Shining Stars

Martin Suichies

Magical moments on stage don’t happen by accident; they often take plywood, nails and a healthy dose of ingenuity. This is something Theatre Ancaster set carpenter Martin Suichies can attest to. For a decade now, Martin has been helping the company build eye-catching, innovative sets that capture the imagination and enchant audiences.

A retired chemical engineer, Martin began volunteering with Theatre Ancaster when his daughter was a performer in the Junior Broadway program. “It was 2013 when my daughter first started and I remember thinking ‘wow’, this is a good program. There’s a lot of great work done behind the scenes,” explains Martin. By the following year, Martin was a valuable member of the set building team.

Since then, Martin has worked on many Theatre Ancaster productions and made a name for himself as both a creative mind and talented builder. “Martin is the epitome of dedication at Theatre Ancaster and is one of the main backbones to our endless set construction projects,” says director, Angela Broadley. “He pours his heart into everything he does. He’s always open to new, creative ways to build something and is forever looking for more efficient ways to put pieces together, being mindful of timelines and cost.”

Martin is skilled and resourceful when it comes to executing a set designer’s vision with both structural integrity and the requisite razzle-dazzle. Whether it’s the marvelous moving parts of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory or a reverse-hinged trap door that shoots (fake) fire in Pippin, Martin has risen to the challenge of building safe, workable set pieces that elevate the story unfolding on stage.

Theatre Ancaster co-founder Al Croxall recounts calling on Martin when a prop “door” used for more authentic opening and closing sound effects needed to be rebuilt in a pinch: “We were struggling to make the new prop work well. Martin came over and generously applied his talents and hands-on willingness to finish the work with us. To me, this is the kind of thing that typifies Martin’s generosity, skill and friendliness as a valued member of the Theatre Ancaster family.”

When he isn’t busy in the production house, Martin enjoys cycling, rock climbing, camping, canoe trips and generally “outdoors stuff.” He’s also a member of the Theatre Ancaster Finance Committee. “His logical and balanced approach has assisted the Board to build manageable budgets and to create financial stability for the company as we have grown,” says Theatre Ancaster Board President, Krys Croxall.

This willingness to lend a hand where needed reflects Martin’s view of theatre as “the ultimate team sport […] where everybody can win.” Indeed, director Bob Carle calls Martin “the definition of a team player,” who is “always willing to make things the best they can be.” For Martin, the culmination of a show is akin to cheering his team to victory. “Everybody is making it work. I’m lucky enough to be one of the people who gets to sit in the audience and see it all come together.”

Most recently, Martin was the lead carpenter on The Pirates of Penzance Jr., helping to bring the rocky coast of Cornwall, England to life complete with a pirate ship serving as the set’s focal point. Martin will also be working on Theatre Ancaster’s big fall musical. In fact, it will be a family affair as his wife Michelle Chin is helming set design for the production. It’s a project he’s looking forward to, as long as he has his trusty headlamp at the theatre. “Everything is dark and painted black and you always have to try and find some screw underneath somewhere,” explains Martin. “It makes me unhappy when I forget my headlamp.”