Meet the Cast & Crew

Troy Arsenian

Stage Manager

Troy Arsenian is an Ottawa-based theatre artist and stage manager. Troy is an alumnus of the University of Ottawa, where he earned his B.A. with Honours with a Specialization in Theate in 2019. Since then, he began working professionally as a stage manager working with many companies in and around Ottawa. 

Select credits include: War of Two Worlds (Great Canadian Theatre Company, ASM), Deathtrap (Classic Theatre Festvial, ASM), Worldly Women (Dance Fachin, 2019 Ottawa Fringe “Jury’s Choice” award winner) I Am the Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World (Melissa Yuan-Innes, 2019 Ottawa Fringe “Best of Fest” award winner), (Re)Tired Magical Black Man (Velvet Duke Productions) and Antioche (Théâtre de Licorne) 
When not in the theatre, Troy can be found working as an administrator at the hospital, cuddling his dog, Ben, or reading a good horror novel. Scream Queens is Troy’s fourth production with LBMT (Something About New York [twice] and Surely Schwartz).

Kimberley Bentham

DeeDee

Kimberley Bentham is an Ottawa native whose musical career in her hometown has ranged from the choral scene to the opera world, to the karaoke bars, over to Gilbert and Sullivan, back to the karaoke bars…and has finally landed her in the musical theatre community! It’s way more fun over here! She is thrilled to make her debut with Lost Baggage Musical Theatre as DeeDee in Scream Queens. 

Kimberley’s musical credits include Bad Broadway 1,3 & 4 (Tuba Czar Productions); Cosi fan tutte, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Opera in Hollywood (Capital City Opera); Carmen and La Traviata (Pellegrini Opera); Don Giovanni, La traviata, Othello, Brother’s Grimm, and Little Red Riding Hood (Opera Lyra Ottawa); The Magic Flute (Ottawa Pocket Opera); Magic Man (Goya Musical Theatre Company); Patience and HMS Pinafore (Ottawa Savoy Society); Faust (Ooh La La Opera).

When she is not singing or stuck inside due to “that which shall not be named”, Kimberley enjoys violence in the form of roller derby, in which she participates as a skater, coach and referee.

Mathieu Charlebois

Producer

Mathieu Charlebois first became involved with music at the age of four, when he began taking piano lessons with Music for Young Children. At ten years old, he started accompanying choirs in church services and playing for soloists. He attended Carleton University, where he received a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Vocal Performance, and the University of Ottawa, where he received a Bachelor of Education. He continues his music practice by teaching, acting, and accompanying local musical theatre productions and choirs.

Mathieu is one of the founding members of Lost Baggage Musical Theatre and continues to hold the position of President and Administrator of the company. He is LBMT’s main producer, having produced over twelve of their productions and has written and performed in two related musicals for the 2018 and 2021 Ottawa Fringe Festivals: The Drunk Text and Something About New York. Currently, he is co-writing a mini-musical with Joy Mwandemange for LBMT called Lost Baggage: The Musical.

Additionally, Mathieu is the founder and administrator of the Riverview School of Music, which provides private piano, voice, ukulele, guitar, and violin lessons in the Alta-Vista area. He is also a certified teacher and works with elementary students in one of the local school boards.

Paola Della Malva

Apprentice Director

Tyler Douglas

Percussion

Anemone Fritzen

Alexis

Anemone Fritzen is delighted to be running and screaming and dying with the best of them in this, her first production with Lost Baggage Musical Theatre. Previously a committed nomad (20 addresses and counting), she has called Ottawa home for seven years, which has allowed her to rediscover her love of theatre, both on and off the stage.

In that time she has, among other things, been a matronly ogre (Shrek: The Musical – Greely Players), a jealous mer-sister (The Little Mermaid – Greely Players, Suzart Productions), an enchantress (Beauty and the Beast – Greely Players) and a yodelling lab assistant (Young Frankenstein – RAPA). She is grateful to Steve for encouraging her to audition (basically by calling her old) and to her leading man, ghouls, and step-ghouls for their undying love and support… and occasional appearance in demo reels!

Ashley Gillard

Richelle

Ashley Gillard is ecstatic to make her Canadian stage debut at Lost Baggage Musical Theatre as Richelle in Scream Queens! Originally from Pennsylvania, she discovered her passion for the arts at a young age while attending Broadway shows with her family. She trained over many years in classical ballet, jazz and contemporary dance, and attended summer intensive dance programs at the University of the Arts. While recently spending 8 years living abroad in New Zealand, she performed in a variety of shows ranging from those at small community theatres to large-scale productions. She was also recognized for her performance in the original musical, Cinderella, by receiving ACTT’s (Auckland Community Theatre Trust) Best Female in a Minor Role Award.

Ashley’s recent theatre credits include:  WICKED (Sky City Theatre; North Shore Musical Theatre, 2021), We Will Rock You (Bruce Mason Centre, 2019), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Spotlight Theatre; Manukau Performing Arts, 2019), The Wild Party (Westpoint Performing Arts Centre; Auckland Music Theatre, 2018), The Witches (Ellersie Theatre, 2018), and Cinderella (Torbay Theatre, 2017). 

When Ashley isn’t ‘running, screaming and dying’ on stage, or in other words, dancing, singing and acting, she enjoys hiking, travelling and designing & creating costumes.

You can find her performing in Ottawa early next year as Trixie Kelly in the dinner theatre musical, Great Gatsby! It’s Murder!

Jesse Kahat

Director

Emma Kazmierowski

Tonya

Emma Kazmierowski is a Toronto native but has been blessed to call Ottawa home for the past 3 years while attending University of Ottawa for Psychology and Linguistics. Her acting career has manifested itself in many mediums such as short films, voice acting, theatre and she’s very excited to be making her musical theatre debut with Lost Baggage Musical Theatre as Tonya in Scream Queens: The Musical! When Emma isn’t studying or singing at the top of her lungs, she enjoys playing video games, swimming, and hanging out with her Zeta Theta Xi sorority sisters.

Emma’s recent theatre credits include Departures and Arrivals (Frannie; Lawrence Park C.I. 2017), Laundry and Bourbon (Elizabeth; NTS DramaFest, 2018), Anne of Green Gables (Miss Rogerson, Maid; Lawrence Park C.I. 2018), Little Women (Jo March; Lawrence Park C.I. 2019), and 7 Stories (Nurse; uOttawa, 2019)

Ivan Matte

Bass Guitar

Ivan Matte has ventured into many styles of music over the last 50+ years, playing guitar, bass, and keyboards as sideman, leader and/or musical director in various latin, jazz, pop, rock, country and big bands.

Although his regular musical endeavours are the Main and Abbott Dance Band and playing in retirement homes 3 to 4 times a month, in recent years Ivan has embraced musical theatre. He has played bass or guitar in pit orchestras for productions of I’m Not That… Cabaret! (TotoToo Theatre), Hairspray! (Suzart Productions), Twisted! (Moonlit Theatre), 9 To 5 (Suzart Productions), Mamma Mia! (Suzart Productions), Cabaret (Suzart Productions), Rocky Horror Show (Ovation Productions) and Guys and Dolls (North Grenville Concert Choir). 

He is delighted to be playing in his first Lost Baggage production.

Tom Pechloff

Keyboard 2

Tom Pechloff is a classically-trained pianist who has been playing piano for 47 years. Tom is a veteran of the Ottawa club scene. Since the mid-90s, he has played in bands such as Up All Night, The Belfast Cowboys, Fourth, Ken Workman & the Union, The Sunbleached Skulls, The Big Bend and The Occasional Angels. Since 2009, he has been handling keys and vocals with The Bushpilots.

Growing up in Southwestern Ontario, Tom was involved in community theatre but hasn’t been as active as he would like to be in Ottawa. This will be his first foray since being the keyboardist/band leader for Act Out Theatre’s production of Hair, which ran at the old GCTC some 20 years ago. Tom also runs a small music instruction business with lessons available in your own home. He has taught hundreds of students, spreading his love of music across the city since 1998.

Anissa Stambouli

Bianca

Anissa Stambouli is thrilled to be joining the cast of Scream Queens, having enjoyed working with Lost Baggage Musical Theatre for their Everybody Say Love and Quarantunes cabarets earlier this year.

Recent theatre credits include Of Mice and Men and The Siegel (Ottawa Little Theatre – 2019, 2022). You can find her on the stage again this November in Kanata Theatre’s Doubt.

Melodi Uygur

Nadine

Melodi Uygur is extremely grateful and excited to be a part of her third production with Lost Baggage Musical Theatre! She has a Bachelor of Psychology Degree with Honours, as well as a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration, from Carleton University. When Melodi is not acting, dancing, and singing her heart out on stage, she can be found reading comic books, drawing, playing with her cat, going on long walks, traveling, and watching movies! 

Select Show Credits Include: Scream Queens: The Musical! (Nadine; Lost Baggage Musical Theater; 2022); Music of the Night: An Andrew Lloyd Webber Cabaret (Cast Member; Lost Baggage Musical Theater; 2022); Clue: The Musical! (Detective; Lost Baggage Musical Theater; 2021); FAME! (Thespian; 2012); The Drowsy Chaperone (Mrs. Tottendale; 2011); Once Upon a Mattress (Lady in Waiting; 2010); Urinetown! (Poor Person; 2009); High School Musical (Thespian; Suzart Productions; 2008).

Steve Vesely

Music Director

Steve is an Ottawa IT consultant by day moonlighting as a community theater pianist by night and thrilled to be making his LBMT debut as music director for Scream Queens: The Musical this Halloween.

There’s something very rewarding about the journey bringing a show to life and Steve has loved every moment of it – the rehearsal process, the friendships made, the challenges overcome – all culminating in these performances.

Musically, the show’s score has been a joy to play and he’s thankful to Lost Baggage Musical Theatre for the opportunity to bring it to life. Thanks to the production team for their hard work behind the scenes, the band for hitting the right notes, the cast for singing them, his family for accepting his absentee fatherhood for a few months, and his mother for making him cry over piano lessons many years ago.

More comfortable behind a piano than in front of it, Steve most recently was MD for Moonlit Theatre’s Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier (2021). Other recent credits include: directing Welcome to Ridgington for the Suzart Long Story Short Festival (2022), MD for team Orpheus at the Showtune Showdown (2021), playing keyboard for Suzart’s sold out run of Mamma Mia! (2019), MD for Tuba Czar’s Bad Broadway cabaret show at the NAC (2019) and a turn on stage shedding pounds wearing a parka as Earthworm in Suzart’s James and the Giant Peach (2018).

Next up? A beer and some sleep after tonight’s show! Musically, Steve will be apprentice MD with Orpheus for next summer’s Something Rotten but his schedule is free for next fall!