Kate Stones, President

Kate Stones has been working with the CTC since 2009. Kate joined the committee in 2010 and served as Secretary from 2011-2018, becoming President in 2017. Her CTC directing credits include Peter Panto or One Flew Over the Second Star on the Right (2022); The Tempest, (2021); Gallipoli: The Musical (2017); Monkey and the Monk (2015). She has performed for the CTC in numerous productions, including as Elizabeth Hare in Frankentstein’s Children (2019), as Doll Common in Playhouse Creatures (2014) , as Rosie Donahue in The Donahue Sisters (2012) for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Kyneton One-Act Play Festival. Kate works across independent and community theatre on both a voluntary and professional basis, as Creative Director of CreateA, an organisation that creates creative opportunities for adults with disabilities, and Creative Learning Producer for Castlemaine State Festival.

 

Michelle Dorian, Secretary

Michelle has a degree in Media Studies that hints at her love of cinema but has occasionally led her down accidental career paths including politics and corporate work; she always returns to theatre. She has produced, directed, acted, written, taught performance workshops and been on the board for various companies including Moreland Theatre Company; Art With Heart; and Comme’Arte’Fo, an Italian language theatre company. Michelle’s behind-the-scenes experience includes overseeing sponsorships for Melbourne Theatre Company and managing ticketing/front of house teams for the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing & Ideas and The Festival of Voices in Hobart. Michelle is thrilled to be involved with CTC, having joined in 2021.

 

Sam Archer, Treasurer

Sam is a theatre maker and experiential facilitator living on Dja Dja Wurrung land. He’s intrigued by people’s stories, loves a good adventure and is happiest on a stage or in nature.

 

Toby Heydon, Vice President

Toby is a writer, academic and actor who joined the Committee in 2020.  With a background in film and television, Toby came aboard the CTC for As You Like It in 2018.  He thereby expanded his repertoire of obscure Shakespeare characters to Pistol (II Henry IV), Seton (Macbeth) and Charles.  As a writer/researcher, Toby has contributed to Australian history television documentaries and is currently researching Shakespeare during the Victorian gold rushes.

 

Manue René

Manue joined CTC in 2023 for Romeo & Juliet as Count Paris, their first return to the stage since their high school days, and it felt like coming home. Earlier on, they played Beatrice in Servant of Two Masters and toured America with the National Institute of Youth Performing Arts. Since then, they have been lucky enough to be a collaborator in lots of creative projects during their time in Melbourne, including video campaigns, short films, galleries, pop-up performances and anything that had a $5 entry. They were completing a Master of International Relations when the pandemic hit and, feeling the impact of lockdowns, relocated to the countryside. They now work as the Media & Communications Officer for a new program, Youth Take Over, which helps young people find their ‘next step.’ Manue believes that every opportunity is a stepping stone to the next, and they are thrilled their path has somehow mystically led them to a seat in the CTC committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Kate Stones


Michelle Dorian


Sam Archer


Toby Heydon


Manue René