Meet The Team
Therapeutic Clown Practitioners
Jody Boston
she/her
Ruby / Kimmy
Jody Boston is an award-winning artist with 18 years’ experience teaching drama, music, and movement in Hamilton schools. She is a regular guest artist at McMaster University and teaches Improv and Clown. As the Director of Under the Willows, Jody led artists to create arts and garden programming at a pediatric mental health facility. A triple-threat performer, highlights include Femme Arts Comedy, Open Hearts, the Art Gallery of Hamilton and FiXT POINT. Jody is a graduate of the George Brown College Therapeutic Clown Program.
Andrew Gaboury
he/his
Cecil / Radar
Andrew Gaboury a graduate of the George Brown Therapeutic Clown program is also an award-winning performer, writer and educator based in Port Credit, Mississauga. He is a collaborating artist with site-specific dancetheatre company Frog in Hand, and in 2023 he created a roaming clown performance called “Pastel’s Imaginarium”.You may have seen him performing with and supporting the work of various community arts groups in Toronto such as Clay & Paper Theatre, Mabelle Arts, Jumblies and Lakeshore Arts.
Derek Kwan
he/him
Biscuit
Derek Kwan is an actor, singer, and theatre creator working at the intersection of theatre, music and movement in a number of forms, including opera, clown, and puppetry. His performing career has taken him across Canada and the globe, from London, England, to performances in the Czech Republic, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. He was the Artistic Director of Common Boots Theatre, and works as a freelance theatre director, dramaturg, and teacher/lecturer on theatre, diversity and representation. He has worked as a professional Therapeutic Clown in Taiwan and in Canada. Recently, Derek has enjoyed performing in several seasons at the Stratford Theatre Festival.
Mackenzie Muldoon
she/her
Maisie / Twirl
Mackenzie Muldoon is a Toronto based actor, creator, clown, producer, and festival director. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University, specializing in Theatre Performance and has built a career in the arts ever since. She toured North America and parts of Asia performing with Theatre Beyond Words. She studied improv with Kate Ashby, clown with Francine Coté and Helen Donnelly and graduated from North America’s first Therapeutic Clown Certificate Program at George Brown College in 2019.
Ruy Nieves
he/him
Babe Ruy / Mambo
Ruy Nieves is a Mexican stage-clown artist who has been the director of two Non-profit organizations in Mexico, engaging in community theater, opening alternative spaces and approaching art to disadvantaged environments; in addition he has developed Youtube channels and a local Mexican television show with educational and cultural content. He has worked in many different productions from classical to contemporary as an actor, director and playwright. He has participated in international festivals and taken workshops in Mexico, United States, London and Spain. He has a BA in acting and a MA in Literature.
Natalie Fullerton
she/her
Rose / Steps
Natalie Fullerton is a classically trained, multi-disciplinary artist; a dancer, aerialist, poi and fire performer, as well as a theatrical and therapeutic clown. Natalie holds a BFA in Dance from York University and a diploma from George Brown College’s therapeutic clowning programme. She was the co-founder and co-director of Goodness Gracious aerial and fire performance event company and Collective Space studio in Toronto.
Natalie is currently working as a therapeutic clown with both Red Nose Remedy and Lookup Theatre serving clients in hospice, long term care, rehab, respite and hospitals all over Toronto.
Haven Klassen
she/her
Shirley / Woosh
Haven Klassen has been clowning with Red Nose Remedy since its inception. In 2019 she completed the Therapeutic Clowning Certificate program at George Brown College. Over the years she has workshopped with several clown instructors including Helen Donnelly, John Beale, and Fiona Griffiths. Besides her therapeutic clown work with Red Nose Remedy she has also performed in clown at events and on the street as a busker.
Isaac Luy
he/him
Ricky / Yay
Isaac Luy is a clown and actor originally from Caracas, Venezuela. He has trained with some of the most renowned teachers in the world, including Carlo Colombaioni (France), Jango Edwards and the “The Rebel Clown Army” (Spain); with Francine Côté, James Keylon, and Roch Jutras (Montreal); and with Sue Morrison (Toronto). Since 2011, he has been an apprentice and is now a teacher of the Canadian Pochinko clown technique under the guidance of Sue Morrison.
He wrote and performed a solo clown show “EXIT”, which toured across Canada and was presented in Europe.
Angola Murdoch
she/her
Mabel / Candy
Since graduating from the George Brown College Therapeutic Clowning program in 2019, Angola Murdoch has proudly served youth as Candy and elders as Mabel. She is a therapeutic clown with Red Nose Remedy at Sunnybrook Hospital and Savehaven. She also works at LookUp Theatre and serves clients at St. Joseph Hospital. Before therapeutic clowning, she spent the last 20 years as an aerial circus performer. A career highlight was performing as a Klingon aerial silk performer on Star Trek: Discovery.
Hilary Wear
she/her/they/them
Flo / Hay
Hilary Wear is a theatre artist who, more and more, has become a Clown. Her Theatrical clown Tootah has appeared at festivals across Ontario. She is a graduate of the George Brown College Therapeutic Clown program and has been working with Red Nose Remedy since its inception. Gchi Miigwech-Many Thanks!
Behind the Scenes Team
Board Member
Jason Chen (he / him)
Jason Chen has lived in Toronto his entire life and is married with two children. Jason's career has been focused in the banking sector for over 20 years and he is currently a Managing Director at TD Securities. Jason holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business, is a Chartered Accountant and has his MBA from Ivey Business School in Toronto. He is a passionate supporter of visible minorities and women in leadership. Jason enjoys video games, basketball and power tools.
Board Treasurer
Jacqueline Chevalier (she / her)
is a retired CPA (CMA), whose most recent role was as the Corporate
Controller at UGE International Ltd., a solar energy company, from which she retired in August 2024. She has over 30 years experience at organizations of various sizes, primarily in the banking,
telecommunications and IT sectors. Although Jacqueline has no background in healthcare or the arts, she believes passionately in the value of the work that Red Nose Remedy is doing, and is honoured to bring her background and perspective to the team.
Founder
Helen Donnelly (she / her)
is an award-winning clown teacher and performer. Helen worked as a professional Therapeutic Clown since 2004. Her career in this field included positions with SickKids, Dr. Clown Toronto, Long Term Care facilities across the GTA serving elders with dementia, and 12 years at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital as 'Dr Flap'.
Her career outside healthcare included touring with Circus Orange and Cirque du Soleil as a clown. She presented and offered training at healthcare conferences both nationally and internationally from 2007 - 2021.
In January 2022, Helen died due to cancer. She left Red Nose Remedy as part of her legacy. Helen was passionate about creating new opportunities for clown artists and nurturing existing Therapeutic Clowning practices to help clown artists attain best practice standards for themselves and their programs. She was thrilled to have created and led North America’s first Certificate Program for Therapeutic Clowning. She was ever grateful to George Brown College (Continuing Education), and to the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and to Safehaven for hosting the student placements at their respective sites.
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Acting Executive Director
Andrew Gaboury (he / him)
is an award-winning performer, writer and educator based in Port Credit, Mississauga. The desire to bring a sense of wonder and joy to the everyday is central to his practice. As a performer, he employs techniques from theatrical clown, collective creation, dance, puppetry and community arts. As a writer, Andrew has explored a variety of mediums, including playscript, poetry, and most recently a video game. Andrew is a company member with site-specific dance-theatre company Frog In Hand. He was one of four co-Artistic Directors of hub14 art + performance works from 2013-19, where he and the team supported local and international artists with residencies, affordable studio space and ongoing programming.
In 2019 Andrew graduated from North America’s first Therapeutic Clowning Certificate program led by award-winning clown Helen Donnelly at George Brown College. In 2020, he joined Kathleen Le Roux‘s team of therapeutic clowns primarily serving elders in Long-Term Care and those living with dementia. During the pandemic, Andrew worked with MABELLEarts and Derek Kwan to bring a practice of social clowning to their community.
Contact him: andrew@rednoseremedy.ca
Board Member
Shannon Giannitsopoulou (she / her, fae / fer, per / pers)
Shannon Giannitsopoulou is a social justice practitioner with over 15 years of experience leading inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA), reconciliation, anti-racism, and 2SLGBTQIA inclusion initiatives. Shannon holds a PMP and a Masters in Social Justice Education. Shannon is currently completing a Doctorate of Education.
Reflective Practice Facilitator
Jackie Grandy, MSW, RSW
Jackie is a psychotherapist in private practice who works with adults, children and families; she also provides clinical supervision and team management with the George Hull Centre for Children and Families. She brings a broad range of experience to her practice and works from a psychodynamic and trauma-informed lens. Jackie strives for genuine, empathy-fueled relationships and brings playfulness, humour, and curiosity into her practice, the better to explore patterns, challenges, and opportunities without judgment. She is honoured to be facilitator of reflective practice with Red Nose Remedy.
Board Member
Julia Gray (she / her)
Julia is an award-winning researcher, facilitator and writer. She has published across platforms, including everything from academic journals, newsletters, websites, as well as screen and stage plays. She believes in the importance of understanding how cultural values shape the ways we act and interact, as well as the importance of story for connecting to social experience and understanding difference, which is necessary for making the world better. She holds a PhD from University of Toronto, and has taught at University of Toronto, York University, University of Guelph as well as Sheridan College. She is incredibly excited to be on the board of Red Nose Remedy to support its amazing work.
Board Chair
Rebecca Maiese, MSW, RSW (she / her)
is a psychotherapist in the public sector who works with children, youth and families. Rebecca has a broad range of clinical experience and sees empathy, curiosity and play as integral components of any therapeutic process. Rebecca first became acquainted with the world of therapeutic clown through her late husband, Jamie Burnett, who started the Therapeutic Clown program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Jamie’s passion and dedication to the integrity of the work was infectious. Through his lengthy illness, Rebecca also experienced the many benefits of therapeutic clown as a family member, sharing in the experience with Jamie. She is thrilled and honoured to sit on the board of Red Nose Remedy to honour Jamie’s memory and legacy, as well as support and champion such important work in our communities.
Program Manager
Mackenzie Muldoon (she / her)
Mackenzie Muldoon has over 20 years of experience, working at more than 50 festivals, in numerous roles and departments, as well as working in many other areas of arts administration and production.
Mackenzie is also a Therapeutic Clown Practitioner with RNR and is passionate about both the practice and increasing access to it. She is excited to build on both through her work with Red Nose Remedy.
Contact her: programs@rednoseremedy.ca
Vice-Chair
Claire Restituto (she / her)
thrives on the idea that creativity can help improve health care experiences. With twenty plus years of experience in marketing, advertising, publishing and health care, each industry taught her how branding can bring positive connections. Her current role at Mackenzie Health and Foundation has seen her contribute to campaigns raising millions of dollars for a brand-new hospital as well as evolve brand strategies for uniting the network of care for the community.
Board Secretary
Melissa Wellburn (she / her)
With a sharp focus on corporate governance, Melissa joins the Red Nose Remedy board after years of navigating the complexities of corporate law. Melissa's expertise ensures Red Nose Remedy adheres to the highest legal and governance standards, while her strategic thinking helps lay a solid groundwork for the organization's future. A strong believer in Red Nose Remedy's mission, Melissa brings her legal prowess and passion to the table, ready to contribute to the organization's ongoing success.