Mary Ellen MacLean, a proud Nova Scotian, is a Toronto/Gatineau Hills-based actor, creator and director, as well as teacher of physical theatre, movement, improvisation and performance. Her focus is on ensemble work and creating your own personal style of performing connecting body, mind and spirit. She studied with physical theatre and mime master/director Tony Montanaro, who was based in Maine, U.S.
Ms. MacLean was a founding member of the Halifax physical theatre ensemble, Jest in Time, touring worldwide for 20 years with performances at the Sydney Opera House, a tour of Japan, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Just for Laughs in Montreal, several cross-Canada tours, a performance for Queen Elizabeth and three national CBC specials.
Some of her TV/film credits include Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, Wilby Wonderful, Wound-Up, The Singular Series (Frankie), Made in Canada, Liocracy and Shattered City.
Ms. MacLean is the recipient of Nova Scotia Merritt Theatre Awards, including Twenty Years of Theatre Excellence (Jest in Time) and Best Production (Trip-Jest), along with nominations for Best New Play (Frankie) and Best Actress (Trip, Frankie). She is co-artistic director of Frankie Productions who produced her play Velocipede, using 21 bicycles, and seven dancers/performers. Her one-woman play Frankie toured across Canada and aired on Bravo TV.
Along with her wife Wendy, Ms. MacLean has created The Skyridge Studio, an artist retreat in the Gatineau Hills open to artists of various disciplines and for those who enjoy the outdoors.