The Board

Born on “The Rock” (Newfoundland) and raised in Toronto, Carl Cashin abandoned corporate life in 1976 to open Island Park, a summer resort on the Trent-Severn Waterway near the town of Stirling, Ontario, which he owned and operated for twenty-eight years. His love of theatre was kindled while working backstage at the Belleville Theatre Guild where lighting, sound and stage management were his main focus. Bitten by the stage, he studied playwriting under well known playwrights Linda Hudsell-Manning and Allan Stratton. His first two plays, Pathways and Yesterday’s Hero, won several awards and praise at the Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival. His most successful play, Mail-Order Annie, won a national playwrighting award and has since logged over twenty productions Canada wide. Recently, he wrote two fundraising plays for the RCAF Memorial Foundation (The Shepherd & The Visitor) and is currently working on a third, set to open in the RCAF Museum in late November 2009. Carl was a founder member of the Playwrights Summer Festival in Belleville and hopes to revive the festival in Trenton next year. He is a member of The Playwrights Guild of Canada and Theatre Ontario.

Bob has been walking the boards for over 30 years and has acted from Windsor to Kingston and every major city in between (and many little towns as well). He took his love of acting to the front of the curtain and for the past ten years has directed many plays. Bob is fortunate to be able to combine his passion with his professional life. He is a high school teacher who is lucky enough to be able to teach Drama and Theatre Arts to budding thespians. He teaches students from grade 9 - 12 but his greatest success is a Production Course he wrote and has taught for the past seven years. Every student in the course is introduced to every job in the theatre in order to gain a greater appreciation in the amount of work in mounting a production. When not walking the boards Bob is very involved in his community having been involved with Community Living Quinte West. He is currently past-president and served as the president of the organization for 7 years. He is very involved in his local union and was recently elected as vice-President.
Welcome to “My Theatre”, I hope you get involved.

Originally from Toronto, Sam moved out this way in 1998 and immediately became involved in her new community by supervising Gems and young actors’ theatre. Sam has been involved with theatre for many years and performed with the Trenton Community Players and Belleville Theatre Guild in many productions. She is very proud to have been on stage for the opening production of BQCP. Her vivacious love of life always leads to backstage antics, laughter and camaraderie. Sam is a licensed chef and when not busy running her own catering company she can always be found with her nose in a book. Reading, cooking and her little Jack Russell, Molly, are her passions.

We’ve all heard the old adage if you want something done then give it to a busy person; well that in a nut shell describes Hope. Working full time as head of Sales and Marketing for a very successful business, a real estate agent and mother of 6 and grandmother of 5, Hope still finds time to act, stage manage, design, decorate sets, design websites and stay very active in her community. She loves anything to do with the Theatre especially the people. Being cast as the mother of the bride in our first production was a bit of déjà vu for Hope, as she was the real mother of the bride last year. Hope's powerhouse singing voice was put to good use in Belleville Theatre Guild's Oklahoma, and she has performed in and directed, many plays and musical events in her Church. Strictly business aside, Hope has sat on the boards of both church and fundraising organizations, produced talent shows, and been a guest vocalist and speaker at many functions. We are privileged to have Hope's insight and drive on our team. AND - Hope has an incredible sense of humour - look who she married! (NOTE: Hope didn't write this, her hubby did!)