THE TEAM
colleen arcturus macisaac
artistic producer
Colleen Arcturus MacIsaac (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist living in Mi'kma'ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia), working across writing, theatre, drawing, illustration, video, graphic design, animation, comics, and performance.
The artistic producer of The Villains Theatre and the Co-Chair of Theatre Nova Scotia, Colleen's recent performance creations include A Beginner’s Guide to the Night Sky, The Object at Trash Beach, The Embodied Creation Process, the effects were cumulative and i almost didn’t notice, TO: THE UNKNOWN, Shortcuts, mercury, Cartography, The Blazing World, and dark matter. They are a graduate of Emily Carr University (Bachelor of Media Art in Animation) and NSCAD University (Master of Fine Art in Studio Arts (performance)).
A multiple-Robert Merritt Theatre Award nominee, Colleen is also the winner of the Halifax Mayor’s Award for Emerging Theatre Artist, The Joseph Beuys Memorial Scholarship, the Bhayana Foundation Invisible Champion Award, and the Helen Hill Animated Award.
Dan Bray
artistic director
Dan Bray (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist living in beautiful Kjipuktuk (Halifax) and has been fortunate to work with several of Nova Scotia's finest companies and theatre schools - as a playwright, director, educator, actor, dramaturg, and more. As artistic director of The Villains Theatre, he has written, directed, and adapted many shows including International Waters, Zomblet, Knight of the Bat, Hänsel und Gretel in: der Garten von Edible Horrors, and Observatory Mansions. Most recently, his original mystery Deepwater received the national Tom Hendry Drama Award (Playwrights Guild of Canada), the Robert Merritt Award ("Outstanding New Play by a Nova Scotian"), and the Jenny Munday Atlantic Canadian Play First Runner-Up Award. In 2023, he received an East Coast Music Award nomination for Dinostories ("Children's Entertainer of the Year"), and his work has been performed across the maritimes, as well as in British Columbia and Ontario.
Dan sits on the board of the Bus Stop Theatre Cooperative and the Halifax Fringe Festival. He is the ongoing co-producer of the TNS Merritt Awards, and he received his MA from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Chair:
Lara Lewis
Vice Chair:
Tessa Pekeles
Treasurer:
Hélène Deval
Secretary:
Marie Raynard
Outreach Officer:
Danielle Toner
Members at Large:
Sara Graham, Rebecca Currie Morrison, Hope MacPherson, Keith Morrison, Kirsten Luella Bruce, and Mahia Tench
THE NEST
The Villains are proud members of The Nest, an arts hub and shared, affordable office space in Kjipuktuk-Halifax.
For more information on the Nest, or to become a member, click here!
We are fortunate enough to regularly work with Associate Producers through the Canada Summer Jobs program.
Past employees have included Becca Wolfe, Rooks Field-Green, Blossom Mendoza, Ryan Rafuse, Katherine Norris, Oliver Dorais Fleming, Vicky Coo, Anna Shepard, and Mahia Tench.
Tintype Photographs by Correia Photo.
Gottingen Street Photograph by James MacLean.
Nest Photograph by Jessie Walker.
Awards & Accolades
MERRITT AWARD WINNER 2025: Deepwater (Outstanding New Play by a Nova Scotian: Dan Bray; Outstanding Independent Production); Lifespan of a Mattress (Outstanding Emerging Production) Think of the Worst Theatre, produced with support by the Villains Theatre).
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2025: Deepwater (Outstanding Sound Design: Jackson Fairfax-Perry; Outstanding Direction: Burgandy Code with assistant direction by Colleen Arcturus MacIsaac; Performance in a Lead Role: Amy Reitsma; Performance in a Lead Role: Liliona Quarmyne; Outstanding Projection Design: MacKenzie Cornfield
TOM HENDRY DRAMA AWARD 2024: Deepwater (Winner)
JENNY MUNDAY ATLANTIC CANADIAN PLAY AWARD 2024: Deepwater (First Runner Up)
HALIFAX FRINGE AUDIENCE CHOICE WINNER 2024: Knight of the Bat 3 (Winner: Best Costumes, Best Sound Design)
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2024: A Beginner's Guide to the Night Sky (Best New Play by a Nova Scotian: Colleen Arcturus MacIsaac; Outstanding Indie Production; Outstanding Score: Colleen Arcturus MacIsaac; Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role: Genevieve Steele), Rain on the Parade (Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role: Dan Bray, Outstanding Score: Garry Williams, Outstanding Costume Design: Oliver Dorais-Fleming).
HALIFAX FRINGE FESTIVAL WINNER 2023: Knight of the Bat 2 (Winner: Hot Ticket Award)
EAST COAST MUSIC AWARD NOMINEE 2023: Dinostories: 3 Prehistoric Fairy Tales (Children's Entertainer of the Year: The Villains Theatre & Bingley and the Rogues).
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2023: International Waters (Best New Play by a Nova Scotian: Dan Bray), Shakespeare's Time Machine (Outstanding Projection Design: Dan Bray, Colleen MacIsaac & Anna Shepard).
HALIFAX FRINGE FESTIVAL WINNER 2022: Knight of the Bat (Winner: Hot Ticket Award), International Waters (Runner-Up: Audience Choice Award; Winner: Hot Ticket Award).
MERRITT AWARD WINNER 2022: Hänsel und Gretel in: der Garten von Edible Horrors: a Terrible Parable (Outstanding Adaptation by a Nova Scotian Playwright: Dan Bray).
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2022: Hänsel und Gretel in: der Garten von Edible Horrors: a Terrible Parable (Outstanding Ensemble; Outstanding Indie Production; Outstanding Original Score: Ian McFarlane, Dan Bray & Rachel Lloyd), Observatory Mansions (Outstanding Adaptation by a Nova Scotian Playwright: Dan Bray; Outstanding Lighting Design: Vicky Williams).
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2020: Fox (Outstanding Costume Design: Kaelen MacDonald), Zomblet (Outstanding New Script by a Nova Scotian Playwright: Dan Bray).
LOCAL XPRESS' BEST OF 2016: The Spanish Tragedy
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2016: Arden (Outstanding New Script by a Nova Scotian Playwright: Dan Bray), The Duchess of Malfi, (Outstanding Production by an Emerging Company; Outstanding Original Score: Tamsin Michael Robson).
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2014: The Roaring Girl (Outstanding Original Score: Jenny Trites).
MERRITT AWARD NOMINEE 2013: The Jew of Malta (Outstanding Original Score: Garry Williams).
THE COAST'S TOP PLAYS OF 2014: Gallathea "Sometimes a play just makes your heart sing, and this 16th-century script did that for me. It was beautifully staged and filled with memorable, quirky performances. It conveyed a simple but important message: love is love."
THE COAST'S TOP PLAYS OF 2013: The Roaring Girl "An original take on a 17th century comedy with original music and a feminist bent? Yes please!"
THE COAST'S TOP PLAY OF 2012: Kill Shakespeare "This was a unique theatre experience...[an] engaging storyline coupled with an intriguing format"
THE CHRONICLE HERALD'S TOP PLAY OF 2012: Kill Shakespeare