Ottawa Little Theatre Board of Directors
(last updated January 3, 2024)
Geoff Gruson
Past President, Board of Directors
With over 35 years of active volunteering at the OLT in almost every capacity, Geoff was an OLT Cornerstone Project inductee in 2015. He has been involved in well over 90 shows at OLT. In addition to his work as an actor and director, he has served as assistant to the director, fight director, scenic designer, member of the Board of Directors for 17 years, member of the Operations Committee, Chair of the Artistic Committee, and member of the Play Selection Committee. He brings into the community of OLT a wealth of experience from the professional world – both in strategic and HR management, as well as in professional film, TV and stage, and Presidency of ACTRA Ottawa. In the 2006-2007, he received the Audrey Ashley Award from the Capital Critics Circle for ‘outstanding work on community and professional stages and contribution to theatre in Ottawa’.
Albert Lightstone
Interim President
Living literally next door to the OLT, Albert is spending so much time here in a variety of roles that the Theatre feels like an extension of his home… or at a minimum, an additional very large wing. His goal is to apply his 35 years + of private, public and volunteer sector experience for the greater good of the OLT. He has chaired numerous committees resulting in the raising of $1.3 million towards a Creative Learning Centre and organized a year long celebration of the quasquicentennial (125thanniversary) of Ashbury College, as well as the ongoing awarding of annual post secondary education scholarships to deserving youth (BGC Ottawa formerly Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa). He has served as President of the Ashbury College Guild and an Ex Officio member of the Ashbury College Board of Governors. He has been a member of numerous OLT committees, worked on over a dozen productions, and has been a member of the OLT Board of Directors since 2018 with responsibilities including Communications, Front of House Operations and Theatre Outreach. You can read his weekly blogs on the OLT website. Prior to retirement, he was the Co Chair of the network representing the interests of all of the 4000+ managers in his Federal government agency located in offices from coast to coast. Throughout all his past endeavours, he understands the importance of consulting with all members that have vested interests and ensures that their views are understood, represented and considered in decisions going forward that have a profound personal effect on them and the theatre as a whole.
Chris Ralph
Director, Artistic Quality
Chris is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Acting Company, Ottawa’s largest creative centre for performance arts education. As a sought after vocal coach and presenter, he has worked with professionals from a wide range of business sectors. His political passion has led to involvement in political campaigns and to providing vocal and presentation coaching for Members of Parliament. Chris also teaches at Invest Ottawa, where he leads communication workshops for budding entrepreneurs. Chris is the 2014 Dr. Paul E. Garfinkel Award Winner for Entrepreneurial Achievement. As a professional actor, Chris has worked across the country from Prince George, BC, to the NAC right here in Ottawa. Chris is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada and York University’s MFA Acting program.
Paul Hession
Director, Facilities and Capital Assets
Paul Hession is a graduate of the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean/Royal Military College, where he obtained a Bachelor of Civil Engineering, and subsequently McGill University and University of Ottawa, where he obtained his Master of Engineering and MBA, respectively. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario and is a past President of the Rideau Club. He is a former Treasurer of the Ottawa Arts Court Foundation and a past President and current member of the DPI Advisory Board (https://dpi-canada.com/about-us/).
Brian Cano
Technical Liaison
Brian is a retired Drama teacher who has been involved with the OLT since 1994 when he played Teddy in Arsenic and Old Lace. He has acted in several shows since then, particularly Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, Light Sensitive, Jasper Station and The Drawer Boy. He has done several lighting designs and directed Talking Carrots at the End of Act One, Same Time Next Year, Messiah on the Frigidaire, Behind the Beyond, Bedtime Stories, A Christmas Story and Arsenic and Old Lace. Brian has also designed lights for several shows and been part of many crews over the last 25 years. He is happy to serve on the Board for this time and help OLT continue to produce high quality theatre.
Lindsay Laviolette
Director of Communications
Lindsay has been volunteering with the Ottawa Little Theatre since 2016. Since then, she has performed in three shows (The Three Musketeers [2016] , Pardon Me Prime Minister [2017], and Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily [2018]) on the OLT stage and has had the privilege of working with many volunteers along the way. In addition to her onstage involvement, Lindsay is also a member of the OLT Marketing Team, has worked as a summer drama camp instructor, and was responsible for contributing to the recent revamping of the lobby. By day, Lindsay is a high school Drama Production, Art, and English teacher who has been responsible for directing and producing many critically celebrated and award-winning high school theatre productions throughout the past five years. Behind all of her work is the love for the OLT community, passion for the Arts, and the belief that theatre can be an engaging and accessible community for future generations. Lindsay is eager to be a voice for “the future generation” and have the opportunity to continue to work closely with such a supportive group of volunteers and to ensure that the theatre continues to thrive for years to come.
Michelle Shortall
Secretary
Michelle’s involvement with the Ottawa Little Theatre began as a season ticket holder in 2005, enjoying the many wonderful productions this theatre is well known for since that time. In 2015 she became involved as a volunteer first as an Assistant to the Director on ten shows (so far), as well as a member of various props, hospitality, and Front of House teams. She is very happy to be a member of such an enthusiastic and hard working Board of Directors.
Marilena Guerra
Treasurer
Marilena started volunteering with the Ottawa Little Theatre in 2021 and has been fulfilling the role of Treasurer since then. In addition she regularly volunteers as House Manager during each show run. Marilena recently retired from the federal public service and is an accountant. Marilena hopes to be able to capitalize on her varied experience gained in her career to contribute to the OLT’s operations. She looks forward to working with the many talented members of the Board of Directors and other members of the OLT.
Robert Hicks
Director, Digital
Bob has been acting at the OLT since 1990, when he appeared as Trenchard Voysey in The Voysey Inheritance with some of OLT’s finest cast and crew. Since that first show, he has performed in more than 20 plays, including Felix Unger in The Odd Couple and Colonel Jessup in A Few Good Men. Other volunteer activities include (with his partner, Jane Morris, doing all the research and entering the actual data) developing and maintaining the software parts for the online history of all the OLT’s past productions as well as using that data to look after all the headshots that gaze down from the walls of the foyer. With his professional background in information technology, Bob provides ongoing operation support for the OLT ticket management system. Other work includes stints on the season planning and education committees as well as managing the national one-act playwriting competition. Bob was a long-time bike racer and volunteer with the Ottawa Bicycle Club and was recently made a Lifetime Member for his many years of service. He combined his love of cycling and theatre with an expertise in Adobe Illustrator to design an “Ottawa Little Theatre” cycling outfit that he wears proudly on many of his bike outings.
Venetia Lawless