Local film producer discovers her passion for musical theatre

After eight years of working in the film industry, Sault Ste. Marie’s Trish Rainone is taking her producing experience from the camera to the stage as she prepares for the Musical Comedy Guild’s upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof.

“I took a step back from film in the last year which has allowed time for theatre,” she told SooToday. “Now, theatre is taking over my life. It’s nice to try a variety of things.”

Years before she began her work as a co-director with the Sault Film Festival, Rainone left her hometown to pursue a career in film and television in southern Ontario.

Over the last decade, she has found herself on both sides of the camera for a number of projects, perhaps most notably as the female prison bully ‘Top Dog’ on the Bell comedy series Pink Is In, which she also co-directed.

She was also involved in several plays during her time down south, including lead performances in Sanctuary and Sex, Drugs, and the Gospel Singer.

Since moving back to the Sault in 2020, Rainone has eased her way into the local theatre scene, which was highlighted when she played Tina in an improv-driven dinner theatre production of Tony n' Tina's Wedding last March.

But the actor admits it wasn’t an easy arena for her to step into.

“I’ve done so many improv classes over the years, and I love taking those – they’re a lot of fun,” she said. “That drew me in. But then I thought, I’ve done film in the Sault, but I haven’t done theatre here yet. And I did theatre in Toronto where no one really knows anyone, so you’re always anonymous – there’s always new people and it’s not as intimidating.”

“Here, I thought everyone probably knows each other and that I’m going to fail. But then I thought I should just go, what’s the worst that can happen? And I’m really glad I did. After we wrapped, I was really sad it was over, and I wanted to go onto the next thing right away.”

Shortly after the dinner theatre success, Rainone was asked if she’d like to join the producing team for Fiddler on the Roof. Having never been involved with a musical theatre show in any capacity, the tenacious producer didn’t hesitate.

“I said yes right away because I just wanted to continue being involved in theatre here in the Sault,” she said. “It really is a great community, and I felt like I found a group of people who I fit right in with.”

Co-producing alongside Terri Miller under Anthony Aceti’s direction, Rainone says the transition from film to theatre has been an incredibly positive experience.

“It’s a lot of the same transferrable skills,” she said. “There’s so many people who help out from various departments which has helped a lot. We have such a great team of people, so it’s never like I’m working on my own.”

“Film and theatre are very similar, except that there’s just more rehearsal time with actors in theatre, whereas that time in film is spent working on the script and accessing funding,” she added. “In film, we don’t really do any rehearsals at all as actors, whereas theatre it’s very actor rehearsal heavy.”

Between filmmaking, acting, and musical theatre, there’s one big box that Rainone is hoping to check off next.

“I would really like to perform in a musical theatre production,” she said. “I don’t know why I haven’t been involved with musical comedy in the past. Maybe I thought it was intimidating and I was maybe afraid to as an actor because I thought I lost my dance skills.”

“But my heart really is in performing,” she added. “It’d be nice to go back and forth between acting and producing.”

Fiddler on the Roof runs at the Sault Community Theatre Centre (White Pines) from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online, at the Station Mall Box Office, or by calling 705-945-7299.