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Mike Butler
Welcome everyone to the first Who’s Who of 2022! After a tumultuous year (again) and a bit of a wonky holiday season, I felt it necessary to start off the year with one of the most pleasant little rays of sunshine I know. This wonderful mound of wonderfulness has become a familiar face to live theatre-goers and local musicians. Let me introduce you to Brittany Chapman.
Brittany Chapman was once a Keddy, but this past fall she got hitched to a fine local named Ross Chapman, decided to take the name and here we are. This is not only a profile of the former Keddy, but an introduction to the new Chapman. Please try to keep up. Brittany is from Blue Mountain, where most of her family still lives, but she’s spent the majority of her life growing up in Coldbrook (she still has the Blue Mountain accent though!). She attended Central Kings (Class of 2014!) and then moved to Moncton to take a policing and corrections course at Oulton College. She wanted to be a Sheriff but she injured herself so she decided to move back home and attend NSCC to take office administration. She went back a final time to take the Continuing Care Assistant course and now Brittany is the school secretary at Aldershot Elementary, in North Kentville. Secretary of an elementary school is pretty much like a Sheriff so congrats on the goals Britt!
“I love getting to talk to all of our students and getting to know their families,” Brittany enthuses. “My colleagues are also all wonderful people to work with. It’s such a healthy environment at Aldershot, our hidden gem of the Valley! It’s never a chore to get up and head to work, even with the strange pivoting of the past two years. We all work together for fun and safety!”
Now to the fun stuff: the hobbies! I first met Brittany through theatre. She was easily my favourite theatre groupie, always at a show with her camera for a selfie, and always so supportive. I saw Brittany as Alice in Alice in Wonderland while she was at Central Kings and she was a darling—and this girl can sing! Eventually Brittany, like most of us, got asked to be part of the Valley Ghost Walks,, and for the past 9 years Brittany has haunted the rail lines as the DAR Girl in Kentville. It was during her stint as a ghostly gal that she met Valley Ghost Walk superstar Ross Chapman and if you read the opening paragraph (it was a good one) then you know how that meeting ended.
Brittany and Ross have been dabbling in theatre stuff for the past while but 2022 is opening up with a bang as Brittany takes the helm as producer for CentreStage Theatre’s Don’t Dress for Dinner, the 2022 season opener starring Ross in one of the lead roles. Both Ross and Brittany became CentreStage Board Members in 2021 and this dynamic duo is sure to assist in many ways to reboot the theatre after a few pandemic years. We love the energy they bring! Don’t Dress for Dinner is tentatively running in late January through February at CentreStage Theatre so peek at the website and come have a laugh or twenty!
A few years ago, Brittany branched out to film by becoming very involved in the Nova Scotia film industry as a background actor and that’s what she spends most of her summers doing, with a goal to become part of ACTRA. Her background work can be found on shows like Pure, Mr. D, Diggstown, The Sinner and The Good House.
No matter how many ambitions Brittany has for the small screen, this Valley girl is home to stay with friends and family nearby. It’s no secret that her mother would seriously lose it if Brittany ever moved away. I’ve seen her mom in action and she’s fierce. I was appointed the very proud (and flexible) flowerboy at Brittany and Ross’ wedding and although my performance was clearly the highlight of the day for most, Brittany looked incredible and her family was more than welcoming to all of us. I was even allowed to act as moderate decorator and egg-salad-sandwich-maker for the reception: they clearly know my strengths!
As Brittany notes, “the Valley is such a beautiful agricultural and historical area, full of some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. I love that it feels like such a welcoming environment, you can never go somewhere and not see somebody that you know. Our area is definitely not lacking in talent, and that shines through especially in the Wolfville area. Ross and I chose to live in Port Williams because it is such a beautiful go-between for Wolfville, New Minas, Kentville, Canning, and beyond. We get the best views and we’re only a short drive to everything we need!”
So what does 2022 look like for Brittany Chapman? Well, she plans to chill out until Covid passes a bit. Being in the school system has made her more aware that the bubbles can be big and we have to take care of the youngsters. She would love to do more theatre and film once things get a bit safer and more of that industry opens up with background work, and there’s always her dog, her family, and her friends to keep her busy. Trust me, in the valley, it doesn’t take long before opportunity comes knocking and you’re busy again. Brittany has always been a terrific person to call on when needed. She’s always a smiling, bounding force of sarcasm and joy and I am one proud friend. All the best to one of my favourite ghosts! Muah!
