Artistic Director Jake Planinc
Jake (he/him) is the founding Artistic Director of Matchstick Theatre, Assistant Festival Director with the Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax Festival of Working People & the Arts, and DramaFest Coordinator for Theatre Nova Scotia. With Matchstick, he has directed Daniel MacIvor’s In On It, Catherine Banks’ Bitter Rose and Bone Cage, Don Hannah’s The Woodcutter, John Mighton’s The Little Years, Michael Melski’s Joyride, Henricus Gielis’ King of the Goats, and David French’s Leaving Home. In 2021, he directed Matchstick’s readings of David French’s Leaving Home and Joan MacLeod’s Toronto, Mississippi. In 2022, he directed a site-specific production of Annie Baker’s play The Aliens behind Propeller Brewing with Theatre in Space. In 2023, he assistant directed and produced the world premiere of Catherine Banks’ Downed Hearts.
Managing Director Chelsea Dickie
Chelsea Dickie is an award-winning theatre maker rooted in community and education in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. She is committed to engaging and expanding connection, and in her work with the Bus Stop Theatre and 2b theatre has created intersections and collaborations between artists of all stripes. This passion extends to emerging generations of creators, through her years as a high school teacher and the past coordinator of DramaFest, Nova Scotia’s annual festival for high school theatre students. Chelsea is a dependable and supportive mentor, consistently fostering young talent into the city’s professional scene.
In 2017, Chelsea helped found Matchstick Theatre, which since then has staged over 10 classic Canadian plays and contemporary theatre productions, and collaborated with over 55 local performance artists in their work. When not independently producing shows, Chelsea is a go-to stage manager in town and has worked with some of Halifax’s leading companies, including Neptune, 2b, Nestuita’si Storytelling, and The Villains Theatre.
Financial Director Alex Mills
Alex Mills (he/him) is an indie theatre producer, musician, and treasurer working in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. He is one of the founding members and the Financial Director of Matchstick Theatre, and he has produced all of their shows to date. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Dalhousie, and obtained his Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2021. Alex has used his financial acumen to serve on a number of arts organizations’ board of directors, including Theatre Nova Scotia, the Halifax Fringe Festival, and Zuppa Theatre. He was also the Treasurer of the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op during their capital campaign to purchase their building in 2020. Alex 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.
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