Alex Mustakas built one of Canada’s most successful theatre companies from a single small-town stage in Drayton, Ontario. He’s an actor, theatre director, and the Founder and CEO of Drayton Entertainment which is a not-for-profit that’s now home to seven theatres, hundreds of artists and staff, and some of the absolute best live performances in the country.
In this episode, Alex shares his journey from immigrating to Canada from Cyprus to finding his place in the arts and building a legacy that blends creativity, business, and heart. We talk about how community, connection, and a whole lot of persistence shaped his path.
In this episode we covered:
- Growing up as an immigrant kid and chasing big dreams in a new country
- The friendship and “that’ll never work” moments with The Wealthy Barber author David Chilton
- Building Drayton Entertainment from one tiny playhouse to a seven-theatre powerhouse
- Running a world-class theatre company with zero government funding
- Creating the Drayton Youth Academy and teaching life skills through the arts
- The little things (like flowers in the theatre washrooms) that end up being the big things
- How Alex is shaping his legacy and passing the torch
Alex was such a pleasure to chat with. He’s living proof that when you mix heart with hustle, the standing ovation eventually comes.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Alex Mustakas
LINKS & RESOURCES:
Drayton Entertainment on Instagram
Drayton Youth Academy on Instagram
The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton
If It Ain’t Broke… Break It! by Robert Kriegel
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