Charlie Rhindress
Charlie Rhindress (born May 9, 1966) is an actor, writer, director and producer living in his hometown of Amherst, Nova Scotia. He was educated at Mount Allison University and is a co-founder and former Artistic Director of Live Bait Theatre, based in Sackville, New Brunswick. To date, sixteen of his plays have been produced, including "The Maritime Way of Life", which was nominated for a Canadian Comedy award as best new play, and "Flying On Her Own", based on the life of the late Canadian singer/songwriter, Rita MacNeil. The latter was published by Playwrights Canada Press  in 2008. Three of Rhindress's plays have been produced at Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia: "Ivor Johnson's Neighbours" (2009), "The Maritime Way of Life" (2012) and "Making Contact" (2013). Charlie has also written or co-written more than 30 dinner theatre scripts. His first book, "I'm Not What I Seem - The Many Stories of Rita MacNeil's Life" was published by Formac Publishing in 2016. It was a bestseller in the Maritimes and was short listed for the Best First Book Award from the Atlantic Books Awards. His second book, “Stompin’ Tom Connors: The  Myth and the Man - An Unauthorized Biography,” was released in September of 2019 and has also appeared on multiple bestseller lists. Rhindress has acted at theatres across Canada and in films and television programs including "Red Rover", "Black Eyed Dog", "Trailer Park Boys", "Haven", and "Mr. D." His directing credits include the premiere of Cathy Jones' one woman show, "Me, Dad and the Hundred Boyfriends" at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto and "The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged)" at Neptune Theatre in Halifax, for which he received a Merritt award nomination as Best Director. He is the former Associate  Artist for Neptune and a former Artistic Producer of Eastern Front Theatre. The Canadian Encyclopedia says that Rhindress's work "suggests that New Brunswick is fertile ground for popular comedy. Of particular note is Rhindress's "The Maritime Way of Life" (1999), a dark satire on traditional East Coast lifestyles and personalities. Despite its vicious sarcasm, extensive cross-dressing, and absurd humour, "The Maritime Way of Life" is very popular with Atlantic audiences."