Staff

Del began his professional career in Saskatoon after graduating from the U of S, BFA (drama). He was one of the founders of Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan as well as The Saskatooon Soaps improv comedy troupe. Like many prairie folk, he became a Saskatchewan export for a number of years — acting, directing and designing around the country as a freelance artist – while based in Vancouver, where he had the opportunity to contribute to many acclaimed and award-winning shows.

A job directing Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love in Birmingham, England served to renew Del’s interest in directing. He returned to Canada where he took the position of Artistic Director of Pink Ink Theatre (a well- regarded cutting-edge company in Vancouver), re-branding it as Pi Theatre. Over a decade with Pi, Del was involved in the groundbreaking See Seven independent theatre initiative (of which Saskatoon’s Live Five is a variant), shaping its arc and sharing its model around the country. It is this emphasis on the health of artistic communities that Del continues to espouse today — a hallmark of his approach as an artistic director.

Del also continued to be involved in the formation of theatre companies after leaving Saskatchewan: The Ottawa Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Conspiracy (formerly Western Theatre Conspiracy) and Blackbird Theatre in Vancouver, to name a few. In 2007, an opportunity arose to return to Saskatchewan. Tibor Fehereghyazi, long-time Artistic Director of Persephone Theatre, had a vision of a theatre on the riverbank in Saskatoon and Del was honoured to have the opportunity to open that new facility and take the helm of Persephone with an eye to rearticulating what a Regional Theatre could be for its community.

Persephone’s programming and operations have since tripled in scope and scale, the School of Theatre was reinvigorated and is thriving, and other local arts groups have been embraced in the use of the facilities. New and Canadian plays have proliferated with the creation of a Play Development Pipeline, and meaningful theatre for young audiences has been enshrined in the programming.

For Persephone Theatre, Del has directed Dogbarked, Waiting for Godot, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, John & Beatrice, Thunderstick (and its national tour, co-directed with Brad Moss of Theatre Network), Champ de Mars: A Story of War, The Caretaker, Equivocation, Vigil, Vanya, Sonia, Masha & Spike, This Is War, Butcher, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and the World Premieres of Velocity, Gordon Winter (also at the National Arts Centre), Dead Midnight, A History of Breathing and Quick Bright Things.

Del has been recognized with several decades of awards and nominations from around the country, including Vancouver’s Jessie Richardson Career Achievement Award, and he is grateful to all the exceptional artists that made those shows and so many other experiences so very rich and memorable.

Kristen is an experienced arts administrator with a career that spans across more than two decades in the Canadian cultural sector. She has led the negotiation teams for PACT with the Playwrights Guild of Canada, Associated Designers of Canada, and Canadian Actor’s Equity Association. After growing up in the arts, Kristen is grateful to be able to spend her career working in this sector. In her spare time, she loves to cook, read, enjoy wine, see shows, and spend time with her tribe. She is very excited to be starting a new adventure at Persephone Theatre with Del and the rest of the team.

Jennica is a lifelong lover of theatre. From her portrayal of the baby Jesus when she was a mere four months old Jennica caught the theatre bug and has been sick with it ever since! Originally trained in theatre performance at the University of Winnipeg she continued her studies in Vancouver, B.C. under the expertise and guidance of the Studio 58 faculty. Since graduating in 2012 Jennica has toured extensively with Green Thumb Theatre and Quest Theatre while continuously expanding her artistic practise to include directing, playwriting and arts administration. Working primarily with youth and for them in the creation of Theatre for Young Audiences work – Jennica is delighted to bring her passion and expertise to the oversight of Persephone Theatre’s Youth Presentation Series, the provincial Youth Touring productions, and the Young Company program. Directing For Arts Sake and Jabber for the 2018 Persephone Youth Tour without the use of projections is a definite career highlight. She recently directed the highly successful Deep End production of I Lost My Husband! this past Fall!

Lisa’s career spans several decades working as a professional actress in Canadian theatre, film and TV, as well as many years of experience as a producer and senior manager in the entertainment sector.  Originally based in Vancouver, she joined Persephone in 2013 to take a role in marketing and development and over the past 6 years has focused her passion for theatre to market all of Persephone’s programming each season and engage with our patrons, sponsors and partners. Upon arriving in Saskatoon, Lisa discovered an incredibly vibrant local theatre community.  She is very grateful to be a part of it and to have had numerous opportunities to continue her work as a theatre artist at Persephone and on other Saskatoon stages.

This is Olivia’s second year with Persephone Theatre and she’s excited to be a part of this multi-talented team!

Olivia was born and raised in Saskatoon Nutana and has more than a decade of experience in print, photo, and graphic design. She holds a BFA (‘04) from the University of Saskatchewan and is a graduate of the Graphic Communications program at NAIT.

Within Persephone’s Marketing Department Olivia can be found in the glow of her monitor preparing to grab your attention with advertising, or with a camera in her hand pointed at the stage, and of course on the socials keeping you up to date and in the loop.

Grahame started at Persephone just over 7 years ago in the box office. Over the years he has worked for several different departments from Theatre School to Marketing to a few appearances on stage and now as the Artist Services and Youth Tour Coordinator.

He counts his start in the industry as when he produced, wrote and performed (and got paid!) his first show at the Saskatoon Fringe in 2008. From there he continued producing and writing through university, left university in 2013 and has been a theatre artist ever since.

As Artist Services and Youth Tour Coordinator and a part time Marketing Associate, Grahame is in charge of creating the show programs, head shot boards, posting cast and crew info on the website and other duties. He books the provincial  Youth Tour shows and oversees the Tour which is produced each spring. He is the liaison between the theatre and the artistic community, booking actor auditions, finding billets for out of town artists, and answering any questions the artists have.

Carla is the Education, Outreach & Youth Director for Persephone Theatre and a teacher for Persephone School of Theatre since 2012 and a theatre specialist with a background in acting and directing for middle and high school aged students. She is an interdisciplinary artist; actor, singer, writer, photographer and visual art creator. Carla possesses diplomas in both journalism and graphic design, and holds a B.A. in Drama/English from Concordia University of Edmonton where she was the recipient of the Concordia Drama Award and numerous scholarships, and a B.Ed. with Distinction in Secondary Education in Drama/English from University of Saskatchewan where she was the recipient of the Arts Education Award.

As an outspoken advocate and promoter of Arts Education, Carla believes that through the arts we express who we are as a culture, and that all curriculum areas can be supported through arts integration. Watching students find a place within the community, experience the results of their own creativity, and supporting their growth is special reward.

Shannon is thrilled to return to the Persephone Theatre family as Development Officer. Her journey with Persephone began as Box Office Manager in the old theatre on Rusholme Road and continued over the years as an enthusiastic subscriber and champion of the theatre. Her passion for the arts and creating community fuels her desire to spread infectious joy to the masses. When she is not focusing on mastering her to do list, Shannon loves to travel, to dance, and publishing her weekly email digest to highlight local events that foster meaningful conversations and connection as well as learning new skills.

Johnna has been Persephone Theatre’s Literary Manager since 2009, and has been working as a theatre artist since the 1980s. Her job includes corresponding with playwrights, reading and researching plays, assisting with play selection, and supporting playwrights in the development of new scripts. She also works as a freelance director and actor, in Saskatchewan and elsewhere. Favourite directing projects at Persephone include Pride and Prejudice and The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble.

Coming all the way from Daytona Beach, FL, Daniel Hudson has been a part of the Persephone Theatre family for three years and counting. Daniel has been a part of the Performing Arts Industry for over 10 years. From touring to singing in the opera, Daniel has his hands in every aspect of Performing Arts. When he is not singing, he is usually bugging his wife with useless trivia about Dungeons & Dragons, Fantasy Novels, and Fantasy Novels about Dungeons & Dragons.

Elden started his Persephone Theatre journey first as a volunteer and has been part of the Front of House Team since September 2008. During his younger years, he was very active in several amateur theatre groups and has always enjoyed being part of Theatre.

As Front of House (FOH) Team Leader, Elden works with over 10 part-time staff and over 250 volunteers. Together they ensure all performances and events are enjoyable and entertaining for each and every one of our guests.

Elden is also Persephone Theatre’s Rentals Manager. If you are looking for a venue for your next concert, corporate event, wedding, or live theatre performance, Elden is the person you need to connect with!

The biggest, most fun, and one of the most challenging projects that FOH has undertaken, was the creation of a fully functioning candy store for Mary Poppins that had every type of candy you could possibly desire. We still get asked “When is the candy store coming back” or “Do you have X? I know you had it in the candy store.” Elden listened to our patrons and is happy to be bringing it back for ELF: The Musical!

Buddy the Elf recently joined our team after a stint in the North Pole, where he received extensive training in toy making and the art of positive thinking.  Upon arriving at Persephone, his main duties have been spreading joy amongst the staff and assisting in our holiday giving campaign (donate $100 or more and take a Buddy the Elf home with you – yes there are many of him).  Buddy can be found on any given day hanging about our lobby Christmas tree and being cuddled by staff when they really should be working.