ABOUT
Who We Are
Staff & Teaching Artists
Board of Directors
Staff &
Teaching Artists
NICOLE
STRAWBRIDGE
Founding Artistic Director
Director/Choreographer:
Company + Young Company
Summer Intensives
Nicole (she/her) started training in classical voice at the young age of 7. After completing her voice exams with the Royal Conservatory of Music, Nicole contemplated auditioning for Opera Performance programs or Musical Theatre. Ultimately, her passion led her down the musical theatre path and she ended up studying at the Randolph College for the Performing Arts.
Favourite stage credits include: Heidi in [title of show], Catherine in Pippin, Jovie in Elf The Musical, Narrator in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Miss Honey in Matilda, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Julia in The Wedding Singer, the title role in Mary Poppins, Serena in Legally Blonde, Laurey Williams in OKLAHOMA!, Cosette in Les Miserables, Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls, Natalie Haller/Ed in All Shook Up, Maria in West Side Story, Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense II, Audrey in Little Shop Of Horrors, Jo March in Little Women, Sally Brown in You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown and Serena Katz in FAME! The Musical.
It's a dream come true for Nicole to be able to share her knowledge and passion with young artists, preparing them for the crazy world we call theatre!
COLIN FROTTEN
Executive Director
Musical Director:
Company + Young Company
Young Performers Camp (YPC)
Summer Intensives
Private Voice + Coaching
Originally from Nova Scotia, Colin (he/him) is a pianist, tenor, music director, vocal coach and educator. He performs regularly throughout Ontario and in the Atlantic provinces and has an active piano/voice studio. Colin also works as the Programs and Communications Manager with Choral Canada.
Favourite operatic roles include Camille in The Merry Widow and the title role in Händel's Acis and Galatea (Maritime Concert Opera), Don Basilio/Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro (Opera York), and Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni (Opera by Request). Recent musical theatre credits include Anthony in Sweeney Todd (First Act Productions), and George in The Wedding Singer (Curtain Call Players). MD highlights: Dogfight (First Act Productions, 2019), and with FAYC: Theory of Relativity (2020), Edges (2021), and The Mad Ones (2024).
Colin looks forward to working with FAYC students and helping to propel the organization into a new generation!
BENJAMIN CONROY
Technical Director
Director/Choreographer:
Company + Young Company
Summer Intensives
Benjamin (he/him) is a First Act Youth Company alumni and is excited to now be a part of the staff as Technical Director. Benjamin first collaborated with FAYC completing a high school co-op program. He attended the specialized arts program at O’Neill C.V.I. while also taking voice lessons and participating in many productions at First Act. Prior to that Benjamin took 2 years of intensive dance training at Hoofers Performing Arts in Oshawa, ON.
In 2019, Benjamin moved to Victoria, BC to continue his post secondary studies at the Canadian College of Performing Arts where he spent his days studying acting, dancing and singing. While absolutely loving studying away from home, he was always eager and excited to come back during school breaks to share his knowledge and passion with the young artists at FAYC. Now that he is officially a graduate of the program, he is excited to continue his work with these incredible young artists as both theatre technician and director/choreographer.
SABRINA BORDONARO
Teaching Artist
Director + Choreographer:
Musical Theatre Stages
Scenic Painter
Sabrina (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist who thrives off all things creative and theatrical! Once a student with First Act Youth Company, they continued to pursue a career in the performing arts, having gone to Randolph College for the Performing Arts and graduated in 2019. Some performing credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey, FAYC), More Light (ensemble, RCPA), City of Angels (ensemble, RCPA), Sugar Rush (wandering performer, Epilepsy Toronto), Holiday Fair in the Square (wandering performer, Epilepsy Toronto), and North Pole Light Up Express (Peppermint, York-Durham Heritage Railway).
Wanting a new challenge and to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of live events, Sabrina went on to study theatre production at Humber Polytechnic, specializing in scenic paint, and recently graduated in the spring of 2026. You may have seen some of their paint work here at First Act! Paint credits include Nebula Dawn Escape Room (scenic painter, Humber), TomorrowLove (head scenic painter, Humber), Disney’s Descendants (head scenic painter, FAYC), Ride the Cyclone (head scenic painter, FAYC), and Jagged Little Pill (featured scenic paint work, FAYC).
Throughout it all, Sabrina also continued with their other passion as a teacher/instructor. They got their start as an educator here at First Act back when they were only 17 years old in 2016 to 2018. They were also an assistant dance instructor with First Position Dance Academy, a theatre camp counselor with Annex Children's Theatre in Education, a private vocal instructor with Beethoven at Home, and most recently a music teacher with Making Music Together.
Sabrina is so incredibly thrilled to be back instructing where it all started at their second home of First Act Youth Company!
BROOKLYN CHENARD
Teaching Artist
Classroom Assistant:
TINY Stages
Assistant Director/Choreographer:
YOUTH Stages
Brooklyn Chenard is a Canadian artist with a passion for performing. She’s trained in various aspects of music, acting, and dance and received post secondary education at Randolph College for the Performing Arts. Brooklyn has showcased her skills in productions with organizations such as Drayton Entertainment, Talk is Free Theatre, and Theatre by the Bay as well as the short film "Sara Snow and the 7 Dancers" by With Grace Productions.
Furthermore, her creative pursuits extend beyond performance, as she enjoys writing plays, and music, and has contributed her choreography, writing, and direction to various recreational and professional productions.
SAM MOFFATT
Teaching Artist
Sam (he/him) started his vocal/piano training as a young teenager in both classical and musical theatre studies which led him to a Music Education degree from the University of Toronto. Sam has always bounced between music directing, vocal coaching and performing because he just loves being in the theatre. He is often behind the camera for First Act but he was also one of the first FAYC teachers and is happy to be back teaching with the team.
Favourite stage credits include: Ren in Footloose, Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Curly in Oklahoma, Claude in Hair, Man 1 in Songs for A New World and Sam in Fugitive Songs.
Making music has always been Sam’s happy place and he is so excited to share his passion and experience with the young artists at FAYC.
Musical Director:
YOUTH Stages
LILY SILVERWOOD
2026-2027 Apprentice
Classroom Assistant:
Musical Theatre Stages
Assistant Stage Manager
2026-2027 Young Company
Lily is thrilled to be a part of FAYC’s team this year! She has been performing since she was 12, and has always had a passion for theatre. She joined FAYC in 2024, and has appeared on stage for many cabarets, recitals, and musicals, including Hadestown (Persephone), Ride The Cyclone (Mischa), and Jagged Little Pill (Ensemble). Other theatre credits include Beetlejuice (Delia), and Legally Blonde (Serena). Lily is currently in Grade 12 at Port Perry High School, where she performs in the school’s rock band (Rebel Rebel) as their lead singer.
She is incredibly grateful for the guidance that the FAYC team has provided over the last few years, and is excited to continue her journey in this new and exciting experience.
KIEVA STRAWBRIDGE
Teaching Artist
Kieva (She/Her) is a professional dancer, performer and movement instructor with experience in commercial dance, circus and professional sports. She studied Commercial Dance at George Brown College and has trained and performed in a variety of dance styles throughout her career.
Kieva has worked as a performer in circus and live entertainment productions and is a professional cheerleader with the Toronto Argonauts A-Team, where she also serves as team captain.
As an instructor, Kieva teaches dance technique, choreography and performance, with a focus on musicality and confidence. At FAYC, she works with students through private and semi-private lessons, helping dancers develop their skills, prepare for auditions and strengthen their performance abilities.
Dance Instructor:
Private/Semi-Private
We regularly invite guest teaching artists who are currently working in the industry to offer workshops in various disciplines.
Some of our past artists include:
Guest Teaching Artists
Renee Salewski
Nestor Lozano Jr.
Kieva Strawbridge
Rashmi Baird
Krystina Alabado
Sam Moffatt
Mack Gillies
David Silvestre
Louisa Burgess
Ryan Kelly
Samantha Varona
Robbie Fenton
Taylor Hubbard
Dominic Noël Gauthier
Christine Lindo
Michael MacEachern
Charlie Nielsen
Jenny Pullon
Luke Opdahl
Shanoa Phillips
Wesley Tysdale
Emma Bartolomucci
Interested in teaching a workshop?
We would love to hear from you!
Send us your ideas and let us know what you’re thinking. Get in touch with Artistic Director Nicole Strawbridge at nicole@firstactyouth.ca or give us a call at (905) 431-7164.