A Statement from the Board of High & Main Productions
At High & Main Productions, we create performances that are a place of connection, collaboration, and community engagement. We are constantly inspired by the enthusiasm and talent found in the community of Vankleek Hill and beyond, which makes this work possible.
This summer, we are delighted to bring you a new interpretation of Pinocchio, complete with original music, innovative puppetry, and an engaging new perspective on a familiar story. We continue our mission to celebrate local artists and produce work that is creative and accessible. We would love for you to be a part of this by getting a membership and joining our mailing list.
Our values of inclusiveness, diversity, and equity guide all that we do. Our work is produced through collaborative efforts of many different voices. We need all of you to succeed and we wouldn't be here without you.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of High & Main Productions, we thank you for being a part of this journey as patrons, volunteers, supporters, sponsors, and community partners. We hope you enjoy this imaginative retelling of Pinocchio!
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors
High & Main Productions
Writer and Director's Statement
At its core, Pinocchio isn't really a story about becoming "real." It's a story about wanting to be loved, and the ways we twist ourselves trying to earn that.
Pinocchio has lasted through countless iterations because he feels familiar. He makes the same mistakes we make. He knows better and still does the wrong thing. He wants to belong, and starts to believe he has to become something else in order to deserve it. That's where we start. Geppetto is living with a quiet kind of longing, the kind that's learned to keep itself small. Pinocchio is trying to figure out where he fits, and keeps trading his instincts for the promise of being accepted. Around them are people doing their own versions of the same thing. Running. Performing. Pretending. Not because they're bad, but because they're trying to get through. When I was growing up, my father used to tell me the story of Homer's Odyssey. That idea of someone trying to find their way home, getting pulled off course again and again, and still continuing on.
Pinocchio is on his own kind of odyssey. A human one. He makes the wrong choices. He loses himself for a while. And then, piece by piece, he tries to find his way back.
What keeps pulling me to this story is the idea that you can come back. Come back after you've made the wrong choice, or trusted the wrong people and still be seen. In this version, the people who lose their way aren't written off. There's room for them. Because maybe becoming "real" isn't about turning into something better. Maybe it's just about finding your way home, and not being turned away when you get there.
— Konstantine Malakos
Cast and Creative Team Bios
The majority of headshots are courtesy of Jan Amell Photography.
Cynthia Martin – Joanne Cricket
Cynthia grew up in Hudson, where she happily caught the theatre bug performing with both the Hudson Players Club and the Hudson Music Club. She is a graduate of the John Abbott Professional Theatre Program. For the past 35 years, she has toured theatres across the country with Majinx, a magic and illusion company, where she was, quite literally, cut in two on a regular basis. She is delighted to be returning to the stage and is especially excited to step into the role of Joanne Cricket!
Reg Harden – Geppetto
I am definitely a "newbie" at this. At a somewhat advanced age, the call to creativity and rebirth of gray matter seems paramount! I am continually learning new things about myself and how to interact with others in the cast. Thank you all. Geppetto was a wise man; I consider myself a "wise ass". A combination of the two creates balance and humour. Thank you to my dear wife, Rose, and ultimately, to GUS.
Joan Gottman – Pinocchio
Joan is a graduate of Concordia University's Theatre program and the National Circus School, a background that informs her deep interest in physical performance. Her favourite past credits include portraying Adriana in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors and the titular role in Václav Havel's The Other Death of Joan of Arc. Her artistic foundation is rooted in music, having performed with the Ewen Edwards Choir and in orchestras under the batons of Mario Duschenes and Alexander Brott. Joan is thrilled to be taking on the role of Pinocchio, embracing the unique physical challenge of bringing a puppet to life on stage.
Taras Stasiuk – Fox | Technical Director
In addition to High & Main, Taras can often be seen amid the wonderful theatre community of Hudson, QC, either with Hudson Players Club or Encore Musical Theatre. He would like to dedicate this performance to Lionel Lustgarten (1931–2024), who directed the Prescott Players production of The Smell of the Kill, in the then-brand-new VCI building, back in 2010.
Kelsey Scotcher – Cat | Choreographer
Kelsey first fell in love with theatre by playing Sandy in Grease in the tenth grade. From then on as a John Abbott theatre workshop graduate, she has starred in Hudson Players Club and Encore productions such as The Full Monty, A Midsummer's Night's Dream, Charley's Aunt, Curtains, 9 to 5 and Head over Heels. She took jazz ballet for ten years and has sang for as long as she can remember. She is excited to be in her first play with High & Main!
Ben Tremblay – Composer | Musical Director | Puppet Master
Ben made his stage debut at the age of nine in a church Christmas pageant, for which he still remembers all his lines. Hopefully this portends well for tonight's production of Pinocchio. In the event he does forget his lines, he hopes you enjoy his original score. Selected credits include Lazar Wolf in Fiddler on the Roof (St Michael's College Troubadours) and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd. His previous direction credits include music director for Moby Dick the Musical (WINDS) and vocal director for Évita (St Michael's College Troubadours). This is his second production with High and Main Productions, after he stage managed its inaugural show.
Susan Brown – Spirit of the Woods | Costume Designer
Susan is delighted to be returning to High & Main Productions as the Spirit of the Woods after having played Harriet in Overtones last fall. With over 25 years of community theatre, both onstage and backstage, she brings to the stage the experience of performing a large variety of characters from comedy to drama. She is very excited to be following up on her recent return to the stage after an absence of seven years.
Lexie Wood – Candlewick | Sea Spirit
Lexie is a passionate young actress who discovered her love for the stage a few years ago in The Little Mermaid. Since then, she has performed in Peter Pan and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, building confidence and experience. She is especially excited to take on the lively role of Candlewick in Pinocchio, continuing to grow her talent and love for acting.
Charlie Kazak – Lucignolo | Sea Spirit
Charlie has loved storytelling from a very young age. He has spent many hours creating home movies and perfecting visual effects. He's dabbled in magic and now has thrown his hat into the theatre ring. A true collaborator, he's in it for the story, not the glory.
Maddie Janacek – Matchstick | Sea Spirit
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Maddie is a ten-year-old Pleasant Corner Public School student who enjoys piano, performing, and peanut butter. She is a Girl Guide, Student Council Member, and an avid reader. She is so excited to be part of this performance!
Rae-Anne St Pierre – Lucia
Rae-Anne was involved with the Prescott Players in their final years. She is excited to be back on stage as Lucia in Pinocchio. When not doing theatre, Rae-Anne enjoys curling and spending time with her family.
Konstantine Malakos – Writer | Director
Konstantine Malakos is a theatre artist and director driven by the belief that great storytelling belongs in every community. He trained at the Atlantic Theatre Company in NYC, graduating from its Conservatory program in 2005. As an actor, his work includes four seasons of Shakespeare by the Lake in Hudson, QC (Hudson Players), Pride and Prejudice in Peterborough (Showplace), Here Lies Henry at the Arthur Seelen Theatre in New York City (Loose Marbles), and Jerry in The Zoo Story (High & Main Productions). He is a co-founding member of High & Main Productions, where his directing focuses on bold, imaginative work rooted in connection, accessibility, and a strong sense of place. His directing credits include Overtones and The Glass Menagerie.
Andrea Barbusci – Stage Manager
By day, I'm a dedicated teacher and mom of two. By evening, I'm diving into the world of stage management — learning, growing, and supporting my daughter as she chases her dreams as an actress. It's a new adventure, and I'm embracing every moment behind the scenes.
Noah McRae – Assistant Stage Manager
My name is Noah McRae. I have experience in drug prevention programs and have a graduate degree in massage therapy. I'm happy to be working alongside such great and talented people as the assistant stage manager. I am also a huge nerd in my free time.
Susie Fairbrother – Puppet Design
Susie moved from Montreal to Vankleek Hill in the fall of 2017. Coming from a large and creative family has made Susie who she is. Both her father and maternal grandmother's artistic ways influenced her greatly. Whether it was crayons, paints, cardboard, or snow she was always encouraged to create. Susie worked as a stained glass artisan in studios throughout the 70s and early 80s in Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver creating works for commercial and private customers. Later on she found herself working on backdrops for small stage events, both in Rawdon, Quebec, and in Montreal, which led Susie to work with children. She created wall murals and other special art projects as an art animator for the Montreal English School Board. As for painting, Susie has been doing so full time since 2002 and exhibiting across the country since 2003, acquiring many collectors throughout North America and worldwide.
Brenda Graham – Make-up Design
Brenda was involved in theatre make-up and as an actor with the Prescott Players since 1998. She did make-up and acting with the Hudson Players Club, Hudson Music Club and Theatre Studio in Hudson. From 2012–2015 she did make-up and acting for the Orleans Older Players at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Ottawa. She has also done make-up for proms, weddings and special occasions.
About the Story: Before There Was Even a Piece of Wood…
The story of Pinocchio was first written by Carlo Collodi in 1883, originally published as a serialized tale in Italy. Far from the softened versions many remember, Collodi's tale is strange, often dark, and deeply concerned with consequence, survival, and what it means to become human.
In this adaptation, those roots remain but the story is also reframed through a more modern lens: one that asks how we learn to understand our emotions, how we find safety in others, and how we grow into ourselves in a world that doesn't always feel safe.
Special Thanks
The Upper Canada District School Board, the Vankleek Hill Creating Centre, the staff at VCI, The Review, Andrea Belcham, Thaila Riden, BEast Tree Service, Ridgewood Industries, Ayesha Fanthima, The Hudson Player's Club, DK, and Lorraine and Shawn Crowston.
