Meet the Committee

KELLIE TWEEDDALE- PRESIDENT

Kellie has been performing and directing within community theatre for nearly 30 years.  She began her foray into acting at the age of 19 as Titania in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ with Camberwell Youth Theatre, and has since worked with such companies as Eltham, Essendon, STAG, Peridot, Encore, Lilydale and of course, The Hartwell Players.  Away from the stage Kellie works as a photographer, runs drama classes for adults with disabilities, and manages a drama school – Eastern Drama for Kids.  She loves to spend time with her two young boys and  feels lucky to have made so many friendships doing something she loves so much.

JODI SANDERS- VICE-PRESIDENT

After a 28 year absence from theatre, Jodi has been moonlighting from her usual “corporate roles” and returned to the stage.   Jodi made her Hartwell Players debut in Love, Loss and What I Wore in 2017, and then supported props and costumes for The Laramie Project.  Having previously performed in many stage productions including ‘Tartuffe’, ‘Taming of the Shrew’, ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, ‘Brigadoon’ and original productions like ‘Going On’ and ‘Wonderful to be Wicked’.  Jodi is also is on the committee for the Victorian Drama League (VDL). Jodi has extensive Senior Leadership experience in all areas of National / International Operations focused on Customer Service, Learning and Development, Human Resources, Marketing and Communications across many industry sectors.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts (major in theatre) and a Masters of Management.

PAUL WANIS – TREASURER


COLIN DONALD- SECRETARY

Colin is like the Google search engine of the Hartwell Players. Ask him any question about the group and after wracking his brain he is almost certain to come up with an answer, possibly the right one. After decades of being actor, writer, sound designer, director, AV creator, stage manager, props builder, newsletter editor, website designer, set builder and committee member for Melbourne oldest theatre company he has reached the exalted position of Life Member. And they still can’t rid of him. Colin has parlayed his experiences at Hartwell into being a professional performer and writer. That’s meant playing everything from Santa Claus (“Melbourne’s best” he says) to zombies, with the occasional serial killer thrown in. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Neighbours, Bed of Roses, Rush and TV commercials have all used Colin’s skills on television, but perhaps he is best known in medical circles. There he is one of Victoria’s leading simulated patients – acting out “live” medical scenarios to doctors, students, psychologists, paramedics, physiotherapists, et al. With regards to his writing, Colin’s work has been performed or read in many countries – often winning prizes (at events such as Crash Test Drama and one act play festivals). He has achieved similar success with his acting in Melbourne, but he counts his greatest acting prize as finding his beautiful tabby cat, the much adored Lady M. She was found as an abandoned tiny kitten after wailing beneath the Hartwell stage while he was performing King Duncan in Macbeth. Better than any Oscar!

JOANNE WATT – GENERAL COMMITTEE