Whether your interest lies in being on stage or working behind the scenes, we can offer you the opportunity to become part of a talented and creative team, producing four shows each year, and having a great time in the process.
Theatre experience is not a requirement of membership, (although it is welcome). We are willing to teach anyone willing to learn; whether it’s swinging a hammer, sewing a button, placing a prop, directing others or acting.
Membership in Markham Little Theatre is open to any individual, sixteen years of age or older.
If you are interested in attending our open auditions, a monthly meeting, or helping with our current production, please call or email one of the people listed on the contact us page. Membership dues of only twenty-five dollars per year are required if you choose to become a member, and membership has its rewards!
MLT at Cedargrove September 1994MLT in Santa Claus Parade 1992 Wind-up Toys
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN AROUND ON STAGE IN THE DARK WITH A MASK ON:
Where Rene slammed into the wall.Closeup of Rene’s face plant.
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS MLT STYLE:
Actor Steve kisses the duck on Canada Day.Stage Manager/Producer Annie golfs despite a broken foot.
Lighting / Set Designer Rene hangs without being tied off!Members Peggy, Rene and Kerry hang from the CN Tower.
MLT Photographer D’Arcy holds an exhibit of photos at our BackStage facility.
Member Bios & Pics ( in no particular order):
John Sellens – John has been involved in community theatre, onstage and off, for over 25 years, and has been a member of MLT since 2004. His recent appearances with MLT include Storm Warning, 7-10 Split, 84 Charing Cross Road, Old Love, and Trying. Other recent credits include The Affections of May, and rehearsed readings in Stouffville. John received an ACT-CO award for Bedtime Stories, a Theatre Ontario “Thea” award in 2007 for his performance in MLT’s Outlaw, and won Best Lighting Design – Comedy for Old Love in 2014.Steve Birtles – Steve is excited to once again have the privilege to grace the stage with MLT. Having started his community theatre interest in 2000, Steve has worked with numerous groups in the area. We are pleased to note that Steve was awarded an ACT-CO award this year for his roll as Mortimer in MLT’s production on Arsenic and Old Lace. Steve would like to take an opportunity to thank the audience members who continue to support MLT as with out you we would not make any scene up on stage.
Terry Browne – Our current president joined MLT thirty-four years ago after seeing how much fun his wife, Michèle, was having. He was named ACT-CO’s Best Actor in a Comedy in 2013 for Mending Fences and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for The Heiress in 2016. His first job with MLT was designing soundscapes for our productions, which he has done many times.Will & Ann Davison – This talented couple has been a mainstay of MLT for more than thirty years. According to Ann, Will is the only one who understands her ideas regarding set and set dressing, so the pair make a good team. They have worked together on other plays including Brighton Beach Memoirs, A Nightingale Sang, and Waiting for the Parade.Kerry Harman – As a member since 1982, Kerry has been heavily involved with MLT both on and off stage as President, Treasurer, Director, and award winning actor. You may remember her favourite roles as Mother Superior in Nunsense and Nunsense II and Shirley Valentine. In February 2014 Kerry directed the award winning Old Love and we last saw her onstage in Markham’s production of Regrets Only in November 2014.
Ray Porrill – You may remember Ray in such Markham productions as Regrets Only, Old Love, The Constant Wife, Out of Sight, Out of Murder or Whose Life Is It, Anyway?. Over the past 22 years Ray has performed in many community and semi-professional theatres around the Durham region.Ross Liversage – Ross has been a stalwart member of MLT for twenty years. He has been involved in many jobs behind the scenes, including set painting, set construction, set design, poster illustration, assistant stage managing, and sound operator. In 2008, he received an ACT-CO Thea award for Best Set Design in a Drama for the Norm Foster play, Outlaw. He finally made his acting debut this past November as Arthur Townsend in MLT’s production of The Heiress.Nicky Marsh – Nicky was delighted to join Markham Little Theatre for the special anniversary production of Charity Begins. This was Nicky’s first non-musical performance having previously played Flotsam in The Little Mermaid (2015), Miss Lark in Mary Poppins (2014) and The Wizard in Once Upon a Mattress (2012).Gloria Thomas – Gloria is thrilled to be returning to MLT after a 10 year hiatus. This is her 15th production as a director over her 30 years with us, though she has also worked backstage on a number of occasions including hair and makeup for many shows. Her many accolades include 4 nominations as Best Director which includes a Thea for Moon Over Buffalo. As well, she received a Theatre Ontario Adjudicator Award for Hair and Makeup for Les Belles Soeurs and a shared Thea for Outstanding Organizational Precision for Noises Off with her stage manager. Among her favourite shows are Stepping Out, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Nunsense I and II, Noises Off and Moon over Buffalo.
Vicki Tompkins – One of MLT’s most experienced stage managers (21 to date), Vicki has been with us for 25 years, working mostly back stage, but has a few ‘memorable’ walk-on parts with no dialogue – “The best kind”, she says. Her work has earned her three Thea nominations and an adjudicator’s award shared with director Gloria Thomas for Noises Off, for ‘Outstanding Organizational Precision’.
Mark Champion Mark has been an irregular to the MLT stage appearing first as Camile in MLT’s 1990 production of A Flea in Her Ear and thereafter disappearing for long stretches. He last reappeared as Leutenant Rooney in MLTs 2017 production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Before he played Max in Bienvenue Au Trout Lake, Alberto in MLT’s award-winning production of The Magic Fire and Michael in MLT’s Opening Night. Mark is happy to have another opportunity to give his acting muscle a brief but needed workout.Sarah McDonald – Sarah is a high school teacher and academic advisor by day, and a Markham Little Theatre enthusiast by night. She joined MLT in 2012, and quickly became addicted to the wonderful people and experiences she found there. She would like to thank the fantastic cast and crew of Jitters for their efforts on stage and behind the curtain, and is grateful to her family and friends for supporting her community theatre obsession. MLT is always on the search for volunteers! If you’d like to get involved, please visit us in the lobby or check out our website at www.markhamlittletheatre.ca.
Michèle Browne –Over the past thirty-six years we have seen Michèle go from playing ingénues to more (ahem) senior roles. In that time she has picked up numerous ACT-CO Theas and Theatre Ontario Festival awards for both acting and directing. A perennial member of MLT’s board, Michèle takes on every challenge both on and off stage with the same enthusiasm and cheerful attitude that she did when she first started with us. A Markham resident for almost forty years, she is an active grandmother of five.Marlene Foran has enjoyed performing for MLT in such plays as Bedroom Farce, Looking, Charity Begins, Regrets Only and The Heiress. She has also been involved in staged play readings of Momologues 2: Off to School, Knickers, 2 Across, Relative Strangers and Albertine in Five Times. She made her directorial debut with All Together Now at the 2016 Durham Minifest and has also directed a staged reading of Salt Water Moon.
René Vriends – René’s last appearance on stage was as a footman in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, under the direction of Gloria. Knowing René only takes non-speaking roles, she asked him to be in the opening sequence of this show. René prefers to take on the many interesting duties there are off stage to creating a theatre production. An exhibit and graphic designer by day, René’s interest was set design, but he soon learned how satisfying it was to actually build, paint and light the thing. René is also always involved in other duties, most notably the poster designs, program layout and advertising art.Valerie Martinez – Valerie has been with MLT for over five years, and is currently serving on the board as Treasurer. She was the Stage Manager for All Together Now, part of last summer’s Durham Mini-Fest and most recently On A First Name Basis. She has also been behind the scenes on most productions, helping out in various positions, as well as being on stage with MLT in The Sunshine Boys and most recently, Doubt: A Parable.
Ali Adatia – Having previously co-directed MLT’s 84, Charing Cross Road in 2014, Ali has made the transition to directing on his own, On A First Name Basis being his “solo” directorial debut. The creative process, decision-making responsibility, and, yes, freedom from memorizing lines have been great fun, but his real joy has been working with the talented, passionate, and dedicated cast and crew. Their enthusiasm and energy have really made this show shine. Past MLT productions Ali has acted in include The Odd Couple (Female Version), Over The River and Through The Woods, Mambo Italiano, The Kitchen Witches, Proof, The Sunshine Boys, Enchanted April, and Moonlight and Magnolias for which he received an ACT-CO Best Leading Actor Thea Award.
Neil A. Marr – Neil is thrilled to be returning to the MLT stage after a four year hiatus. Favourite acting roles from the past include Inspector Rough in Gaslight, Ted in The Foursome, and Roderick in The Ballad of 423 and 424. Neil has also directed several plays and received a Thea for writing the award winning P.S. Uncle Angus, which was named best drama in the 2010-11 ACT-CO season.
TITLE Noises Off * Nine to Five *Tootsie *The Party *The Big Chill *Dirty Dancing Beaches *Arthur *Silence of the Lambs *Pretty Woman *On Golden Pond *The Big Lebowski *Eye In The Sky *Doubt *Crazy Heart *Galaxy Quest *Rush *Night at the Museum *Some Like It Hot *Die Hard *A Knight’s Tale *Wedding Crashers *Jurassic Park *The Lost World (Jur. Park) *The Hunger Games *Elf *Out of Time *Momma Mia (singalong) *Grease (Singalong) *The Matrix * Lord of the Rings trilogy *The Princess Bride *Monty Python’s Search for the Holy Grail *Little Miss Sunshine
