My name is Anna LeBourdais, and Trouper.ca was created out of a deep belief in the value of community theatre. This website is a gathering place for those who love, support, and participate in local theatre — whether as audience members, volunteers, performers, or creatives. Trouper.ca exists to celebrate what’s happening on stages across Durham Region and neighbouring regions, to make community theatre more visible, and to strengthen the connections that allow it to thrive.
This work is rooted in gratitude. My late husband, Julien LeBourdais, was a constant and unwavering supporter of my volunteer involvement in community theatre. I owe him a deep debt of gratitude — not only for encouraging my time, energy, and passion, but for the way he embraced the people I worked alongside.
Whenever Julien met fellow volunteers, actors, directors, or crew members, he never failed to uplift them. He listened with genuine interest, asked thoughtful questions, and offered encouragement that stayed with people long after the conversation ended. His belief in community, creativity, and shared purpose continues to inspire both this work and the spirit behind Trouper.ca.
My connection to theatre began early — through acting lessons at Jack Medhurst’s Acting Studio, followed by school productions at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School, and later formal training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Life, however, has a way of reshaping even our most certain paths.
After becoming a New York City parent, navigating the breakdown of my marriage, and returning to Toronto, I enrolled as a mature student in the theatre program at York University. There, I received multiple awards and was encouraged to pursue professional work in the field. I went on to work with CentreStage (now Canadian Stage), including during the period when Guy Sprung and Bill Glassco served as Artistic Directors, and briefly with Theatre Plus under Malcolm Black.
Ultimately, the realities of single parenthood required a more stable career, and I spent many years working as an Executive Assistant — always seeking meaningful roles and never straying far in spirit from the arts. Retirement offered me the opportunity to return fully to theatre, this time through community involvement.
Trouper.ca and Durham’s Community Stage are my way of giving back: volunteering my time, energy, and experience in service of community theatre. I do this freely, and I offer it freely, because I believe theatre is a vital expression of community — one that deserves to be seen, supported, and shared.