2013 Barry Whiteland

Life Member 2013

prepared by Lisa Leroux, Archivist 2025

The cast of Michael Healey’s The Drawer Boy 2017. (L-R: Alex Fleuriau Chateau as Miles, Paul Duchesne as Morgan and Barry Whiteland as Angus.)

Barry Neil Whiteland was born on December 9, 1952 and died on November 16, 2022. He was a graduate of Thousand Islands Secondary School and studied theatre arts at university. After teaching in the Bahamas during the 70’s, he returned to Brockville to share his love of theatre with his hometown.

Barry served on the boards of the Brockville Operatic Society and the Brockville Theatre Guild. His obituary acknowledges that Barry was a collector and supporter of the visual arts from a wide source of local artists and artisans. (He laughingly referred to his living room as the Lynn McLean Art Gallery!) He was employed by Customs Canada, Port Lansdowne for over 29 years. 

“Family First” was a favourite motto of Barry’s. His family was thankful for one of his final gifts - the caregiver of their father in his last years. 

We will all remember Barry’s laugh and quick wit and positive attitude. I always loved giving Barry a big hug whenever we met, because he always smelled so wonderful! 

The following table indicates those roles and responsibilities Barry assumed within the BTG; I am certain that our records do not clearly indicate the number of shows for which Barry shared his skills as a make-up artist. He was also very heavily involved with the BOS - and was honoured to be a life member of that organization as well as the BTG. 

Barry was inducted into the Brockville and Area Music and Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 2010.

  1. 1978  The Fantasticks - a Musical Play  Make-up with his mom, Jean Whiteland!

  2. 1978  Move Over Mrs. Markham 1978 Sound technician

  3. 1978  Arsenic and Old Lace  Actor  Professional director: Lyn Gorman

  4. 1978  Wait Until Dark  Stage Manager

  5. 1980  The Final Audition - an original play  Co-producer and actor  Devised and directed by David L. Austin. A collaboration with the Brockville Operatic Society as a fundraiser for the Musi-Theatre

  6. 1982  Jitters  Actor  Barry won the EODL Leonard Beaulne Memorial Award for Best Performance of an Actor in a major role.

  7. 1983  Nurse Jane Goes to Hawaii  Director  1983 ticket prices? Adults: $5.50 Students Seniors: $4.00 !!!

  8. 1984  The Mousetrap  Actor

  9. 1985 The Skin of Our Teeth  Actor  (The BTG’s EODL entry in which Lorraine Smith won a Best Actress Award!!)

  10. 1990  No Sex Please, We’re British  Actor

  11. 1996  Love, Sex and the I.R.S.  Actor

  12. 1999  Man of La Mancha  Producer with Marie Galvin  In conjunction with the Brockville Operatic Society

  13. 2000  Moon Over Buffalo  Co-Director with Trish Galvin

  14. 2003  Rumors  Actor

  15. 2004  There Goes the Bride  Director

  16. 2009  Just a Stage he’s going thru  Actor  One of three plays within a Dinner Theatre evening

  17. 2009  Opening Night  Director

  18. 2013  It’s a Wonderful Life  Director

  19. In 2013, Barry was honoured with a Life Membership at the Brockville Convention Centre as part of “Pearls from the Past”, the 80th Anniversary celebration of the Brockville Theatre Guild!

  20. 2017  The Drawer Boy  Actor  Directed by yours truly … and may I say that it was an honour and a privilege to direct Mr. Barry Whiteland!

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