passion for Vern’s writing.

Working with Vern and Dramaturg Colleen Murphy was such a delight. Speaking with Vern for even a few minutes reveals his passion and voracity with the craft of writing plays. He was so receptive to feedback, so open to collaboration, and gifted this incredibly well-written piece about the desperate lengths the poor can be driven to when crushed under to wheels of capitalism.

And I mean, the ACTORS, the DESIGNERS, the whole team like…goodness. Everyone was absolute rockstars. They bought into the piece entirely and it shows. You could see and feel the heart of it in every detail. It was an absolute dream. And I think it features some of my favourite production photography ever. Like, wow.

A true highlight.

The Cast

Joe: Isaiah Kolundzic*

FF: Nathan Howe*

Rennie: Tom Keat

The Crew

Associate Producer: Sabrina Merks

Production Manager: Rochelle Reynolds

Set Designer: Joe Pagnan

Lighting Designer: Logan Cracknell

Costume Designer: Madeline Ius

Props Master: Brenda Thompson

Composer and Sound Designer: Mathew Magneson

Set Builder: Diane Frederick

Scenic Painting: Rosalind Naccarato

Stage Manger: Khaleel Gandhi*

Assistant Stage Manager: Lesley Coo*

Production Photographer: Noah Hollinshead

* The participation of these Artists are arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance•Opera•Theatre Policy.

By Burke Campbell

Theatre by the Bay

August 2022

This production was a big one for me. It was my first time directing a farce, my first time directing at the Five Points Theatre, my first time directing a touring show, and directing a script that I had a big hand in the development of for more than two years.

Burke Campbell is quite the playwright. I remember being introduced to his work many years ago and I was impressed with the way he handled racy (sometimes outright explicit) themes/scenarios, while also writing compelling female characters, with the vocabulary of an unhinged Oscar Wilde. In fact, I have read approximately 20 of his plays and I have always been impressed with Burke’s desire to tell stories that were daring, unique, and had a strong commercial edge.

Performances ran in Collingwood for a week and then moved to Barrie. It was fascinating to see what comedy didn’t land in Collingwood but did in Barrie. There were definitely some times where I had to say to the cast “trust me, it will work in Barrie”. Of course, I was right.

An important element with this project was that there were many people on my team that were absolutely amazing. Despite all the special kind of chaos we went through to make this show happen, they were continually solid. I am truly grateful to them (and they know who they are).

The Cast

Lynn Weintraub* - Augusta Peacock

Elana Post* - Doris Lester

Jonathon LeRose* - Biff Worthington

The Crew

Production Manager: Santana Hamilton

Technical Director: Julia Beaulieu (JB)

Lighting Designer: Za Hughes

Props Master: Brenda Thompson

Composer and Sound Designer: Joshua Doerksen

Costume Designer: Sandra Roberts

Stage Manger: Khaleel Gandhi*

Assistant Stage Manager: Lesley Coo*

* The participation of these Artists are arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance•Opera•Theatre Policy.

Compiled by Iain Moggach and the cast

Drawn from Shakespeare

Burro’d Theatre

August 2021

so·lus /ˈsōləs/ - alone or unaccompanied (used especially as a stage direction).

After taking the year off in 2020, Marissa and I knew we wanted to do something with Burro’d in 2021. After much brainstorming, the concept of a show that was a mosaic of different pieces from across Shakespeare’s canon - filmed in social bubbles - was very exciting.

We approached the actors intended for our production of Merry Wives and asked them what piece or play they had always wanted to do. Considerations like gender, age, etc. did not apply. Some had ideas, others did not. For those who didn’t, we worked with them to find a piece that we felt would be a good fit, and provide a nice range for the audience.

Rehearsals were conducted over Zoom and in person when possible. As a director, Solus gave me the chance to work with material from 10 different Shakespeare plays and attempt to capture/expand some core element of the piece so that the audience would understand what was going on without any context.

In addition, we wanted to make sure the show captured Burro’d signature style, and utilize only the backyard where its shows take place.

We then brought in Noah Hollinshead and Dustin Lawson to work with us on the videography. They were extremely collaborative and worked closely with me to ensure each piece stood on its own, but also contributed to a dynamic and engaging structure. It also was my first foray into film direction and I learnt a LOT through the process. Having such a flexible, supportive team meant the world and I was delighted by the results.

The Cast

Richard II (Richard II): Iain Moggach

Sebastian (Twelfth Night): Keelan Ballantyne

Olivia (Twelfth Night): Taylor Nicoloff

Autolycus (The Winter’s Tale): Heather Dennis

The Clown (The Winter’s Tale): Richard Varty

Cassius (Julius Caesar): Marissa Caldwell

Brutus (Julius Caesar): Iain Moggach

Phoebe (As You Like It): Taylor Nicoloff

Gloucester (Henry VI, 3): Stephen Dobby

King Lear (King Lear): Nancy Chapple Smokler

Shylock (The Merchant of Venice): Jim Jenkinson

Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing): Kristen Keller

Romeo (Romeo and Juliet): Robert Knapp

Juliet (Romeo and Juliet): Charlene Knapp

The Crew

Producers: Iain Moggach and Marissa Caldwell

Videography and editing: Noah Hollinshead

Film and audio support: Dustin Lawson

Poster Design: Iain Moggach

By Emily Adams, Mary Barnes, Rhiannon Hoover, Trudee Romanek, and Rochelle Reynolds

Based on a concept by Michael Whyte

Theatre by the Bay in partnership with Tourism Barrie

Summer of 2021

Winner of the ‘Creative Collaboration Award’ at the Mayor’s Innovation Awards for TBTB’s partnership with Tourism Barrie.

This project will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was the first collectively-created piece I have led since, well, high school. It also had the most moving parts of any project I have worked on thanks to its combination of theatre, film, augmented reality, and a walking tour.

The idea for The Ghost Watchers actually came to me from Michael Whyte back in February of 2020 - before the pandemic happened. When TBTB’s 2020 season was cancelled, and the future was looking increasingly uncertain, the concept of a show that blended augmented reality (AR) with live theatre came back to mind. It was scalable, covid-protectant for audiences and artists alike, and a really exciting project in-and-of itself.

Around July of 2020, the Board approved what would be called The Ghost Watchers as part of a revamped 2021 season. I quickly assembled a team of writers from various walks of life and levels of experience and put each of them in charge of selecting and writing monologues for their selected ghosts. The ghosts could be fictional or real, but as long as they were compact pieces that fit within the greater narrative.

In the wake of the summer of 2020, it became clear that our story needed to be centered around how a community can heal. As a group, we decided that the ghosts were stuck here because they had a story to tell (a message to convey) so that Barrie’s next 150 years could be a better, happier, more inclusive place for everyone. Only once the ghosts have shared their story can they ‘pass on’ to the next realm.

After the ghosts had been decided and the theme set, I worked closely with each of the writers to flesh-out and deepen their work, serving as an artist for the writers to bounce ideas off of, but also as a dramaturg.

A few months into our work, we presented an early draft to the Barrie Theatre Lab - Theatre by the Bay’s monthly playwriting get-together. The reaction to the piece was positive, but with lots of questions and considerations that propelled the playwrights into the next phase of their pieces’ realization.

Upon the completion of the script, actors were hired to play each of the ghosts. Rehearsals were conducted over Zoom, and the actors brought their ideas to the pieces to flesh them out further. I was delighted by the quality of performers we had. Even Sarah, by far the youngest of the cast, brought fantastic ideas and considerations to her role.

The next phase was filming. We are fortunate to have a great relationship with Studio House in Barrie - a professional dance studio that was perfect for covid-proof filming. The actors came in, were dressed in costume, and their pieces were captured in front of a green screen.

While all of this was going on, Michael Whyte and I were working closely with Sherpa Marketing, the company we hired to develop the augmented reality for the show. Brian and their team were amazing. From the beginning, they were so collaborative and supportive. There were certainly bumps along the way, as any brand-new initiative is bound to have, but in the end the AR looked great.

After filming was completed, it was the development of the walking tour component. Once again, I had a fantastic team known as the ‘Tracys.’ TBTB hired four summer students (one thanks to Tourism Barrie) to work in rotating shifts as Tracy, the Ghost Hunter who leads the audience, and a City of Barrie representative who served as the ‘interlocutor’ character who had lots of background information to offer before/after each ghostly encounter.

In the spirit of the show, the four actors worked with me to develop the why and the how of the tour, as well as what the arc of the show would be. It was a wonderful process and I was delighted by what they came up with.

Despite a crazy summer in 2021 (including a tornado hitting Barrie), The Ghost Watchers ended up being a critical and popular success.

The Cast

Hector - James Dallas Smith

Mrs. Morrison - Candy Pryce

Alisha - Alinka Angelova

Alice May Cotter - Sarah Warren

Roisin O’Reilly - Breanne Tice

The Woman - Heather Dennis

‘Tracy’ - Claire Allen, Alyssa Bartholomew, Dawn Cain, and Sabrina Merks

The Crew

Producers - Iain Moggach and Michael Whyte

Video editor - Michael Whyte

Costume Designer - Brenda Thompson

Hair and Make-up - Inara Poleshuk

Videography - Greg McFadden

Dramaturg - Mary Harris

Assistant Director and Accessibility Coordinator - Pascale Graveline-Pleau

By Brian Friel

South Simcoe Theatre

March 2019

I first encountered Dancing at Lughnasa when I was 11 years old. I had just finished performing in a production of King John with the Marlowe Society in Cambridge England. Two of my fellow castmates were to play Chrissy and Gerry. I knew nothing about the play when I saw it, but felt a deep connection to it. My dad, Douglas Moggach, had a very similar upbringing to Michael. He grew up in a very tight-knit family with four aunts. From the five women (four aunts and his mom), my dad was the only child. As such, I saw my dad in Michael, and my great-aunts and grandmother in the Mundy sisters. From that performance (now more than 17 years ago), I knew Dancing at Lughnasa was a story I had to tell, and I became a life-long Brian Friel fan.

The cast

Michael Evans: Tadgh O’Connell

Kate Mundy: Trudee Romanek

Maggie Mundy: Nancy Smokler

Rose Mundy: Kristen Keller - ACT-Co Award: Best Lead Actress in a Drama (Finalist)

Agnes Mundy: Danielle Kostrich

Christina Mundy: Marissa Caldwell

Jack Mundy: Jim Jenkinson

Gerry Evans: Gordon Haney - ACT-Co Award: Best Lead Actor in a Drama (Finalist)

The Crew

Producer: Mel Hitch

Stage Manager, Props Master: Lesley Coo

Set Designer: Vera Oleynikova

Costume Designer: Marlene Kell

Lighting Designer: Mark Hayward

Sound Designer: Philip Chase

By William Shakespeare

Produced by Burro’d Theatre

August - September 2018

For some time, my wife, Marissa Caldwell, and I had wanted to do an intimate show inside of our home. When we moved to a place with an enclosed backyard, we knew that this was our opportunity.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the obvious choice. The canopy provided by the old trees above our heads captured the mystical and miraculous feeling that lives in the script.

We have also been fortunate to develop many friendships with amazing artists in Barrie, and we knew right away who would be perfect for which role.

After directing the epic All My Sons and with the deeply personal and moving Dancing At Lughnasa on the horizon, I was keen to tackle this perfect summer comedy. Oh, I also proposed to Marissa at the end of the opening night, so that was pretty special.

The cast

Theseus/Oberon: Craig Mainprize

Hippolyta/Titania/Peter Quince: Olivia Lloyd

Hermia: Heather Dennis

Lysander/Peasblossom/Starveling: Richard Varty

Demetrius/Moth/Snug: Stephen Dobby

Helena: Marissa Caldwell

Bottom: Frank Kewin

Flute/Fairy/Mustardseed: Michael Abernethy

Snout/Egeus/Cobweb: Rob Knapp

Puck: Kristen Keller

The Changeling Boy/Starveling’s Dog: Harley Elisa Caldwell

The crew

Producers: Iain Moggach, Marissa Caldwell

Designer: Marissa Caldwell

Poster Designer: Iain Moggach

By Arthur Miller

Mariposa Art Theatre

February 2018

I was deeply honoured to tackle All My Sons at the beautiful Orillia Opera House.

I have been a long time lover of Miller's work, but, I will admit, All My Sons had escaped my grasp until I was asked to direct it. As soon as I read it, I knew I was given a golden opportunity. It is a rich, dynamic script with great characters.

The themes of All My Sons really spoke to me: moral ambiguity,  the desire to protect one's family at personal expense, the need to shed the illusion of our 'perfect parents' and seeing them as messy, human beings, and, quite topically, anger at the failings of the older generation.

The cast

Joe Keller: Frank Kewin

Kate Keller: Susan Brown

Chris Keller: Stephen Dobby

Ann Deever: Marissa Caldwell

George Deever: Michael Abernethy

Jim Bayliss: Robert Knapp

Sue Bayliss: Sally Holdsworth

Lydia Lubey: Olivia Lloyd

Frank Lubey: Gavin Small

Bert: Lachlan Sharpe

The crew

Producer: John Caryl

Stage Managers: Doug Anderson and Vicki Boucher

Set Design: Alex Kasperowitsch

Set Painting: Alex Kasperowitsch, Linda Gidora

Set Construction: Wayne Lennox, Brian Halbot

Costume Design: Brenda Kasperowitsch, Phyllis Johnson

Hair & Makeup: Andrea Lee-Burnet, Tammy Dore, Marianne Golovchenko

Sound Design: Wayne Noble

Props Master: Susan Canfield

Production Photographer: Michael Beresford

By David French

Old Flame Theatre Company

December 2016

When Landon, Reanne, and I were thinking about what we wanted to do at the Old Flame Brewery, Salt-Water Moon was one that Reanne and I really pushed for. It was something very different from Peter Pan or Romeo and Juliet, but enough of a classic that some people would know it, and beautiful enough that the people unfamiliar with it would go crazy for it. Plus, after months at Shaw playing a footman, Landon was in need of a part he could really sink his teeth into.

The tricky thing about Salt-Water Moon is that, though it seems like a simple-enough, romantic two-hander on the surface, it is actually brimming with historical references, a LONG timeline that needs to be followed, and all of it handled with the eloquence and rich story-telling abilities of a Newfoundlander. A note that kept coming up was that this play should feel like a dance between these characters.

A serious koodos to Landon and Reanne on this one. They truly nailed it. Considering that the play rests on the ability of the actors to make us love them so much, be so seduced by their charm, that we LONG for them to be together, for them to work it out, for Jacob to just say the right thing and for Mary to realize what she has in front of her. It is a complicated challenge, and their work was astonishing. We could not help but love them, laugh with them, feel their frustration and anguish, and when Jacob leaves, genuinely wonder if he is coming back.

The cast

Mary Snow: Reanne Spitzer

Jacob Mercer: Landon Doak

By William Shakespeare

Music by Landon Doak

Old Flame Theatre Co.

August 2015

With the end of theatre school beckoning, my dear friend and collaborator Landon Doak approached me with the idea of doing a musical rendition of Romeo and Juliet. He said he had been working on some music, and had a fantastic space in mind: the Old Flame Brewery in Port Perry. Immediately I jumped on it. George Brown, though excellent at what it does, does not give many opportunities to do much outside of acting. Landon and I spent many nights talking it over, ruthlessly cutting the script, day-dreaming, and then finally, we were there.

The week of the show was probably one of the highlights of my adult life. Every day was spent with many of my best friends, and Port Perry in the summer was just awesome. We would wake up midday, explore the town, hang out, the actors would do the show and I would drink, and then we would drink the night away and do it all again. Paradise.

The Old Flame Brewery has also become my favourite place to direct. It is such a beautiful, versatile space. It had this old wagon that we turned into the balcony, and all these barrels around that became our only set. Plus, it worked perfectly for theatre-in-the-round, which is by far my favourite way to direct Shakespeare. Bodies in space with a few props - nothing else.

I also need to give credit to Landon Doak for composing some of the finest music I could have imagined for the show. And, I am not necessarily saying that he is a super-genius or struck the zeitgeist or anything, but since we did that show, other companies have started doing 'Shakespeare done to music'. Just saying.

The cast

Romeo: Landon Doak

Juliet: Reanne Spitzer

Nurse: Annie Tuma

Mercutio: Matthew Finlan

Capulet: Noah Spitzer

Lady Capulet: Jocelyn Adema

Tybalt/Friar Laurence: Jonathan Woolley

Benvolio: Chris Fulton

Paris: Francois Macdonald

(Production Photography by Tom Warwick)

By Itamar Moses

Toronto New Theatre

December 2013

*Cast list below

This production had one of the most unique processes I have had as a director and had a lot of firsts for me:

1 - It was the first time I was asked to join a project

2 - It was my first time I had something I directed presented in Toronto and at Arts Court in Ottawa

3 - It was the first time I had worked with Toronto theatre school graduates

4 - It was the first time I dared to take on a project while at George Brown Theatre School.

Noah had wanted to produce to the play for a while, and decided that he and Ellis 'would just do it'. After a few rehearsals alone, they decided to bring me in to give some outside perspective. They seem to have liked what they heard, and enjoyed working with me, because I ended up coming on board as the director. It was a script I had read a few times before, inspired by Noah's enthusiasm for it. Working on it with Ellis and Noah made me completely love it, and, in the end, we built a show I was very proud of, and I know they were too. 

"A must see production that fully entertains and captivates."

- Sandy Hill Seen

The cast

Benjamin: Ellis Rockburn

David: Noah Spitzer

By David Mamet

Red. Collective Theatre Company

August 2012

Oleanna was a dream project for me. I think every young director, at some point, wants to take it on. It is such a raw, unfiltered play that is certain to stir up a bit of controversy around the 'he's right/she's right' problem. 

I mourn the fact that there are no production photos out there (and trust me, I have looked), because many people noted the staging as one of the best aspects of the production. CLUB SAW, where it was produced, is a tiny, unforgiving rectangle with very few staging options. Really, much more of a concert or video space than anything else. What I did was I split the audience in two halves facing each other, which eliminated the horrible sight-line issue, and gave the ability to see the other side of the audience react to what was happening. I was gleeful during those critical final moments as I watched all the different reactions of the audience. It also subconsciously made us 'pick a side' since we saw one actor's face far more than the others, due to so much of the story happening around a desk.

I had a great cast who worked very hard on this. Jonah Lerner's performance, in particular, blossomed over the course of the run. Lara was exceptional from the beginning and when these two threw down, it was like a boxing match. Aka: a director's dream.

"...the interaction between the two actors was quite powerful.  Director Iain Moggach obviously has talent and we hope to see more of his work in the near future."

- Alvina Ruprect (Capital Critics Circle)

The cast

John: Jonah Lerner

Carol: Lara Abramsen

The crew

Producer: Emma Hooper Brooks

Stage Manager: Virginia Woodall

Lighting Design: Fraser MacKinnon

By Kenneth Lonergan

Sock 'N' Buskin Theatre Company

November - December 2012

After a few year's hiatus from directing, I was back in full force with a play that left me shaking once I had finished reading it. Lonergan was able to capture so much of what I was feeling at the time: anchor-less, questioning friendships I had long held dear, the roller coasters of young love, the benefits vs. mental cost of drugs, etc. etc. etc.

I was also blessed to have an exceptional cast of young people all from Carleton University, where the production was presented. Now, all Sock 'N' Buskin productions have full casts of Carleton students, so I like to think that I left a positive legacy there.

"The tone of the script is repulsive. Therefore, it is a relief that the performances in the Sock ‘n’ Buskin production, directed by Iain Moggach, are so good."  

- Iris Winston (Capital Critics Circle)

The cast

Warren Straub: Luke Bradley

Dennis Ziegler: Geoff Burnside 

Jessica Goldman: Emma Bromley

The crew

Stage Manager: Terran Veda

Sock 'N' Buskin Board (who did SO much work): Michelle Blanchard, Marissa Caldwell, Virginia Woodall, Beverley Hinterhoeller