Jesse The Star - Played By: Matthew Boutros

Matthew not only has a voice that brings emotion to you when you hear it, but also has features and an acting ability that play extremely well to the camera. He has been involved in: Burnt Toast, Talent Nation, The Ottawa Idol Singing Competition (in which he placed 3rd), Pippin and Anne of Green Gables. He also won the Cappies Best Male Vocalist award two years in a row.

As Jesse Matthew will play a young closeted youth who is trying to sort out his feelings and figure out how to deal with them. As a character he'll run the gamut from introvert to extrovert and depend heavily on his friends since he lacks high self-esteem.

Melissa The Best Friend - Played By: Megan Milette

Megan has exceptional singing and acting talent and has had roles in: The Boy Who Changed the World, Little Shop of Horrors, Duet of Bear and Dog, Fight Dreams, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lucky Stiff, 7 Stories, Zombie Prom and the film Louder Than Words. She also won the 2014 Cappie award for Top Supporting Actress.

Melissa is supposed to be Jesse's rock, however, she is torn socially between him and Todd her boyfriend, who is also the bully. At first she struggles to accept that her friend Jesse is gay and then after promising to support him in his decision to come out, she acts more as a bystander than a friend.

Todd The Bully - Played By: Sam Turgeon-Brabazon

Sam is one of the nice guys in our cast and the farthest thing from a bully. He did such a great job playing the role in the stage play, however, that we couldn't pass up the chance to have him play Todd in the movie version. He has done everything from act as stage manager and MC, to write scripts and play lead and supporting roles in productions from Jesus Christ Superstar, to Willy Wonka, Samlet and Break Before Bend.

The main source of Jesse's daily problems, Todd is the cunning and socially intelligent bully who does everything he can to try to make Jesse unhappy. Boyfriend to Melissa, he is at the top of his social class, put on a pedestal by everyone.

Nerd - Played By: Nick Surges

The sign of a true actor is one that can move the audience to tears. It was on the set of "Queer" our last movie where Nick Surges did exactly that. An amazing thespian, Nick will have the challenging role of the Nerd. Nick has been in: Real Eyes, Vicks 4, Queer, A St. Clair Christmas, Fiddler on the Roof, Time Flies, If I were to Sing, You'd Be My Voice, Homechild, Othello, A Tribute to the Canadian Musical, The Laramie Project, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Day we Grew Wings, and And So To Bed.

The nerd is the socially isolated character in the movie. He is continually trying to stay under the radar and frequently has an appearance that looks a bit disheveled, wanting to concentrate more on learning that looks.

Teacher - Played By: Debbie Millett

A veteran of Orpheus Musical Theatre Society, and former Principal of Canterbury High School, we have the fortune of Debbie Millett joining us as the teacher in Break Before Bend. She comes with a wealth of experience and talent, including roles in Footloose, The Sound of Music, Annie Get Your Gun, Sweet Charity, A Chorus Line, Nunsense, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, 42nd Street, Legally Blonde, The Drowsy Chaperone, Rent, Into the Woods, A Christmas Carol, Victor/Victoria, Oliver, Grease and many other productions.

As the teacher she will try to reign in both Jesse and the other students when they cross the line of adult acceptable behaviour.

Counselor - Played By: Lawrence Evenchick

Lawrence comes with a long list of acting credits on the stage, including: Mauritius, Les Miserables, the Weir, Deathtrap, Peter Pan, I do Not Like Thee Dr. Fell, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Galatea, The Soldier Dreams, The Sound of Music, Forever Plaid, Little Shop of Horrors, Victor Victoria, and Jesus Christ Superstar; and film experience in Spyfall, Raiders of the Lost Shark, Matchmaker, The Hunt for Johnny Ringo and My Fair Zombie.

As counselor he is a distant friend to Jesse. There to try to help, he misses the point more often than not, and if anything gets Jesse more frustrated than consoled. He fails to stop the bullying and also fails to help Jesse through his coming out

Todd's Friend - Played By: Luc Vo

Like Megan, our female star, Luc Vo will be joining us from Longfields Davidson Secondary School. He will be Sam's right hand man in the role of Todd's friend. Luc has been in numerous productions as lead and in support roles including: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Boy Who Changed The World, Lucky Stiff, Fight Dreams, 7 Stories, Frying Nemo Senile Nemo and Zombie Prom. Like Sam, being a bully is somewhat out of character but we have every confidence that he'll put on an amazing performance.

Todd's friend is a character who holds onto his friendship status with Todd for popularity. He isn't a bad youth, just misguided.

 

Melissa's Friend- - Played By: Molly Henderson

Molly has played lead roles in Legally Blonde and Annie, and support roles in Stop the Clocks and Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dream Cat. She just recently won the 2014 Cappies Award for Lead Actress In A Musical.

She will play the role of one of the two gossip girls to the letter. She will clue Melissa in as to what's happening around her and challenge the world as she sees it.

 

 

Melissa's Friend- - Played By: Katrina Soroka Cardinal

Katrina comes with a diverse background in everything from martial arts, dance, makeup, set construction, acting and work against bullying. She has done choreography and was highly involved in the production of Pippin.

She will play the role of one of the two gossip girls to the letter. She will clue Melissa in as to what's happening around her and challenge the world as she sees it.

 

 

Melissa's Sister - Played By: Keiren McClelland

Keiren comes with a wealth of acting and music experience including roles in: Music box, Jake and the Treehouse, You Won't Bring Me Down, Welcome to the 60's, Theseus and the Minotaur, Mmmbeth and Northside Story. She has also been involved very successfully in her high school's music program and enjoys dance.

Keiren has the job of showing how the innocence of youth can, in a very few words, get to the real problems with our society. She's a major asset to our cast.

 

Rapper - Appearance: Teenage Male

The rapper can be of any ethnicity as long as he is good at rapping.

 

 

Secondary Cast

We will need approximately ten additional cast for the chorus and in the larger scenes, and ten to fifteen extras for the major dance scenes.

 

  

   Cast & Production Staff

We are sorry to say that due to a lack of time on behalf of the composer we have had to cancel the shooting of Break Before Bend.

Dream Weaver Inc. is pleased to announce that it is now looking for chorus members, extras, and production staff for its next movie entitled Break Before Bend.

Break Before Bend is a powerful hard-hitting musical about Jesse, a gay teenager who comes out in a less-than-tolerant high school. His struggle challenges those around him - especially his best friend, Melissa – to provide the courage and action he needs to endure this transition.

On the surface it is a story of homophobic persecution, and about what it's like to undergo severe bullying; more importantly, however, it attempts to expose the crucial role that bystanders play in helping to solve the complex issues of todays youth.

The 23 original songs, along with the lyrics and storyline for the stage production were all the amazing brainchild of talented Ottawa Writer/Composer Elliot Wehrle. The show, which received rave reviews when performed at Centre Pointe theatre, has now been rewritten as a dynamic musical screenplay.

Rehearsals for the musical numbers will take place in June and July, with shooting of the major scenes from July 14th to 26th. Smaller scenes will be shot from the second week in July to mid August, depending on the scenes and parts that the cast members are in and their availability.

Production Staff:

We are looking for a number of production staff with production management, costume, hair and makeup, and video, lighting and/or audio experience. If you are interested, please submit your résumé and an indication of which area(s) you feel you coul assist in to:

kerry@breakbeforebend.com

We will reply to all applicants.

Thank you in advance for your interest in this project.

Producer/Director
Kerry Chalmers

Screenplay/Director
Earl Carriere

Original Script & Music/Music Director
Elliot Wehrle

Choreography
Jordan Smith

Directors of Photography
Matt Haughn
Kieran Dunn