Yolanda Bonnell (She/They) is a Bi/Queer 2 Spirit Anishinaabe-Ojibwe, South Asian mixed performer, playwright and multidisciplinary creator/educator. Originally from Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario (Superior Robinson Treaty territory), her arts practice is now based in Tkarón:to. She is Co-artistic leader of manidoons collective, that she runs with Michif (Métis) artist, Cole Alvis. In February 2020, Yolanda’s four-time Dora nominated solo show bug was remounted at Theatre Passe Muraille while the published book was shortlisted for a Governor General Literary Award. Yolanda was the Indigenous artist recipient of the Jayu Arts for Human Rights Award for her work and won the PGC Tom Hendry Drama Award for her play, My Sister’s Rage. Yolanda has taught at schools like York University and Sheridan College and proudly bases her practice in land-based creation, drawing on energy and inspiration from the earth and her ancestors.

Select theatre performance credits include: Narrator/Bear son in Two Odysseys: Pimooteewin/ Gállábártnit (Signal Theatre/Soundstreams – Dora nominated), Valerie in The Unnatural and Accidental Women (National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre), Edith/IFN1 in Kamloopa (Western Canada Theatre/Persephone Theatre/Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre), Ipruq/Atugauq in The Breathing Hole (Stratford Festival), Fanny/Roberta in Treasure Island (Stratford Festival), Theresa in The Crackwalker (Factory Theatre)

Quelemia Sparrow is an Indigenous actor, writer, director, dramaturge and consultant from the Musqueam Nation. She graduated from Studio 58’s Theatre program and the Langara Film Arts screenwriting program. She represented the Musqueam Nation during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympics and since then has continued to do Land Acknowledgements on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people. She facilitates workshops and does various consultations for the arts and corporate Sector.

Some of Quelemia’s acting Theatre Credits include: Lysistrata directed by Lois Anderson and Timon of Athens directed by Meg Roe (Bard on the Beach), The Bakkai directed by Jillian Keiley (The Stratford Festival), The Snow Queen directed by Rachel Peake (Globe Theatre), Our Town directed by Bob Frazer (Osimous Theatre), The Edward Curtis Project directed by Marie Clements (GCTC/NAC), The Penelopiad directed by Vanessa Porteous and August: Osage County directed by Janet Wright (Arts Club Theatre), Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout directed by Lorne Cardinal (Firehall Arts Centre), and Where the Blood Mixes directed by Glynis Leyshon (Playhouse/WCT). Various Film and T.V credits include: Clouds of Autumn, Fringe, V, Sanctuary 2, Blackstone, Unnatural and Accidental, Da Vinci’s City Hall, Dead Zone, and Da Vinci’s Inquest for which she won a Leo Award for Best Female Guest Appearance.

Some of her writing credits include: A podplay for Neworld Theatre and Raven Spirit Dance called Ashes on the Water, Salmon Girl (Raven Spirit Dance), Papiyek (Full Circle Theatre), The Pipeline Project (Itsazoo and Savage Society), and Skyborn: a Land Reclamation Odyssey (Savage Society).

Danica (she/they) is a proud queer and mixed Nuu-chah-nulth/settler actor/playwright, born and raised in Victoria. She is a 2021 graduate from the Canadian College of Performing Arts.

Their favourite recent credits include Mary Jane in the Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito (Kaleidoscope), Imogen in Cymbeline (Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival), and participating in two of Kim Senklip Harvey’s staged readings for Kamloopa (UVIC Staging Equality), and Break Horizons (TheatreOne Emerging Voices).

Danica also works with Extended Space Theatre as an actor/writer/co-collaborator, where they will tour their new production SHIFT this summer.

She feels deeply connected to this piece and looks forward to sharing it beside the wonderful team at the frank

Lisa Cooke Ravensbergen is a tawny mix of Ojibwe/Swampy Cree and English/Irish. She is a mother, multihyphenate theatre artist and scholar working across Turtle Island as a performer, play-maker, director, writer, dramaturge, curator, space-holder, and teacher. Her work is rooted in Indigenous protocol, ontologies, and anti-colonial methodologies and is recognized nationally and internationally for its rigour and artistic excellence.

Lisa is an Associate Artist with Full Circle: First Nations Performance and Playwright-in-Residence with Delinquent Theatre. Most recently, she founded the Maada’oonidiwag Canadian Anti-Racist Theatre Exchange, an IBPOC-centred resistance and anti-racist mobilization that focuses on disrupting the colonial project called 'Canadian theatre.’

As the next generation of colonial survivors, Lisa currently resides as a visitor and raises her family on the occupied and unceded territories of her relatives, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh, and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Nations. 



Chi Miigwech and hands raised with gratitude to Jay and family for their ongoing love and support.

Emily Jane King is a theatre artist, musician and voice coach born and raised on Treaty 1 Territory (Winnipeg, MB) now living on the ancestral and stolen lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

Emily is passionate about arts education, feminist storytelling, and queering theatre. She loves spooky ghost stories and watching too much TV with her roommates. You can often find her writing silly songs for the people she loves, facetiming her family to ask questions about cooking, and thinking about magic.

Performance credits include The Collector in Mx by Lili Robinson (The Cultch), Sarah Jeane in Infinity by Hannah Moscovitch (Volcano Theatre/The Cultch), and The Girl in Mortified by Amy Rutherford (Anita Rochand/Studio 58).

Projects co-written with her collaborator Keauna Miller include Tethered, produced by Rumble Theatre as a part of their Lupercalia Cabaret; Highway One, produced by Little Lion Theatre Company; Just Trust Us, funded by Art/Apart through the National Theatre School.

Musical credits include Pianist for Bicycle Thieves (PUSH Festival/Joelysa Pankanea) and A Christmas Carol (Gateway Theatre/Rachel Peake). Emily is a graduate of the Studio 58 acting program.

Jessica Adamson is an Indigenous woman who hails from the Skatin Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. She is both an artist and a researcher who has recently finished a degree at UBC in First Nation and Indigenous Studies as well as First Nations Endangered languages. In the arts realm she has worked as both a performer and in production for festivals such as The Talking Stick Festival, The Drum is Calling, The Vancouver Folk Festival, The Vancouver International Children’s Festival, and The Vancouver International Jazz Festival to name a few. She recently worked on the world premiere of 'White Noise' for Savage Society and Firehall Arts Centre as well as 'So Damn Proud' for Holy Crow Arts and 'The Ballad of George Boivin' with Western Gold Theatre. When she grows up she wants to be an elected potato.

Ivy Charles (she/her) hails from Winnipeg, MB- Treaty 1 Territory, homeland of the Metis Nation. She is now based in Vancouver, BC on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples- Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Nations. Select theatre credits include: Orlando (RMTC), Beautiful Man (Pi Theatre), East Van Panto: Pinocchio (Theatre Replacements), Urinetown, Antony and Cleopatra and Cabaret (Studio 58).

Jay Havens (he/him/they) is a multi media 2Spirit artist and educator of Haudenosaunee and Scottish Canadian ancestry and citizen of the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk) from Six Nations of the Grand River. Regularly they make site-specific installations, murals, projections and sculptural artworks for galleries, gardens and other public spaces or can be found designing sets and costumes for professional stage companies. Jay has lived many places throughout the world and keeps returning to unceded Coast Salish Territory to be near his family. This is their first production collaborating with the team at The Frank Theatre and their second time working on a script by the fabulous Yolanda Bonnell. He previously designed the original production of her play bug as a member of Manidoons Collective. Other recent works includes a floating artwork in the Toronto harbour called The Peacemakers Canoe and projection mapping his short film Maple Sugar Moon on Stratford City Hall. Jay is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada (IATSE659) and CARFAC. They currently split their time between unceded Stz’uminus territory as well as his ancestral Haudenosaunee Territory in also called Ontario and NY State. Please visit www.jayhaves.me for more information

Mary Jane Coomber is a collaborative composer and musician who works on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people (Vancouver, BC). Recent credits: Kindred (Belfry Theatre), Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls (Carousel Theatre), Wakey, Wakey (Pacific Theatre), Beautiful Man (Pi Theatre), Inheritance (Alley Theatre). They are a member of ADC and graduate of the School of Contemporary Arts at SFU.

Lauchlin’s family has settled for three generations on stolen Coast Salish land. He is grateful to be living and working today as an uninvited guest on the lands of the (Skwxwú7mesh) Squamish, xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam) and (səlililw̓ ə̓ taʔɬ) Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Lauchlin has had the opportunity to collaborate with companies across Canada, including Gateway Theatre, Chemainus Theatre Festival, Arts Club Theatre, ITSAZOO, Western Canada Theatre, Pacific Theatre, Native Earth, Firehall Theatre and Mortal Coil Performance. Coming up, he is looking forward to designing sets and lighting for his tenth year at the Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train. Lauchlin is a graduate of UBC holding a BFA in theatre design and production. He has received sixteen Jessie Richardson Theatre Award nominations and three wins, plus one Ovation Award. Lauchlin is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada and IATSE 659.

Cande is a video editor and media designer born in Mexico and based in Vancouver, BC. Recent editing credits include short and long films such as: Project Element (Vancouver Int. Children’s Festival); Done/Undone (Bard on the Beach); IndigE-girl Comedy (Misko Way); Grand Acts of Hope (Mortal Coil/Coastal Wolf Pack); Autumn Strawberry (Mochizuki Studios); Artificial Eden (SFU); Same Old, Same Old; Taking Shakespeare; The Refugee Project (Belfry Theatre) and Body Parts (Tara Cheyenne Performance). Recent theatre design credits include: White Noise (Savage Society); Six of One (Studio 58); Clean/Espejos (Neworld); DYMISH (Theatre Replacement); Pathetic Fallacy (The Chop) and pre pandemic: Anywhere But Here (Electric Company) and House and Home (Firehall).

Andrew Pye is a Theatrical Lighting Designer based on Mayne Island. His designs can be found on stage in dance, opera and theatre locally and across Canada. When he’s not designing for the stage he can be found taking care of his hobby farm, woodworking and playing with his daughter. Select design credits: Urinetown and Incognito Mode (Studio 58), Maada’ookii Songlines (Luminato Festival), Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Gateway), Viva (Lamondance). Andrew is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada and IATSE 659. www.andrewpyedesign.com

Debbie Courchene is an Anishinaabe ikwe storyteller with family ties to Sagkeeng Nation and Rolling River, Manitoba. She is an active member in numerous Indigenous communities, and has spent a decade living and working in several provinces throughout Canada. As a storyteller, Debbie aims to empower other Indigenous people to stand tall in expressing their experiences while navigating the complex cultural and political interactions between Canada and Indigenous Peoples. She aims to support the innovation of Indigenous storytelling by focusing on the joy and celebration of Indigenous experiences. She expresses advocacy by creating inclusive, and informative spaces for people in the Arts, and has shown passion for creating spaces that include Indigenous, Black, POC and LGBTQ2 communities. Recent works include producing IndigE-girl Comedy Fest, a Indigenous lead comedy workshop aimed to hone the skills of comedy for Indigenous women. She has produced a short comedy piece for National Arts Centre called Auntie in da Woods, and has worked as a Technical Director for Radical Art Systems (Moment of Isolation), Delinquent Theatre (Seventh Fire - by Lisa C. Ravensbergen), Boca Del Lupo (Iron Peggy - by Marie Claments), Rumble Theatre (Tremors 2018, 2020), Vancouver Moving Theatre (Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way - By Renae Morriseau).

Anais (they/he/she) is a genderfluid writer, actor and producer of Polish descent, as well as a settler on occupied Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories (colonially called Vancouver). Anais’ work is multidisciplinary, merging theatre, film, music and poetry. Through hybrid art, they grapple with the multiplicities that exist in gender, sexuality, culture and self. Their writing credits include the short film Underground Absolute Fiction: A Video ‘Zine (Rumble Theatre’s Tremors Festival), the video-play hybrid Kill Your Lovers, (Buddies In Bad Times Theatre’s Rhubarb Festival, Toronto, and the Fresh Fruit Festival, NYC) and the slam poetry musical Poly Queer Love Ballad (QAF, Zee Zee Theatre & the frank, Vancouver, and Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto.) Poly Queer Love Ballad won PTC’s Fringe in Play Prize and the Georgia Straight Critics’ Choice Award, then went on to be nominated for two Jessie Richardson Awards including Outstanding Original Script and Outstanding Production in Musical Theatre. As an actor, Anais has worked with Savage Society, The Firehall Arts Centre, Theatre la Seizieme, the Only Animal, Rumble Theatre and more. He is the frank theatre company’s Artistic Producer, where he most recently co-produced the audio-play I Cannot Lie to the Stars That Made Me, the theatre-new media hybrid Be-Longing (CULTCH Re/Play Series) and She Mami Wata & The Pussy WitchHunt (PuSh Festival 2020.)

Fay lives on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. Fay is a community-engaged director, writer, dramaturg, innovator, producer and educator. Fay is the Artistic Director of the frank theatre company and the founder/Artistic Director of Aphotic Theatre. She has over 17 years of experience in text-based and devised work deeply rooted in inter-cultural and collaborative approaches. Fay’s work often examines questions of race, gender, sexuality, culture and language through an intersectional lens in order to shift meanings and de-construct paradigms rooted in our society. Fay’s work celebrates empathy and blurs the line between politics and intimate personal stories. Fay’s work has been presented at PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, SummerWorks Festival, Queer Arts Festival, the CULTCH and Firehall Arts Centre. Her readings and experimental work have been presented at various conferences and artist-run galleries in Spain, Berlin and Paris. Their co-creation project Be-Longing was part of the New York international Film Festival, NICE International Film Festival and Madrid International Film Festival. Her most recent credits include: directing I Cannot Lie to the Stars that Made me (the frank theatre), directing Art Connects documentary film (Aphotic Theatre), co-creating Be-Longing (the frank theatre), co-directing Trans Script Part I: The Women (the frank theatre and Zee Theatre at Firehall Arts Centre), and directing She Mami Wata & the Pussy WitchHunt (the frank theatre at PuSh Festival 2020). Fay holds an MFA from Simon Fraser University. Fay is currently completing her Artistic Leadership Residency at the National Theatre School of Canada. Fay is recipient of 2022 Gina Wilkinson Prize in Canada.