Bard on the Beach relies on an incredible team of staff, Company members, and volunteers to help put on our Festival every summer, and our People of Bard series spotlights just some of the wonderful individuals who make our work possible. To see some of our People of Bard posts from last Season, check out our Bard Blog. 

Today, we’re excited to be highlighting our Assistant Production Carpenter, Marcus Vaillant! Marcus first joined the Bard team in 2019 after graduating from Studio 58 and has been an integral part of our Production team ever since. Read on to learn more about Marcus and his journey at Bard!

Tell us a little about yourself!
I started working at Bard fresh out of theatre school back in 2019 as a production crew member, doing everything from crawling under the stage to painting flats. In 2020 I was hired as Drew Facey’s Assistant Set Designer for the productions on the Howard Family stage, but that was cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. After returning from the pandemic in 2022, I began to further integrate myself with the production carpentry department, which led me to my current position as the Assistant Production Carpenter. 

What do you enjoy most about your role?
I love working with my hands to solve a new problem every day. I’m really lucky to be a part of such a talented carpentry department that teaches me new things every step of the way. Additionally, getting to pass that knowledge onto the new generations of theatre technicians that come to Bard every year is very rewarding. 

Is there something that you were looking forward to the most this Season?
This Season, I was looking forward to getting to oversee the construction of the BMO Mainstage itself. I got to put my years of experience assembling and disassembling the stage as a crew member to use. There’s nothing like the feeling of slowly seeing the BMO Mainstage go from mud and dirt to a proper stage. The addition of a trapdoor added a lot of excitement to the build this year too!

Do you have a favourite memory from past Seasons at Bard?
A memory that comes to mind is how happy I felt seeing the idea for the crypt from Romeo and Juliet (2022) come out of the group after a bunch of us spent days trying to make it work. 

When you aren’t helping to put on a Festival, what do you like to do in the summer?
I like to spend my summers going to concerts and spending time outdoors with my friends, whether that’s in town at the beach or in the car heading somewhere like Squamish or the Sunshine Coast. 

Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Marcus! 

Be sure to keep an eye out on our Bard Blog for more behind-the-scenes looks at our Festival and the incredible individuals who make it possible.