North Barn Theare

North Barn Theatre was formed in the Spring of 2020 by Laura Stinson and Ian McFarlane in the Ohio Valley, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. McFarlane and Stinson are theatre makers, scenographers and puppeteers who have worked internationally across the United States, Canada and Europe with companies such as Bread and Puppet Theater, the Canadian Academy of Mask and Puppetry, and The River Clyde Pageant. As visual artists and material-based performers we aim to engage in design-led creative processes that promote interdisciplinary collaboration and community advocacy. Our vision is to provoke thought around critical social and ecological issues by using playful imagery and public spectacle. We work from the belief that art is nourishment and should be available to everyone.

Book Tickets

Performers

  • co-creator, designer, director for A Gorgon’s Tale

    Ian McFarlane is a scenographer, a theatre maker and a puppeteer whose work expands on the disciplines of material performance, ecoscenography and sensory ethnography. Creating for the theatre, community advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration, his practice fosters a fusion of landscape poetics, regenerative invention and performative alchemy. He completed his MFA in Contemporary Art at Simon Fraser University and has taught across Canada in a variety of academic and community settings. Ian is the current Resident Designer and Lecturer for the Drama and Screen Studies Department at Mount Allison University.

  • Co-creator, designer and puppeteer for A Gorgon’s Tale

    Laura crafts images from both found and traditional materials. These creations become narratives, characters and atmospheres in a variety of theatrical spectacles. She began her career in puppetry with Bread and Puppet Theater in 2016. After four years working as a touring member and subsequent resident puppeteer with the company, Laura moved back to Mi’kma’ki and co-founded North Barn Theatre with Ian McFarlane in 2020. Alongside making work with North Barn she continues to collaborate with other artists as a performer, puppet and set designer and builder. She also shares her specialized knowledge by leading workshops in both puppet construction and performance across the Atlantic region. She currently lives and makes art in Siknikt, Mi’kma’ki.

  • Composer and musician for A Gorgon’s Tale

    Behrooz Mihankhah is a celebrated Iranian Canadian composer and pianist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Inspired by his migrations through Iran, India and finally to Canada, Behrooz fuses various musical traditions, compositional techniques, and improvisational schools of thought and brings together listeners of various backgrounds.

  • Puppeteer for A Gorgon’s Tale

    Bianca Richard est comédienne, marionnettiste qui écrit parfois du théâtre et des films. Co-fondatrice du Théâtre La Cigogne en 2012, elle participe aux créations de cette compagnie jusqu’en 2018. Depuis, elle navigue entre le jeu à la télévision (À la Valdrague, Newbies), la création théâtrale (Radi, Les limites du bruit possible, Pépins) et la production de courts métrages (Out of tune, Al-Ghoula à la plage). En 2024, elle joue le rôle de L’autrice dans Becca de Mélanie Léger. C’est aussi en 2024 qu’elle co-crée avec Gabriel Robichaud la pièce Parler mal qui a tourné jusqu’en juin 2026.

  • Dramaturge for A Gorgon’s Tale

    Valmai is a professional director, dramaturg, and producer who has worked in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Nunavut, and Alberta, from shoestring fringe shows to large regional theatres. In addition to numerous professional directing credits, she was the Associate Artistic Producer for Lunchbox Theatre, Artistic Producer for Evergreen Theatre, and Development Coordinator for the Alberta Writers Guild. She holds an MFA Directing from the University of Calgary. She is delighted to be collaborating with North Barn Theatre for the first time. Currently, Valmai is the Instructor in Applied Theatre in Mount Allison University.