Rachel Cushnie
Principal & Artistic Director

Rachel, a native of Salisbury England, has been involved in Musical Theatre since the age of 4, having starred in many performances with amateur theatre companies and dance schools. She made her first television appearance at the age of 9.

Rachel then studied with several drama schools in England, including the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and Hertfordshire Theatre School, and went on to star in many performances across Britain including the Edinburgh Festival and the Shakespeare Festival.

Her stage highlights include Grease, Cabaret, and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Rachel appeared in two well-known British series, Eastenders, and The Bill, and also had roles in two major motion pictures, Judge Dredd, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Recently, Rachel has been working on various projects and performing in productions around Vancouver, e.g. Don’t Dress For Dinner, Me and My Girl.

As a teacher, Rachel worked for Britain's biggest children's theatre school as a dance instructor and choreographer, and now brings all this experience, both on and off stage, to Vancouver and StageCraft Theatre School.

Sarah Sutherland
Head of Dance
Choreographer
Dance Instructor

Sarah took to the stage at the age of 3 and has never looked back. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance and Choreography from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Upon graduation, she earned her sea legs while dancing aboard the MS Maasdam (Holland America Lines) for a year. Washed ashore in London, England, Sarah spent five years touring and performing contemporary dance, physical theatre, children's dance theatre, film, and opera throughout the UK.

In addition to performing, Sarah has over 13 years of teaching and choreographic experience. Her choreography has received acclaim in Canada, USA, and the UK including the "Excellence in Choreography" award at the American College Dance Festival in 1999. She was also one of the choreographers at the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. After a 10 year absence, Sarah is thrilled to be back in her native BC and is excited to share her passion and skill with the students of StageCraft.

Hannah Hardy
Pre-School Instructor
Drama Instructor

Hannah is an avid actress and musician, and has been performing from a very early age. Her professional musical theatre career started at age 10 when she appeared with the official U.K. touring cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on a three-year tour. Some of her favourite roles have been Christine in Phantom of the Opera, Nancy in Oliver, and the Witch in Into the Woods. Hannah added to her theatre training by achieving various Royal Academy of Music awards and LAMDA exams before heading to the University of British Columbia to receive a BA in Literature and Classical Studies. She has taken courses at Vancouver Film School, and is currently working towards her MFA at UBC.

Hannah has appeared in various theatre, television, and film productions. Her most recent highlights have included Psych, Whistler, Aliens in America, Eureka, Juno, and a new movie, 2012. Although she is extremely busy with her own performing schedule, Hannah also finds time to be an on-set chaperone and coach for several up-and-coming child actors working on productions such as The Time Traveller’s Wife, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Martha Speaks, and a TIFF entry Big Head.

Hannah has been training with StageCraft as a pre-school and drama teacher for the past four years and is now thrilled to be a fully qualified member of the StageCraft faculty where she has the opportunity to share her knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion for musical theatre weekly.

Christine Oddy
Drama Instructor

Christine, a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School, has been working as a professional actor and singer for the last fifteen years in Toronto. She recently moved to Vancouver with her husband and young son. Her favourite credits include the role of Rosie in the Toronto company of Mamma Mia!, Claptrap (NAC/Canadian Stage), The Dreamland (Canadian Stage), and two seasons in the mainstage company of the Disney Cruise Line. Christine has worked on many plays and musicals in development, most recently Slave To a Dream, commissioned by the Vancouver Playhouse. Christine is passionate about teaching children and is thrilled to be doing so again at StageCraft!

Alannah Berridge
Assistant Drama and Pre-School Instructor

Alannah was a StageCraft student for 4 years in the Main School and Performance classes, with many StageCraft performances under her belt, e.g. Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, and Chicago. She has a passion for working with children and is currently with us as a teacher's assistant specializing in working with the younger students as well as training with StageCraft in all aspects of teaching drama.

Emma Mazur
Dance Instructor and Choreographer

Emma comes from England where she was classically trained in ballet. She was accepted on a scholarship to the prestigious Laine Theatre Arts in London where she continued her studies in ballet and the performing arts. She holds a National Diploma in professional dance awarded by Trinity College London. Emma danced professionally in England and internationally before changing her focus to teaching and moving to Vancouver.

Mishelle Cuttler
Singing Instructor

Mishelle has been a musician and actress since a very young age. She studied voice for over 5 years, and has performed as a solo vocalist in festivals, choirs, and musical theatre productions. She has worked as a Musical Director for numerous productions and has also composed and arranged for the theatre. Currently a student in UBC's BFA Acting program, Mishelle has worked in drama ranging from Shakespeare to collaboratively devised theatre. Recent credits include The Madwoman of Chaillot, and Romeo & Juliet, both with Theatre at UBC. Mishelle has studied classical piano since the age of 9, and spent 5 years as a private teacher. She is very excited to share her love and knowledge of music and the performing arts with the students at StageCraft.

Valeria Lockwood
Singing Instructor

Valeria holds a Master of Arts in Vocal Pedagogy and Choral Conducting from the Moscow Conservatory. She performed as lead vocalist at the Classical Opera Theatre in Moscow, while serving at Moscow University's Dept. of Music as Chair of Vocal Pedagogy and Choral Director. Valeria is a founder of the Canadian Arts Teachers Network and West Coast Music Competition. She was an instructor of voice technique performance and music theory at the New Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the New England School of Vocal Arts, and gave master classes in vocal pedagogy to the Toronto youth choir at the Advanced School of Music. In addition, she has directed and produced a post 9/11 Red Cross fundraiser entitled A Song and A Prayer, a Broadway musical review entitled Highlights from Musicals, and A Celebration Of Rising Stars - an annual concert of young musicians.

Valeria is thrilled to join StageCraft where she can share her biggest passion – musical theatre!

Lauren Shinnimin
Dance Instructor

Originally from Winnipeg, Lauren began dancing at the age of 5. She has trained in a variety of dance disciplines including ballet, musical theatre, jazz, tap, hip hop, and contemporary. Lauren attended the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company for 4 years before moving to Vancouver to work with The Source Dance Company, with whom she has toured BC. Lauren is looking forward to sharing her enthusiasm and love of dance with the students.

Brenna Dowling
Junior School Teacher's Assistant

Brenna, currently a senior high school student, has been acting in plays and musicals for several years. She actively participates in summer programs such as Bard on the Beach. Her favourite performances to date are Fame, Little Women, Taming of the Shrew, and As You Like It. A passionate actor and musician, Brenna is very excited to expand her skills and learning by joining the wonderful StageCraft team as a student assistant with the Junior school.

Karyn Way
Substitute and Summer Camp Singing Instructor

Karyn is very active in Vancouver as a singer, director, and music instructor. Some of her favourite roles include Mme. Giry in The Phantom of the Opera, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Eva Peron in Evita, and the Second Lady in The Magic Flute.

Karyn has also directed for the Vancouver Academy of Music. She was on faculty at Capilano College as a voice instructor in the Jazz Studies program and also teaches voice, piano, and theory. Karyn earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and a Master of Music in Opera from the University of British Columbia. She has also completed diplomas in Musical Theatre from Grant MacEwan College and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Karyn is delighted to be part of the StageCraft team.

Troy V. McLaughlin
Substitute Dance Instructor

Troy is a native of Richmond, Virginia. He holds a B.F.A. in Jazz Dance from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. There he studied with Judith Jamison, tap great Lavaughn Robinson, and members of the Martha Graham Dance Company, New York City Ballet, and Jo Jo Smith's Dance Factory. Highlights of Troy's career include performing in Disney's The Lion King, Andrew Lloyd Weber's Starlight Express, The Radio City Rockettes Show, The Siegfried & Roy Show, as Richard Pryor's tap dancing conscience in Pryor Offenses for Showtime, and entertaining the troops for the U.S. Dept. of Defense.

He's choreographed for musicals, industrial shows, and dance companies all over North America. Troy teaches students of all levels, helping them achieve their potential. Most of all, he believes that performing should be fun no matter what the level and looks forward to sharing his expertise with StageCraft students.

Blake Cushnie
Business Manager

Blake grew up in Northern Ireland where he got involved in music at an early age. He learned to play the trumpet/cornet at 9 years of age and went on to play in many different bands. After becoming the lead solo trumpet player for the South Ulster Concert Band, Blake then played with the Ulster Orchestra, which is a full professional Symphony Orchestra.

His connection with Musical Theatre has been in the form of orchestra pit work with several theatre companies.

Heather Hardy
School Administrator

Heather arrived in Canada from London shortly after Rachel and Blake, and has been the main contact and administrator of StageCraft Theatre School ever since. As a vital member of this family-run business, Heather works hard to keep things running smoothly.

Rachel and Blake opened StageCraft Theatre School in January 2001, and they have consistently brought together great teachers, students, and supportive parents to develop the confidence and artistic abilities of young children. Through regular classes scheduled during the school year and summer camps, StageCraft spreads the love of the arts to children and teens in the Lower Mainland.

In addition, StageCraft strives to give back to the community in terms of charitable donations of profits, to help children across the province. Past organizations that benefitted include the Downtown Eastside Christmas Hamper drive, Canuck Place Children's Hospice, Kelowna Toy Bank, BC Cancer Foundation, Autism Society of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital - critical care baby ward, and Children's Wish Foundation of Canada.