ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Heather is an accomplished professional theatre director and playwright with special interests in musical theatre, new play development, large ensemble physical performance, theatre for young audiences and devised theatre. With a portfolio boasting over 50 productions across North America, Heather brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her new role at County Stage.

Heather has held key upper management roles in the performing arts sector from artistic director and company manager, to tour coordinator and producer. Most notably, she has served as the Artistic Director of The Stephenville Theatre Festival since 2017.

Heather also extends her passion for the theatre to the next generations of performing artists as a director and instructor for post-secondary institutions including St. Lawrence College in Brockville and The Randolph Academy in Toronto. She actively contributed to Canada’s theatre community, representing Newfoundland and Labrador with the Professional Association of Canadian Theatre (PACT) and chairing professional development on the Board of Directors for the Association of Professional Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador (APTNL).

Excited about her vibrant future with County Stage Company, Heather is grateful to the company’s Board of Directors for their ongoing commitment to live performance in The County, and she looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm and talents with the flourishing cultural landscape of Prince Edward County.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Kristen Leboeuf has been working with County Stage since 2017 when she began as one of our festival technicians. She was promoted to Production Manager in 2019, then Producer in 2021, and is now taking on the leading role of Managing Director.

Kristen is a theatre creator and administrator based near Kingston, Ontario. She holds two degrees from Queen’s University, a BAH in Stage and Screen and a Masters in Arts Leadership, and attended the Banff Centre practicum program for Technical Direction.

ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE: SCRIPTS & SIPS

Dylan Trowbridge is an award-winning actor and director and the Creative Director of B Street Collaborative (@bstreetcollaborative).  As an actor he has performed at the Stratford and Shaw Festival and on London’s West End.  From 2018-2023 Dylan served as Associate Artistic Director of County Stage/Festival Players, directing Every Brilliant Thing and Wakey, Wakey and developing and associate directing The Shape of Home.  Other recent directing credits include La Bete (Harbourfront Centre/Talk is Free), Macbeth, Requiem for a Gumshoe and Space Opera Zero (Eldritch Theatre).  In 2025 his production of Cock for talk is free theatre will tour to Tokyo, Japan.  Film and Tv credits include: Reacher, The Handmaid’s Tale, Workin’ Moms and Titans.

PRODUCER

Bethany Schaufler-Biback (she/her) is currently a Master’s student at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies where she will continue her studies in the fall in the PhD program.

As a theatre practitioner, Bethany’s specialties include stage management, production management, technical direction, and accessibility coordination. She has had the opportunity to work internationally, most recently as a stage manager at Achura Karpra in Bogotá, Colombia.

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Skyler James (they/them) is a theatre creator and scenographer working across Ontario, specializing in projection and sound design for theatre and installation art.

Skyler is very excited for their first season here at County Stage Company, finally getting to create in a place they have grown up visiting and admire profusely. In the realm of live performance Skyler is a practicing projection designer, sound technician, lighting designer, set designer, and technical director. In their solo installation work they are currently exploring the precarious and profuse relationship between technology, memory, and the surrounding natural environment using repurposed personal recordings.

Studying Media and Performance Production at Queen's University, Skyler also dabbles in radio, film, and music production, including being a radio host on CFRC 101.9FM and their directorial film debut being showcased at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival.

FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER & CREW

Austen (he/him) is super excited to return to County Stage for a second summer! He's always loved theatre, whether it is helping at the front of the house, at the back of the stage, or under the spotlight. Locals may have spotted him in various roles with the Marysburgh Mummers over the years, or playing Percy in NCC's recent production of The Lightning Thief, the Percy Jackson musical.

As a recent high school graduate, Austen is off to Guelph to study Visual Arts in September and will definitely be including Theatre Studies in his coursework. He hopes that you come to love County Stage as much as he does!