SHELLY HIGGS 

Shelly trained as an actor at Charles Sturt University (BA Acting Screen and Stage) and later completed an intensive Shakespeare course at the Royal Acadamy of Dramatic Art in London.

She has been Artist in Residence for Griffith Regional Theatre and worked as an Emerging Artist for The Jetty Theatre in Coffs Harbour.

In 2002 Shelly co -founded regional theatre company Gearstick Theatre and has toured extensively in a number of shows ranging from Children's Theatre to Pub Comedy.

Shelly is currently co writing a show as part of The Street Theatre’s The Hive Project and has written a number of shows such as The Toilet Monologues, The Magic Story Coat, Battle of the Storytellers and Irreconcilable Differences.

Shelly discovered a passion for directing in 2006 and since has directed a number of shows starting with her adaptation of Shakespeare scenes (Irreconcilable Differences) which toured extensively as Theatre in Education across NSW.

Other directing credits include: Baby Talk by Doug Wright, Closer by Patrick Marber, The injuriousness of Tobacco and The Bear by Anton Chekov and most recently Cinderella.

Shelly has been tutoring students for over 10 years and enjoys seeing kids develop skills for life, through a love of The Stage.

CRAIG HIGGS 

Craig joined CYT in the role of General Manager during 2011, bringing a broad range of experiences from his career in the theatre industry.

He is the Creative Director at Jigsaw Theatre, and a Tutor for CYT's Teen Ensemble.  

He recently finished as Manager of the Jetty Memorial Theatre in Coffs Harbour where he established the JT Youth  (Jetty Theatre for Young People), the Jetty  Emerging Theatre (JET) New Work Creation Program, as well as managing a diverse performance presentation program for the Coffs Community. 

Prior to his work in Coffs he was Co-Artistic Director and co-founder of Riverina based theatre company, Gearstick Theatre, where he was instrumental in the creation of well over twenty projects both as performer and in a variety of creative roles including directing Attempts on Her Life by Martin Crimp with the Univeristy Theatre Ensemble at Charles Sturt University. 

In 2004/2005 he was employed as the Artistic Coordinator of Riverina Young People’s Theatre where he wrote and directed several performance pieces for the group including a major site-specific performance throughout the grounds of the Wagga Civic precinct.

ANDREA CLOSE

Andrea appeared in Alana Valentine’s MP at The Street Theatre last year and was named the ACT Equity Green Room Professional Performer of the Year. 

She’s appeared in The Australian Shakespeare Company’s The Taming of the Shrew, David Mamet’s Boston Marriage and Christos Tsiolkas’s Without Prejudice at the Street Theatre.  

She gained critical acclaim for her role in She’s Not Performing at La Mama and won the 2010 Best Actress CAT Award for her portrayal of Martha in Free-Rain’s Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf. 

Film and TV credits include Somersault, The Dinner Party, Neighbours, Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking and numerous TVCs and corporates.

Andrea trained at Actors Centre Australia and Screenwise and is also a presenter and voice-over artist. 

She’s been acknowledged by the Canberra Critics Circle in 2007 and 2011 for Excellence in Theatre and has been a proud member of Equity since 2001.

barb barnett 

barb is a theatre director, dramaturg, performer and animateur.

The Artistic Director of serious theatre and an MEAA award recipient, barb was formerly the AD for The acting Company, and Season and Theatre Manager for C+ and Theatre on the Edge at the late lamented Currong Theatre.

With a keen interest in sustainable and youth arts, barb has worked with diverse Companies including;  Aberrant, Shortis and Simpson, Splinters [Theatre of Spectacle], The Street presents, MIEACT, Hidden Corners, TaC, Maenad Productions, Wayfarers, Centrepiece, Muscle & Movement, Canberra Innovative Arts, Jigsaw Theatre, Canberra Repertory, Kim Westwood, BKü, Boho, Women on a Shoestring, Canberra Philharmonic, the Sydney Festival and ERTH [Visual & Physical]. 

barb is the Movement Tutor for CYT's Senior Ensemble, and she directed Through a Looking Glass - a collaboration between serious and CYT earlier in 2012. 

Look out for serious' territory at CCAS - November 23rd & 24th 2012. 

ROBIN DAVIDSON

Robin Davidson joined Canberra Youth Theatre at the age of eleven in 1977 and has been making theatre ever since.

A graduate of Charles Sturt University in Theatre/Media, he has also studied clown, mask and improvisation in New Zealand, France and Italy.

He clowned around at the Sydney Oympic and Paralympic Games, and in Nara, Japan.

He is a founding member of Canberra Playback Theatre, spent five years as artistic director of Hidden Corners Theatre, a company for young carers and has directed three shows with the Mental Health Foundation of the ACT.

He was co-awarded the 2005 Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance ACT Green Room Award for services to community theatre.

He is sometimes seen as an unusually large bogong moth.

RUTH PIELOOR

Initially trained in dance, physical theatre and puppetry, Ruth furthered her training as an actor (BA in Acting at Theatre Nepean, Uni Western Sydney). This led to her becoming a core member of Sydney’s fringe theatre ricochet, performing in many ‘Big Laugh’ comedy festivals.

After various Drama teaching positions (BT in Drama UWS), Ruth became a regular tutor at Canberra Youth Theatre (teaching acting, puppetry, circus, Shakespeare, voice work, clowning and group-devised work since 2006)

Since moving to Canberra, Ruth has performed her own stand-up comedy routine supporting Austen Tayshus at The Tuggeranong Arts Centre, won the ‘People’s Choice Award’ for her short play Meanwhile, as part of the Wild Cards NIDA Finals Season for the ‘Short & Sweet’ Festival 2010/11, and directed two short plays for Canberra’s ‘Short & Sweet’ Festival 2011.

Ruth tutors and performs regularly with Canberra’s Impro Theatre ACT Company, having just performed in Theatresports at The Street Theatre.

She is delighted to be tutoring Canberra Youth Theatre’s Senior Ensemble core actors.

CATHY PETÖCZ

Cathy Petöcz is a Canberra-based theatre practitioner; a performer, animateur, playwright, and musician.

She has most recently performed in an immersive installation theatre piece, Void Without Void (serious theatre, 2011), a climate change cabaret show for children, Too Hot to Handle (Jigsaw Theatre, 2010), and an interactive sci-fi play, True Logic of the Future (Boho Interactive, 2010).  

She is currently working on a devised electro-theatre work, Insomniac Attack, for Canberra Youth Theatre, and is writing a new play as part of The Street Theatre’s Hive Writing Program.

GLEN VEITCH

Glen began acting at 15 studying drama and theatre throughout high school and college.

He performed in numerous stage plays and musicals including the Importance of Being Earnest and Oliver

His recent training includes a semester workshop through Griffith University as well as being part of the CYT Senior Ensemble in 2010.