Program

Judy Reynolds

(she / her)

Judy received her BA in Theatre from York University where she studied playwrighting under Carol Bolt. After this, she was selected for the Soulpepper Training Company with a focus on acting for classical theatre.

As an arts professional, Judy has acted, danced, choreographed and written for theatre, television and film. She has performed in English, French and American Sign Language (ASL). Judy founded a dance academy and served as Artistic Director for two performing arts companies. One of Judy’s greatest honours as a performer was belly dancing for Canada’s last WWI veteran.

A lifelong meditator, Judy became one of Deepak Chopra’s certified meditation instructors. She has taught everywhere from suburban living rooms to federal penitentiaries. Judy also developed a unique children’s meditation program for the Toronto District School Board. In addition to The Bee’s Knees, Judy is working on Pilgrimage, a sci-fi novel that takes place in 2134.

Judy is the proud Mom of two amazing daughters. She lives in Toronto with her husband Dave, their blended family and Cleo the border collie.

Françoise Balthazar*

(she / her)

Yvonne / Miss Madge / Frances McKay

Most recently, Françoise reprised her role as the notorious Lucrezia Borgia in Bella Donna at the Tarragon Theatre, a role she originated in the original version of David Copelin’s award-winning play. Previous to this, she played the role of Felicity in the acclaimed Colleen Wagner genocide play The Living at the Theatre Centre and the classic David Mamet role of Dave Moss in an all-female production of Glengarry Glen Ross at the Red Sandcastle Theatre.

Other notable highlights include the lead role of Alcandre in The Illusion (Stratford Festival); Cassius in Julius Caeser (Red Sandcastle Theatre); The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet (Minack Theatre, England); La Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons (Alumnae Theatre) and the title role of Richard III in an all-female production of the play. (George Ignatieff Theatre).

Rachel Nkoto Belinga

(she /her)

Kitty / Tillie

Rachel Nkoto is a French multidisciplinary performer with expertise in theater, film, and music. Trained at Art’aire Studio in Paris and the Second City Toronto Conservatory. She grew up surrounded by music and has a background as a gospel singer, having performed across France. As founding member of the Low Bar Comedy Troupe, she has been featured in productions like How Low Can We Go?. Rachel is also a dedicated advocate for gender equality.

Jason De Angelis

(he / him)

Lad / Photographer

Jason joins the behind-the-scenes team of The Bee’s Knees as the Production Manager.

With a professional background in business management and an amateur background in musical theatre, Jason is a bridge between the creative and technical development of the show. Working on both sides of creative projects has given him a unique skillset.

A lover of music, Jason plays flute, guitar and piano. He is excited to support the actors and contribute to the artistic vision of the show.

Jason was corralled into playing as one of the Lads and Photographer.

Kenzie Delo*

(he / him)

Dr. Edwin Becker

Kenzie is a Nova Scotian actor, singer, and writer who has worked in theatre, film, television, and voiceover. Kenzie has, among other roles, played Pozzo in Waiting for Godot and Jorgen Tesman in Hedda Gabler (Atlantic Repertory Company), Mister Darcy in both Miss Bennet & The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (Theatre New Brunswick), and he has performed as far away as the Werkstatt Theatre in Konstanz, Germany and the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France.

A graduate of both the National Theatre School of Canada and the Fountain School of Performing Arts, Kenzie also has a strong passion for collaborating on new work development as an actor and writer. He can currently be seen on television as Constable Tucker in CBC / UKTV's Murdoch Mysteries.

Madeline Elliott Kennedy

(she / her)

Bernie McKay

Madeline Elliott Kennedy is a Niagara made, Toronto-based artist with focused training in Suzuki, Viewpoints and site specific devising. Madeline is so honoured to be a part of The Bee's Knees history from its very first read through. She finds deep honour in this craft because it means portraying another human's story, and this time one that is so very topical.

She enjoys riddles, critter friendships and eating kimchi right out of the jar. Previous works include Wren in 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche (Unit 6 Collective), Slalo in SAMCA (Spindle Collective / Riot King Art Market) and Little Stone in Eurydice (Pazzo Theatre Collective).

Brandon Knox*

(he / him)

Drew Chapman / Debate Moderator / Swimsuit Bylaw Officer / Denny

Brandon Knox was born and raised in Scarborough, ON.

Selected theatre credits: Stinky Cheese Man, Princess and The Pea and Cinderella (TYT Theatre) The Cage & The Laughter (Minmar Gaslight Productions), The Inch of your Life Trilogy (The Theatre Circuit), Coriolanus & Moral Deficit (Skipping Stones Theatre), She Kills Monsters (Orphaned Egret Productions), The Winter’s Tale (Dauntless City Theatre), Guerrilla Ruffians (Shakespeare in the Ruff) and As You Like It (Rarely Pure Theatre).

Selected Film/TV credits: Scary Stories to tell in Dark (Lionsgate), Don’t Mess With Grandma (Tubi), Murdoch Mysteries (CBC) and Fellow Travelers (Showtime).

Shannon Pitre

(she / her)

Dolores Cole

Shannon is an interdisciplinary actor / creator and a graduate of the University of Windsor's BFA in Acting Program (2019). Her passions include new play development, devised and contact-based theatre, reimagining of classical works, and arts education.

Recent works include: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) (Again) (Theatre on the Ridge), Presenter in Migraaaants (Two Thousand Feet Up Theatre Company), and Procne in If We Were Birds (Alumnae).

Shannon is forever inspired by the vast amount of talent, curiosity, and love found within her creative circles. She is grateful to be creating community and inciting important conversations with such wonderful and inspired artists in this project.

Michael Pollard*

(he / him)

Jerry Fields

Michael has written, directed, performed and even stage-managed plays across Canada for over 30 years. Jazz and theatre are two of his passions and when writer-director Judy Reynolds came a calling he couldn't say yes fast enough.

Last summer Michael performed in The Real McCoy at The Blyth Festival. Most recent TV and film include: Murdoch Mysteries as Dirk Datchery in the What the Dickens episode, and the short film he wrote and starred in Danny May which won multiple awards on the world wide festival circuit.

Jamillah Ross*

(she / her)

Rita Blue

Past credits include: Stage: Reagan Bibeau in Les Belles Soeurs, Mattie in Wedding Band and First Watchman / Attendant in Much Ado About Nothing (Stratford Festival), Cinnamon in Rumspringa Break (NextStage), The Sour Kangaroo in Seussical (Lorraine Kimsa Theatre).

Film / TV: Gladys Kravitz in CHUCKY, Agent Orange in Slumberland, Ida Clark in Murdoch Mysteries, and many characters in Baroness Von Sketch. Jamillah lives with the sweetest cat in the world, can juggle three small objects and is an alum of The Second City Toronto MainStage.

Birgitte Solem*

(she / her)

Aunt Virginia

Birgitte began her professional acting career as a teenager at The National Arts Centre in her hometown of Ottawa and after studying theatre in both Canada and the U.K., co-founded Hope and Hell Theatre Co. touring fringe festivals across the country.

She has performed at Odyssey Theatre, Magnus Theatre, The Great Canadian Theatre Co., Theatre Passe Muraille and more. She has spent several seasons over the last twenty years at The Blyth Festival, including performing and co-creating The Pigeon King and as a playwright, debuting her first full length mystery Resort to Murder, top seller of the 50th anniversary season. She also starred in the Toronto premiere of Ayad Akbar’s Disgraced which was performed twice as part of the Off-Mirvish season and toured to The Citadel Theatre.

With over 30 film and television credits, Birgitte was a series regular on Malory Towers for CBBC, appeared in the recent TIFF award winning short Motherland and for two years was the voice of Volvo Canada.

Marlo Surkis

(she / her)

Lad / Reporter

Marlo is thrilled to make her debut in this production! She is a passionate lover of musical theatre and brings with her a background in local children’s theatre productions, including Inside Out, Legally Blonde, and Grease, she is excited to share this journey with the cast and audience.

ELIZABETH ACKER

(she / her)

Pianist

Elizabeth Acker earned a BFA from York University. Adept in classical, contemporary, jazz and musical theatre, Elizabeth enjoys a varied career as accompanist, chamber musician, orchestral pianist, teacher, adjudicator and coach.

Credits include: Phantom of the Opera, Asst. MD for Broadway cast of Those Were the Days, the Niagara Symphony, Esprit Orchestra, collaborative pianist for VOCA choir, pianist for Solidaridad Tango Orquesta, recording for film, TV and radio. Is a coach for music students in all genres and is an adjudicator for the Sudbury Music Festival.

Liz coaches at the Vermont Music and Arts Centre and the performing chamber music repertoire with the Green Mountain Trio. She is the pianist for The Accolade Trio composed of faculty from York University’s Music Department.

Currently, Liz teaches privately and has also taught yoga and tai chi, bringing those disciplines into her teaching.

Paul & Matthew Gyulay

Set Design

Paul and Matthew Gyulay have been devising sets and props for numerous productions for the past 10 years. Having worked on productions of The Addams Family, Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music and Oklahoma, amongst many others, they are grateful and delighted to lend their talents to this, the premiere of The Bees Knees. As always they would like to thank their family and friends for all their continued support.

FLORIAN MONTAGUE

(they / them)

Assistant Director / Stage Manager

Florian is a multidisciplinary artist who enjoys participating in all aspects of theatre, both on and off stage. They participated in multiple theatrical college productions as an actor, a singer, a stage manager and assistant director.

They most recently contributed to TYTs ‘Peter Rabbit’ as a creative consultant. In their downtime, they enjoy writing, playing piano, painting and reading fantasy novels.

Arianna Lilith Moodie

(she / her)

Head of Wardrobe

Arianna Lilith Moodie is a Costume and Fashion Designer based in Toronto after finishing her degree in Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

Her theatre work includes Assistant Costume Designer on One Man, Two Guvnors and The House That Will Not Stand (Shaw Festival, 2024), Costume Designing Art of Ideas: Baldwin v Buckley (Shaw Festival, 2024) and the newest installment of Esie Mensah’s dance project ZAYO (Dance Immersion, 2024). She also works in film and television having Costume Designed Music Videos for the band Housewife including Life of the Party (2024) and Matilda (Upcoming), the short films Astro and Azrael (2024) and Sam Fam (Upcoming) and has apprenticed in costume on CBC's Run the Burbs.

Outside of Costume Design Arianna enjoys creating art that marry her interest in storytelling, poetry and political activism with her textile background.

MBOYA NICHOLSON

Composer

Mboya Nicholson is a jazz pianist and composer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has written string arrangements for conductor Colin Mendez Morris’s recording projects, and has performed for the Consul General of the Netherlands in Toronto; and internationally, in Japan, Italy and Guadeloupe.

Currently Mboya has a solo piano recording of compositions out, called “Melodic Faces”, released in 2023, and teaches at MacEwan University where he developed a jazz history course that teaches the history of jazz with cultural context as the integral part of the course, taking into account the African American origins as the main perspective of the course, as well as using historical context to show the impact society had on jazz, as well as how jazz affected various eras.

In 2017, Mboya was awarded the Clarence “Big Miller” Award for Music from the National Black Coalition of Canada.

Mboya performs with a quartet and with the Mboya Nicholson Jazz Orchestra (also known as the Shortkestra, because of it's abridged instrumentation). He presently produces and hosts a podcast about jazz called The Jazz Legacy Radio Podcast, and is working on new projects and shows for the online radio station he started, called Jazz Legacy Radio, which returns to the air soon.

Kit Norman

(they / them)

Lightning Designer

Kit is a graduate of the Performance Production program at Toronto Metropolitan University. They work as both a lighting designer and technician for many theatres across Toronto.

As a technician, they have worked in various departments. Their work has mainly brought them to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre; working as their head technician on shows such as Angels in America, White Muscle Daddy, and Speaking of Sneaking.

As a lighting designer, their work has primarily focussed on children’s plays and musicals at TYT; including Thumbelina, The Stinky Cheese Man, Rapunzel, Peter Rabbit, Rainbow Fish, and others. They have also worked on musicals such as Fun Home (Bowtie Productions), and Leap of Faith (Spirit Express).

Jordan Paluck

(she / her)

Sound Designer

Jordan Paluck is a musician, recordist, and mixer. She has dedicated her time into honing her craft, producing high quality audio for her and her clients. From podcasts, to commercials, albums, or live performances, Jordan’s life revolves around sound.

Jensen Pollard

(they / them)

Head of Props and Wardrobe Assistant

Jensen Pollard recently received a BFA with Distinction in the Performance Production Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. While at school they focused on stage management and design. Outside of school, Jensen has worked as set designer, wardrobe assistant and production assistant for stage and film.

Brendan Swanson

(he / him)

Composer

Brendan Swanson is a Juno and Polaris nominated pianist known for his work with YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN. His arrangement and performance work was featured on the Canadian Screen Award Winning film, Through Black Spruce (2018) and Canadian Videogame Award winning SEVERED, both for best Soundtrack.

Currently he is musical director of the Film Soundtrack Tribute band DRAGON SOUNDS, and Video Game Jazz tribute band The Suspicious .exe Files.

Jesse Whiteley

(he / him)

Musician

Jesse Whiteley is a passionate and multi-talented pianist /keyboardist, singer, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Throughout his diverse musical life, Jesse has performed the gamut of musical genres from blues, jazz, swing, boogie woogie, rhythm and blues, to roots, and country.

Born and raised in Toronto, Jesse began working professionally at age 17 with the Toronto All-Star Big Band. Throughout his years with the Big Band, he has worked as both a pianist and conductor and has shared the stage with such luminaries from the blues and jazz world as Clark Terry, Jackie Richardson, Oliver Jones, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, and Doc Severinsen. Jesse conducted the band full-time from 2018 to 2022.

Another one of Jesse's projects is the jazz duo Blue Standard, featuring the vocal stylings of Maple Blues Award winner and acclaimed actor Raoul Bhaneja, accompanied by Jesse on piano. Their debut album A Good Thing was released worldwide in January of 2019.

From 2014 to 2017, Jesse toured and recorded as a member of The 24th Street Wailers, playing across Canada and The United States. He has also recorded and toured throughout Canada, The United States, and Europe with Ottawa’s JW-Jones. He has appeared on recordings with legendary blues musicians Curley Bridges, Little Charlie Baty, Hubert Sumlin, Charlie Musselwhite, dad Chris Whiteley and uncle Ken Whiteley.

Jesse can be seen performing under his own name and accompanying many different artists and groups around the Toronto music scene, and anywhere else the music takes him.