Matchstick Theatre formed in 2017 when Chelsea, Alex, and Jake came together to produce Daniel MacIvor’s In On It at the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After years of fruitful collaboration, Matchstick incorporated as a not-for-profit company. Our group remains tight-knit and committed to producing Canadian theatre for audiences in Halifax and beyond.
Matchstick has been nominated independently for 15, and collaboratively for 11, Theatre Nova Scotia Robert Merritt Awards since 2018, including 2025 wins for Outstanding Production and Direction (Leaving Home).
Matchstick makes Canadian theatre in Nova Scotia, where we establish and prioritize collaborative relationships with our local community. We are always asking ourselves what it means to be a part of the Canadian canon and how we can better include underrepresented voices. Ultimately, Matchstick champions Canadian plays and playwrights, creating theatre that manifests moments of truth our audiences can collectively experience.
Artistic Director
Jake (he/him) is the founding artistic director of Matchstick Theatre, assistant director of the Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax Festival, and coordinator of Theatre Nova Scotia’s DramaFest. Selected directing credits include: Bone Cage by Catherine Banks, The Woodcutter by Don Hannah, Leaving Home by David French (Matchstick); The Aliens by Annie Baker (Theatre in Space); and Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco (Timms Centre). In 2025, he received the Robert Merritt award for Outstanding Direction (Leaving Home).
Managing Director
Chelsea (she/her) is a multifaceted arts manager and educator based out of Kjipuktuk/Halifax, originally from South Maitland, NS. She works all across Mi’kma’ki with different companies in a wide range of roles. Stage and production manager, arts administrator/manager, and drama educator. She is a founder and producer for Matchstick Theatre.
When not producing her own shows, Chelsea has been a go-to stage manager around Kjipuktuk/Halifax, having worked with such companies as 2b theatre, Neptune Theatre, Nestuita’si Storytelling, Villain’s Theatre, Workshirt Opera, Theatre New Brunswick, The Doppler Effect, and Festival Antigonish.
Financial Director
Alex (he/him) is an indie theatre producer, musician, and Chartered Professional Accountant working in Kjipuktuk/Halifax.
Alex uses his financial acumen to serve on a number of arts organizations’ board of directors. He is proud to sit as the current Treasurer for Kinetic Dance Studio, the Halifax Fringe Festival, and Zuppa Theatre, and he was previously the Treasurer of Theatre Nova Scotia and the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op during their recent capital campaign to purchase their building in 2020. He was incredibly grateful when his work with all of these vital organizations earned him the Outstanding Volunteer award at the 2019 Nova Scotia Merritt Awards.
Alex is one of the founding members and the Financial Director of Matchstick Theatre. He has produced all of their shows to date.
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Matchstick Theatre Creates,
Develops and Produces theatre in Mi’kma’ki,
the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq
Matchstick Theatre Creates, Develops and Produces theatre in Mi’kma’ki,
the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq
