I was born in Saint John. My mother twice won trophies as NB’s actress of the year and I’ve been trying to keep up ever since. At 14, I saw my sister Paula play the lead in Our Town, and she was so good she made everyone cry. Could lightning strike three times? When I was 15, Betty Hogan cast me in my first show at St. Malachy’s High and I was hooked. I was mentored at Theatre St. Thomas by Ted Daigle, and the gifted Ilkay Silk who has given a generation of theatre artists more than she will ever know. Oh, and I managed to get an English degree between rehearsals. I also sang in cafés throughout my university years with two of the finest singers this province has produced, Marianne Beckwith and Christy Hughes.
I was “discovered” at the NB Drama Festival when the adjudicator from New York hired me for a series of roles including Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the national tour of Cyrano de Bergerac with Gordon Pinsent. Then, former TNB artistic director Malcolm Black offered me a role in Toronto, and I have made that my home for 25 years. I have performed professionally from St. John’s to Victoria, including six years at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival where I won a Guthrie Award acting alongside Christopher Plummer. In 2000, I was chosen by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus for the Los Angeles production of Mamma Mia. I worked in the U.S. for most of the last decade including the Broadway workshop of Ragtime with Joel Grey. In 2005 I returned to Canada to play Treebeard in Lord of the Rings, the most expensive stage production ever produced at that time. I also just completed a year playing genius record producer Bob Crewe in Jersey Boys.
Jason Chesworth Malcolm Bricklin
As a musician, Jason Chesworth has most recently been seen with The Pocket Co., a Toronto-based roots/rock band featuring the legendary Don Francks. Acting credits include: the 2010 world premiere of The Bricklin: An Automotive Fantasy (The Fredericton Playhouse/Theatre New Brunswick), 5 seasons with the Shaw Festival (Peter Pan, Lord of the Flies), Red Fightin' Blue (Talk is Free), Noah’s Great Rainbow (Al Green Theatre), The Shape of Things (MTC), and Jasper Station (Victoria Playhouse).
Tania Breen Michelle
Fredericton performer Tania Breen has been wowing Maritime audiences for the past several years as both a vocalist and a performer. She is a professional actor, singer, director and educator. Known for her versatility, Tania has explored musical theatre, jazz, funk, roots, and reggae, and has been a part of many collaborations, including recordings with Hot Toddy, Isaac and Blewett, and David Myles. She is currently teaching acting and voice as director of Theatre New Brunswick’s Theatre School, and performs regularly with Fredericton Reggae project, Dub Antenna. An original cast member of the 2010 world premiere of The Bricklin: An Automotive Fantasy, Breen wowed audiences as Michelle, and reprises her role as the small town girl with big city dreams…
Kevin Dennis Turnbull, Cormier, various
Kevin is thrilled to be joining the cast of The Bricklin and to make his Theatre New Brunswick debut. Recent theatre credits include: Assassins (Birdland/Talk Is Free); A Year With Frog and Toad (YPT); Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (Neptune Theatre) and Touchstone in As You Like It (Citadel Theatre). Other theatre credits include: Snow White & The Group Of Seven (Ross Petty Productions); Hair, The Beard Of Avon (Canadian Stage Company); Gypsy, Happy End, Floyd Collins, Three Men On A Horse, Widowers’ Houses (Shaw Festival) and Forever Plaid (Charlottetown Festival). Film/Television credits include: Flashpoint (CTV/CBS); Murdoch Mysteries (CITY-TV); A Christmas Visitor (Hallmark Channel); Queer As Folk (Showcase) and Emily Of New Moon (CBC). Animation credits include: Goldbug on CBC’s Busytown Mysteries; Redakai (Cartoon Network) and Super Why! (CBC). Kevin sends love to his family and friends and as always to his darling wifey, Adrienne.
Cameron MacDuffee Gerrard
Cam returns to New Brunswick this year after having originated the role of Gerrard in the 2010 world premiere of The Bricklin: An Automotive Fantasy. He also created the role of Max in the world premiere of Beyond Eden (Vancouver Playhouse/ Theatre Calgary) that ran as part of the Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver. Most recently he played Frank in The Rocky Horror Show at Theatre Aquarius. Cam has performed in theatre all across Canada, including four seasons at the Shaw Festival, but never had the pleasure of working in New Brunswick, until now. Cam is also a member of the band The Done Me Wrongs that just released their second album, and is married to another one of its members, his true love, Karen.
