Grove Guild July Event: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour Recap with Tim Wisener

The Grove Theatre team put on a fantastic tour for us! We split into four groups of about 12, visiting frontstage, the tech booth, the cast and crew area, and finally backstage. There was simply too much to absorb in one visit, so this recap goes deep on all four stops so that anyone who missed the tour can catch up in full.

Frontstage with Tim Wisener

We walked across Tim's now-famous painted deck floor—seven coats of paint deep—while stagehands took down the ’70s tinsel wall in preparation for that evening's performance of Spamalot. Tim joked that, unlike an opera house where the entire stage and floor can shift as one mechanized unit, Grove scene changes are done entirely by hand.

We watched the tower tops fold up and the castle's stone walls slide into place—styrofoam pieces glued onto plywood backing, textured with rasps and heat guns, then finished with about eight rounds of paint. Aside from the paint and glue, the entire set was built from free scrap materials. Very creative engineering!

Tim calls his floor "sacrificial," since it will be removed before the end of the season—no easy task, given that the screws are set eight inches apart in every direction. It may be salvageable for another year.

The four truss towers surrounding the theatre are set in 2,800 pounds of concrete—all moved into place by hand, since neither a pumper truck nor an excavator could be driven across the stage. Brian Jackett of Jackett & Sons Construction helped out. The new fixtures are IP-rated for outdoor use, protecting them against dust, dirt, moisture, and water. Tim explained that the tower lights were made possible by the Light Up the Grove Campaign—it was great to see our donation dollars set in stone!

He pointed out the roofing membrane at the side of the stage, which provides a waterproof spot to keep sound gear in place, thanks to Andrew Dunnette of Dunnette Roofing.

From our vantage point upstage on the second floor, we could clearly see the spike marks showing where larger props are placed for every show. Tim mentioned that the stage area is a bit disjointed, which turns moving around the space into a bit of a dance.

Tim also shared that Ben Skipper, who plays Patsy, is on limited duties in a full knee brace—that's what four shows and a lot of cantering will do!

Tech Booth with Tracy Lynne Cann

Tracy has returned as the Grove's production Stage Manager for the season. She's been in the business for 25 years, working across Canada. Her partner is Peter Aylin, the Grove's Music Director and sound design assistant, whom we met last fall. As he told us then, they live in Bobcaygeon. Tracy isn't employed directly by the theatre company; she works as a subcontractor.

Tracy explained that her role varies depending on the demands of the theatre company. For a larger company, she's more likely to act as an administrator, producing paper schedules. Her preference is a smaller company like the Grove, where she works with the company rather than for it, taking on greater input and a much larger role.

Her role with the Grove is twofold. She begins in the rehearsal hall, where she acts as the director's right-hand person, "tracking" the needs of the director and cast and relaying them to the various departments—lighting, sound, stage, wardrobe, props, and set.

Tracy writes two to three pages of notes after each rehearsal session. Think of her as the middleman who makes sure every important detail reaches production. Her wardrobe example: are there heels or long skirts an actor could trip over? If so, the lighting department gets involved to make sure stairs and ledges are painted and properly lit.

Tracy's second role begins once the show moves into production, where she oversees the tech booth and works closely with the lighting and sound designers to bring their visions to life. Together, they build the show, coordinating all the cues. Fun fact: a typical musical has around 500 cues, while Spamalot has closer to 1,000. (A cue is a signal to perform a specific action, such as an actor entering the stage or a technical element like lights or sound changing.)

As they program the lighting, sound, and stage design, Tracy tracks and records every moving piece in the prompt script. So if the lighting designer says, "I want a spotlight on Gabby," Tracy can respond with "hit spot one," because she knows exactly where everything lives on stage, minute by minute.

Rasesh, the sound designer/operator, works closely with Peter. Using TheatreMix, he blends all the audio elements on a soundboard, balancing volume levels with "faders." If a performer's vocal projection needs adjusting, Rasesh can "ride" the faders up or down. As Tracy put it, "It's a bit of a tricky balance."

In summary, Tracy liaises with every department, carrying the director's needs from the rehearsal phase through to the stage manager's needs during tech rehearsals, as the show transfers from one set of hands to the next. By the time it reaches the stage, everything has been voiced, implemented, and can be tracked.

Tim said last year, and Tracy echoed again this year, that the role is essentially "air traffic control."

Tracy added that they've been a bit behind this season, thanks to poor air quality, rain, and extreme temperatures—the particular challenges of working in an outdoor theatre.

As a member of the Canadian Actors' Equity Association, Tracy is also responsible for the cast's health and safety, making sure their needs are met.

Backstage Operations 1 with Sarah Grindal

Sarah, whom we met at the Guild's costume event with Andrew Nasturzio, welcomed us backstage in the cast and crew, storage, and water areas of the Grove grounds. For a description of the backstage layout, see the Guild's August 2025 recap.

Sarah's career at the Grove has grown since then. She began as a Production Assistant in 2023 and was invited back for the 2025 season as Head of Wardrobe. Her talk focused on backstage operations and the responsibilities of the wardrobe and production teams.

There's a small office cabana that houses sound equipment along with a fridge, microwave, and kettle. Sarah's own office was outdoors that day: a serger (a specialized sewing machine), an ironing board, and an iron. She explained that it's simply too inconvenient to move costumes off-site for alterations and repairs.

Which brings us to costumes: Sarah runs the fabulous team of volunteer sewers who built a huge number of this season's costumes, starting back in January. Sarah's own contract began May 8, 2026.

Our tour began in the production area, which barely accommodates the needs of the 11 crew members and the wardrobe team. Once again, we heard about the ongoing challenge of space and storage for props and costumes. The production cabana houses all the set pieces and props for the season—every inch is occupied. As Sarah said, it's bursting at the seams (pun not intended).

The space is so tight that props are moved outside strategically, night by night, bin by bin, act by act, because there's simply no room to maneuver anything in that shed. Message received: they need more storage!

A member asked, "What if it rains?" Sarah said they have a rain plan—everyone has a responsibility, mostly involving tarps. In fact, just the day before, she'd had to grab all her machines and tuck them indoors in a hurry.

A member asked about the green smear of paint on the pavement outside the dressing room cabanas. Sarah explained that traditionally, performers would wait in a "green room," a term sometimes said to have originated from the idea that green surroundings made performers' cheeks look rosier before going onstage. This particular green streak, though, had nothing to do with that tradition—it was leftover from painting the Into the Woods set a few years back.

Tim's joke, she said, is that the Grove's outdoor cast area is the greenest green room you'll ever find—which got a good laugh from Guild members!

Sarah then walked us over to the dressing room cabanas, numbered 1–5, which accommodate 14 actors in total. Cabana 4, nicknamed "Jumbo Banna," holds up to six actors, while the smaller cabanas hold two each.

We did a tight walk-through of Jumbo Banna, promising not to touch anything—though we really wanted to pull out those rows of fabulous costumes for a closer look. Rows of shoes live underneath.

We learned that the Grove has an understudy, Charlotte, who has travelled from Toronto twice this season to fill in for an ensemble member due to injury or illness. Every actor, including Charlotte, has their own station—makeup section, mirror, chair, and a bin for personal belongings.

Spamalot costumes hung and were shelved on one side of the cabana, with costumes from the other shows organized on the other. A lot goes on in this small, carefully organized space! One Guild member noted that this setup is a definite upgrade from what actors originally had.

Interesting fact: a "quick wardrobe change" means a costume change in under five minutes, done behind the stage, outdoors, on a small mat. Thankfully, Sarah has a dresser to help her this year—one actor has 21 costume changes in Spamalot (how is that even possible?). Other roles, like King Arthur, have just a single costume.

Sarah and her assistant handle laundry daily at the Fenelon Falls laundromat, then return each garment to its cast member's spot in the dressing room, so clean clothing is always within reach. Other wardrobe responsibilities include restyling wigs after each show, organizing shoes (each cast member has about 4–6 pairs across the different shows), and moving costumes backstage for quick changes.

We can only imagine the schlepping involved in keeping up with Spamalot's quick changes. In short, Sarah's job keeps everyone else sane—which must take a toll on her own!

Backstage Operations 2 with Allison Bjerkseth

Allison greeted us backstage in the space traditionally called a "crossover"—a hidden corridor allowing actors and crew to move from one side of the stage to the other, unseen by the audience.

At The Grove, though, that corridor isn't a building with walls and a cement floor, but an open-air path through the woods with a mulch surface. As Allison said, it's the same concept—and a very busy space.

The costumes we saw in the dressing rooms come back here "at the top of the show" for the quick changes Sarah mentioned. Allison pointed out the clothing racks, hooks, and mats that serve as dressing areas. Costumes for each show are "preset" in the same place every night, so cast and crew always know exactly where to go.

Baskets sort "dead" items (already used) from "not dead yet" items (still needed later in the show), keeping cast and crew organized. Allison called it a constantly moving, flowing system—a "backstage dance."

It's unusual for a Production Manager to be backstage, but Allison is there every night for Spamalot, since it requires extra hands—which they were prepping for that very evening. Her job is making sure her team has everything they need; her motto is, "If the team needs my support, that is my job."

She's justifiably proud of her small but mighty six-person crew.

Allison showed us a sample running sheet—what she called "the paperwork"—to give us a sense of how a show is organized. It notes the songs, cues, and who's doing what, changing, moving, or receiving on and off stage at any given moment—down to the exact second. Yes, that accurate!

The crew rehearses, documents, and memorizes these details through sheer repetition, but if memory fails, the paperwork is there to fall back on. It's their lifeline if a crew member gets sick or can't make a show and someone else has to fill in.

Earlier this season, a crew member succumbed to the heat, and everything had to be reassigned on the fly. It wasn't an easy night, but everyone—even the cast—pitched in to make sure the show happened.

We then climbed the "escape" stairs, upstage to the upper crossover, with its vantage point over the amphitheatre—a tight space up there.

Allison explained that a more traditional theatre would have wings with prop tables preset before a show; the Grove instead has a few shelves, colour-coded for each show. Most of this season's props belong to Spamalot—luckily, the other shows don't have as many.

Costumes are also preset upstairs so cast and crew always know exactly where to find an item. We saw two Lady of the Lake gowns ready to go.

Allison said an actor may have less than a minute to change—in Spamalot, Jeremy Lapalme quick-changes from Dennison to Galahad in 48 seconds. So the crew has to think about details like this: the last item put on is the first thing hung back up. Hats go on top, shoes stay on the bottom, and every costume is placed the same way every show, so nothing is left to chance.

Sometimes four actors are changing at once on the crossover, with two dressers helping, which gets cramped fast—so everyone has to stay organized. Then the crew runs up costumes for the next scene, making sure everyone gets the space they need.

It's constant back-and-forth with its own kind of flow. Costume and prop management, it turns out, is its own backstage choreography.

The stage crew also handles set changes upstairs. Allison showed us where the "feet of God" live for Spamalot, operated by a small pulley system that takes two crew members to run. Other props hang here too, ready for the stage crew.

She pointed out a cabinet housing the audio receivers and mics, everything hardwired into their system and run from the tech booth. Changing mic batteries and troubleshooting receivers mid-show also falls to the stage crew. And Allison, naturally, is always armed with safety pins for quick wardrobe fixes.

A Guild member asked whether the drama camp puts on a show. Allison said yes—the first production of the season was the previous Friday. Families were invited, drawing about 100 audience members for a 25-minute performance of The Lion King.

Some returning and older campers also got to write and perform their own show, so the kids put on two back-to-back productions. Allison praised their efforts.

Not all campers want to be onstage. Grove crew member Gavin Jones was once a camper who volunteered because of his interest in audio and lighting. Grove staff nurtured that interest, and today he's a Production Assistant running spotlights during shows. Allison says he's wonderful.

One of Allison's favourite parts of the job is mentoring others. This year, The Grove has some younger cast members who are technically paid interns, for whom The Grove is their first professional gig. They gain the same experience as everyone else, just with less background knowledge going in.

Next week, The Grove is offering educational sessions on topics interns might not learn in school—union specifics, taxes, and general theatre smarts—where Grove staff can pass along their lived experience to those coming up in the industry.

To quote Allison: "The people at the Grove are here because they love, enjoy, and are willing to do what they do, because they really believe in what's happening… even when it gets hard… it's a little part of their heart."

She added that she'd rather be at The Grove than somewhere like Stratford, where everything's already figured out—she'd rather put her skills and talents toward being part of The Grove's growth.

Working with The Grove, she said, is gratifying: "It's a bit of a feat" when people say something's not possible, and they make it happen anyway. That challenge is exactly where she wants to be. She ended by noting that their work at The Grove is also helping the wider community.

Tim's Final Comments

Tim was keen to share some future plans: hiring a Director of Education and developing an indoor space for community engagement and year-round operations, with the goal of increasing The Grove's economic impact and expanding educational and enrichment programming.

Tim talked about how the Stratford Festival got its start and shared his parallel vision for how The Grove could be a similar catalyst for change and growth in our community.

He disclosed some exciting news: The Grove is currently in the architectural planning phase for an indoor space.

Consumer spending already generates an estimated $4.1 million in economic impact in Fenelon Falls and the surrounding community during the summer months, according to Tim. His wish list involves extending that activity into the off-season, right through the holidays. Local merchants, businesses, and restaurants would be thrilled to hear about this forward momentum for Fenelon Falls. Can we all picture Tim's dream: butterfly wings closing over the amphitheatre when it rains?

Currently, The Grove can't bring in bus tours because they can't guarantee that a show will go on—an indoor space would change that. Tim suggested that we all "buy a chair" through the “Take Your Seat Campaign” to help make this dream a reality. He added that Stacey's large band of volunteers wants to be able to do even more.

A Director of Education would oversee youth and adult enrichment programming. With fewer arts opportunities in the education system, the efforts of The Grove Theatre really matter. The initial discussions regarding adult enrichment are exactly the kind of ideas we've dreamed about at our own Guild planning meetings—things such as choir participation and performing arts programs. The sky's the limit!

Well, that was an eye-opening event!

Our biggest takeaway? The Grove Theatre team is passionate, talented, and incredibly hard-working!

Thank you to all our members for their participation, and for helping The Grove Guild continue to thrive.

Your co-chairs,
Brenda Devine & Pj Murray