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Instructor Profiles Brian Gallivan, Erin Thompson, James FW Thompson, Suzanne Doane & Nicole MacDougall Brian made his CBU Dramagroup acting debut as Geronte in Jim Dale's comedy Scapino. His acting credits include The Diary of Anne Frank, Merry Molly Malone, Much Ado About Nothing, A Christmas Carol, A Man For All Seasons, and Henry IV Part I. Brian's directorial credits include Be My Baby, A Christmas Carol, The Mousetrap, My Fair Lady, The Canterville Ghost, The Velveteen Rabbit, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, and many more. He has also directed numerous open air drama presentations for the Sydney Action Week Festival, facilitated drama workshops at the McConnell Library in Sydney, and conducted a week long youth drama camp at the Markland Resort in the summer of 2003. Brian continues to share his passion for theatre with his students in Class Acts Drama School where he teaches acting, directing, and other theatre skills. He is proud of all of our students, including those who have moved on to pursue careers in the field of theatre arts in Newfoundland, Quebec and Ontario, as well as the many more who have been inspired to believe in themselves and follow their passion with confidence and conviction.
Acting out plays in front of her stuffed animals since she was a toddler, Erin Thompson has always had an interest in theatre. While she acted in school plays here and there as a child, she did not become completely involved with drama until she joined Cape Breton Univeristy's group at the age of fourteen. A year after participating in her first drama camp, she became an assistant for both the camps and classes. After directing a children's play in the Youth Festival for three consecutive years, she became an instructor in 2006. On stage, Erin recently performed in JJ Steinfeld's A Television-Watching Artist. Other favorite parts over the years include her recurring role as Maria in Ken Chisholm's and Paul MacDougall's O Night Devine series, as well as her award-winning comedic performances in the one-act plays Variations on the Death of Trotsky and Zombies vs. Robots. Off-stage, she has recently stage-managed The Rover and is the Secretary/Treasurer for the Cape Breton Stage Company Co-operative. Erin received her Bachelor of Education degree and her undergraduate degree in Literature and Languages from Cape Breton University and .is now a substitute French teacher with the CBVRSB. In addition to this, she looks forward to many more years of teaching with Class Acts Drama School!
As far back as he can remember, James FW Thompson has enjoyed making people laugh, which is probably the main reason he got involved with theater in the first place. Over time he has tried his hand at pretty much every job the theater had to offer. He has acted in such plays as The Mousetrap, The Wizard of Oz, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, That Scoundrel Scapin, Cop Life, A Christmas Carol and various Monty Python/Kids in the Hall sketches. Perhaps his favorite role, however, has been that of playwright and director. His writing/directing credits include The Restaurant, Prime Minister for a Day, and the award winning Slackers and My Fourth Play. He has also co-written a number of variety and sketch shows. In December 2008 he directed his first full-length play: Class Acts Drama's production of A Christmas Carol as a dinner theatre at the Southend Community Centre. James was also a founding member of the award winning comedy group Improv U. James received his Bachelor of Arts degree from CBU in 2006, and his Bachelor of Education from MUN/CBU in 2007 with a focus on Engligh, history, and drama. Teaching is a dream job for James, so he is currently happily teaching with Class Acts Drama School, as well as substitute teaching with the CBVRSB, and teaching with ICEAP.
Suzanne Doane was taken to see the movie Mary Poppins too many times as a toddler and she attributes her lifelong fascination with musical theatre to this oversight! Directing backyard shows, writing plays for family performances, and bossing siblings, cousins, and neighbors around took up most summers of her younger years; she has continued writing, arranging, and directing theatre productions ever since. She has written five full length musicals, as well as numerous songs, instrumental pieces, and short plays. Many of her shows have been written for and inspired by, students, including Rumplestiltskin, published by Tall Timbers Productions in 1998, which has been performed in Canada and the U.S.A. as well as overseas. Ms. Doane received her Bachelor of Music Education from Dalhousie University in 1985, with a major in percussion. She is thrilled to be part of the CADS team. Current projects include: teaching classroom music with the CBVR School Board;, musical theatre, recording and composing, practicing ukulele regularly, and trying not to kill her plants.
Nicole MacDougall's first dramatic role took place during an elementary Christmas concert where she played Mama Bell in her grade three class' tale The Littlest Bell. Nicole enjoyed little doses of stage time here and there until she signed up for CBU Youth Drama Group's camp at the age of thirteen. Since that moment she's been hooked. After years of being a student and an assistant Nicole is happy to return to CADS for her second year as an instructor. Nicole has recently performed in the Fortress of Louisbourg's summer shows: Never Say No and What Lies Beneath (the latter show she has been lucky enough to have the opporunity to write.) She also performed in The Rover at the CBU Playhouse last winter. She is currently going into her third year at Cape Breton University where she is studying English and theatre. Besides theatre, Nicole also has an interest in women's studies, shelving books and PB&J sandwiches. This year Nicole will be teaching Crash Course Theatre (formely stagecraft) which will teach students how to take a play from the page to the stage with a focus on directing and stage production, Playwriting 1 for junior high students and Girl Group for all ladies in junior high and onwards.
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FALL/WINTER CLASSES:
CORE CLASSES:
Creative Dramatics 1 (ages 5-6)
Creative Dramatics 2 (ages 7-8)
Creative Dramatics 3 (ages 9-10)
Developing Drama Skills 1 (ages 11-12)
Developing Drama Skills 2 (ages 12-13)
Developing Drama Skills 3 (ages 13-14)
Developing Drama Skills 4 (ages 14-15)
Theatre Arts (ages 15+)
Acting Intensive 1 (ages 16+)
ADDITIONAL CLASSES:
Musical Theatre (ages 5+)
Playwriting 1 (junior high)
Playwriting 2 (high school)
*Note: Playwriting classes take place at CBU.
Crash Course Theatre (ages 16+)
Acting Intensive 2 (ages 17+)
Girl Group (ages 12+ girls)
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