Tamara McCarthy

Tamara is an award-winning director, actor, producer, educator, and Co-Artistic Producer of The Fox Queen.

For Chemainus: James and the Giant Peach (Director); The Fiancée; Home to Roost. With over 40 professional directing credits, these include I Want To Be An Astronaut (Port Theatre); The Out Vigil (Theatre Newfoundland Labrador); The Wolves (Douglas College); The Double Axe Murders (Gateway/ Evergreen); Julius Caesar (Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival); Into the Woods (VIU); The Sea; A Doll’s House (Slamming Door); La Bohème (Opera Nanaimo); Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet (Blue Bridge); FourPlay (Studio 58).

This fall she will direct the Year 2 students at Canadian College for Performing Arts. Tamara is an Adjudicator for Theatre BC, facilitating the Directors Lab Workshop at Mainstage 2026 in Vernon. She was in the first cohort of a Cultural Leadership program this year at BANFF Arts Centre, and is the proud recipient of the 2021 John Moffat and Larry Lillo Award.

Jethelo Espaldon Cabilete

A graduate of Theatre Humber’s Technical and Production Stagecraft program, with over 27 years of experience in stage management and technical production. Collaborations with esteemed Directors and Choreographers such as: Richard Wolfe, Crystal Pite, Marcus Youssef, Lois Anderson, Donna Spencer, Diane Roberts, Corey Payette. Notable productions: Lasa ng Imperyo, CHILD-ish, Revisor 2022 & 2023, The Shipment, Reflections on Crooked Walking 2023, Cedar Woman, Blasted, God’s Lake, The Seafarer, How To Disappear Completely, Long Division, Moonlodge 2017, Skydive, Escaped Alone. With gratitude to Keith for his continued love and support. Forever dedicated to my mother. Photo courtesy of Four Eyes.

Mark Carter

Past designs for Chemainus include Gaslight and Guys on Ice. Other designs include Mary Poppins and The Drowsy Chaperone (Theatre Under the Stars), The Trip to Bountiful, Hedda Gabler, The Thursday Night Bridge Circle, Silent Sky. and most recently Network for United Players. As well as a Vancouver designer and technician, Mark is also the artistic director of DSR Productions and owner of Vanstage Productions.

Samantha Currie

As an Actor, Director, Instructor, Theatre Adjudicator, and a graduate of AMDA in New York, she is delighted to be back on the CTF stage. Past productions (select): Sister Act/Stage West Dinner Theatre, A Man of No Importance/Storybook Theatre, Jersey Boys/Citadel Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet/Theatre Calgary, SCOPE/Lunchbox Theatre, Little Women, Ring of Fire, Anne/Chemainus Theatre Festival.

Samantha sends heartfelt thanks to her family for their love and support.

Jillian Fargey

This is Jillian’s first time working at the Chemainus Theatre Festival and she is excited to be here! Since graduating from Studio 58 Jillian has worked on stages across the country from Montreal to Victoria with many stops in between. She has appeared on the small and large screen in a variety of productions. Jillian has been the recipient of 3 Jessie Richardson Theatre awards along with 8 nominations. She has received a Leo award along with 2 Leo nominations and a Genie nomination. She was awarded Best Actress at the Ourense international film festival.

Allan Frisk

Allan Frisk is thrilled to be making his debut at Chemainus Theatre. Prior to moving to the Island, Allan worked regularly in the Vancouver Theatre Industry as both a Set Designer and Technical Director. He has designed over 20 sets for professional theatres for which he has received several Jessie Richardson Award nominations and has won 2 Jessie Richardson Awards for his set designs.

Crystal Hanson

Born on Vancouver Island, Crystal returned to its moss-covered rocks and tall trees several years ago to join the theatre as Head of Wardrobe. Favourite costume designs at the Chemainus Theatre Festival include The Fiancée, Gaslight, A Tiny Christmas Carol, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Silent Sky, Pride & Prejudice, Million Dollar Quartet, Ring of Fire, Waiting for the Parade, Countryside Christmas, and Ah, Wilderness.

Emilie Leclerc

Emilie is a bilingual actor, director and MC/host. A Jessie-Award recipient, over the past 15 years she has had the chance to work with Théâtre la Seizième, Bard on the Beach, ZeeZee Theatre, Ruby Slippers and Carousel Theatre amongst others. TV credits include Motherland: Fort Salem and Surf Bay, côte Ouest. She is a graduate of Studio 58 and McGill University. Bon spectacle! @em_leclerc123

Erin Ormond

Erin is thrilled to return the CTF stage! Selected theatre credits include Little Women, The Audience (Jessie nomination) for the Arts Club Theatre, The Christians (Pacific Theatre), and Steel Magnolias (Richmond Gateway). CTF credits include Footloose, The Piano Teacher, Jeeves at Sea, Gaslight, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Mamma Mia!, A Lovely Sunday for Créve Couer, Harvey, Grace and Glorie, Enchanted April, and Queen Milli of Galt.

Evan Ren

Evan is a stage manager based in Vancouver. Graduated from UBC theatre production and design in 2020, her selected stage management credits include: Where Have All the Buffalo Gone? (Axis Theatre); Frozen (ASM, the Arts Club); Footloose (ASM, Chemainus Theatre Festival); The Frontliners (vAct); Primary Trust (ASM, the Arts Club); Parifam (vAct). She is excited to be back at Chemainus and hopes everyone has a good time!

Brianne Tucker

For Chemainus: Debut / Elsewhere: Mary Poppins (Thousand Islands Playhouse), A Christmas Carol (Soupcan Theatre), Here on the Flightpath & Lunenburg (Miracle Theatre), Honour Beat (New West Theatre), Bentboy (YPT), The 39 Steps (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival), Salt Baby & Boeing Boeing (Magnus Theatre), Murder at the Howard Johnson (Orillia Opera House), Dark Heart (Thought for Food), One Slight Hitch (Upper Canada Playhouse) and Perfect Wedding (Lighthouse Festival). TV credits include The Handmaid’s Tale.

Brianne is excited to be in a beautiful location working with an all female cast.

Kraig Waye

Previously for CTF: Once, Godspell, Million Dollar Quartet, Ring of Fire, The Buddy Holly Story, Mamma Mia, and others. Elsewhere: Actor, musician, and/or music director in over 60 theatrical productions nationwide. Offstage, Kraig is a music producer, composer/arranger, sound designer, songwriter and session musician, collaborating with artists and organizations across Canada.

As always, this is dedicated to Cæleigh and Steph. Thank you for supporting live theatre!