Persephone Theatre is overseen by a board of directors. This diverse group of dedicated citizens brings a wide spectrum of skills and experiences to Persephone’s governance.
The board comprises financial, legal, and HR professionals, corporate managers, education and building management experts. For all the variety of backgrounds represented, their common thread is a passion for Persephone Theatre.
Our Board of Directors provides strategic leadership, governance, policy establishment, and oversees the operations and financial performance of Theatre. To contact the board to learn more, visit our Contact Us page.
CLICK HERE to view our By-Laws.
Terice Coleman
President
Born and raised in Saskatoon, Terice currently works as a recruitment specialist in the HR department at the University of Saskatchewan. She has worked for the university for over 10 years in a variety of roles. Terice holds a Master of Education degree and Bachelor of Science degree from USask.
In her spare time, Terice loves to travel, eat good food, and give back to the Saskatoon community.
Dawn Doherty-Affleck
Secretary
Dawn has unending appreciation and love for the arts, and Persephone Theatre in particular. Her first experience with Persephone was attending the musical Chelsea Hotel (2013) and she has been hooked ever since. She is looking forward to enthusiastically advocating for the theatre as a board member.
Dawn has also been involved with other aspects of the Persephone organization as a billet host for visiting performers. In her spare time, Dawn is a competitive Irish dancer and a novice potter. Dawn and her husband Bob share their home with two rescue dogs, Pluto & Zeke.
Syed Ahmad
Director
After moving to Canada in 2013 from Pakistan, I completed my undergrad in 2015 from the University of Windsor. Right after, I moved to Saskatoon to take up an accounting role with a dealership group that owns multiple dealerships throughout SK and AB. My position entailed working with numerous individuals who had extensive experience in corporate accounting. This gave me the opportunity to gain a better understanding on how internal accounting standards work. To pursue my professional goals of completing the CPA designation, I enrolled in a CPA accredited MBA program in 2017. After completing my educational requirements for CPA, I started working for a global accounting firm in Ontario. Shortly after, I moved to Saskatoon in 2019 and started working in public accounting as an external auditor. Over the years, I have worked with several local and national NPOs’ as an external auditor. Understanding internal controls, government policies for NPOs and applying applicable accounting frameworks has been an integral part of my experience over the years. I intend to bring this experience and educational background to the table a board member for Persephone Theatre. My interest in the theatre stems from promoting diversity in a way that I rarely see in my generation. To me, this is a way to give back and get involved in the local community.
On a personal level, I enjoy working on my car and travelling. I have owned and worked on various vehicles including motorcycles as a hobby. Me and my wife do road trips to places which are hard to access and this also gives me opportunity to do some off roading.
Emily Barlas
Director
Emily is an associate lawyer at MLT Aikins in Saskatoon and practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, commercial leasing and corporate governance. Emily holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts with high honours (Public Administration) from the University of Saskatchewan.
During her university career, Emily competed on the Huskies Track and Field team and was involved in the campus community through serving as an executive of the Law Student Association and Legal Follies Board.
Emily is excited about the opportunity to serve on the Persephone Theatre Board and be involved in the vibrant arts community of Saskatoon.
Cynthia Dyck
Director
I have been involved in professional theatre, one way or another, for the past forty years. My first job out of high school was running the box office at the fledgling Persephone Theatre. Since graduating from the UofS Drama Department I have performed, designed, produced; been a stage manager, a house manager, and a general manager.
Presently I am the Executive Director of On the Boards Staging Company in Saskatoon, SK. I cofounded On the Boards as a direct response to the limitations of the traditional model of theatre production. As a Shared Platform, On the Boards anchors the activities of self-producing artists and small organizations with practical administrative and production support.
When I am not busy with On the Boards, the occasional acting job, or walking my dogs, I advocate for the arts serving on various boards, most recently with the Saskatchewan Association of Theatre Professionals, the Association of Creative Industries of Saskatchewan, and The Saskatchewan Arts Alliance.
Persephone’s significant impact to Saskatoon’s arts sector is undeniable. I look forward to contributing to the theatre’s ongoing evolution to serve our dynamic city.
Tessa Dyer
Director
Tessa is an associate lawyer at Robertson Stromberg and maintains a general civil litigation practice. She participated in community theatre in her Alberta hometown starting at age 10 and continuing all throughout high school. She has enjoyed attending local Saskatchewan theatre productions as well as traveling shows this past decade and has assisted Persephone theatre through involvement in their 50th Anniversary Committee. Tessa is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the Saskatoon community through board involvement and looks forward to continuing support of local art and theatre.
Rick Fedorchuk
Director
Rick retired in 2022 after working for the Federal government for 35 years in various building/facility operations including Veteran’s Affairs, Environment Canada, and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). His last position was the Facilities Manager at CFIA’s Saskatoon Laboratory where he was responsible for all facility operations. Since he retired two years ago, he felt the need to give back to the community where he was raised most of his life, and found that Persephone Theatre filled that void and presented an opportunity to use those skills that he had acquired over a lifetime of work experience. He feels that his facility management experience can provide the board with professional expertise in decision making and recommendations on a variety of building related projects.
In retirement Rick enjoys spending time with family and friends at his cabin, working on small carpentry projects, working out at a local CrossFit gym, and travelling. His wife Arlene, a retired teacher, and Rick have enjoyed Persephone Theatre shows in the past, especially the Christmas shows! They have two sons, one daughter, and four wonderful grandchildren.
Caitrin Hodson
Director
Caitrin is a local media personality and former TV reporter, anchor and producer who hosts, emcees and moderates for various events around Saskatoon. She most recently served as emcee for the YXE Urban Games and on-court announcer for the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Tournament featuring Team Canada fresh off of their Olympic run.
She is also a musician and singer and was the official 2024 national anthem singer for the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Caitrin is a passionate advocate of the arts, reconciliation, diversity and representation and believes local theatre is an essential part of any thriving community.
James Horsman
Director
James is currently the Director, Finance at Affinity Credit Union where he leads the finance & treasury functions. Over the past twelve years, he has held various leadership roles encompassing finance, accounting, financial reporting, budgeting & taxation. James holds a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting from the University of Saskatchewan and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
James is an avid jogger, enjoys gardening & cooking, and loves to spend time at the lake with family and friends. Looking ahead, James remains dedicated to continuous professional growth and is passionate about contributing to the Saskatoon community.
Nikesh Madhar
Director
Nikesh Madhar is currently the Manager of Financial Strategic Partnerships at Nutrien where he leads a contract management team. Over the last ten years, he has held various risk advisory roles with a focus on governance, internal controls, and internal audit. Nikesh has previously sat on the board for the Broadway Theatre with a two-year period as Board Chair. Nikesh has also volunteered with READ Saskatoon and CPA Canada as the Saskatoon Area Leader for Financial Literacy.
Nikesh holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan and is a Charted Professional accountant and Certified Internal Auditor.
As a patron of the arts in Saskatoon for many years, Nikesh is excited to contribute to the Persephone Theatre Board and its community.
Ryan Moccasin
Director
I am currently a producer, author, and comedian from Saskatoon. Right now I am executive producer for the online satirical news website called The Feather News, which is a fake news website that has featured on APTN InFocus, CTV, and CBC. This body of work has had the opportunity to have been funded by the Saskatchewan Arts Board, PAVED Arts, Indigenous Screen Office, Bell Fund, and most recently Creative Saskatchewan.
The body of work done with The Feather has led to opportunities such as winning the web series pitch competition for the ImagiNATIVE/APTN festival. The web series “The Feather News” will be streaming on APTN Lumi in November of 2022. We are just wrapping up post-production for the series. I also wrote a sci-fi novel called “Suicide Empire” that was featured on CBC Radio, APTN, and Eagle Feather News. It can be found on Amazon and wherever fringe books are sold near you. I have also written a Christmas screenplay for the Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre Company.
Recently, I was selected to take part in the National Screen Institute – Art of Business Management course, in partnership with the Indigenous Screen Office. After taking part in the NSI – Art of Business Management course, I hope to obtain a stronger understanding of TV & Film financing, manage the day-to-day operations of a young company, budgeting and financial forecasting, and how to operate a small creative team with a large project in mind.
Working in the arts has taught me about the value of community and how organizations can facilitate this connection. As producer and owner of the company, The Feather Entertainment Inc., I wish to continue this work in my community.
Margot Orr-Stevenson
Director
Margot is the Director of Issues and Government Relations at the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, where she spearheads advocacy initiatives to drive economic growth and bolster community well-being by supporting local businesses. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and a BA in International Studies from the University of Saskatchewan.
A passionate advocate for the arts, Margot has a profound love for live theatre. In her free time, she enjoys baking and exploring the outdoors. She and her husband, Bill, are the proud parents of a fun-loving daughter and are dedicated dog lovers, sharing their home with two lively chocolate labs.
Charlene Scrimshaw
Director
Charlene grew up in the northern community of Big River, Saskatchewan. She has four children and along with her partner Dave, have enjoyed the Persephone over the past two decades. She has been employed with Saskatoon Public Schools since 1994 and has been a teacher, school based administrator, superintendent and now Deputy Director. As an educator, Charlene has witnessed the impact that the arts have on the development of children and the important role it has on mental health and supporting the holistic individual. Although she would suggest that she has limited artistic ability she has strong passion for the arts and is an avid supporter of local artists of all genres. The Persephone is an important part of her community and she is looking forward to extending this support by sitting on the Board of Directors.
Isabella Thomas
Director
My name is Isabella Thomas and I have lived in Saskatoon for majority of my life. After graduating from the University with a bachelor in Commerce, majoring in Human Resources, I moved to North Battleford for 6 years to work at a Co-op retail in both an HR Advisor and HR Manager roles. In 2020, I moved back to Saskatoon and was successful in obtaining a position with the University of Saskatchewan as a Human Resources Strategic Business Partner. In August of this year, I was successful in obtaining a career with HSAS in a Labour Relations Officer role. In my spare time, I am involved in different leagues, I like to bake, I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters Saskatoon and I like to travel. It’s so wonderful to be here and potentially be able to give my time to the Persephone Theatre as performing arts has played an important role in my life and has inspired me in the creative ways I have done and carried out things.
Sara Wurst
Director
With more than 15 years of Human Resource experience under her belt, Sara spent much of her career building relationships and providing solutions to solve complex problems. Sara’s versatility allows her to collaborate effectively, with a honed focus on finding creative solutions and generating ideas.
Her core values are family, honesty, respect, integrity, accountability, openness, compassion, empathy, and of course, humor. These values act as a guide while prioritizing finding the right outcome over the need to be right. Sara has a meaningful connection to this work – a stake, which makes her motivated and ready to be a positive contributor.