Randy Leslie - Artistic Director/Dramaturge/Instructor

Randy's passion for the performing and visual arts is showcased by his work in the Ottawa, Toronto and Kelowna communities as an accomplished professional actor, respected director, dedicated producer and valued teacher. Randy brings with him a wealth of knowledge in arts management and marketing having worked in various capacities with non-profit and commercial venues within Canada.   An annual award has been named in his honour to recognize outstanding arts achievement to a member of Scarborough Music Theatre located in Scarborough, Ontario. He is recipient of Civic Honour in the Arts Award and the Okanagan Angel Award for Leadership in the Arts as well as several other honours.

Randy brings with him a wealth of experience with well over 70 productions under his belt. He has directed everything from Oklahoma to Sweeney Todd, Shakespeare to Opera and contemporary drama/comedy.  

 

He has worked as an adjudicator for the prestigious Dora Mavor Moore Awards, the Meadowvale Music Theatre Awards and the KAS One Act Festival.  He served as Director for the Toronto Children's Chorus with a company of over 180 children, Artistic Director for City Centre Theatre Productions and as a drama instructor for the Toronto School District.  Randy has alone taught over 1000 individuals in the past few years.

Randy has an incredible rapport working with both children and adults and is known for getting people to perform to their highest level.  He is the central force behind the implementation of our creative and challenging drama and music programs for all ages including the performance troupe classes presenting such shows as High School Musical and Hairspray. Randy specializes in acting, musical theatre, improv, voice, mask work, script writing, scene study, choreography and directing.

 

In Kelowna he has directed such productions as ‘Annie’, the amazingly popular ‘Laramie Project’ , “Joseph….’ , ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘The Sound of Music’, Shakespeare's 'Merry Wives of Windsor', and 'Oklahoma' just to name a few.

Vivian Hughes - Theatre Instructor

Since arriving in Kelowna from Vancouver where she worked as a professional actor, Vivian has been actively involved theatrically as a performer, director, choreographer and instructor. Her directing credits include Romeo and Juliet, Guys and Dolls and The Odd Couple. She performed the roles of The Wicked Witch in "The Wizard of Oz", Golde in "Fiddler on the Roof", Miss Hannigan in "Annie", Mrs. Van Daan in "The Diary of Anne Frank" and Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma" and the lead role in “Hello Dolly”. Her greatest pleasure is performing onstage with her students and former students.

Margaret Gobie - Theatre Instructor

Margaret has a BFA in Acting from the University of Alberta.  She has worked as an actor and director in Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto.  She also co-founded the theatre company, Glass Hammer Productions in Toronto.  With Glass Hammer she directed "Romeo and Rosaline" - which enjoyed a few remounts - and site specific productions of "Canterbury Tales" and "The Revenger's Tragedy".  Other directing credits include plays for the The Alumnae Theatre, Tarragon Theatre's Spring Arts Fair, the Toronto Fringe Theatre Festival and Toronto's Summerworks Theatre Festival.  She also directed the New York Fringe Production of "Que Sera" with Thorbolt Productions.  

Since moving to Kelowna she directed "Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet" and "I Hate Hamlet" with Theatre Kelowna Society.  Last season she directed "Munsch Ado About Nothing" for Bumbershoot Theatre and this season it is "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". 

Margaret has extensive experience working with new plays and young actors.

Tracy Ross - Theatre Instructor

Tracy Ross is to Bumbershoot Children's Theatre what Hot Fudge is to a sundae, absolutely necessary.  Founder and Artistic Director of Kelowna's only Children's Theatre, Tracy shares her passion for the arts and its power to liberate the spirits and minds of people of all ages.  An award winning actor and director, Tracy also writes and produces original work.  As a teacher she has worked with all ages.  Tracy has also worked as a choreographer for several different theatre companies in and out of Kelowna.   

Mark Reinelt - Improv Instructor

Mark started doing Improvisational Theatre nearly a decade ago. Specializing in short form game based and open scene Improv he has performed all over the province, from Lumby to Victoria. He has worked with improvisors from the Vancouver Theatre Sports League, The Groundlings and Second City. He has performed in over 150 shows for audiences numbering 10 to 250 and has also performed on television and radio.

Mark has taught Improv at Aberdeen Hall Prep School and has facilitated Improv Camps at The Actors Studio for the past three summers. His love of comedy and the go any-where style of Improv fits his personality perfectly. Mark feels that making the audience laugh is great, but if he can make his fellow actors laugh, then he has really done something special.