Still Buffering
Cast & Creative
Saint John, NB
Choreographer / Co-Director
Originally from Saint John, Sarah has been working as a professional independent dance artist and teacher since graduating from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2001. She is a founding member and current Artistic Director of Connection Dance Works.
Her career has included collaborations with musicians, dancers, filmmakers and visual artists. She has received grants for Professional Development, Residencies and Creation projects through the Canada Council for the Arts and artsnb.
Sarah continues to learn and develop work through her practice of Authentic Movement, a way of discovering movement inherent in the body instead of inventing it.
Fredericton, NB
Playwright / Text
Ryan Griffith grew up on the banks of the Wolastoq River in Lower Woodstock, New Brunswick. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada(2007), his plays FORTUNE OF WOLVES and LUTZ have been published by Playwrights Canada Press. His short play SHEPODY, RAGE AND WOLFE was featured as part of the National Elevator Project Plays produced by Theatre Yes in Edmonton and Halifax, and his original plays RETURNING FIRE and A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MARITIMES AND EVERYWHERE ELSE, as well as his adaptation of Alistair MacLeod’s THE BOAT have been produced by Theatre New Brunswick. He has served as a board member for PARC(Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre) and the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Currently, Ryan is the Artistic Director for the Next Folding Theatre Company in Fredericton. (www.nextfolding.ca)
Joanna Bryson
Saint John, NB
Joanna Bryson is a dance artist, educator and arts administrator from Saint John, NB. She is a co-founder and the Executive Director of Connection Dance Works. Joanna is proud of the work Connection Dance Works has produced and created since its inception in 2010.
Drew Murdock
Saint John, NB
Stage Manager
Drew is thrilled to be working on such a unique and creative piece, with a fantastic group of artists. He started performing in theatre in elementary school before being pulled backstage (where it's more fun.) He works year round with the Saint John Theatre Company and Atlantic Repertory Company as Production Manager. He is also the current Festival Director of the Fundy Fringe Festival. He would like to thank his parents and the many teachers who encouraged him to pursue the arts.
Tiotia:ke/Montreal, QC
Set, Projection & Lighting Designers
potatoCakes_digital is an award-winning multimedia design and technical integration company started by Emily Soussana and Andrew Scriver, based out of Tiotia:ke (Montreal, Canada).
Emily and Andrew met while studying at the National Theatre School of Canada, in the Set and Costume Design, and Production Design and Technical Arts programs respectively. Since then, they have grown as artists and creators in the performing arts world, taking on larger and larger projects each year, expanding their scope and focusing their talents.
Their mandate is to create singularly cohesive designs for productions as a whole, taking all choices of all the elements into consideration with one another, and to technically helm and realize these ideas fully from conception to performance. That said, we sometimes like to focus on one or two particular elements of a production, to zero in on its complexity and delve into the heart of the story.
Some of potatoCakes_digital’s main interests in the performing arts involve the integration and interrelation of technology and traditional art forms, and the exploration of how visual and digital art can help facilitate and elevate the telling of a story.
Marcia Dysart
Saint John, NB
Performer
Marcia Dysart is a dancer, choreographer, collaborator, and educator based in Saint John, New Brunswick. A member of Artslink New Brunswick, she shares her passion for creation working collaboratively alongside musicians, visual artists, filmmakers and dancers. Her work has garnered recognition from the New Brunswick Arts Board and the Saint John Community Arts Funding Program. Marcia's work has been showcased across Atlantic Canada, including performances at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John, Contact East in Charlottetown, IMPACTfest by Atlantic Ballet Theatre, Saint John Contemporary Dance Festival, and Connection Dance Work's PERSPECTIVE.
Notably, Marcia's dance film "We Walk Invisible," a collaboration with filmmaker Michael Mohan, was featured at the Atlantic Dance Film Festival. The film also received recognition on the Canada Dance Assembly's website. Currently, Marcia is working on an exciting new creation titled "The Self in Shadow" alongside Michael Mohan, with support from the New Brunswick Arts Board. Additionally, Marcia is the proud owner and artistic director of First City School of Dance (FCSD).
Saint John, NB
Anna Dysart is an emerging artist with a passion for multiple disciplines. Their journey in performing and creating began at an early age, with a dance background spanning 14 years. For the past three years, Anna has been an integral part of First City Young Company. Last summer, they showcased an original solo piece at the Saint John Contemporary Dance Festival, marking a significant milestone in their artistic career. Anna has also had the privilege of being mentored as an emerging artist by Connection Dance Works.
In dance, Anna's focus lies in cultivating their artistry through improvisation practice. They have dedicated several summers to training with esteemed teachers at Ross Creek Dance Summer Dance and SABO in Toronto, under the guidance of Darryl Tracy and Marie-Josée Chartier.
Anna will graduate from Saint John High School this spring, and in the fall they’ll be attending Toronto Metropolitan University Creative School for fashion design. Despite this new direction, Anna remains committed to continuing their journey in dance alongside their pursuit of fashion design.
Jean-Michel Cliche
Fredericton, NB
Performer
Jean-Michel Cliche (he/him) is a theatre artist and educator of Lebanese and French-settler descent living on the banks Wolastoq (Fredericton, NB). He has trained with Fight Directors Canada and is now New Brunswick’s most active Fight Director and Violence Designer. As an actor, he has had the great privilege to perform in major cities across the country as well as communities of all sizes throughout the Maritimes. He has over 15 years of improv experience, including coaching the competitive team at Ecole Sainte-Anne, founding the Hot Garbage Players, and now hosting improv classes through Solo Chicken Productions. As an educator, Jean-Michel has taught drama with the University of New Brunswick and Theatre New Brunswick. Jean-Michel loves all things games, particularly the pen and paper roleplaying variety!
Patrick Jeffrey
Fredericton, NB
Performer
Patrick Jeffrey is an East coast actor and writer who grew up in Epekwitk and lives in Mi'kma’ki on Wolastoqiyik land. He is a graduate of the Acting program of the National Theatre School of Canada. In recent years he has performed in shows including Romeo and Juliet, Pinocchio (Shakespeare by the Sea); The Woman in Black, The Glass Menagerie, No Man Is An Island, Loyalist Burial Ground Project, Hedda Gabler (Atlantic Repertory Company); The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (Theatre New Brunswick); Shadows in the Cove (Mulgrave Road); Lauchie, Liza & Rory (Theatre Baddeck), I Know You (Desert Island) & Romeo and Juliet (Repercussion). His performance work has appeared in the Island Fringe, St. John’s Shorts, and Radiant Rural Halls festivals, as well as Eastern Front Theatre’s Macro Series. He is currently writing a new script titled The Breakthrough. Check out patjeffrey.ca for more.
Nova Scotia (Mi'kma'ki)
Performer
Chris Van Green is a Canadian-based dancer who excels in performing, choreographing, and teaching. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance Performance from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and earned the prestigious Kenny Pearl Award. During his time at TMU, he dedicated himself to honing his skills in ballet, contemporary/modern, jazz, and urban floor work. Since graduating, Chris has had the privilege of collaborating with a diverse range of dancers, choreographers, and esteemed dance companies. Notable collaborations include Connection Dance Works, David Earle, Hannah Kiel, James Kudelka, Ballet Jorgen, and Fernando Melo. He serves as a founding director of Blurred Bodies Dance Projects, a prominent Contemporary dance company based out of Truro, Nova Scotia. Additionally, he co-founded EXPRESS Dance, an exciting troupe specializing in captivating performances encompassing cabaret, jazz, and burlesque genres. He also established CVG Fitness, a personal training business. Through this venture, he frequently trains dancers to enhance their strength and mobility.
Andrew Reed Miller
Saint John, NB
Sound Designer / Composer
Andrew Reed Miller has been principal bass of Symphony NB for over 25 years.
Originally from New York, Andrew studied in Ottawa and Toronto and eventually toured with The Canadian Opera Company, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Andrew has performed experimental and new music at many venues, including Open Ears Festival (Kitchener), New Music Calgary, Sound Symposium (Newfoundland), the Scotia Festival of Music, Ensemble Kore (Montreal) The Music Gallery (Toronto), Western Front (Vancouver), and Tonic (New York).
Fredericton, NB
Dramaturg
Natasha MacLellan has been working in New Play Development in Atlantic Canada for about twenty years. Her love of new scripts was fostered through Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre, where she mentored with Jenny Munday. For a decade she produced new Atlantic Canadian plays with her company, Forerunner Playwrights Theatre, then went on to become the Artistic Producer of Ship’s Company Theatre, where she premiered eight new scripts. At Theatre New Brunswick, where she is currently the Artistic & Executive Director, she is invigorating their new play output, chiefly through the Fall Festival of New Plays.
Fredericton, NB
Costume Designer
Sherry Kinnear is a Costume Designer at Theatre New Brunswick and serves as Head of Wardrobe for all branches of the company. She has designed and created costumes for Wood Buffalo, Bluebirds, Christmas at Pemberley, Heroine, A Brief History of the Maritimes and Everywhere Else, A Christmas Carol, Fortune of Wolves, The Boat, The Snow Queen, A Sunday Affair, Marion Bridge, Vigil, Hilda's Yard, Rocky Horror Show, The Eighth Fire, The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Drowsy Chaperon, Guys & Dolls, West Side Story, Les Misérables and many other TNB productions since 2007. She graduated in Fine Craft - Fashion Design from NBCCD, has a diploma in hairstyling from the Academy of Hair Design, and a Bachelor of Applied Arts from UNB.
Chris Giles
Fredericton, NB
Videographer & Editor
In his decades long practice, Chris Giles has collaborated with and produced a multitude of film and photographic works in New Brunswick. He graduated from the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in 1998 specializing in photography based art installations. For a decade he created photo based art installations at various galleries around New Brunswick. Chris has contributed to experimental music scene in Fredericton since the late 90’s, performing with notable musicians, artist groups and dancers. A member of the NB Filmmaker's Co-operative since 2003 Chris began experimenting with film and film processing. Chris’s personal film productions from 2004 to 2008 include the shorts, “Illusions of a Thirsty Mind”, “Cliffe Street”, “Birth of a Nicola” and “Venus in Flames”. The years after independent short film productions have been collaborations with film productions, theatre, documentaries, dancers and musicians.
Caroline Bell
Saint John, NB
Performer
Caroline Bell is an actor / creator from Saint John, New Brunswick. A graduate of George Brown Theatre School Caroline has toured internationally with the Atlantic Repertory Company, provincially with Theatre New Brunswick, and locally as an Artistic Resident with the City of Saint John. Imperial audiences may know Caroline as their friendly neighbourhood Box Office Associate / Member Liaison. Recent projects: writing and performing poetry inspired by her pop-up confessional booths and her feature film debut as Olive in Strike Pictures’ Do I Know You From Somewhere (2024). Select acting credits: The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (TNB), Loyalist Burial Ground Project I + II (ARC), Mythes Analogues (Satellite Théâtre), No Man Is An Island (ARC), SWING (Fundy Fringe), Mary’s Wedding (ARC), Abyss (ARC). Catch Caroline performing this summer with Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro, NS!