ASHLEY WRIGHT: DIRECTOR, Please Remain Behind the Shield
Ashley has appeared in productions with: Arts Club Theatre and Bard on the Beach (Vancouver); The Citadel Theatre (Edmonton); ATP and Theatre Calgary (Calgary); Manitoba Theatre Centre and Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (Winnipeg); The Globe Theatre (Regina); and Theatre Passe Muraille, Factory Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Mirvish and Canadian Stage (Toronto). He recently received an MFA in directing from the University of Alberta, and has written several plays, including the award winning Silent Words, starring Chris Dodd.
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CHRIS DODD: PERFORMER/CREATOR, Please Remain Behind the Shield
Chris Dodd is an Edmonton based Deaf performing artist, playwright, accessibility advocate and Governor General Innovation Award finalist. He is the founder and artistic director of SOUND OFF, Canada’s national theatre festival dedicated to the Deaf performing arts. He is an artistic associate with Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and is one of their Playwrights in Development. His solo work, "Deafy", began touring at the Summerworks Performance Festival last year and will be published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2021. His most recent work, “Please Remain Behind The Shield”, was commissioned by Canadian Stage as part of their multidisciplinary performance event “We Were, We Are, We Will Be”. Recent performing credits include "Ultrasound" at Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille and "until the next breath" with Catalyst Theatre and the National Arts Centre. Chris holds a degree from the University of Alberta’s Drama program. He was recently the recipient of the Guy Laliberté Prize for innovation and creative leadership by the Canada Council of the Arts.
BRIANNA KOLYBABA: DESIGNER, Please Remain Behind the Shield
Brianna (she/her) is an emerging set, costume, lighting and projection designer based in Edmonton (Amiskwacîwâskahikan, Treaty 6 Territory). She is honoured and humbled to bring her passion for visual storytelling to this beautiful Métis-based play. Select credits include; set design for The Marriage of Figaro (Edmonton Opera), set & costume design for Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play (You Are Here & Blarney Productions), costume design for The Drowsy Chaperone and After Juliet (Citadel Young Companies), co-costume design for national tour (2018 & 2019) of Bears (Punctuate! Theatre), and projection design for Lake of The Strangers (Naheyawin & Fringe Theatre). Upcoming: Set design for Cosi Fan Tutte (Edmonton Opera), set & costume design for Macbeth and As You Like It (Freewill Shakespeare Festival).
ELISE CM JASON: CO-CREATOR, Get Ready With Us
Elise CM Jason (them/them/theirs) is a queer, mixed-race, scenographer and lighting designer living and creating in amiskawaciy (colonially known as Edmonton). Recent credits include ‘Brimful of Asha’ (Citadel Theatre), 'All That Binds Us' (Azimuth Theatre), 'Horizon Lab' (Citadel Theatre), 'Tracks' (Vena Amoris Theatre), and 'Second-Hand Dances for the Crude, Crude City' (Mile Zero Dance). Upcoming credits include 'Wolves (The Maggie Tree), and 'Tell Us What Happened' (Theatre YES). They also hold a BFA from the University of Alberta in Drama (Theatre Design).
SARAH J CULKIN: CO-CREATOR/PERFORMER, Get Ready With Us
Sarah J Culkin is a prairie-born performer, creator, and facilitator as of recently based in Tiohtià:ke, whose practice is accountable to queer process and subject in performance, with a vested interest in community outreach, new work development, and ~*spectacle*~. Recent credits include digital direction-dramaturgy of Positive and coordination of All Gender Speed Dating for the End of the World (Nextfest - online!), teaching drama classes with Geordie Theatre School, and moderating a conversation between artists and a professional consultant on youth engagement with porn for Youtheatre (Montréal).
HAYLEY MOORHOUSE: CO-CREATOR/PERFORMER, Tracks
Hayley (she/her) is an Edmonton-based actor and writer. Recent performance credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream (Lodestar Theatre), Tracks (Vena Amoris Projects), Once We Were Queens (Neon Pomegranate), Slight of Mind (Theatre Yes), Bug (University of Alberta), The Bully Project (Concrete Theatre), Off’d on Whyte (Fox Den Collective), A Bright Room Called Day, The Lower Depths, The School for Scandal and Richard III (Studio Theatre). She debuted her solo show Bird Signs in a workshop production at Nextfest 2019, and wrote and performed in an adapted short film version for Nextfest 2020. Her play Suspension had its premiere production at the 2019 Edmonton Fringe Festival, and is currently available online in podcast format as part of the Alberta Queer Calendar Project (check out queercalendar.ca to listen!).
IZZY BERGQUIST: CO-CREATOR, Tracks
Izzy is an Edmonton-based artist, and manages a local ice cream shop. She holds a BFA in technical theatre, majoring in Stage Management from the University of Alberta. Select credits include: Co-Dramaturge for "Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again" (Studio Theatre), Director of the short film adaptation of "Bird Signs" (Nextfest 2020), Stage Manager for "Pinocchio" and "Sleeping Beauty" (AMTC) "Tracks" (Amoris Projects) and Apprentice Stage Manager for "As You Like it", "The Party" and "A Christmas Carol" (Citadel Theatre).
SARA CAMPOS-SILVIUS: WRITER/DIRECTOR, The Emissary
Sara CS is Sara Campos-Silvius (she/her), a queer and multiracial artist in Edmonton, Alberta, in Treaty 6 territory. She is a playwright, screenwriter, and poet, as well as an actor, singer-songwriter, indie filmmaker, and graduate of MacEwan University’s Arts & Cultural Management Program. Her performances include appearances at the Chinook Series, Dirt Buffet Cabaret, Nextfest, Found Fest, the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, and many more. She has also danced with the integrated dance group CRIPSiE since 2013. Check out her work @saracsart and www.saracs.art
pH(Lin) HACKBORN: PERFORMER, The Emissary
Philip -pH(Lin)- Hackborn is a biracial and genderqueer performance artist and MAD poet. They are currently in research and development for a new perspective on clown and mask practice. Select acting credits include: Twelfth Night and Henry V (The Malachites), Krampus: A Christmas Escape Adventure (Canscare), Devour Content Here (Cowgirl Opera). You might find pieces of their poetry and prose in unlikely places as part of their ongoing project, Frag/ments.
LOUISE CASEMORE: CREATOR/PERFORMER
Louise is a restless freelancer, Sterling nominated actor, and two-time Sterling Award winning playwright. Originally from Edmonton, she is Artistic Director of indie renegade Defiance Theatre, recipient of the ATP/Enbridge Playwright’s Award, and featured artist in NYC ‘s “Necessary Exposure: The Female Playwright Project”. Original works include OCD, Functional, GEMINI, and the upcoming cabaret exorcism that is Undressed. She remains active in the larger community by way of dramaturgy, policy writing, teaching, and as a contributing member to Calgary’s CART (Consent and Respect in Theatre) initiative. Louise is devoted to electric ideas, intimacy, and saying the tough thing out loud.
emcees
GORDIE LUCIUS
Gordie Lucius has become an Edmonton comedy staple performing with Rapid Fire Theatre for over 10 years and who has traveled all over North America performing sketch and improv. In 2018 he began co-creating/hosting a freaky little nature web-series called Frick, I Love Nature that won the 2018 Telus Storyhive Web-series top prize, leading to their first season being filmed. Which you can binge to your nature-loving heart's content on their Youtube channel! In 2019 the production won an Alberta Media award for “best variety show”. Frick, I Love Nature is currently developing their second season with CBC Gem. He is an alumnus of the 2020 NSI Totally television program, where he was working on a project called Lupita, about a Filipinx careworker, that advanced to the final phase of the program. In March of 2020, he was named one of six people to take part in Corus Media’s Writer Apprentice program. When kickin' and relaxin', this fine fellow enjoys slamming on some Norah Jones, switching on Say Yes to the Dress on low volume, igniting some cedar wood incense and asking "where did I go right?" If that's basic, he doesn't want to be complex.
EMMA FOWLER HOUGHTON
Emma Fowler Houghton is a theatre performer and creator, visual artist, voice actor, and very curious human. Born and raised in Amiskwaciwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton, Alberta, she is proud to be firmly planted in the Alberta prairies. Select acting credits include Actually, The Virgin Trial (Betty Award Nomination), The Last Wife (Alberta Theatre Projects); A Christmas Carol '19 (Theatre Calgary); Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Citadel). She has also assistant directed for Alberta Theatre Projects ('19) and Shadow Theatre (18', 19'). This Summer she became an Artistic Associate with Punctuate Theatre, and is currently part of their 2020/2021 Punctuate Partizan's Playwriting Unit. She recently mastered the perfect scrambled eggs and hopes that the dopamine hit off that success helps her to soar to new heights in life.
panelists
production
MAC BROCK: PRODUCER
Mac Brock is a Regina-born, Edmonton-based producer, playwright, and improviser. In Amoris Projects' debut season in 2019-20, the company produced two productions (Boy Trouble, Tracks) and received three Sterling nominations. Mac is also an administrator and consultant for arts organizations, and has proudly worked with companies like the Citadel Theatre, the Canadian Improv Games, Rapid Fire Theatre, Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre, the Globe Theatre (Regina), and the Artesian on 13th (Regina). Most often he's found daydreaming about boxed wine, prairie highways, and queer stories on and off stage.
LINDY MULLEN: EVENT COORDINATOR/STAGE MANAGER
Lindy Mullen (she/her) is a graduate of the UofA BFA Stage Management and MacEwan University Theatre Production. Lindy can be found speed walking with coffee in hand backstage & behind the scenes at festivals. She is delighted to be working with Amoris Projects again, what a treat to create with everyone in Crossed Wires Cabaret! Lindy would like to thank her family and friends (especially Sofia) dearly for their immense support and love. Recent production credits include: Curio Shoppe (Catch the Keys Productions), Tracks (Amoris Projects), A Christmas Carol (Carter-Ryan Productions), Frankenstein (Alberta Ballet), Deep Freeze & Kaleido Festival (Arts on the Ave) and NIPIN Showcase (K-Days).
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BRADLEY KING: LIVESTREAM COORDINATOR
Bradley (he/him) is a rural bumpkin from small-town Alberta, navigating urban Edmonton life while drinking too much iced-coffee. A graduate of the University of Alberta with a BSc Specialization in Physics, by day he works with Fringe Theatre Adventures as an Information Systems Analyst. He doesn’t like putting credits for other projects in his bios because then it feels like a resume. Apparently he’s an Internet Wizard but if he’s learned anything from the web, magic does not exist.