THE TEAM
Dan Bray
artistic director
Dan Bray (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist living in Antigonish. As artistic director of The Villains Theatre, he has written, directed, and adapted many shows (including International Waters, Shakespeare's Time Machine, Hänsel und Gretel in: der Garten von Edible Horrors, Observatory Mansions, and Zomblet). He is a 9-time Merritt Award nominee, the 2022 Merritt Award winner for "Outstanding Adaptation by a Nova Scotia Playwright" (Hänsel und Gretel), and a 2023 East Coast Music Award nominee for "Children's Entertainer of the Year" (Dinostories).
Dan has had the good luck of working with many of Nova Scotia's finest theatre companies - as a playwright, director, actor, and dramaturge - including Two Planks & a Passion Theatre, Shakespeare by the Sea, Festival Antigonish, Mulgrave Road Theatre, Workshirt Opera, Eastern Front Theatre, Terra Novella Theatre, Phyllis Rising Productions, Xara Choral Theatre, and Lions Den Theatre.
Dan is the 2023 Merritt Co-Host/Producer, the former Vice Chair for the Halifax Fringe Festival, a two-time attendee of Playwright Atlantic Resource Centre's annual retreat, and a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. He received his MA from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama in 2009.
colleen macisaac
artistic producer
Colleen 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 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 Robert Merritt Award nominee for "Outstanding Projection" (Shakespeare's Time Machine) and “Outstanding Ensemble” (Hänsel und Gretel, 2022), Colleen is also the winner of the Halifax Mayor’s Award for Emerging Theatre Artist, The Joseph Buoys Memorial Scholarship, the Bhayana Foundation Invisible Champion Award, and the Helen Hill Animated Award.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Chair:
Lara Lewis
Vice Chair:
Tessa Pekeles
Treasurer:
Hélène Deval
Secretary:
Marie Raynard
Outreach Officer:
Danielle Toner
Members at Large:
Keith Morrison, Kirsten Luella Bruce, and Madeleine Tench
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.
Awards & Accolades
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