About Us

Leigh Janson Cooke, Co-Director/Instructor

It is a dream come true for Leigh to be runningThe Children's Theatre. An educator and an actress herself, she understands the tremendous growth and learning that drama education can enable. Leigh has been working with children in many capacities since she was very young and she has never ceased to be amazed at the creativity, insight and passion that children possess and she hopes to empower children using these natural talents. An honors graduate of John Abbott College's Theatre Workshop Program and graduate of Concordia's Child Studies program, Leigh has found that combining education with drama creates a powerful vehicle for children to explore their strengths and conquer their fears as well as to learn about themselves and the world around them.  

Ryan graduated from the University of East Anglia in the UK, with a BA in HIstory. He also has a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. Ryan joins the Children's Theatre with a wealth of training and experience mainly teaching at a high school and elementary level. Ryan also has a history working with kids on the autism spectrum. The philosophy of 'The Children's Theatre' speaks to Ryan becuase he believes in building up all children's self-esteem from a young age and theatre is the perfect medium to do so.

He began helping with 'The Children's Theatre' three years ago when he first moved to Canada from England. His involvment is growing as his interest grows and he is now the administrative director. The Children’s Theatre is the best part of his week! 

Ryan and Leigh are newly married and co-directors of this wonderful school.  It is always a fun day when Ryan comes to work with his wife and son, it is truly a welcoming,  family environment.

Jacqueline has taught theatre to children, teens and adults for over 15 years!   A graduate of the Willem de Kooning Art Academy in Rotterdam, Jacqui immigrated in 2005 to Montreal and loves to be a part of this eclectic city.  She has not only worked in numerous theatre-productions,both as actress and director, but has also studied pantomime, clowning, mime and mask.  

Her hobbies are dancing the argentina tango,traveling and cuddling with her cat Poekie. 

Elsa Perez earned her BA in Drama from McGill and her MFA in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she worked and studied with professionals from some of the city’s most prestigious theatres. She also spent time in Paris where she studied clown and physical theatre before returning to her native Montreal in 2006. Elsa is the artistic director of Théâtre bilingue de Montréal and works regularly as an actor and storyteller with companies such as Théâtre de la Source and Arbraconte. An accomplished teacher, Elsa has been part of the Artists in Schools program since 2008 and teaches theatre workshops in elementary and high schools across the city and beyond. She also teaches at the Academy of the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, where she is recently co-wrote, translated and directed In Transit, a new musical for the Wandering Stars theatre troupe. She is most excited to be part of the Children's Theatre team for a second season.

Heather joins the Children’s Theatre family with a wealth of theatrical training and teaching experience under her belt. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University, with a Major in Theatre and a Minor in Creative Writing. She went on to train at the world renowned American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.) in San Francisco and at Harvard University’s Stanislavski Summer School. Heather’s longstanding passion for working with children led her to pursue a teaching career as well which she has integrated into her theatre background. From a Drama Instructor, to an Early Childhood Educator, Heather has worked in a multitude of settings with children ranging in age from 18 months to 16 years old. Heather is currently working towards her Masters degree in Child Studies at Concordia University and is teaching at Hebrew Day School. 

A graduate herself form The Children's Theater, Cindy is so happy to be back in the fold once again. Drama has always been a fierce passion. Once a child actor, she left the world of performance to learn how to integrate the arts in a therapeutic setting. After working as a drama therapist for 5 years, Cindy opened up her private practice as a Autism specialist and parenting coach (www.autism-montreal.com). She is so excited to be part of the Children's Theater initiative to bring the arts to children with special needs. Giving them the opportunity to explore their world in a whole new way.

Michelle’s acting career has taken her across Canada, the United States, and Europe.  A graduate of McGill University and AMDA in NYC, she has worked on the stage, and on the big and small screens in English, French, and most recently in Yiddish. She’s also voiced characters in such cartoons as Caillou, Mona the Vampire, Arthur, and Miss Mallard Mysteries (Cinar). She recently expanded her career into the realm of directing and teaching at the Segal Centre on the youth division of Montreal's Yiddish Theatre (YAYA).  And she is thrilled to join the Children's Theatre to share her passion for theatre with more students.

Patricia is thrilled to be part of Montreal Children's Theatre ensemble! She holds a Masters of Classical Acting from The Central School of Speech and Drama in London England and a BFA in theatre performance from Concordia University. Aside from professional theatre, she lends her voice to countless projects, is a budding writer and has a background in competitive ice dance. She is the founder of Limin.ice theatre, dedicated to exploring ice as a metaphor and venue. Her love of ice most recently brought her to the arctic,  where she ran theatre workshops for children in Nunavut. Patricia has trained, taught and performed across Canada, the United States, London and Russia. And the best way to keep celebrating these experiences, is to keep sharing them. Let's have fun!

Jonathan Patterson is an experienced actor, director/choreographer, and educator.  Splitting his time between the stages of opera and theatre, selected staging credits include: The Wild Party, Iolanthe, The Pirates of Penzance, and Nunsense.  As an educator, Jonathan teaches the acting and movement classes for Opera McGill at the Schulich School of Music, musical theatre classes for Montreal Children's Theatre and St George's High School and is a singing teacher with a very busy private studio.  Some recent stage roles include: The Play's the Thing (Mr. Mell), West Side Story (Juano) and Inherit the Wind (Harry Y. Esterbrook).

Donovan King is a Montreal-born theatre artist and Drama teacher who has worked extensively in Canada, England, the USA, and New Zealand. Holding degrees in Professional Acting (DEC, John Abbott), Drama-in-Education (BFA, Concordia), and Theatre Studies (MFA,University of Calgary), Donovan advocates Drama as a powerful medium for human development, empowerment, and community-building. Having collaborated with Augusto Boal and other theatre-activists, Donovan also works on behalf of community organizations such as the Quebec Drama Federation, Montreal infringement festival, and NYC-based Theatres Against War.

A professional teacher and a Creative Arts Therapist, Danusia was born and raised in Ontario. Before settling in Montreal, Danusia could not get enough of the world. Using theatre as a constant vehicle for communication and education, she spent 10 years teaching, running summer camps and leading teen travel groups through Canada and Europe. She has called the Children's Theatre home for the last eight years working as both a teacher and director. She also runs programs at Concordia University's Centre for Arts in Human Development and for Royal Vale School.